Fokker D.XXIIIM, Netherlands East Indies, 1942

[kitbasher]

The D XXIII single-seat fighter was unusual in employing a fore-and-aft tandem engine arrangement, the prototype being powered by two 528hp Walter Sagitta I-SR engines and flying for the first time on 30 May 1939.
Versions of the D XXIII with Hispano- Suiza 12Xcrs, Junkers Jumo 210G or Rolls-Royce Kestrel XV (later Merlin ) engines were proposed.
Under the terms of the 1940 Maastricht Treaty that saw Germany's recognition of Dutch neutrality, Jumo and Merlin variants were built, the former (D.XXIIIJ) for home use and the latter (D.XXIIIM) for service with the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) Air Force.  Armament comprised four 7.62mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon.
Germany's post-Pearl Harbor declarations of war in support of Japan against the USA and European colonies in the Far East saw the occupation of the Netherlands by German forces.  However, the Dutch continued to fight in the NEI; the D.XXIIIM being the principle Dutch-built type in NEIAF service, augmented by numerous US types, until phased out in mid-1942 due to operational losses and a lack of spares.  

Pics on Monday after SMW.

[kitbasher]

So here's a couple of shots of the prototype:


And here's the model:


The D.XXIII is an aircraft that has intrigued me for more years than I care to remember, and the Pegasus GB provided me with an opportunity to build one.  I had a number of ideas - the one that kept coming back to me was a version fitted with a single Napier Sabre and 4 x 20mm cannon in the nose (and in RAF markings).  However, the thoughts of a pull me-push me configuration was what I found attractive about the arcrfat in the first place, and as Kestrel and Merlin versions had in real-life been considered, Merlins it would be.
The nose was modified to take the front end from a Heller Spitfire Ia that fell into my lap for free (to be honest, that was the decider), while the rear fuselage was widened slightly and an Italeri Spitfire IXc nose fitted into it and faired in.  The sole D.XXIII prototype suffered from cooling problems in real life, so keeping the original radiator would have looked unrealistic, so a spare Matchbox Tempest radiator and fairing was fitted instead.
I wanted to keep it in Dutch colours, and settled for something that could have been plausible had the D.XXIII been developed and entered service (ie, if the Netherlands hadn't been invaded).  The scheme worn by Netherlands East Indies (NEI) Air Force Buffaloes coming straight off the production line seemed the best bet.  However, these had natural metal undersides and I thought that something repainted in the field wouldn't.  Therefore '988' (the serial of the real D.XXIII) was finished in a camouflage scheme of Jongblad/Oudeblad upper surfaces with Lichtblauw undersides to replace the European scheme of Roodbruin/Olifgroen/Zandleurig upper surfaces and Roodbruin undersides.
No shots of the build, I'm afraid.

[sequoiaranger]

I like this build. The components were well integrated.

I am "concerned" that there isn't enough cooling for the two engines. The rear-ventral radiator seems adequate for the rear engine, but for both of them? Any shots of the underside you could share?

I like the Dutch Flag motif for markings (I have a Brewster product in my collection so decorated.)

[kitbasher]

I'll take and post a couple of shots of the underside at some point soon, sequoiaranger.
The Sabre radiator is at least twice the size of the 'real-world' D.XXIII radiator that served both engines (although I do recall seeing that, despite looking like water-cooled in-lines, they were in fact air-cooled), and considerably larger than the radiator used by Spits and Hurris - compare a Hurricane to a Typhoon/Tempest, for example.
The more I look at this build the more I think the nose has a Boulton-Paul Defiant feel to it.  not intential, just the way it happened.

[Pablo1965]

Incredible scheme for a real pull & push. Good work

[GTX]

 

[Weaver]

It looks really smart - nice one! 

Pardon my ignorance, but why wouldn't it use the orange triangle markings?

I'll take and post a couple of shots of the underside at some point soon, sequoiaranger.
The Sabre radiator is at least twice the size of the 'real-world' D.XXIII radiator that served both engines (although I do recall seeing that, despite looking like water-cooled in-lines, they were in fact air-cooled), and considerably larger than the radiator used by Spits and Hurris - compare a Hurricane to a Typhoon/Tempest, for example.
The more I look at this build the more I think the nose has a Boulton-Paul Defiant feel to it.  not intential, just the way it happened.

My understanding is that the Walter Sagitta engines were air-cooled. The front engine took air in through the hole below the front prop and exhausted it through the sloping side-slots at the back edge of the cowling. The rear engine took air in through the ventral scoop and exhausted it through the hole below the rear prop.  This means that the front intake was "supercharged" by the prop wash, while the back one wasn't and probably suffered from some turbulent airflow to boot. I imagine that fitting the rear prop with an "extractor fan" in a modified cowling would have helped.

On the prototype, the two 7.9mm guns were in the lower engine cowling with ammo in the inner wing leading edges. If those guns were eliminated in an up-engined version, then it could be fitted with wing leading-edge radiators for the front engine inboard of the booms.

[James]

Great kite! 

[Pablo1965]

Great scheme, and wonderfull Plane.

[kitbasher]

Pardon my ignorance, but why wouldn't it use the orange triangle markings?

On the prototype, the two 7.9mm guns were in the lower engine cowling with ammo in the inner wing leading edges. If those guns were eliminated in an up-engined version, then it could be fitted with wing leading-edge radiators for the front engine inboard of the booms.

The cannon remained in the booms - don't know how they were fed, so perhaps wing radiators could be a possibility (like the Whirlwind and Mosquito) were the nose MGs moved to the wing.

As far as the markings are concerned, the NEIAF existed throughout WW2.  Originally its aircraft wore the inverted orange triangle as worn by Dutch aircraft in Europe until the German occupation.  Following the outbreak of war with Japan, the triangle was deemed too similar to the Japanese hinomaru (and I think this occurred pretty soon after war boke out in the Pacific), therefore the tricolour (a representation of the Dutch flag) was adopted and carried by NEIAF aircraft for the remainder of the war (and for some time afterwards) - plenty of pics of B-25s and P-40s on the web to indicate this.

Glad everyone likes the model - thanks for the generous comments.

[NARSES2]

Am I glad you posted this Dave because it's the one model on the stand I missed 

Gorgeous 

[PACOPEPE]

An aircraft and a model very interesting. I like it very much Kitbasher; the kit and the idea. There ir here my model some months ago:

Fokker D-XXIII W "Watervliegtuig" (Floatplane). Dutch East Indies; december of 1941.


All the best.
Fran

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Great backstory, build & finish - well done!

[PR19_Kit]

Strewth, we're up to our neck in DXXsomethings here! 

I'm starting to think like Tophe, you can't go wrong with twin-boomed anything. 

[Tophe]

Congratulations to Kitbasher and Pacopede...