Biplane Fighters from the Thirties

sequoiaranger · May 17, 2008, 10:47:42 AM

In the mid-thirties there were some "transition" monoplane aircraft that had some of the characteristics of biplanes (open cockpits and/or fixed landing gear) like the Mitsubishi A5M "Claude". I have kitbashed two such examples, one from the Gloster Gladiator, and another from a He-51. Curiously, after I had already done my "Gloster Gadfly" monoplane (looking somewhat like a Macchi MC 200), I discovered that Gloster had produced a prototype of something remarkably similar. My "He-151", however, seems to be "safe" as a "what-if". I kept all aspects of the He-51 fuselage and tail, added a three-bladed prop, and the elliptical bent-wing and retractable landing gear of the He-112. I painted it in custom "Alpensplatter" camo colors, with fictional Pro-German Austrian Anschluss markings. Cool! I will try to post some pics of them when I can.

Craig Burke
AKA Sequoiaranger
AKA Admiral U. Furashita

GTX · May 17, 2008, 01:12:01 PM

QuoteI will try to post some pics of them when I can.

Yes, you do that and nobody needs to get hurt.

Regards,

Greg

sequoiaranger · May 17, 2008, 06:34:20 PM

OK, twist my arm!

Here is the He-151 "Edelweiss" and the "Gloster Gadfly" Irish Republic fighter with skids to take off from bogs in Ireland.

jcf · May 17, 2008, 11:49:56 PM

Your He 151 looks like something the Gunter brothers (designers of the He 49, 51 and original 112) might have actually done.

Here is one of the early prototypes, the He 112 V4, it differed from V1 to V3 by being built with a redesigned wing with an elliptical leading edge and shortened span. The V4 was the first prototype for the He 112A series, the other A aircraft being the V5, V6 and V8. The He 112B series was an extensive redesign done under Heinkel Technical Director and Chief of Development Heinrich Hertel, the He 112B series emerged as a very different aircraft.

Jon

Radish · May 18, 2008, 05:12:58 AM

There's quite a few 1/72nd kits easily available:
ICM do Soviet types, the He51, etc..
Airfix do a Gladiator...aaaaaaggghhhhhh....it's horrible!
SMER have re-released a lot of the Heller '30s thingies.

I like making WWI type biplanes into sesquiplanes, etc.
Especially in 1/48th.
I've just done a silver RAF SE5E sesquiplane and have nearly finished an Israeli SE5E in 3-colour camo on border patrol. They'll be ready for Tyneside on June 1st. Also, I might (hope) to have my Japanese sesqui-Camel done too.

And remember, the last Fokker D.VII was built (in Lithuania as a trainer) in 1937

Soon I hope to do a Fokker D.VII.v and a Fokker D.VII.vii/v

Daryl J. · May 18, 2008, 06:15:19 PM

Hawker Fury with some sort of turbo prop which never existed hanging on the front. The same engine goes on the front of the Avia B.534 Series III.

Daryl J.

sotoolslinger · May 18, 2008, 09:07:15 PM

Well I'm actually working on this concept right now

Please go look at my Bushmaster

http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh50/sotoolslinger/skyrocket/buccaneer/

sequoiaranger · May 19, 2008, 09:26:48 AM

Looks like fun! I went to your link with lots of pics. I seem to see a Dauntless tail and wings, Stuka landing gear and prop, and Corsair canopy/turtleback. Can't place the cowl. The (40mm?) guns look aftermarket, or from some 1/76-scale tank (presuming the plane is 1/72). It has a "Commonwealth Boomerang" look to it.

sotoolslinger · May 22, 2008, 09:04:35 PM

Sranger , it is a Dauntless fuselage, Corsair cockpit, ,P61 cowling and t-tail made with the Corsair horizontals. The gun pods are scalorama'd from 1/72 Pak 40 and are actually high velocity 30 mm see my thread in Current and finished projects.

http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh50/sotoolslinger/skyrocket/buccaneer/

Daryl J. · May 23, 2008, 09:27:18 AM

What was that Russian hybrid biplane that converted into a gull wing monoplane for flight? It's a pretty cool idea.

Daryl J.

Weaver · May 23, 2008, 10:09:40 AM

Quote from: Daryl J. on May 23, 2008, 09:27:18 AM
What was that Russian hybrid biplane that converted into a gull wing monoplane for flight? It's a pretty cool idea.

Daryl J.

Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-1 and IS-2.

http://www.aviastar.org/air/russia/a_nikitin-shevchenko.html

Info on the never-built IS-4 model:

http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/RAM/is-4.html

The biplane wing could theoretically be extended in flight for added combat maneuverability, which makes me think that you could do a beautiful, grainy-black-and-white parody 30's version of the moment in Star Wars where the X-wings "lock S-foils in attack position".....

sequoiaranger · May 23, 2008, 10:33:48 AM

I bet the blokes who flew those hybrids would buy those 1957 Ford hardtop/convertibles where the whole hardtop retracted into the boot!

PS--there was about as much luggage space in the Ford as there was in the IS-2!

Doc Yo · May 23, 2008, 01:38:47 PM

For what its worth, A Model ( out of Poland ) made kits of the IS-1 & 2. Sold out at Squadron sometime back,
but I think Hannants still has them.

GTX · May 23, 2008, 01:44:24 PM

QuoteThe biplane wing could theoretically be extended in flight for added combat maneuverability, which makes me think that you could do a beautiful, grainy-black-and-white parody 30's version of the moment in Star Wars where the X-wings "lock S-foils in attack position"..... Grin

Yes - maybe with the Death star being played by a large NAZI Airship!!

Regards,

Greg

sequoiaranger · May 24, 2008, 03:51:42 PM

I like the look of the plane. Can you see yourself allowing an open cockpit? The overhang would be armor, and an open cockpit would go with the spatted landing gear and would not be so obviously a Corsair canopy. You might put a small side hatch to ease entry and exit. If it's a ground-attack aircraft, sleekness for extra speed is not so important, so maybe the open cockpit might work. Then again, the pilot would have to have good goggles and helmet to keep his hair from lashing his face open!