The Wooksta: Not a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

Well he knows a lot about the Mersey sound.

One aircraft I've always had an interest in is the Arado Ar 199 floatplane trainer. Although a decent aircraft, apparently it fell foul of changing requirements and got the axe after two prototypes were flown.  Or so my references said.

RS Resins did a resin one some years back but it was a rough copy of an even older Czech resin kit, with very little detail. I had the older one, but passed it on and didn't bother with the RS one.
Fast forward to now, RS release an injection kit in several boxings, an early and a late.  A late?  How? Two prototypes, would they survive the war?
So I go looking online and it turns out that the RLM did indeed order it, up to 65 and many were produced in France. At least 30 were built and the wreckage of one was recovered from Russia in the mid 90s. Quite a few photos of in service airceaft, including one that landed in a field.

TBH, you could do this OOB and it would be thought a whiff.

It's a neat aircraft, replace the floats with either fixed or retractable u/c and you've a Luftwaffe Balliol or Provost.  Especially if you give it a radial.



I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118

For more information, please reread.

[The Wooksta!]

"Well who's is it, then?"

I did have a long post prepped but technical issues prevented me posting, I lost it and can't face redabbing a wall of text.  Suffice it to say, several 109s have now got paint on them and an Avia C-2 going Isreali now has it's canopy on and maskol applied prior to priming.

The Arado 96 just needs it's canopy on now and I can get paint on it.  Whilst it was always going to be Spanish, I have a choice of schemes, including two for T34 Mentors Spain used postwar. One has dayglo panels but Willie got mine some time back.  It would look very different.

Mention of Arado brings me to their Ar 196 floatplane.  I have one on the go, but the plan for it was always to have been a post war Finnish one in Aluminium and with a Bristol Mercury instead of the BMW 132.  However, in the loft is an assembled one sans floats that was going to get spatted fixed gear as a potential Graf Zeppelin carrier aircraft, but the engine has long since vanished.  Steal the spare engine from the Finnish one?  Possibly, but I'm hankering for the one on the go as Spanish to fit current plans and the prices for the Heller kit and it's various incarnations are frankly ridiculous, so much so the Sword kit may be cheaper.  Frustratingly, I have the engine from one I built back in 1988, but one half of the cowling has vanished. Grrrr!

Got a bit further with the Matchbox He 70.  Thinking a post war RAF comms aircraft now, but I think the ICM kit is probably a better option for that.  Another option could be one that escaped to Sweden and was impressed?  The darker colours would hide a lot...

Final thoughts are around a Spanish Macchi 200. I have a Revell one in the loft that is doing nothing and have seen a profile of a Polikarpov I-16 from Moron Flight School in 1946 that looks interesting. The name of said flight school got a good laugh. Almost Pythonesque.  IIRC, there's an assembled one that could be salvaged too.




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For more information, please reread.

[The Wooksta!]

"What do you mean? It was your idea to play 'Hide and Seek'!"

After some brief searching - and finding several part started and assembled Fw 190s - I located the Machine plus a few other things I've been wanting to continue. A post war Czech Ar 240, for example.

The 190s. A few weeks back I found a Kurt spherical bomb and was about to pass it to Willie but then had a thought. Never a good idea, but post war, the MAEE were using various Mosquitoes for continued development if Highball under the codename Card. How about a section of the same unit were to evaluate Kurt, using captured Fw 190s as drop ships?  Obviously, they'd get repainted, and in a more normal RAF maritime scheme. I'd likely change the wheels, as German brakes were crap, probably in favour of three spoke Spitfire wheels,of which I have many.
Anyway, that's two D9s, although both have the later Ta 152 fin and one has a D11 smooth upper cowl.  There was also an F with Doppelreiters, so that being in for evaluation also made some sense.

But there was a box with no fewer than six part started 1970s tool Airfix ones.  I can find schemes for three or maybe four at a push - Czech, either air force or air police, Isreali or Spain, in the late scheme worn by the Buchons, or perhaps a couple of impressed Swedish ones.

How much more is there to play with?  Too much.  And that's just the part started stuff.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Here we are, situations vacant, pages seven to thirteen."

Done nothing today as work stopped play, but did find time during down time to bash out something to hang around the 190s I mentioned yesterday.  Still need to do some research with regard to Maintenance units and serial codes - wish I knew where my copy of Phil Buttler's War Prizes is - but largely I'm very happy with it and it reads quite convincingly.

