Here's my backup entry for the GB, a Dewoitine D.520 that started life in the Armee de l'Air, was captured by the Luftwaffe, worked on at Rechlin, and in turn was captured by the RAF and flown to Farnborough for further evaluation.
The kit's a Masterkit D.520 C1, which I bought from an underground hobby shop in Dublin last summer. Yes, it really WAS underground, very odd, but a well stocked place nonetheless. Here's the rather nice, but flimsy box.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/8694/SzQlq7.jpg) (https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/8694/SzQlq7.jpg)
And the stuff inside....
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5153/WiTPUo.jpg) (https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5153/WiTPUo.jpg)
And as I mentioned in 'The Rules' thread, I'd already started it, but only glued the upper and lower wings together and added the pilot's seat.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4546/kfsArl.jpg) (https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4546/kfsArl.jpg)
The kit comes with decals for no less than FOUR different versions, one French, one German, one Italian and one Bulgarian, each one with its own separate decal sheet! :o
I'll be modelling it with the Luftwaffe's modifications of course........ ;)
Is that a repop of Ye Olde Heller kit, Kit?
And the model shop - not too far from the south bank of the Liffey, near the IAA offices in the old Times Building? If so I bought an Airfix Kittyhawk there around 10 years ago.
The plastic is the old Heller kit. Never used Mistercraft decals before so don't know how good or bad they are.
If they work ok then i'm sure it's a bit of a bargain with all those decal options.
Quote from: kitbasher on January 04, 2021, 08:35:41 AM
Is that a repop of Ye Olde Heller kit, Kit?
That's a good question Dave and I'd like to be able to answer it.....
I had a look in The Loft, and sure enough there was a Heller D.520 box there, but it contained a FROG D.520 kit (very basic indeed...) and a few bits of the old Heller kit. I've no idea where the rest of it went. But the Heller instructions look VERY similar to the Masterkit product, so I'd say yes, it is.
It's about 5 mm longer than the FROG one though, very odd. :-\
Quote from: kitbasher on January 04, 2021, 08:35:41 AM
And the model shop - not too far from the south bank of the Liffey, near the IAA offices in the old Tomes Building? If so I bought an Airfix Kittyhawk there around 10 years ago.
Sounds about right, yes. It's on a north-south street just west of the weird Samuel Beckett suspended bridge.
Underground hobby shop sounds like a illicit black market shop a bit like a criminal version of this rather than spy themed
https://youtu.be/swdhsUqLKvs
Thanks, tc, that's just classic! Love it! :thumbsup: ;D ;D ;D :wub:
I've got the fuselage assembled now, with all its lumps and bumps.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6984/F6dFv7.jpg)
Oh sorry, didn't I mention that the ever inventive guys at Rechlin had re-engined the D.520, at first with a DB 601 engine from an Me-109E, and later in the war with the larger DB 605 as fitted to the Me-109G. ;D
The engine's coming from a Hasegawa 109G that was never going to built as intended (I don't really 'do' Luftwaffe...) and it all went together nicely, that's before I get at it with a razor saw and files of course......
Here's the OTHER D.520 fuselage, the one built in France. ;D
The green line is where I'm planning to cut it to install the big DB 605, I hope............
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/3820/q7NKkq.jpg)
Mmm, I think a "good morning" is right here, Kit. Are you sure you're well? ;D ;D
So, what does the green piece of wire represent?
It's where I have to cut the HS engine off so I can graft the DB engine back on.
If it works..........
graft away !! :thumbsup:
The DB will certainly change the lines of the Dewoitine
The interior of the D520's been painted now, and the rear cockpit windows glued in place. I do like Heller's method for this, the clear parts are chamfered so they're larger on the inside than the outside, so you slot them into place and they don't fall right through! Then you just give them a drop of liquid cement on the inside edges and it's job done. I glued the two fuselage halves together and then sawed off the engine....
