Airco DH.2 GR.4 (From the Time-Warp build)

[Bungle]

The AIRCO DH.2 GR.4
France 1917 The Western Front - It's a Wednesday

The Royal Flying Corps decided to paint it's DH.2's in their new 'Low Visibility' scheme of Barley grey over Light Aircraft Grey to make the aircraft virtually invisible in the smoke and mist above the trenches. The DH.2 equipped seven fighter squadrons on the Western Front and quickly proved more than a match for the Fokker Eindecker. The earlier GR.1 and GR.2 variants had stability issues gaining it the nickname "The Spinning Incinerator" . The RFC tried to rectify this in the GR.3 by giving the pilot a large cushion and two pillows for those low levels emergencies but this proved unpopular with the pilots. They often fell asleep while on patrol being far to comfortable wrapped in French duck down pillows (libertated from the local house of ill-repute). It was left to Lieutenant Reginald M P Baker of 24 Squadron, in civilian life a chemist and amateur firework maker to come up with the idea of attaching some hefty rockets to one of the Officer Mess's armchairs, Baker, Martin to his friends and fellow pilots, refined the seat for the GR.4 version. In an emergency the pilot could light just one fuse and the powerful rocket would blast (or eject) the pilot out of the aircraft giving him time to clear the stricken aircraft and also to arrange his pillows for the landing. Commonly known now as the Blastor Seat it also benefitted from an enclosed canopy to help keep the pilots matches dry.

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/2417/airco1.jpg[/img]]

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/1751/airco2.jpg[/img]][

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/7176/airco4.jpg[/img]]

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/8511/airco5.jpg[/img]]

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/6669/airco6.jpg[/img]]

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/893/airco7.jpg[/img]]

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/120/airco8.jpg[/img]]

The further development of the DH.2 IDS (GR.5) version was curtailed due to a national shortage of wire for the rigging but the intention to fit four Maverick or ALARM missiles (two below the lower, two above the upper wings) was moved to the S.E.5c though early tests proved troublesome. The jolt received by pilots when the missiles were fired caused the Offier (and Gentleman) to loose grip of his pipe from his clenched teeth and it would often fall into the cockpit and ignite the fuse of his Blastor Seat or worse still burn holes in his Soft landing pillow.


Build thread here... http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,33645.0.html

[Pablo1965]

hehehe, the low visibility scheme is very awesome. 

[The Rat]

Wow, built-in headwinds! Sweet little airplane ya got there Bungle! 

[TallEng]

Absolute Madness!!!   
I don't know which I enjoyed the most, the Model or the back story

I shall look forward to the Ray Rimmel "Windsock" special on the Airco DH.2 GR.4 (it can only be a matter of time )

Regards
Keith

[GTX]

 

[Bungle]

A few more pictures as I'm trying to get some decent photos. This time on a white background and overexposed to try to get the rigging not to look like iron bars !

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/4308/airco12.jpg[/img]]

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/777/airco11.jpg[/img]]

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5987/airco10.jpg[/img]]

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/667/airco9.jpg[/img]]

[The Big Gimper]

I surrender to any man who can deal with all that rigging and still be sane.  

[Bungle]

I surrender to any man who can deal with all that rigging and still be sane.  

Sanity is just a state of mind. 

[Army of One]

Something I have never tried or am likely to.....my hat (when worn) is tipped to you....an awesome build......!!!...H