May well run it past a mate who teaches creative writing for a more professional opinion, but not before I've added the last few details.

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[The Wooksta!]

Stay right where you are! I've got a crucifix and I'm not afraid to use it!

Spent most of weekend masking and spraying.  The trio of Beaufighters got sprayed, the one in Azure Blue looks fab, really happy with that one.  I think it was going 47 sqn, but I'd have to recheck the books.

Whilst the Sky was out for the Beau's, I did the Mauler.  I need to redo some of it, but that's handy as I can use the rest on the initial Sky coat on the Sturgeon TF1, although that needs more masking.  I know both are outside what I'm currently doing, but these are some of the lockdown builds I've wanted to get a bit further.

I did look around at the same time at a couple of other shelf queens - after all, this is how the whole 09 gallery nonsense started - and turned up a Sea Fury torpedo fighter with the high demarcation, and a Blenheim If with underwing rockets.  IIRC it was going as a gunnery hack with one of the Beaufighter OTUs, but again that needs some research.  The Blenheim will need a second upper colour and the Sea Fury needs a second coat.  The latter will replace the Firebrand and I have the relevant decals tucked away.

Several 09 got various colours, the G-14/U4 and the H are as far as the rail surfaces. Lots of tricky masking there for both. Two of the 09s got masked to spray some RAF colours over prior markings, and the last thing to get any paint was the salvage He 112B that's going Turkish.


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[The Wooksta!]

Very probably, Michael. But we've got to keep the bogeys off the wall.

Back to the 09 Gallery and finally got an initial primer coat on the Me 155TL and the Me 209A V-6. Both are going Czech and will have the spare blown hoods from the Eduard S-199.

Both need more work, especially the 155 which has proven to be a right filler hound.  Ideally I'd like to do a two seater with a CS199 canopy, but I'd really not want to revisit the Airmodel one again as it's not the best.  I know how to scratchbodge one, but TBH it's even more work than the Airmodel Me 155.

I've finally got round to masking several canopies to get a trio of 09s a bit further, one of them is the recce S-199.  Need to get some more primer before going any further with it.

I also primed that rotten Arado Ar 96 and the wing roots need attention yet again. It's not likely to see the bin, sunk too much effort into it for that, but it really is trying my patience.

Apart from that, work stopped play.

I did some hunting on eBay for another Siebel Fh 104, as the Pavla one looks rather nice and as it had Czech markings, a second to do as a potential Spanish aircraft.  I didn't find a second in eBay in the UK (I know where I can get a second anyway), but I did discover that Spain - well, one of the smaller airlines - was flying at least one Siebel Si 204A. Which may have been ex-.German embassy.  One of these confiscated to fly a fascist general around?  Sounds plausible.  Casa getting a licence for the 204D is also plausible.

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[The Wooksta!]

Neil, is it really necessary to nail the plates to the table? What happens when we want to play Monopoly? Go directly to plate? Do not pass plate nailed to the table by a stupid hippie?

Not a lot done over the weekend bar some masking and spraying on the 109H and the G-14/U recce fighter. Both are a relative patchwork quilt of colour, but I'm not happy with the G.  What I mean is the lighter green as the shade doesn't look right compared to both Aeromaster and Xtracolour. Assuming they were right to begin with.

The Roden He 111B arrived today and I tried some basic test fitting. All the warnings of doom on t'nterweb were not wrong. By Christ this thing does not fit.  By a lot of sanding, I got the cockpit module to roughly go together, but the back end will need a splice as otherwise the canopy won't fit.  The wing lower centre section is too wide for the taped up fuselage, until you add a too wide bulkhead inside.  I can tell the rest of it is going to give me the level of joy.  So much so, I snaffled the transport C variant off eBay.

I did some research and fell down a rabbit hole around the He 111G-3, a later transport variant with the straight edge wing - some of the Cs were apparently resigned - only to find photos of a radial engined version.  This is much more interesting.
One guy over on Britmodeller did one of these, using the Roden C as a basis, except I think he would have been better off using an H as a base and graft the nose from the Roden kit.
I did find a photo of another G, this time with DB601s.  The plan is to use the Roden kit as a pattern.  The canopy could be a problem though...

