DONE @p.2 +++ Post-war Heinkel He 70 floatplane, Scandinavian Airline System

[Dizzyfugu]

Yeah, the decals arrived! But since I am in the Seeschwalbe tunnel I might proceed with the ambitious kitbash first before I start again here with cosmetics and the more or less finalizing touches.

[Medjoe]

Fantastic idea, the timing and idea is remarkably uncanny to what I had thought of! I will be following the remainder of the project with particular interest.

I signed up for a Floats GB on Reddit a couple months back, but school and whatnot pushed any building, so I am eagerly awaiting for the winter break to commence. I was also thinking of a civilian marine He 170 (analogous to the K with the Gnome Rhone 14-cylinder), but using the double Arado 196 floats as a basis. Interestingly enough both aircraft shared very similar maximum weights, which gave me the idea to graft them in the first place. A bit undecided on the livery for the moment (mind drifting off to other matters).

[Dizzyfugu]

I tested the Ar 196 floats (from the Heller kit, also available as Revell re-boxing), and they were IMHO too small for the He 70. It's an elegant but not not a small aircraft. The Letov S.328 floats I used here are better, esp. mor voluminous, but their "track width" could be bigger, and the floats could be bigger, too. Maybe the floats from a Twin Otter could work, but then the struts would have to be scratched.

Besides, with the Do 319 more or less done and waiting for pics, work on the SAS He 70 resumed and I started completing the decal decoration on the fuselage. I eventually resorted to the left-over 1:144 Caravelle material, since it was the best I could find in the stash concerning size. The markings are a bit modern for the late 40ies era, but for the overall impression it seems to be O.K.

[Dizzyfugu]

With SAS trim, things start to loo rather elegant:


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[PR19_Kit]

That DOES look good, very good in fact. 

You can just imagine it bobbing up and down on some Norwegian fjord.

[Gondor]

That's just given me a terrible idea for a tri motor He-111 

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

That's just given me a terrible idea for a tri motor He-111 

And why is that terrible?

[Old Wombat]

That DOES look good, very good in fact. 

Yep!

That's just given me a terrible idea for a tri motor He-111 

And why is that terrible?

Good question!

[Snowtrooper]

Trimotor He 111 would actually make sense both as a bomber and a post-war airliner - the extra speed provided by the third engine would have allowed it to remain relevant in both roles. Would have compared favourably with the passenger conversions of B-26 Marauder and A-26 Invader.

[PR19_Kit]

Hm, you could graft the nose of the He119 onto the wings and fuselage of a standard He111. That would look just as if the prop was grafted onto the cockpit of a 111, but it mightn't leave much room for bombs.

And ZERO room for any passengers!

[Gondor]

That's just given me a terrible idea for a tri motor He-111 

And why is that terrible?

Basically because I have enough to build as it is. 

Hm, you could graft the nose of the He119 onto the wings and fuselage of a standard He111. That would look just as if the prop was grafted onto the cockpit of a 111, but it mightn't leave much room for bombs.

And ZERO room for any passengers!

Actually I was thinking of something simmilar to the He 70 but with the extra two engines on the wings too.

Gondor

[Dizzyfugu]

I'd rather go with only two wing-mounted engines, unless you use rather small motors. The central nose engine is pretty large and massive, even the inline variant, but I think that a closed nose and a pair of medium-sized engines on the wings could look very good?

Anyway, finished this one, just did final finishing touches like the boarding ladders, Clearfix windows and a wire antenna. Beauty pics to come, probably next weekend, though, but I am looking forward to these because there's plenty of appropriate fjord landscapes to use! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Small and final WiP update: the boarding ladders, somewhat inspired by the He 115's arrangement - I knew that I have some PE ladders somewhere, but could not find them...  So I had to improvise and converted IP window frames from a H0 scale American industrial building into boarding aids. Looks better than most OOB solutions!


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In the meantime, beauty pics have been taken (and I've finished another model, but not for the GB...), but they need editing. Stay tuned. 

[Dizzyfugu]

So, here she is:


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr



Some background:
The Heinkel He 70 Blitz (Lightning) was designed in the early 1930s to serve as a mailplane for Deutsche Luft Hansa in response to a request for an aircraft faster than the Lockheed Vega and Orion (as used by Swissair) for use on short routes.

It was a low-wing monoplane, with the main characteristic of its design being its elliptical wing (which the Günther brothers had already used for the Bäumer Sausewind sports aircraft before they joined Heinkel) and its small, rounded control surfaces. In order to meet the demanding speed requirements, the design minimized drag with a steamlined cowling, flush rivets, giving a smooth surface finish, and a retractable undercarriage. It was powered by a liquid-cooled BMW VI V12, cooled by ethylene glycol rather than water, allowing a smaller radiator and therefore reducing drag even further. The pilot and radio operator were seated in tandem, with a cabin housing four passengers on two double seats facing each other behind them.
The first prototype flew on 1 December 1932, and proved to have excellent performance, setting eight world records for speed over distance, and reaching a maximum speed of 377 km/h (222 mph) – faster than many contemporary fighter aircraft.