It wasn't quite as straightforward as that as you can see, I had to saw down on the main engine bulkhead line and then use a scalpel to cut around the leading edge of the wing root, but it went OK, and hopefully won't need too much PSR when I graft the DB 605 in place, maybe tomorrow.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5725/D8Ny2f.jpg)
The best laid plans etc...............
The DB 605, like many Luftwaffe engines, had an inverted V configuration, unlike the D.520's Hispano, which was the right way up like a Merlin, so the cowling shapes don't match worth a damn. :-(
The DB 605 is quite a bit narrower than the Hispano as well, so the Hasegawa Me-109G cowling needs some 'adjustment', shall we say? It either needs padding out a lot at the sides, or it needs a tapered spacer down the middle.
The latter is my preferred option at the moment, as trying to pad the sides of the 605 would be pretty difficult with the exhausts and the socking great air filter on the port side.
Could go for another option - DB603 power egg from a Do 217. Wider and has a flat top with the oil cooler.
If I had one.
The Hase 109G was the only DB powered kit I had handy.
The (widened...) DB engine is glued in place, it's been PSR'd within an inch of its life, the tailplanes are glued on and the canopy's on as well. Masking of the transparencies will happen tomorrow and then the first primer coat.
Followed no doubt by at least one more PSR session, maybe more.....:(
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6493/h9MRCn.jpg)
It doesn't look as ugly as I expected to be actually, certainly not as elegant as the original all French version, but not all that bad.
All the PSR and priming is done now, and I've got the first, and second, AND third colour coat on! :banghead:
The underside yellow was a feature of the OKB's test aircraft at Rechlin, but this will need at least one more coat before I'm satisfied.
This Halfords yellow doesn't cover very well at all. :(
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5661/WO3q2j.jpg)
The new nose blends quite well into the D520's fuselage, apart from that HUGE air filter!
Got most of the painting done now, after loads of masking sessions. Some detail painting to do and then the decals.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/8066/OwY1nP.jpg)
I'm seeing that in either Romanian or Bulgarian markings Kit. I bet you'd throw some people if it appeared at a show like that :angel:
There's a Bulgarian decal option in the kit actually, but that scheme is a 100% Luftwaffe test scheme, as used at Rechlin of course.
I've got all the decals printed and in place now. A coat of Klear and some matte varnish and that'll be it for the main assembly.
Just got the blasted landing gear to go, and I HATE painting tyres and wheels. :(
That's got one model done for this GB anyway. ;D
Here's the Dewoitine D.520 that was used by the Luftwaffe as an engine test airframe at the Rechlin air base and which was subsequently captured by the RAF and tested at Farnborough after the war's end.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/935/NMobxc.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9517/Y125ah.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/976/42pCFS.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9898/gJuNn2.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/8797/UUVhhE.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/6195/anWTT1.jpg)
================
And the backstory.........
The tale of the twice captured Dewoitine D.520.
D.520 No. 94 served with GCII/3 during the early days of WWII. Flying from the tiny A de l'Air air field of Betz-Bouillancy north east of Paris, the Groupe were fairly successful against the Luftwaffe bomber fleets, the D.520's superb manoeuvrability being more than a match for the Me-109Es forming the escort fighter squadrons at the time. Unfortunately the Wehrmacht panzers were Blitzkrieging their way across Northern France and GCII/3 were forced to abandon their base and move south. Sadly No. 94 had a hydraulic problem at the time and had to be left behind, but the destruction charges left in the cockpit failed to fire and the aircraft was captured, for the first time.
Luftwaffe engineers, moving along behind the German land forces, took over the airfield and managed to repair 94's hydraulics and it was flown to the Luftwaffe's Erprobrungsstelle test airfield, at Rechlin north of Berlin, for evaluation. When the trials were completed some thoughts were given to returning No. 94 to France for service with the Vichy Air Force, but some interest was taken in the very light weight of the Hispano Suiza engine, it being considerably lighter than the DB 601s used in the Me-109Es. Further trials were carried out and eventually a DB 601 was installed in the D.520's airframe for direct comparison trials.
