Curtiss P-40
Turn up the sound and enjoy...
Have a good weekend!
Friday, April 22, 2016
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Messerschmidt Bf 108
One of the most well known and successful fighter aircraft of World War 2 was the Messerschmidt Me 109. It was designed by Willy Messerschmidt and Robert Lusser at the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in the mid 1930's. This blog isn't about the 109, but its older brother the 108. The overall design inspiration for the 109 was the 108, although the 108 is 'beefier' in every way, except engine power and armament. (the 108 was un-armed) The 108 could seat 4 people, the 109 was a single seat fighter.
Bf 108 -
Bf 109 -
Brief and to the point, as always - from Wikipedia -
"Originally designated the M 37, the aircraft was designed as a four-seat sports/recreation aircraft for competition in the 4th Challenge International de Tourisme (1934). The M 37 prototype flew first in spring 1934 powered by a 250 PS (247 hp, 184 kW) Hirth HM 8U inverted-V engine, which drove a three-blade propeller.
Although it was outperformed by several other aircraft in the competition, the M 37's overall performance marked it as a popular choice for record flights. Particular among these traits was its extremely low fuel consumption rate, good handling, and superb takeoff and landing characteristics.
The Bf 108A first flew in 1934, followed by the Bf 108B in 1935. The Bf 108B used the Argus As 10 air-cooled inverted V8 engine. The nickname Taifun (German for "typhoon") was given to her own aircraft by Elly Beinhorn, a well known German pilot, and was generally adopted.
Interesting note - Bf 108s played the role of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters in war movies, including The Longest Day, The Great Escape, 633 Squadron, Mosquito Squadron, and Von Ryan's Express.
Interesting note - Bf 108s played the role of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters in war movies, including The Longest Day, The Great Escape, 633 Squadron, Mosquito Squadron, and Von Ryan's Express.
Here is a Youtube video of a still-flying Bf 108 -
My model of the Bf 108 is an Eduard 1/48 Bf 108B, militarized version, with a two bladed metal prop. It depicts NF-MS in service on the Russian front during the winter of 1942-43. It has been overpainted by a special white paint which, over the winter, washes off so that by the spring there isn't much left, like the snow. At some point it is handwashed off completely back to its original summer camouflage of a two-toned green 'splinter' pattern.
Here is a profile of what NF-MS looks like normally.
When I built my kit, the decals for this scheme was not available, so I used spare decals I had in stock.
The yellow patches at the ends of the wings may or may not have been present, see profile above.
Here are three photos of my completed model on a dark background -
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 8.3 m (27 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
- Height: 2.3 m (7 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 16 m² (172 ft²)
- Empty weight: 806 kg (1,775 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Argus As 10C air-cooled inverted V-8, 240 PS (174 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 305 km/h (190 mph)
- Range: 1,000 km (620 mi)
- Service ceiling: 6,200 m (20,300 ft) with 4 people and baggage
- Rate of climb: 5.21 m/s (1,194 ft/m) to 1,000 m (3,048 ft)
- Wing loading: 83.4 kg/m² (17.1 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.133 kW/kg (0.081 hp/lb)
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Academy 1/32 Sopwith F.1 'Camel'
Below is a photo of a kit I started last autumn, it is of a Academy 1/32 scale Sopwith F.1, or as it was baptised, 'Camel' It was nick-named the 'Camel' because the two .303 calibre machine guns were covered over by a fairing which from the side looked like a hump.
In WW1, there were many nick-names for aircraft, the Royal Aircraft Factories RE8 was called the 'Harry Tate' and the Bristol F2B was called the 'Brisfit' (misfit?').
The Camel had quite a reputation in that it killed and maimed almost as many pilots as it did enemies - it was a beast to take off and land due to design feature that the centre of gravity was located in the first six feet of the aircraft. It was designed this way - it was unstable in flight, which was a great asset in dogfighting - it was extremely manoeverable and could turn on a dime and give nine cents change. It was introduced in early 1917.
I will be completing this kit as part of a Group Build on 'Aerscale', an online modelling forum. My input begins on page 2 of the 'Hangar Queen 6' Group Build'
http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=242855
Here is a Youtube video of a replica Camel in New Zealand. I think this camel was at least in part financed by Peter Jackson, the film director.
From Youtube - "The Vintage Aviator's Sopwith F.1 Camel is shown here during a display at the Tauranga City Classics Of The Sky airshow held at Tauranga Airport, New Zealand. Capably flown by Gene De Marco this aircraft features an original 160hp Gnome rotary engine which is almost 100 years old."
The Camel was flown by the Royal Flying Corps. The pilot with the most victories in a Camel was Major William Barker, VC. Major Barker was born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada in 1894. He received the Victoria Cross in 1918 and was, and still is, the most decorated serviceman of Canada and the British Commonwealth. His Camel, B6313 will be the subject of my model.
