Sai Kz-v

[B777LR]

In the middle of the 1930s, the Royal Danish Air Force began looking at aquiring new monoplane fighters. The Fokker XXI, Curtiss P-36, Boeing P-26, Gloster Gladiator and the Bloch MB-150 where the main candidates, until the small danish manufacturer SAI (Scandinavian Aero Industries) proposed the SAI KZ-V fighter.
The KZ (Kramme and Zeuthen, the owners of SAI) -V featured a low set wing, a license built Pratt and Whitney Twin-Wasp engine, 2 blade variable pitch propeller, Spats, and an open cockpit. Armament consisted of 2 cannons and a single 500 pound bomb.  
The KZ-V flew first in 1936, and won the order for 200 examples. They where based on greenland, the faeroe islands, homeland denmark, bornholm and iceland. Seeing its reliability in the arctic regions, Sweden, Finland and Norway placed orders for a total of 350 further examples.
On the 9th of April, 1940, Germany launched operation Weserübung, the invasion of scandinavia. In the afternoon, all 50 KZ-Vs based on the RDAFs main airbase, Værløse where destroyed by Luftwaffe Bf-110s. However, there where still another 150 KZ-Vs left in denmark. That night, the luftwaffe airbases in northern germany where bombed, devastating the luftwaffe. Over the next few days, known as the battle of denmark, the KZ-Vs gathered fame, due to their awe inspiring spats, and thus won 65% of all dogfights. Erich Hartman and Adolf Galland where both shot down twice, but escaped both times. Eventually denmark fell (even the best planes need maintenence), and 3 squadrons escaped to sweden and norway. After the fall of norway, 2 of the squadrons served under the RAF, and due to their fuel filled spats, where the only planes capable of escorting the lancasters all the way to berlin
After WWII, all KZ-Vs where scrapped

[B777LR]

A group photo of the past, present and future!

[Brian da Basher]

<snip>

the KZ-Vs gathered fame, due to their awe inspiring spats

<snip>

Awe inspiring indeed, Trip 7! This SAI KZ-V is absolutely gorgeous! I love how your masterfully painted camo scheme is set off by those Danish markings! The open cockpit and two bladed prop are excellent compliments to the rest of this model. Yet more proof that spats increase the coolness factor of any aircraft by 1000%!

Brian da Basher

[bluesteel]

Very neat indeed! It 'looks right', so by the old aviation dictum, it should fly right...

Bluesteel

[ysi_maniac]

Very nice and colourful.

Can we have a belly pic?

[Captain Canada]

Nice build ! Neat little story as well. But only you crazy Danes would build an open pit aeroplane to operate in the Arctic regions !

 

[Mossie]

Another good job 777!  I like the 'past, present & future' pic, can imagine them in a fly by at an airshow!

[Rafael]

I didn't post earlier because I was too busy giving you a standing ovation!!!

B777LR, my hat is off to you!!!

That little plane is a very cool representation of times long gone, and the group photo is...fantastic!!!

Pic stored!

Rafa

[Sisko]

Nice collection of old and new.

I like the Grippen very much. I think that I will have to go out and get one!

[B777LR]

To build this little beuty i used a 1/72 Hasegawa P-51D, horizontal stabilizors from a 1/72 Italeri UH-60 Desert Hawk (glued both together to create a new horizontal stabilizor), windscreen from a Spitfire Mk-9, spats and propeller from a KP Avia B.35, Engine from a Academy B-17, Cannons from a Airfix Hurricane, and put together with help from Brian da Basher (the master of 1930s designs) :











 

[gooberliberation]

That's some damned fine puttywork, my friend.  

[Mossie]

Puttytastic!!!  :salute:  

[John Howling Mouse]

Beautiful work!  I need a close-up of the SPATS, though!

This sure looks cool and believable and.... oh well .... you know
   

[B777LR]

That's some damned fine puttywork, my friend.

Lol, thanks, took ages you know

And if doing this conversion yourself, id recomend bread bag clips, i couldnt have done this without them  

[Brian da Basher]

Trip 7 that's some absolutely pro-style putty work! You've given the rest of us a goal to shoot for when using putty.

Now let's see a shot that shows off those spats.

Brian da Basher