The aircraft having proved useful in this engine test role, later German engines were also trialled, including the DB 603 and the later DB 605, as used in the Me-109G. In this form No. 94 ended its days at Rechlin and it was parked up on the west side of the airfield where failed test aircraft resided until British Army Forces took over the site in the late Spring of 1945, and No. 94 was captured for the second time. As that area was due to be assigned to Russia for administrative purposes before much longer, many of the captured aircraft were quickly transported to the UK, either by land transport or by flying them directly. In the Case of No. 94 it was flown out by an RAF pilot directly to RAE Farnborough via Venlo airfield in the Netherlands.
The D.520 was stored at Farnborough where many of the captured Luftwaffe aircraft were examined and in many cases test flown too. The Enemy Aircraft Flight there was commanded by the then Lt. Cmdr. Eric 'Winkle' Brown, who became fascinated by the combination of German/French engineering offered by No. 94. He test flew the aircraft a number of times, comparing it with a standard D.520 which was also based at Farnborough. He disliked the standard D.520 intensely, while admiring its manoeuvrability, claiming that the aircraft was very unstable, difficult to fly and could even decide not to taxi straight when on the ground. No. 94 was deemed '...even worse, if that was possible! The extra torque of the DB 605 could flip the aircraft during the run-up if you weren't careful...'
Bearing a strange mixture of colours and markings from its varied life, No. 94 had all its Luftwaffe insignia roughly painted out and RAF roundels and fin flashes were applied in the same positions. The large Rechlin test codes were retained, as were the bright yellow undersides. In addition the AirMin No., in this case No. 240, was painted beneath the cockpit on both sides. The yellow '94' applied on top of the Rechlin codes were the result of a Free French Armee de l'Air officer who had been posted to Farnborough for test flying duties, and who had flown No. 94 during its brief service in France. He decided that the aircraft should retain some semblance of its original identity and had its number restored.
Despite attempts to return the aircraft to France in late 1945 it seems most likely that No. 94 was scrapped at the RAE during the massive destruction of old airframes that took place at that time, as no trace of it has ever been found in French records.
======================
It's an ex-Heller D.520 re-popped by Mister Craft, with the engine from a Hasegawa Me-109G Trop grafted onto the front. Paint scheme and decals are a mixture of the kit scheme and some home printed stuff, weathered more than somewhat. The whole thing was kicked off by Dave Kitbasher's lovely Ta-154 in an AirMin scheme.
And Dave, you haven't posted your pics of the 154 in the 'Finished Builds' thread,
Nice one, Kit. :thumbsup:
The 154 was a 'background build', so won't be posted in the completed build section. That and the 'background' Ki-61 were essentially already built at the start of the GB and it would have been churlish to ask the mods for them to be included - however the GB inspired me to finish them.
Awww what a pity. :(
But thanks very much for the inspiration for this one. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Looks good!
TomZ
So well done. The change of lines with the engine, excellent.
Paint scheme works, but what really sells it for me is the overlaid markings.
Terrific :thumbsup:
Lovely job on that! After bouncing back and forth like that I would have called the Shuttlecock! ;D
Looks great Kit.
:thumbsup:
That's looking very good! :thumbsup:
Looks good :thumbsup:
Hotte
That's come out really, really well Kit :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice one, Kit! Can't see the pictures as well as I'd like (using my phone) but the story is really plausible. :thumbsup:
Good backstory and interesting markings - a good one! :thumbsup:
Quote from: PR19_Kit on January 23, 2021, 09:54:29 AMThat's got one model done for this GB anyway. ;D
Here's the Dewoitine D.520 that was used by the Luftwaffe as an engine test airframe at the Rechlin air base and which was subsequently captured by the RAF and tested at Farnborough after the war's end.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/935/NMobxc.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9517/Y125ah.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/976/42pCFS.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9898/gJuNn2.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/8797/UUVhhE.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6513/ZZGnqR.jpg)
================
And the backstory.........
