A 1930s Luxembourg fighter

[Brian da Basher]

Here's the latest project I've completed. I took the 1/72 Gomex Dewoitine D-520 I got recently and sawed off the front of it and attached the engine, cowling and prop from a P-26. The spatted undercarriage from the P-26 was glued on as well and then I stuck six gun barrels on the wings. The wing roundels were salvaged from old tail markings from the Glencoe Martin MB-2 and the tail stripes were hand-painted. Allow me to present Luxembourg's front-line pursuit of 1937, the W.F.W.-V.010. Backstory to follow.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

Here's the backstory and the second of four pics:

After Germany re-entered the Saar in 1936, the Luxembourg government thought it prudent to modernize their weaponry, starting with their small air force. Having sought modern fighter aircraft abroad and finding the best to be had were high-priced and obsolescent Gloster Gladiators, the Luxembourgers decided what was needed was a modern, heavily armed, monoplane fighter. Domestic development was undertaken at the Wiltz Fluegzeug Werke, until then a small manufacturer of light sporting aircraft. Many designs were proposed, but the small nation scored an espionage coup after spending an evening toasting the visiting Emil Dewoitine with that fine Luxembourg beverage, Differdange Absinthe (absinthe makes the heart grow fonder, as they say). Messr. Dewoitine quite lost his wits under the influence, and drunkenly divulged the latest design work on the forthcoming Dewoitine D-520 monoplane fighter project. The wily Luxembourger hosts quickly took their spoils to the development team in Wiltz, and the W.F.W.-V.010 pursuit was born. Unfortunately, the Luxembourg agents had misunderstood some of Messr. Dewoitine's drunken ramblings and thought the prototype French aircraft was to be powered by a license-built version of the American P&W R-1340-27 radial engine and have a fixed, spatted undercarriage. Still, the new Luxembourg fighter exceeded all expectations in flight trials and full-scale production was undertaken. By the start of W.W. II, W.F.W.-V.010s were equipping all two of Luxembourg's front-line pursuit wings, and proved such a fearsome deterrent that the mighty Nazi war machine delayed swallowing up the small nation for a good 45 minutes. Only one example of the six-gunned W.F.W.-V.010 (known as the beloved "Werferwerf" to its pilots and groundcrew) exists today in the small, garage-like museum that is the remains of the once-important Wiltz Fluegzeug Werke.

Brian da Basher

[Damian2]

looks...cute...

Yes cute!

[Brian da Basher]

Here's the third pic. Gosh after the stunning work of the Whif Masters such as Eddie, Mr Howling Mouse, Anthony, Wolfik, Sentinel Chicken, Ollie, Matrix, Simon, Dork, Radish, Leigh, Mr Rat-San, Cthulhul, Glenn, Allan, Zac, Sebastian, Dexter, Shasper and others far more talented than myself, I should be embarassed, but I just can't help sharing these things with you.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

Did someone say cute? Thank you! Here's the fourth and final pic, a head-on shot showing off the engine and those six menacing machine guns. My next project is taking the remnants of the P-26, attaching the nose grill off a SPAD XVII and turning it into an Icelandic Air Force ski-plane fighter. Stay tuned!

Brian da Basher

[philp]

Brian,
Looks cool man, you have a flair for this for sure.

Hey, just a heads up.  I got my hands on 180 models from a family whose dad passed away last year, all aircraft from 72nd-24th, WWI through WWII with a couple of modern props.  I am still going through them and then have to price them but should have a good list by this weekend (lots with Spats   ).  I will post a message in the for sale forum when I have it ready.

[The Rat]

She's looking right sporty Brian! Lovely job.    

[Sisko]

Brian you bashed together a beauty! B)  

[Leigh]

The beauty of whiffing is you get to see things you never see anywhere else, probably would not have built, and frequently that you would never have thought of. That's a lovely plane Brian and its great that people have different areas of interest, don't be embarrased I wanna see more


But does Luxembourg have a population big enough for a ground crew to support that baby?  

[cthulhu77]

beautiful little plane...suited well for a beautiful little country !!!!  Hats off !

[Brian da Basher]

Brian,
Looks cool man, you have a flair for this for sure.

Hey, just a heads up.  I got my hands on 180 models from a family whose dad passed away last year, all aircraft from 72nd-24th, WWI through WWII with a couple of modern props.  I am still going through them and then have to price them but should have a good list by this weekend (lots with Spats   ).  I will post a message in the for sale forum when I have it ready.

Phil, that sound you hear is my wallet crying while I wipe up the drool.  
I'm looking forward to perusing your list.

Wow 180?! I guess that would be too much for one man to build.


Brian da Basher

[Tophe]

Did someone say cute? Thank you!

I agree: so cute... I explain my point of view: for me the Dewoitine 520 is a beauty (mostly the 520Z), and radial engines as fixed landing gears are ugly, but your model is like a delicious caricature of a beauty, where we recognize her perfectly despite her lips turned huge and boobs of impossible size... That makes me smile, almost laugh with pleasure, thanks Brian, and much congratulations.
The story is delicious as well: spy result of alcoholic interview of an engineer. "What-if"ism at its very best, as a perfect mix of seriousness and craziness. Thanks for that delicious story too.
The whole stands like a marvel...  

[K5054NZ]

Whif master? Me? Where's a crying smilie when you need one? I;m honoured, Bri!


And I love your model and backstory. Magnificent my friend.

[NARSES2]

Great model Brian - reminds me a bit of a CW 21 that's lost half it's fusalage or one of those Koolhaven things the French flew in 1940

Chris

[gooberliberation]

Its awesome! Why? Because it could sooo pass off as an actual obscure aircraft that nobody knows anything about