Italeri 1/72 Stirling Mk. III (1462)

The Short Stirling was the RAF's first four-engine heavy bomber to enter service in the Second World War — a pioneering aircraft that blazed the trail for Bomber Command's strategic offensive but was ultimately constrained by a fundamental design limitation. To fit within existing hangar door widths, the Stirling's wing span was kept to just 99 feet, producing a wing loading that restricted its operational ceiling to around 17,000 feet — dangerously below the Lancasters and Halifaxes it flew alongside, making it disproportionately vulnerable to German flak and night fighters. The Mk. III introduced improved Bristol Hercules XVI engines and became the most produced variant, serving until withdrawn from the main bomber offensive in late 1943 and redeployed to SOE supply dropping, glider towing, and transport duties for the remainder of the war. Its massive slab-sided fuselage, very tall undercarriage, and distinctive high-set wing give the Stirling an imposing and immediately recognisable presence at any scale. Italeri's 1/72 kit captures this important and often overlooked heavy bomber with accurate airframe proportions and RAF Bomber Command marking options.