Prague Spring - the Prequel

[Brian da Basher]

During a trip to the Fiat factory in 1934 to purchase trimotors for the Czech national airline, Sgvili Breshynski, a member of the Czech purchasing commission got lost in the cavernous Fiat works and accidentally stumbled into an open office in the Fiat Plans Division where he saw the initial design work for the CR-42 Falco. Mr. Breshynski was intrigued by the Warren interplane strut design, correctly ascertaining it would provide great structural strength whithout the need for drag-inducing bracing wires. The Czech purchasing commission returned to Prague without the hoped for Fiat trimotors, but with the plans for the next-generation Fiat biplane fighter in Sgvili Breshynski's head. This was indeed fortunate for the Letov Aero Co. in particular and Czechoslovakia in general. Letov Aero spent the late 1920's and early 1930's consigned to the backwaters of Czech military aviation, producing mostly two-and-a-half place observation craft. But with war clouds gathering over Europe like a horde of JMNs at the What-If SIG table, Letov was contracted to develop a new fighter for the Czech Air Arm and the Letov S-114 was born. The S-114 was powered by a 12 cylinder Skoda HS 88 inline high-compression engine which offered superb speed. The S-114 was very heavily armed for its day, having four 7.9 m.m. machine guns synchronized to fire through the propellor arc and two underwing 20 m.m. Oerlikon cannon pods. The Letov engineers were indeed very innovative, managing to avoid the wing vibration which plauged the competing Avia B-534s with similar underwing guns. The S-114 offered such amenities as an enclosed cockpit and very well streamlined spats which were the envy of every Central European air force of the time. The S-114 was able to achieve a top speed of 286 m.p.h. and was incredibly maneuverable, possessing the ability to out-turn all of its contemporaries. Fortunately for the Czech people, the Letov S-114 came into service just in time to thwart Herr Hitler's plans to swallow the Sudentenland. So intimdated was the Luftwaffe by the S-114's heavy firepower, turning ability and the coolness factor of its spats that Nazi Germany set its sights on Lichtenstein instead. The S-114 shown here was one of the first service versions flown by the famous Czech air ace Lt. Gronk Vzgrublik.

1st of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

As mentioned in the title, the base kit for this project was the 1/72 CR-42 Falco. The engine was sacrificed for my I.A.R. 88. As you all know, I love turning radial engined planes into inlines and vice-versa. My Dewoitine 520 kit got the re-engine treatment and after playing around with the amputated inline, I realized that with a little fudging it was a natural for this build. I used some putty and a scap piece to make it fit the Falco fuse. I also scratched the exhausts from something I found in my spares box(es).

2nd of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

The canopy is a Squadron™ vac and the spats (I love spats! ) were made by smash-u-forming bits of blisterpack over a spare wheel. I also extended the fin by adding a piece of plastic from a breadbag clip. The underwing gun pods were made from 1/144 scale drop tanks. I was tempted to re-do the struts to something more conventional as the Warren interplane struts are an obvious giveaway to this project's origins, but I didn't want to hassle with rigging or make this build any more complicated than it already was.

3rd of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

I used Tamiya acrylics Buff, O.D., Light Sea Gray and Light Blue as well as Polly-Scale PC-10 and Light Olive Green and Model Masters Dark Earth and Euro Green  for the camo paintjob. The guns and exhausts were painted with Tamiya Gunmetal and the prop blades with Tamiya Aluminum. The cockpit was painted with Tamiya RAF Sky (a great interior color). I used Grumbacher Artist Arcylics Mars Black for the tires. I was a little worried about paint compatability but lucked out. The colors don't quite photograph the way my eye sees them. It's interesting to me that against this harlequin camo backdrop, the Tamiya O.D. actually appears to have a purple tint.