The tale of the twice captured Dewoitine D.520.
D.520 No. 94 served with GCII/3 during the early days of WWII. Flying from the tiny A de l'Air air field of Betz-Bouillancy north east of Paris, the Groupe were fairly successful against the Luftwaffe bomber fleets, the D.520's superb manoeuvrability being more than a match for the Me-109Es forming the escort fighter squadrons at the time. Unfortunately the Wehrmacht panzers were Blitzkrieging their way across Northern France and GCII/3 were forced to abandon their base and move south. Sadly No. 94 had a hydraulic problem at the time and had to be left behind, but the destruction charges left in the cockpit failed to fire and the aircraft was captured, for the first time.
Luftwaffe engineers, moving along behind the German land forces, took over the airfield and managed to repair 94's hydraulics and it was flown to the Luftwaffe's Erprobrungsstelle test airfield, at Rechlin north of Berlin, for evaluation. When the trials were completed some thoughts were given to returning No. 94 to France for service with the Vichy Air Force, but some interest was taken in the very light weight of the Hispano Suiza engine, it being considerably lighter than the DB 601s used in the Me-109Es. Further trials were carried out and eventually a DB 601 was installed in the D.520's airframe for direct comparison trials.
The aircraft having proved useful in this engine test role, later German engines were also trialled, including the DB 603 and the later DB 605, as used in the Me-109G. In this form No. 94 ended its days at Rechlin and it was parked up on the west side of the airfield where failed test aircraft resided until British Army Forces took over the site in the late Spring of 1945, and No. 94 was captured for the second time. As that area was due to be assigned to Russia for administrative purposes before much longer, many of the captured aircraft were quickly transported to the UK, either by land transport or by flying them directly. In the Case of No. 94 it was flown out by an RAF pilot directly to RAE Farnborough via Venlo airfield in the Netherlands.
The D.520 was stored at Farnborough where many of the captured Luftwaffe aircraft were examined and in many cases test flown too. The Enemy Aircraft Flight there was commanded by the then Lt. Cmdr. Eric 'Winkle' Brown, who became fascinated by the combination of German/French engineering offered by No. 94. He test flew the aircraft a number of times, comparing it with a standard D.520 which was also based at Farnborough. He disliked the standard D.520 intensely, while admiring its manoeuvrability, claiming that the aircraft was very unstable, difficult to fly and could even decide not to taxi straight when on the ground. No. 94 was deemed '...even worse, if that was possible! The extra torque of the DB 605 could flip the aircraft during the run-up if you weren't careful...'
Bearing a strange mixture of colours and markings from its varied life, No. 94 had all its Luftwaffe insignia roughly painted out and RAF roundels and fin flashes were applied in the same positions. The large Rechlin test codes were retained, as were the bright yellow undersides. In addition the AirMin No., in this case No. 240, was painted beneath the cockpit on both sides. The yellow '94' applied on top of the Rechlin codes were the result of a Free French Armee de l'Air officer who had been posted to Farnborough for test flying duties, and who had flown No. 94 during its brief service in France. He decided that the aircraft should retain some semblance of its original identity and had its number restored.
Despite attempts to return the aircraft to France in late 1945 it seems most likely that No. 94 was scrapped at the RAE during the massive destruction of old airframes that took place at that time, as no trace of it has ever been found in French records.
======================
It's an ex-Heller D.520 re-popped by Mister Craft, with the engine from a Hasegawa Me-109G Trop grafted onto the front. Paint scheme and decals are a mixture of the kit scheme and some home printed stuff, weathered more than somewhat. The whole thing was kicked off by Dave Kitbasher's lovely Ta-154 in an AirMin scheme.
And Dave, you haven't posted your pics of the 154 in the 'Finished Builds' thread,