Habbaniya May 1941 - Part 2

NARSES2 · July 23, 2015, 07:58:06 AM

Caproni Ca 313 Bologna

Specification 2/40 issued 30/1/1940

To meet operational requirement OR.79, this specification shall be regarded as containing the complete technical requirements for these aircraft. The requirements stated in Air Publications, Aircraft Design Memoranda and DTD specifications shall not be applicable.

The first 100 aircraft shall be in strict accordance with the type Ca.311 and the remaining aircraft with the type Ca.313, except as modified by the special requirements of this specification.

The first 100 aircraft shall each be fitted with two Piaggio VII C.35 engines of opposite hand. Each of the remaining aircraft shall be fitted with two Isotto-Fraschini Delta RC351S, both of the same hand.

Cockpit notices shall be in English and instruments graduated to read in English systems, feet, miles per hour and gallons. Pressure gauges will be accepted with Italian markings, but a red indicating line shall be added to the face to show the correct reading of the instruments concerned.

The aircraft shall be equipped with full dual control, i.e. with two "spectacles" as soon as possible in production without causing delay.

The standard Italian camouflage will be accepted but no identification markings are required. The under-surfaces of the wings, tail unit and also the under-surface and half way up the sides of the fuselage shall be painted yellow.

Each aircraft shall be flown by the contractors own personnel for approximately one hour before delivery to ensure correct functioning and general airworthiness. The arrangements for the inspection of the aircraft shall be to the satisfaction of the Director of Aeronautical Inspection.

Thus spoke the official R.A.F. order for the Caproni Ca. 311 and 313. Source "The British Aircraft Specifications File", an Air Britain publication. This order was still being discussed almost up to the moment Italy declared war against Great Britain and France, indeed 3 aircraft of the far larger French order were actually delivered, I have a photo of one in one of my books. Perhaps even more strangely the German's were fully aware of these orders and did absolutely nothing to interfere at all.

Now so far the story is a true one but what if the specification had been issued some 12 or 18 months earlier ? That is the premise of this build.

Upon completion the Caproni's were delivered to Alexandria where the R.A.F.'s large Middle East base fitted them out with the necessary equipment needed for their role as multipurpose twin engine trainers. This included radio, navigation and bomb aiming equipment and in some, slated as air gunnery trainers, a Bolton Paul turret of the type used on the Blenheim Mk I's and IV's then in service. Upon completion the aircraft were issued to training bases spread all over the Middle East and the Sub-Continent.

Thus here we have a rather tired looking Caproni Ca 313 Bologna (the oldest Italian university) of 4 Flying Training School based at Habbaniya just after the lifting of the siege. For more details on this action, see here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Iraqi_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat. During the siege this aircraft had been used in the shallow dive bombing role armed with assorted light bombs carried on hastily improvised racks. It had also used its single Lewis gun to strafe "enemy" road transport whilst flying alongside the road from Baghdad during its return to base. Apparently the air gunner had insisted on this as he had never fired a gun in anger before and he outranked everybody else aboard,

The model is based on the venerable Italeri one which has had some modifications to suit it more in its intended role as an R.A.F. multi place trainer. The underside gun position has been deleted, the original gun turret has been replaced by an astrodome (from a pill packet) for all those trainee navigators and the Bolton Paul turret has been fitted farther aft in what looks more like the standard British upper turret position. This came from one of the options in the Airfix Blenheim kit. Paints are the standard mix of Xtracrylic, Lifecolor, Humbrol etc whilst the markings came from the excellent DP Casper sheet "Rebellion in Iraq and Exporter". This contains markings for some 19 aircraft in R.A.F., Italian, Iraqi, Luftwaffe (in Iraqi markings) and Vichy French markings one of my favourites of which is a Vichy French MB-200 in what appears to be an Italian style sand and spinach camouflage scheme.

Now I really screwed this model up and mistakes on her are legion, however it's also the first model in many, many a year on which I've tried to make structural alterations to the airframe. As such I do have a soft spot for her, even though she will now disappear deep in the cabinet of "gloom". So in the end I changed my mind and decided to post her here, warts and all. Hopefully she will encourage me to be a little more different in my modelling and not concentrate purely on repaints, although they will still constitute the bulk of my output..

The real 4 TFS flew Airspeed Oxfords at Habbaniya and indeed they were used in the shallow dive bombing role although I'm not too sure about the strafing runs on Iraqi transport columns !

kitbasher · July 23, 2015, 08:33:46 AM

Very smart. Looks like an Anson With Attitude, if you don't mind my saying so.

PR19_Kit · July 23, 2015, 08:55:24 AM

Needs a few more windows.

Nice job Chris, a rarely modelled aeroplane there.

JayBee · July 23, 2015, 09:50:05 AM

Quote from: kitbasher on July 23, 2015, 08:33:46 AM
Very smart. Looks like an Anson With Attitude, if you don't mind my saying so.

Well I certainly do not mind Dave, I could not agree more. Well executed Chris.

Jim

loupgarou · July 23, 2015, 10:03:36 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 23, 2015, 07:58:06 AM
Caproni Ca 313 Bologna

Specification 2/40 issued 30/1/1940
..........

Now so far the story is a true one but what if the specification had been issued some 12 or 18 months earlier ? That is the premise of this build.
...........

Thus here we have a rather tired looking Caproni Ca 313 Bologna (the oldest Italian university) of 4 Flying Training School based at Habbaniya just after the lifting of the siege. For more details on this action, see here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Iraqi_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat.
......

I am reassured. I was afraid you were thinking of THIS Bologna:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_sausage

Captain Canada · July 23, 2015, 04:10:06 PM

Very nice Chris ! Like an Anson on steroids lol. Love the colour scheme and the camo. Looks a brute !

The Rat · July 23, 2015, 06:06:48 PM

Yeah, what the others said about a Super Anson! Looks great.

Tophe · July 23, 2015, 06:57:22 PM

Nice! Thanks! I imagine a great general transported in such a plane with many uh... feminine assistants, for well being, with pleasant personality...

zenrat · July 24, 2015, 02:29:13 AM

Concept is excellent. Your structural work looks OK as far as I can see Chris. It's just your window frames that look a bit messy.
Did you use enamel paint? As i've found that acrylics, when dry can be carefully scraped form where they don't belong with the tip of a toothpick.

NARSES2 · July 24, 2015, 06:37:36 AM

Quote from: zenrat on July 24, 2015, 02:29:13 AM
Concept is excellent. Your structural work looks OK as far as I can see Chris. It's just your window frames that look a bit messy.
Did you use enamel paint? As i've found that acrylics, when dry can be carefully scraped form where they don't belong with the tip of a toothpick.

Yup it's the frames I had the most problems with. I tried scrapping but was getting damage so to be honest I gave up. That's the reason she ran away when she saw your build

Must admit I wasn't using a toothpick to try and scrape the paint away, no idea why I didn't but I didn't

Thanks for being gentle with me lads, as I said I'm glad I built her the way I did but not to happy with the result. Rather a paradox, what ?

And yes she has got an Anson look about her now you mention it