4th of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

The decals (or "deckles") are from some nameless Avia biplane kit whose quality was such it deserves to be nameless. The decals (or "deckles") were no better. I found myself having to hand-paint around some out-of-register colors on the edges of the roundels and the squadron insignia. I spent the end of my last three building sessions trying to decide on what national markings to give it, but these Czech roundels seemed a nice match with the harlequin camoflage. I found Roundels of the World an invaluable resource for helping me choose the markings and determining their correct placement.

5th of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

I'm going to finish up with some building notes on this project. I really like the way the Squadron™ vac canopy looks on this model as I've got a thing for encolsed-canopy biplanes (with SPATS! Did I mention that I love spats? ). Unfortunately, despite my best efforts at trimming it, the canopy was a less-than-perfect fit. White Elmer's™ style glue came to the rescue as I used it to fill in any gaps between the canopy and the fuse. I also found CA to be indespensible in this build. I used it to bond the spats to the landing gear legs and also to attach the Warren interplane struts. The struts are left unpainted because once I figured out how to fit them, I didn't want to break the spell so I just cemented the whole thing together. As we all know, the Letov S-114 had unpainted, clear-varnished wood struts. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Last of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[lancer]

Oh what a sweet littl bird. Nice one Brian, just not too sure about the spats though. They really don't add anything to it.         Of course I am kidding, honest.

[John Howling Mouse]

Very, very sweet-looking model and I love the paint-job, Brian.  Are those roundels hand-painted or are they DEEcals...oh wait, you covered that.      

Now, moving on to my more egocentric rantings: you do this just to show off, don't you?  You talk of cabonies and interplanetary schtruts and such, knowing full well that I haven't a clue as to how to proceed and then you pull this off, just like magic.  

Betcha finished it in less than ten days, too, didn't ya?  Could've entered it in the recent 1WGB if you had planned ahead better, huh?    

Meanwhile, here I sit, gawking at your finished bipe, grimacing as I glare over at my own vacformed catastrophe (which could very likely end up as a pretty stylish MONOplane, you know), trying to figure out how to use toothpicks (or as you Pennsylvanians call them: "DEEcals") and some sort of sordid, esoteric jigs (understood only by the highest ranking Freemasons) that are somehow made up of LEGO ™ blocks to get that second, Godforsaken upper wing on...  

Oh, btw, I think you left a LEGO ™ block on the wing of your airplane.  

[Brian da Basher]

Thanks for the comments, gents!

Mr Howling Mouse, this kit was a real gem in terms of strut/wing attachment. It's very well engineered, and if you're careful trimming the struts, they almost just snap into place.

I did some "advance engineering" on this one a few months ago, trimming the vac canopy, smash-u-forming the spats, etc. but building it took me six days. The fact that I've been experiencing job-stress induced insomnia gave me more time building time in a day than usual.

If you had seen what it looked like prior to painting Baz, you'd see the family resemblance with your Seagull. Trust me.  

Brian da Basher

[BlackOps]

Brian, I'm digging the Partridge Family bus paintjob   This is yet another great build...Your on a roll my man! Maybe you should head to Vegas while your still hot!

Seriously, another great build!

Oh, and by the way, after just finishing my own  bi-plane (Russian Albatross) build I know exactly how JHM feels and have even more respect for this one! that second wing sure can be a bugger to get straight!

[Radish]

Terrific stuff.....great colours.        

[Brian da Basher]

Thanks for the comments, gents! Your words always inspire me to do more horrible things to venerable kits. For those of you who may not know what a Fiat CR-42 Falco should look like, here's a pic I found from the recent 2006 Nats.

Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

Heyyyyyyy, nice SPATS!

Did I tell you I know this guy who loves SPATS!?

[Radish]

Lovely looking aircraft innit.....pity the colours are dull and the lower wing is far too long....should be just a stub really!!

With all the sesqui-planes I'm building, you can just imagine some kid buying an SE5A and saying, "Dad, the wing's too long!"  

[K5054NZ]

Absotively Fantabulous work my dear Mr. Perri another inspired piece of styrene genius.  


And the spats were nice.