1/72 "Spatatross" from an Eduard Albatross D.V

[Brian da Basher]

In the spring of 1920, the war with Bolshevik Russia began to turn against the Poles. Upon invading the Ukraine, the Polish Army found itself facing the full might of the Red Army and were eventually pushed all the way back to the gates of Warsaw. An unsung hero in this battle was the Red Air Corps. Equipped with Sopwith Snipes captured from White forces in the Civil War, the Reds were easily able to take control of the air from the Poles who flew mostly war-weary Albatross D.Vs left behind by the Germans at the end of the World War. Clearly, the Poles had to take back the air from the Bolsheviks if their Army was to have any success on the ground.

During a counter-attack in late April, 1920, the Poles captured a number of Snipes from the Reds. Unfortunately, the retreating Reds had been able to destroy the airframes, but the engines were still usable. Director-in-Chief Stanislaus Spatski of the Narodowy Samolot Mianować Biuro or National Aircraft Design Bureau was asked to use these spoils of war to help the out-gunned Polish Air Service. Director Spatski was able to mate the Snipe engines with the Albatross airframes. He didn't stop there, however. Director Spatski also came up with a way of streamlining the landing gear by encasing them in lightweight metal fairings, which were eventually called spats in his honor.

The new aircraft was incredibly fast due to combining the sleek Albatross monococque fuselage with the Snipe engine and because of the torque of the new rotary engine, it could turn on a dime. Director Spatski wasted no time in re-engining as much of the Polish Albatrosses as possible, and the new aircraft, called the Spatatross, was able to take control of Polish skies away from the Red Air Corps, leading to an end of the conflict in October, 1920. Stanislaus Spatski's Spatatross in the markings of the 3rd Polish Air Brigade ("The Wasps") can be seen on display at the Polish Museum of Technology in Lublin.

Brian da Basher

[sotoolslinger]

Once again you have outspatted yourself Is this one sponsored by Purina

[Brian da Basher]

The base kit for this project is a little gem of a kit, the 1/72 Eduard Albatross D.V which can currently be had for the princely sum of $3.50 (bagged) from Squadron and Roll Models. As some of you may know, I get a kick out of re-enging airplanes; putting rotary or radial engines on inline engined birds and vice-versa. You can imagine my delight at discovering that an engine from a Sopwith Snipe fit like a glove onto the Albatross. Scratch building the spats and adding a spinner to the prop were the only modifications aside from covering over the hole left in the upper nose by omitting the kit engine. I also added a windscreen from a Hawker Fury.

The model was brush painted by hand with acylics. Model Masters Dark Earth and Euro Green were used on the uppers and Testor's Olive Drab was used on the fuselage. The undersides were painted with a custom mix of Clear Doped Linen.

The decals were a mix of markings found in the decal dungeon. Some were slightly off-register, requiring some precision brushwork to tidy up the edges.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

The model was rigged with .008 steel wire, Gator Glue and as steady a hand as I could muster. The entire project took a week for me to complete, although there were a couple of days when I didn't work on it. I hope you enjoyed my Spatatross and I'm already planning my next build.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

<snip>
Is this one sponsored by Purina

LOL! My girlfriend said the same thing and suggested I call this one the Purina Chuckwagon!

Brian da Basher

[cthulhu77]

   I think "outspatted yourself" is the perfect line...along with the Purina gambit. Wonderful goodness !

[sotoolslinger]

Always enjoy your builds BdaB. Always look forward to the next one as well

[Chap]

Wonderful work Brian! I have a soft spot for Polish subjects.

~Steve

[HOG]

could you please explain the purina connection?

[Brian da Basher]

The Purina logo bears a slight resemblance to the Polish national markings.



Brian da Basher

[BlackOps]

Now why am I suddenly craving Wheat Chex?     Looks great Brian    I don't know how you can produce so many Bi-planes and yet have them all look totally original.

[SinUnNombre]

Great work as always Brian. I love how you can combine parts from such disparate places to create original works everytime.

Jon

[Ed S]

Very nice.  Once again, Brian turns out his weekly spatted winner.  Very creative and well done as usual.



Ed

[John Howling Mouse]

That's funny: I knew a guy named Stanislaus Spatski !   

Well, Brian, you've done it again.  I don't know how but you have this magical knack for schemes and the dreaded rigging.  So believable yet so clearly fresh/original.

Magic, really.     

[AeroplaneDriver]

Very nice!!  But what is that wooden club-looking thing where the low-pressure compressor inlet should be???