For all the brave men who flew with the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Naval Air Service (which were joined in 1918 to became the Royal Air Force) - the RAF/RCAF Marchpast -
Below is a photo of a kit I started last autumn, it is of a Academy 1/32 scale Sopwith F.1, or as it was baptised, 'Camel' It was nick-named the 'Camel' because the two .303 calibre machine guns were covered over by a fairing which from the side looked like a hump.
In WW1, there were many nick-names for aircraft, the Royal Aircraft Factories RE8 was called the 'Harry Tate' and the Bristol F2B was called the 'Brisfit' (misfit?').
The Camel had quite a reputation in that it killed and maimed almost as many pilots as it did enemies - it was a beast to take off and land due to design feature that the centre of gravity was located in the first six feet of the aircraft. It was designed this way - it was unstable in flight, which was a great asset in dogfighting - it was extremely manoeverable and could turn on a dime and give nine cents change. It was introduced in early 1917.
I will be completing this kit as part of a Group Build on 'Aerscale', an online modelling forum. My input begins on page 2 of the 'Hangar Queen 6' Group Build'
http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=242855
Here is a Youtube video of a replica Camel in New Zealand. I think this camel was at least in part financed by Peter Jackson, the film director.
From Youtube - "The Vintage Aviator's Sopwith F.1 Camel is shown here during a display at the Tauranga City Classics Of The Sky airshow held at Tauranga Airport, New Zealand. Capably flown by Gene De Marco this aircraft features an original 160hp Gnome rotary engine which is almost 100 years old."
The Camel was flown by the Royal Flying Corps. The pilot with the most victories in a Camel was Major William Barker, VC. Major Barker was born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada in 1894. He received the Victoria Cross in 1918 and was, and still is, the most decorated serviceman of Canada and the British Commonwealth. His Camel, B6313 will be the subject of my model.
For all the brave men who flew with the Royal Flying Corps, and the Royal Naval Air Service (which were joined in 1918 to became the Royal Air Force) - the RAF/RCAF Marchpast -
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Junkers Ju 52 ' Tante Ju' Part 1
Take a trip aboard a magic ship - a vintage 1930's Junkers Ju 52 airliner in Gstaad Switzerland - - -
In Europe in the 1930's you might have seen a poster like this advertising Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline. They flew many different aircraft but the most famous and easily recognizable was the Junkers Ju 52.
The Ju 52 first flew in 1931, and was manufactured in license until 1952. It was tough and reliable. It was used to carry freight and or passengers from the vjords of Norway and the Canadian northland, to the tropical islands of the south Pacific.
It was powered by three engines giving potential passengers in the early days of civil aviation confidence that even if one engine failed, they could still safely arrive at their destination in one piece.
It was the main axis transport aircraft during World War 2 and gained the nickname of 'Tante Ju' or 'Auntie Ju' It was also called 'Iron Annie' and the 'flying boxcar'..
Here is a picture of its tough corrugated aluminum skin.
At left is a picture of the passenger cabin - here the interior finish is absent showing the structural members. In wartime service this is what it would have looked like.
Ju 52 interior as used as an air ambulance.
Here is one last video of a 1936 Lufthansa Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI over Hamburg Airport, in 2015.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Nieuport 11 'BeBe'
The Nieuport 11 C.1 was a WW1 biplane fighter designed by Gustave Delage. It was derived from a pre-war racing plane design, the Nieuport 10. The Nieuport 11 was nicknamed 'BeBe' partly because it was quite small, and because its official designation was 'BB' The first 'B' was Nieuport's designation as a biplane, and the the second 'B' was a designation by the French military for a single seat fighter. It was introduced to service in January 1916.
The Nieuport BeBe was a 'sesquiplane' design, meaning that the lower wing was narrower than the upper. It was quite nimble and agile. Its armament was a single machine gun mounted on the top wing. Early models required the pilot to stand up in the cockpit to change the ammunition boxes. Later designs had a rail upon which the the gun could be slid down closer to the cockpit to make changing the ammo easier.
The Nieuport 11's construction was of a wood framework covered with clear doped linen (CDL). It gave the aircraft a light yellow-ish colour. It's engine was a Le Rhone rotary engine rated at 80 HP, giving it a top speed of around 90 mph. Below is a chart giving its specs.
Below is a period photograph of the cockpit area of the aircraft. The seat was made of plywood.
My model of a Nieuport 11 C.1 is an Eduard 1/48 kit. It is marked in the colours of a French aircraft as flown by Jean de Sieyes de Veynes. Unfortunately for him, on July 3. 1916, he and his Nieuport were captured by the Germans. Below are two photos of it 'in captivity' and of my model as viewed from roughly the same point. I tried to portray my model as close as possible to the real aircraft. Upon examining photos of de Veynes aircraft, I noticed that it's paint job was incomplete. Two possible explanations are below the photographs.
Here is a photo of model for comparison - note that the landing gear wheels are different colours - the left one (port) is light (CDL?) and the right (starboard) one is dark (marron in french, or maroon in english?)
