LATECOERE 298 with wheel, Spanish civil war.1/72 scale

[marco]

This project is not finished yet:
It's a float plane latecoére 298, from Replica/CMK resin kit. The landing gear is from a Lysander, the decalcs are so bad that  i'll replace them (probably by painting), and my huge problem is that i've destroyed the vacformed canopy (that was already yellow...)..
I was hesitating beetween a 2 or 3 blades propeller, i've just found a nice 2 blade i'll show you later...








The backstory is that a communist government arrived in France in 1937 and strongly support the Soviets and the Spanish republican  army (now controled by the spanish communist).
In reality, there was latécoére project 299 A with wheels, but was much more different from my idea..

http://www.aviafrance.com/latecoere-299-aviation-france-873.htm

[NARSES2]

Interesting 

[raafif]

the Lysander spats look RIGHT !

[sequoiaranger]

Nice start and concept!

I didn't like the weird retractable landing gear of the "official" 299, and thought some sort of fixed gear would be more appropriate. I had an old resin Latecoere 298, took off the floats, added "spats" from a Williams Bros. Caudron 714, added torpedo, and made a French carrier torpedo bomber (299T). You can't see the torpedo or wheels in this pic, just the camo/markings:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=2350

PS-- a close match to your lost canopy might be an Aichi D3A (Val). I have lots of spare canopies from kits I have trashed. If you get in a bind to find a suitable canopy, PM me! I can find something!

[marco]

Thank you!
Mr Sequoiaranger, your laté 299T is wonderful, very nice paint , i didn't saw it before, i should have take inspiration on yours!!
Thanks for your proposal, i'll first try to contact MPM i would like to have also several canopies for my azur kits some turns to yellow...

[sequoiaranger]

Marco--not a great photo, but here is the "underside" of my "299", showing the fixed landing gear (from a Caudron 714). I actually like your "bowed" landing gear better!



Perhaps a "backstory" might say that use of the "early-model" Latecoere 299 (yours) in Spanish skies "proved" the worth of the plane, but for aircraft carrier use in the Aéronavale, some "beefier" landing gear was needed, and maybe an uprated engine with a three-blade propeller (mine) replaced the original two-blade propeller.

Anyway, have fun with yours and post pics when you are done!

[marco]

Hello! thanks for the picture
Well the 1/32 caudron's landing gear fit's well. I haven't advanced a lot, here is a small picture:



now trying to contact MPM to have a new canopy and i might finish it till end of 2012...

[marco]

Here's a canopy from my spare box:




it's not perfect but i like it!

[sequoiaranger]

That looks fine!

Now you can finish it and be proud!

[sequoiaranger]

....did you get it finished??