Airco DH-2, SMER 1/48th

[Radish]

Yesterday at the Northern Show, Tyneside, I bought the SMER 1/48th DH-2.

OK, covered in flash and with some engraved marking placements, but potential, especially for £4.99.
So.....my first ideas after looking at it are:

add "glass" cockpit and ejection seat.
extend nose for radar
add gun pods on the side or under the fuselage.
add external fuel tanks under the top wings, plumbed into the fuselage
new twin-row engine with new 4-blader prop, which might need "cutting down" to fit.
add new wheels....wider ones from the spares box.

Paint it grey RAF, with wings in the adf colouring, still WW1 roundels, but have a Tiger-striped fuselage...74 Sqn.
Black/yellow colouring on the pod and on the interplane struts.
or perhaps just on the struts with "low-viz" on the pod in twin shades of grey?

It looks a rather nice kit, everything being equal, and after making it, I'll HAVE to do some more.
COMPETITION definitely. Could be a real hoot.  

[Brian da Basher]

This is a stupendous idea Radish! I've got an Eduard DH-2 in 1/72 and have plans to whiff it as a W.W. I version of a P-38 by modifying it to a twin engine bird and packing the nose with guns. I'll call it Kelly Johnson's High School Science Fair project.  

Brian da Basher
(still hoping to see pics)

[Radish]

And a GREAT P-38 idea.

I've also thought of an RAF Recon-bird....PINK anyone?    

[RotorheadTX]

I've got most of the parts from a copy of the ancient Revell 1/72nd scale kit. I'm going to turn it into something along the lines of a Buhl autogyro...


It seems that the DH-2 is one of those planes that inspires us all to remodel it to our own liking!!    

[Radish]

Brilliant.
I wonder if the wings could be sawn/modified into giant windmill-type rotors?  

[RotorheadTX]

No need!! Just scavenge all the rotor bits off of one of the Williams Bros. Pitcairn gyros - it saves loads of work!!

[Radish]

Ah!

But the windmill rotors could be used on something else? Mi-24 Hind??

[Daryl J.]

One could always put it on floats, paint it overall silver dope, and place Indiana Jones and Ladyfriend on a pontoon fishing.    As seen in Indiana Jones and the Lost Vacation.


Or,


One could put a RATO-like boost packet on either side of the fore fuselage and it could be the Royal Buckingham Cockroach Remover.


Or,

One could equip it with Tundra Tires, a triple prop, metalize the tail, use carbon fibre interplane struts and tailplane supports and send it up to Alaska along with the Beavers and 206's.    DeHavilland Leisure/Athletics could be the current manufacturer along with Leica as a sponsor.


The DH.2 is a very, very cool aircraft IMHO.....fantastic Whiffer too.





Daryl J.

[Radish]

i like floats.
Floats....I like floats.

DH-2....glorious potential.