Horsa, Operation Coronet- Complete.

[sandiego89]

Horsa of the RAF Tiger Force, 1946.

Operation Coronet, part of the the larger Operation Downfall, was the allied invasion of the Japanese home island of Honshu with Y-Day being March 1st, 1946.  Learning from the lessons of Okinawa and Operation Olympic, allied planners recognized allied artillery provided essential support to landing operations.  It was determined that gliders could be used to quickly insert light artillery pieces on the Kanto Plain south of Tokyo.  

The Kit: 1/72 Airfix Horsa, with a few twists.  
The Why: Why not?  Looks like the Horsa is seriously under-represented on WHIF.    

[Captain Canada]

Awesome idea....what ever it is ! As soon as I saw the title, I thought the same thing....gliders are seriously under represented here ! Come to think of it, i didn't even know there was an Airfix Horsa kit !

[Gondor]

Seeing the D.H.88 next to the Horsa I am wondering if you are planning to add the engines from it to the Horsa?

Gondor

[Old Wombat]

Not a bad idea, adding the engines, given the weight of (even light) artillery it allows the aircraft to be strengthened & have a better flight path to the LZ.
Also, allows tug aircraft to disengage further out from the LZ, resulting in lower losses. So, more aircraft for follow-up, supply & reinforcement drops.



Guy

[jcf]

Re-boxed Italeri kit, builds a swing-nosed Mk.II (AS.58) out of the box, and it has cutlines
moulded in to enable construction of the slightly shorter Mk. I (AS.51).

Airspeed schemed a powered version with two 375 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah X radials.

[PR19_Kit]

....gliders are seriously under represented here ! Come to think of it, i didn't even know there was an Airfix Horsa kit !

Perhaps because there's so few glider freely available kits?

The Airfix/Italeri Horsa, the Italeri Hadrian (Waco CG-4....) and Me-322 and the old Frog Hotspur are about it. There's a resin Hamilcar available IIRC but it's bound to cost a bomb. There's a DFS 230 from somewhere too.

Having said that, there weren't that many RW gliders anyway, perhaps we should build a few? 

How about a glider Lanc with a take-off trolley a la Ar 234 and a hinged tail to unload the cargo?

[JayBee]

Sanger do a 1/72 Vac Form Hamilcar.
THe DFS 230 was, I think, by Huma who also do a Kal;kert Ka 430.
The Russian A-7 glider iwas produced by Eastern Express.

[JayBee]

.... and the Italeri Gotha Go-242/244

[The Wooksta!]

Planet did the Hamilcar (with the associated lottery win price tag) and it came with a set of Mercuries for the powered version.

One of the guys (now sadly deceased) who came to our model club was an ex glider pilot.  He was due to be one of the pilots for the invasion of Japan.

[NARSES2]

Now this is an unusual and good idea ? What type of artillery pieces are you planning on loading her up with ?

The Me 322 is an interesting possibility because the RAF were on the look out for as many as possible at the fall of Germany for use in the invasion of Japan. Martin H has built a SEAC one and it's huge 

Always been fascinated by the idea of amphibious gliders that the Japanese had, or at least had planed.

[kitbasher]

Had the idea of fitting a couple of Mercuries to a Horsa for years.  One of our fold did that some years ago I recall him saying.

No names, no pack drill.

[sequoiaranger]

Maybe a HUGE set of gyrocopter blades on top to help slow the "flying brick" decent?

[Martin H]

The Me 322 is an interesting possibility because the RAF were on the look out for as many as possible at the fall of Germany for use in the invasion of Japan. Martin H has built a SEAC one and it's huge 

Guilty as charged.

Ive also go three Planet resin Hamilcar's in the stash. A pair of bog standard mk-1's and the mk X with the radials

[sandiego89]

Work has begun.  The kit is very good quality, was on sale at Squadron for a good price so had to snap it up.  Thanks guys did not know it is a rebox of the Italeri kit. 

Exactly Gondor/Old Wombat- engines from the dh88.  The de Havilland Gipsy Six was chosen to provide maneuvering thrust to extend the glide, and give more options for release points and landing. Also used on takeoff to augment the tug.  They are not intended to provide sustained flight.  The Gispy Six was chosen due to light weight, availability and low frontal drag.

Commencing the dry fit.



Sculpted the nacelle to fit the wing curvature. 

[sandiego89]

If two are good wouldn't 4 be better?    

Thought about it, but did not want to add that much weight and still wanted to keep it as an assisted glider, not a transport.

...and besides I am too cheap to sacrifice another kit