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[The Wooksta!]

 I hope this isn't a dud!

The He 111C arrived earlier and so I tried some test fitting and it's marginally better than the B, but that's no real recommendation. It's like saying which is better- a punch in the face or a kick in the clems?  Both hurt and I know this will too.

If this ends up as a G, I may well take the wings off an Italeri H that's kicking about in the lift. Don't know who well they'll fit but easier than the Roden ones will.

Iirc, Airmodel did an He 111B at some point.  Could be worth trying to track one of those down.  Edit: they didn't but did do the stepped nose bit in their TKM range as an He 111F.  There was one on eBay, in the US, but it would actually be cheaper to use a Roden B kit and cannibalise it. The F is another opportunity, as it was intended as a torpedo bomber for the Kriegsmarine, but most of them were exported to Turkey.  Them getting a later H would also be interesting.

Got some more spraying done, with an intended Turkish He 112 getting a red rudder and the Me 209A getting one of the upper colours. It's now going to be a recce fighter, using some spares from various AZ kits.

The Matchbox Heinkel He 70 is partly together.  It's just as bad as I remember it from 35 years ago and the second one is likely never to be finished.  The glazing has gone walkies for a start. I should have the wings in by the end of tomorrow and then I need to consider the markings.  may have to be something dark.

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For more information, please reread.

[The Wooksta!]

"I don't know why you bother ever."

Work stopped play again but did a bit of undercoating here and there, as well as some more test fitting on the Roden Heinkel 111B

Did some brief research into Turkish Heinkel He 111s. Apparently they covertly asked the UK in 1941 for anything useable from shot down Luftwaffe examples to keep theirs in the air.  They got quite a bit of wreckage.  The possibility of Turkey flying an H or two, and one converted to a transport is quite intriguing.
The same research also threw up a photo of a Dornier Do 17M wearing Turkish markings, but it's unknown where or when they were applied.  Logical extrapolation would be Turkish Do 17Z or perhaps the Do 215, which was intended for export, until the war got in the way of Sweden getting theirs.  Turkish schemes are really boring, mainly a dark green over a light blue with red rudders, BFO serial on the fuselage.
A mention was made of Turkey flying Focke Wulf Fw 58s.

I also discovered that having pins stuck in one's feet is actually preferable than listening to Ed Sheeran.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Quiet everybody, the bet's on!"

More of a placeholder for now, I'll post more later. But here are a few talking points.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and who can actually be arsed to reply, go here:
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[The Wooksta!]

"It's a thought, I suppose. Make a great play!"

The Spanish rabbit hole is getting more odd, as I discovered photos of several He 111 bombers in civilian markings, operating with Iberia.  I mentioned it to a pair of modellers who do airliners and they hadn't heard of it.  It may be real, but it's rare and odd enough to be worthwhile.
Move sideways and late H models or possibly a Junkers Ju 86 wearing similar markings, or perhaps that of Cana, who did operate Siebel Si 204As in some numbers, as they crashed at least three?
I've also considered Dornier Do 17Es as Spanish mailplanes, but that could entail some research.

I may reconsider my "no swastikas" policy, as I'm considering a Heinkel He 112B wearing Luftwaffe Battle of Britain camo, crashed in a field.  Not too dramatic perhaps, but in the markings of Reinhard Heydrich?  Who just happened to get a pitchfork through his chest whilst trying to escape?

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and who can actually be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118

For more information, please reread.

[The Wooksta!]

No wait. No, back back! We haven't got any fire extinguishers.

Having done some more digging, I discovered that the Iberia Heinkel were camouflaged met flight types, operated by Luftwaffe and Spanish personnel.  They had three J models, later three H models, the latter wearing Spanish Air Force markings proper.

More info here, albeit in Spanish.
http://ejercitosdeespana.blogspot.com/2014/11/la-escuadrilla-de-sondeos.html

Whilst searching, I did find a few other Heinkels of interest, including a dual control trainer, with actual dual controls, and a Search and Rescue example.  I think that Heritage Casa 2.111 conversion may have to have an accident in some rubber.  There is a brand new conversion out, by Mulberry scale kits, but it's as pricey as a new Airfix one,so there were some choice words regarding sex, travel and their mothers.