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1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Luft Hansa operated He 70s between 1934 and 1937 for a fast flight service, which connected Berlin with Frankfurt, Hamburg and Cologne, as well as on the Cologne/Hamburg route. He 70s were also flown abroad from Stuttgart to Seville between 1934 and 1936. This route was part of the South America mail service provided by Luft Hansa that continued via Bathurst, The Gambia to Natal, Brazil, using Junkers Ju 52/3m and Dornier Wal flying boats. Swissair received a few Heinkel He 70s for express trans-alpine flights between Zurich and Milan in 1934, too.

Remaining aircraft were transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1937, and the type saw limited military use during WWII. The Luftwaffe operated He 70s from 1935 onwards, initially as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, but as soon as purpose-built designs became available, the He 70 was relegated to liaison and courier aircraft duties.
Twenty-eight He 70s were sent with the Legion Condor and used during the Spanish Civil War as fast reconnaissance aircraft. Their high speed (and likely the already existing "blitz" title) gave them the nickname Rayo (lightning).


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The He 70K was another fast reconnaissance airplane variant, but it was powered by a WM-K-14 radial engine, a license-built version of the French Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major engine. It was used by the Royal Hungarian Air Force in early World War II during 1941–42 and later re-designated He 170 (since the suffix "K" originally indicated "kommerziell" for a civil export version).

Another military customer of the He70K was Sweden, even though in the unique form of a floatplane conversion. Twelve machines, basically of similar configuration to the land-based Hungarian He 70Ks, were delivered in 1937 and operated for reconnaissance and patrol duties along the Baltic coast line under the local designation S 13 (Spaning = Observation). By the end of the hostilities in Europe in 1945, nine S 13 floatplanes were still operational but deemed outdated for military purposes.

However, six of the robust machines were still in good shape and earmarked for the new Scandinavian Airlines System (better known as 'SAS'). SAS airline was officially founded on 1 August 1946, when Svensk Interkontinental Lufttrafik AB (an airline owned by the Swedish Wallenberg family), Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S and Det Norske Luftfartselskap AS (the flag carriers of Denmark and Norway) formed a partnership to handle the intercontinental air traffic of these three Scandinavian countries. Operations started on 17 September 1946, and the revamped He 70 floatplanes (registered in Norway with the codes LN-KMA-F) were to operate in the northern regions of Norway and Sweden for postal and other transport services, extending the Hurtigruten postal ship connections landwards. The other three surviving aircraft were retired, but stored for spares.


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

All military equipment, like the dorsal defensive weapon station, which was simply faired over, was deleted. The civilian crew consisted typically of two (pilot and navigator/Radio operator), but a PostVerket (the Swedish Postal service) official who would assist loading and handle the official paperwork was a frequent third crew member.

For easier loading the machines received bigger two-wing freight room doors on both sides of the fuselage, and the original Gnome-Rhône 14K engine with 746 kW (1,000 hp) was replaced by its post-war SNECMA 14R evolution. This supercharged engine considerably improved the aircraft's take-off performance and overall payload (400kg of goods could be carried now instead of 300kg) and temporarily delivered 1,190 kW (1,590 hp). The cabin had a level floor and featured foldable seats on the side walls for up to six passengers, even though this was only a secondary duty.

In 1948 the Swedish flag carrier AB Aerotransport joined SAS and the companies coordinated European operations and finally merged to form the SAS Consortium in 1951. When established, the airline was divided between SAS Danmark (28.6%), SAS Norge (28.6%) and SAS Sverige (42.8%), all owned 50% by private investors and 50% by their governments.
However, the fast technical development in the late Forties and the advent of the jet age rendered the SAS' He 70 floatplane fleet quickly obsolete and they were retired in 1953.


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr



General characteristics:
    Crew: 2 (pilot, navigator/radio operator) plus up to 6 passengers
    Length: 11.70 m (38 ft 4⅔ in)
    Wingspan: 14.80 m (48 ft 6⅔.75 in)
    Height: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
    Wing area: 36.50 m² (392.9 sq ft)
    Empty weight: 2,360 kg (5,203 lb)
    Loaded weight: 3,386 kg (7,450 lb)
    Max. takeoff weight: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb)

Powerplant:
    1× SNECMA 14R supercharged 14 cylinder radial engine with 1,190 kW (1,590 hp) for take-off

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 320 km/h (177 knots, 200 mph) at sea level
    Cruise speed: 260 km/h (144 knots, 162 mph)
    Range: 2,100 km (1,135 nmi, 1,305 mi)
    Service ceiling: 5,300 m (17,390 ft)
    Climb to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) 3 min
    Climb to 4,000 m (13,125 ft): 18 min




1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Heinkel He 70K floatplane, 'LN-KME' of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); operated in northern Norway, 1949 (Whif/Matchbox kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr



Not a spectacular whif, but an elegant one, despite (or thanks to?) the relatively simple civil scheme. The Letov S.328 floats are IMHO a good match in size and volume, but somehow I think the floats' track with is a little too narrow? Anyway, I stuck with it, and the resulting He 70 floatplane does not look bad at all.

[zenrat]

I like it.