Fokker SD.VII trainer: Roman Flying Corps

[Spey_Phantom]

Back History:

in 1918, the German Army flying corps, was looking for a new aircraft to train aircrews so they could learn to fly fighters much faster. once again it was Fokker to the rescue, When Anthony Fokker designed and build the D.VII fighter, he also designed an adaption of the fighter for 2-seat training. although the Germans prefered the C.I derivative of the D.VII, it wasnt a dual control aircraft.

the British were already operating such an aircraft at the time, the Avro 504, so allied pilots were trained much better then the Germans.  so the trainer version of the D.VII, designated SD.VII, was more then welcome. Fokker build 100 Dual control SD.VII's for Germany. when the armistice was signed a few months later, Fokker lost all its rights to build aircraft, at least for germany. after the war, Fokker resumed operations in the Netherlands. the first post-war SD.VII were sold to the newly formed LVA (Luchtvaartafdeling = Dutch army aviation department). Yugolavia became the first foreign customer for the SD.VII, the Royal Yugoslav Air Force placed an order for 20 aircraft, later 18 captured german D.VII were converted SD.VII's. these served with the RYAF from 1919 to 1931.

the model:

the aircraft will be build from 2 1/72 Revell Fokker D.VII kits, i just sawed the 2 fuselages to salvage the needed cockpit sections. the conversion is quite simple, and thats a good thing about the old WW1 aircraft designs cause of the box like fuselages.
for markings, im gonna do it up in Yugoslav markings.

here are a couple of pics if the work being done  





and here is how she would undergo for 2-seat conversion  

[CAO 700]

Excellent idea!

[Acree]

The Danish clearly thought this was a good idea and used theirs right up until WW II began (RW).  The O-maskinen was licence built by Flyvertroppernes Vaerksteder originally as observation aircraft, but later as trainers.

[The Rat]

That Revell is a nice little kit, and you're doing a bang-up job on a good idea! 

[Spey_Phantom]

its been a while since i posted anything on this build, but it has been on hold for some time.

anyway, there's been a change of plan, after seeing the live action movie "Asterix Contre Ceasar" on TV, im in a kind of "roman empire" mood.

im thinking of writing an alternative history on how the Roman Empire rose again in 1917 and almost single handedly ended WW1 and started its own global conquest to reinstate the roman empire.
i was thinking that after a coup d'etas in Italy, decendents from the old roman empire rise to power and started a rearmament program, similar to that the Germans did in the 1930's.

this Fokker SD.VII would be used by the ACRE (Armo Coelum Romanus Emperius = Imperial Roman Flying Corps (IRFC)) as an observation/fighterbomber aircraft in the early 1920's, after obtaining the bleuprints from Germany.

i was gonna buy a pack of roman soldiers (to cut of there heads and stick them on pilot bodies) but the LHS was closed today, so thats something on the list for next weekend.

pics to follow soon...

[Spey_Phantom]

UPDATE:

yes, the build is still going.
yesterday, ifinally got around to finding a box of Airfix 1/72 Romans. so then it was time to start decapitating 
progress on the plane has been kinda slow for some time, but now im back on the saddle.
in the time, the plane has been painted in a wood like color, the orange nose and tips indicate that this SD-VII was used as an recconaisance aircraft by the ACRE's Hollandia devision (Roman Forces in The Netherlands) in 1920.

the aircraft had there range extended to they could reach the Brittish coast and back, to photograph British Army coastal defences and RAF airfields, prior to the invasion of Britania a few weeks later.

thil need to paint up the camera man (a Heller RAF personel figure with a roman head), paint and fit the top wing and print out and apply the decals. the tail rudder has been painted in Red & Gold, just like the shields of the roman army.

i would like to get this model finished by the time i leave for the UK (RIAT Fairford) on midnight friday.

here's the progress pics:

[Spey_Phantom]

FINISHED 
i guess this will spin some heads over at the local Roman Archeological museum 

[James]

Gotta love anything Roman!

[GTX]

 

[NARSES2]

 

[sequoiaranger]

I like this one! Now there would be an "RFC" on both sides of the conflict! Or is the Roman takeover a non-aligned  belligerent actually aligned against BOTH the Central Powers and the Allies?

Next (as an American), maybe I will do a "Kentucky Flying Corps" during the Civil War, headed up by none other than white-haired Colonel Sanders, and name it the "KFC" (maybe only Americans will get this).

>I guess this will spin some heads over at the local Roman Archeological museum<

You could tell them you now have PROOF that Leonardo Da Vinci was born some thirteen hundred years earlier than previously thought!

[philp]

Love the idea and the build but could you have least given the chaps some goggles?

[BlackOps]

Too Cool! 

[Brian da Basher]

Simply outstanding and some of your best work yet, Nils!

Or should I call you Imperator?

Brian da Basher

[cthulhu77]