Below is a photo of my model.
Notice that the blue-grey striping down the upper edge of the ear part of the fuselage is missing on the left (port) side.
More model photos -
The last photo of the model shows the bottom of the model as reflected in a mirror.
So, why the inconsistencies? Apparently Nieuport 11's were delivered to the front in a Clear Doped Linen (CDL) finish. At the front, or at a repair depot, the aircraft could be re-finished as required. In this case it was finished in a dark-red-brown colour which was officially called 'marron', and dark green. So two theories are possible as to the painting consistencies. One that the aircraft was damaged and one wheel hadn't been painted yet, as well as the stripe on the fuselage. The second is that the aircraft had just arrived at the front, and so the painting as not finished yet.. The official records are inconclusive as to which is right.
Below, an original Nieuport 11 C.1 at an aviation Museum in Paris. Note the delicate wood frame construction. The 'skin' of the aircraft was of doped linen fabric. The dope tightened the fabric and made it waterproof. The forward part of the fuselage had wood components with some some metal.\ fittings and parts.
As noted above, the Nieuport 11 was powered by a Le Rhone 80 HP rotary engine. below is a short video of such an engine being run on a test stand. This type of engine turning at about 1000 RPM spinning an 7 or 8 foot long propeller were quite efficient.
In this video, taken at an airshow, a Pfalz D.III makes an appearance at about the 1 minute 30 second mark.. As part of the show, the Nieuport attacks it and causes damage. In reality, by the time the Pfalz D.III was in service, most, if not all Nieuport 11's had been withdrawn from the front. The Pfalz D.III will be a subject for a future post.
The Nieuport 11 C.1 was a WW1 biplane fighter designed by Gustave Delage. It was derived from a pre-war racing plane design, the Nieuport 10. The Nieuport 11 was nicknamed 'BeBe' partly because it was quite small, and because its official designation was 'BB' The first 'B' was Nieuport's designation as a biplane, and the the second 'B' was a designation by the French military for a single seat fighter. It was introduced to service in January 1916.
The Nieuport BeBe was a 'sesquiplane' design, meaning that the lower wing was narrower than the upper. It was quite nimble and agile. Its armament was a single machine gun mounted on the top wing. Early models required the pilot to stand up in the cockpit to change the ammunition boxes. Later designs had a rail upon which the the gun could be slid down closer to the cockpit to make changing the ammo easier.
The Nieuport 11's construction was of a wood framework covered with clear doped linen (CDL). It gave the aircraft a light yellow-ish colour. It's engine was a Le Rhone rotary engine rated at 80 HP, giving it a top speed of around 90 mph. Below is a chart giving its specs.
Below is a period photograph of the cockpit area of the aircraft. The seat was made of plywood.
My model of a Nieuport 11 C.1 is an Eduard 1/48 kit. It is marked in the colours of a French aircraft as flown by Jean de Sieyes de Veynes. Unfortunately for him, on July 3. 1916, he and his Nieuport were captured by the Germans. Below are two photos of it 'in captivity' and of my model as viewed from roughly the same point. I tried to portray my model as close as possible to the real aircraft. Upon examining photos of de Veynes aircraft, I noticed that it's paint job was incomplete. Two possible explanations are below the photographs.
Here is a photo of model for comparison - note that the landing gear wheels are different colours - the left one (port) is light (CDL?) and the right (starboard) one is dark (marron in french, or maroon in english?)
Notice that the blue-grey striping down the upper edge of the ear part of the fuselage is missing on the left (port) side.
More model photos -
The last photo of the model shows the bottom of the model as reflected in a mirror.
So, why the inconsistencies? Apparently Nieuport 11's were delivered to the front in a Clear Doped Linen (CDL) finish. At the front, or at a repair depot, the aircraft could be re-finished as required. In this case it was finished in a dark-red-brown colour which was officially called 'marron', and dark green. So two theories are possible as to the painting consistencies. One that the aircraft was damaged and one wheel hadn't been painted yet, as well as the stripe on the fuselage. The second is that the aircraft had just arrived at the front, and so the painting as not finished yet.. The official records are inconclusive as to which is right.
Below, an original Nieuport 11 C.1 at an aviation Museum in Paris. Note the delicate wood frame construction. The 'skin' of the aircraft was of doped linen fabric. The dope tightened the fabric and made it waterproof. The forward part of the fuselage had wood components with some some metal.\ fittings and parts.
As noted above, the Nieuport 11 was powered by a Le Rhone 80 HP rotary engine. below is a short video of such an engine being run on a test stand. This type of engine turning at about 1000 RPM spinning an 7 or 8 foot long propeller were quite efficient.
In this video, taken at an airshow, a Pfalz D.III makes an appearance at about the 1 minute 30 second mark.. As part of the show, the Nieuport attacks it and causes damage. In reality, by the time the Pfalz D.III was in service, most, if not all Nieuport 11's had been withdrawn from the front. The Pfalz D.III will be a subject for a future post.
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