Been decalling most of the weekend, a trio of Beaufighters (one in the middle East, the other two far east, one of those two has BPF markings), a Blenheim (which is getting rockets - it's a trainer with one of the Beaufighter units, 254 Sqn IIRC), and a Czech He 162.  I also added the national markings on an MB5 (post Jan '45 2TAF roundels, still unsure if a squadron and I'll check the books later) and decalled, partially, several 109s. The Swedish one looks quite natural.

Yes, I know quite a few are not part of my current themes, but getting at least part of the backlog finished can only be a good thing.  Not that keen on the finishes of a few, the MB5 especially, but once photographed they can be relegated to the back of a cabinet.

Next to see primer should be the pair of He 70s on the go,tgese being the Matchbox atrocity and the WK kit, which was tooled by MPM before they struck out on their own later.  The Matchbox one is getting repainted in RAF colours, and I'm minded on a 2TAF squadron back, possibly 607 (so I can cover several themes at once). The other is going Spanish, but more likely to be real as I've plenty of markings for it.
I loathe the Matchbox kit and I still have one left, albeit with no u/c, decals or glazing. An in flight one is possible, but converting it to an He 270 with a Jumo 211 rather than the DB601 of the actual thing is intriguing.

Finally, due to Willie pricing my thoughts, I dragged out an assembled Fw 200 Condor.  This was the military transport boxing of the Revell civilian Condor and I'd fitted it with BMW 801s.  There was a partially assembled more normal airliner one, without any engine modifications and that could well get three blade props. Iberia markings for that one?

 And whilst I'm considering big transports, I remembered that Classicplane do a Junkers Ju 90 and it's one of the early ones, which flew into London on one of Lufthansa's scheduled routes. Perhaps one had 'engine trouble' and got impressed into RAF or BOAC service?  It did happen with one of the Danish Condors and Revell gave the markings for it in one boxing.


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[The Wooksta!]

"Achtung!"

The He 70 got another coat of primer and looked reasonable enough to paint.  That went very quickly and smoothly, so much so it's now ready for decalling.  It's a repainted captured aircraft, in proper RAF colours, with a scheme based on that of a Mosquito.  Looks quite natural.  Looking forward to getting the markings on it.  607 Sqn, so it ticks a few boxes.

Also getting somewhere with a pair of Junkers Ju 86s, a Revell C airliner which is going Spanish, in Aluminium with a white top deck and black engine nacelles, whilst the other is an Italeri E that was bought part started, with a glue bombed fuselage.  I gave it a good sanding earlier and it doesn't look too bad.  Assembled the wings earlier, and will prime it tomorrow if the rain holds off.

I discovered an already painted Sea Fury torpedo fighter, a single seater with the high demarcation.  I honestly can't remember doing this one, but fully intend to get some decals on it soon.  Finished with the similarly marked two seater, it could look decent.  I'll have to strip a few Airfix Beaufighters of their torpedoes and underwing tanks are a must.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and who can actually be arsed to reply, go here:
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For more information, please reread.

[The Wooksta!]

Neil!  Your bedroom's on fire!

Been cleaning up a glue bombed partially assembled Junkers Ju 86E that I cannot remember getting.  Anyway, the fuselage is at a stage where I can get some primer on it.
Spain was flying the 86D until the late 40s and didn't get the E, but here they do. The RLM had cancelled the 86 so quickly it took Junkers by surprise and they were left with components for a good forty or so airframes.  OTL, they got scrapped, here they get radials and sold to Spain for materials.
I'd discovered the photos of SAR Heinkel (see below) and thought the same scheme could well suit the Junkers - Spain uses them first as they're obsolete, and then replaced with newer CASA built Heinkels.

And the transport?  Added for devilment.

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[The Wooksta!]

"It's not in your bed, Mike."

Went in the loft to dig out some bits.  I didn't find the Condor canopy I was looking for, although I did find the engines and props from a civil one, and some glazing from the really old Revell one. But I did find the complete engine, prop and cowling for the Heller Arado Ar 196.  Which means the spatted u/c version is now very likely. Just need to strip some paint.
Also found the fuselage remains from a Lindberg Heinkel He 100. I had the wing in another box, so it could be salvageable.  It was a basic but nice kit to just build, and with a few embellishments it could make a decent model.  Thinking Turkish, perhaps.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and who can actually be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118

For more information, please reread.