Spanish Civil War Whifs

[stevehed]

Many thanks, Gentlemen.

[Weaver]

Curtis looks great, and all three are right on-point for SCW whiffs - nice one! (nice three!) 

[stevehed]

Thanks again.
I bought the LS Type 93 Japanese Navy biplane trainer a few years ago. Intention was a WW1 conversion but minds can change particularly when the amount of work required becomes clearer. I'm beginning to accumulate a quantity of between the war spares and another SCW whif came to mind. There was a spare lower wing from the Condor build. I removed the engine nacelles and joined several parts together to get a wing of over 40 feet. The Type 93 wings are destined for another project but I have a set of Revell Boeing Kaydett wings and the tiny winglets from a Heller Nieuport 622. Haven't decided on the engine yet as the 93 radial is spoken for. Couple of Naca cowlings remain from the Condor but they are 1/81 and will need enlarging with card. Still in the design stage as is the back story which will have the final say on the layout.

Regards, Steve

[TheChronicOne]

Good stuff going on here!!! 

[stevehed]

Decided to use the Nieuport parts. The theory is that CASA, the main Spanish manufacturer in the 30's, put in a design to replace the Breguet 19 bomber-recce types in use since the mid twenties. The main competition was from Hawkers who entered the Osprey and the Fury for the fighter type. To keep costs down CASA utilized parts from the Nieuport 52 fighter that they had license built. It was intended to use the 700hp Hispano Suiza but first flights used the 500hp version that the Nieuport was powered with. This proved the viability of the design but the Spanish government preferred the Hawker aircraft which were more capable of future adaptability, that is, it was felt they could accept the next generation of engines without major redesign. The engines were removed from the CASA prototypes and the airframes stored. They gathered dust until the Nationalist rebellion and air force engineers were desperately trying to supply the Republican air force. Two aircraft were made airworthy and were fitted with Pratt and Whitney radials of 525hp which had been salvaged from civilian passenger aircraft. Armament had to be made from scratch and at the end of 1936 they were sent as replacements to units in the south as the Francoists were threatening Malaga.


So far I've enlarged the Condor cowling and found an old Gladiator prop. A makeshift gun ring and the winglets fit ok. I've added some plastic card to fill in the nose to make a base that the cowling can attach to. Basically making it up as I go.

Regards, Steve

[chrisonord]

Fascinating stuff Steve, I  have not paid much attention to  aircraft of this era 
Chris

[zenrat]

... Basically making it up as I go.

Regards, Steve

A method I favour.  Sometimes you surprise yourself.

[stevehed]

Thank you, Gentlemen. A little more progress.




Needed to add the undercarriage so that I can work out the strut arrangement. The cabanes are OOB and I've enlarged the holes in the winglets in order to increase the angle of the main struts.

[chrisonord]

... Basically making it up as I go.

Regards, Steve

A method I favour.  Sometimes you surprise yourself.

A method I  use more often than not  as me planning anything is  a guaranteed  disaster 
Chris

[stevehed]

The top wing went on better then expected. With the wing on a book to level out the height of the tail the fuselage was upended and left overnight to get a strong bond. I have some large Contrail strut which matches the Heller Nieuport interplanes and managed to get a reasonable representation of the CASA peseta saving copy. Mg / gun ring and various bits and bobs still to do and not forgetting a paint scheme.

[TheChronicOne]

Dude, that is sharp....... I can dig! Taking all this stuff and making something neat. "Making do."   Bravo!

[stevehed]

Thanks for the comments. Finished now. Scratched twin Lewis affair in the rear cockpit and remnant bombs from a KP kit. Added sand colour to the basic green camouflage as it's a bit drier down south. Used the kit rear wheel and managed to find a spare pair from an old Airfix Gladiator. After participating in the resistance to Franco's advances on the southern front both CASA parasols were re-assigned to coastal patrol units. Both are believed to have succumbed to engine failure and ended up in the drink.

[buzzbomb]

Nice one, that really works

[zenrat]

Very good. 

[TheChronicOne]

Hell yeah!!!