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1/72 Airfix Gloster Gladiator, Norwegian Jagevingen, Fornebu, Oslo, April 1940


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Hi gents, I've just finished this - the Airfix Gloster Gladiator in the markings of an aircraft of the Norwegian Jagevingen (Fighter Flight) at Fornebu, Oslo in April 1940 - decals from the DP Casper 'Forgotten Operations - Weserübung' decal sheet DPC72015:

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This aircraft, flown by Sergeant Kristian Fredrik Schye of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, was engaged in combat with the Luftwaffe on 09 April 1940. Sgt Schye brought down a Bf110C of 1./ZG76 (the M8+FH flown by Unteroffizier Helmut Mütschele and gunner Gefreiter Karl Lorey) but minutes later was himself shot down by Leutnant Helmut Lent. Sergeant Schye force-landed his Gladiator, having been slightly wounded by cannon shell fragments but was released from hospital after a couple of days. A more detailed account of the action can be found here

I built the Bf110 that Sergeant Schye shot down as part of the BF110 Group Build here - here is the 'Dogfight Double' shot:

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This is my first Airfix Gladiator and was as much as anything a test-bed for rigging, which I had not attempted before. I learned a great deal in the process and while I am not unhappy with how it turned out the experience gained in this build will make my next one better... :hmmm: I had no issues with the kit apart from some difficulty fitting the engine cowling which could probably have been avoided if I had been more careful. The photographs I was able to find of this aircraft were not conclusive but seem to indicate that ski landing gear was fitted at the time the aircraft was shot down, but while the skis provided with the Airfix kit are fine for the Swedish or Finnish versions they are not appropriate for the Norwegian aircraft which used a different type... in any case the skis and wheels were interchangeable, and there are pictures of Norwegian Gladiators on snow-covered ground with the wheels fitted, so that's my justification and I intend to stick to it :shrug:

I would thank our esteemed forum colleague Procopius for pointing me in the direction of the EZ Line with which the model was rigged, and our equally esteemed colleague Cookenbacher for putting the 'Dogfight Double' idea into my head in the first place :D - thank you both :)

Cheers,

Stew

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Excellent work - you should be pleased with how that rigging has worked out - really sharp! Looking forward already to your next one.

Also love the back story, both a/c and personal for you.

ATB
Rick

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I love it Stew,......a great model of a great aircraft in a great scheme,........plus a dogfight double with the Bf 110 too,.....it doesn`t get much better than that! Your rigging looks brilliant too and the model actually looks as if it has fabric stretched over its airframe!

Cheers

Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Brilliant build of one of my favourite aircraft! I have the Matchbox Gladiator and Encore (Heller) Gladiator, but I really must pick up the new Airfix kit - it obviously builds up very nicely. Excellent job on the rigging!

Regards,

Jason

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Thanks very much Rick :) - I am pleased with the rigging, but there are a few things I know to do next time, like fill the drilled holes on both sides, not just the outside, for example... but it was a valuable learning experience too as I had always been put off by the idea of rigging :blink:

Bjorn, thank you very much B)

Darby, thank you, the kit includes the three-blade Fairey prop for the Mk.II or the Sea Gladiator but not the arrester gear... I've got a whole bunch of Gladdy decals in the bank too, and have ordered a couple more kits to reduce the amount a little :D

Steve, thanks very much mate, Airfix make the rigging lark a lot easier by including not only a series of diagrams showing the rigging but also plan views of the wings showing where you need to drill holes - the wings also have tiny 'dimples' moulded in at the rigging attachment points so you can see where to drill, so while it is a bit time-consuming a lot of the legwork is done for you :D

Thanks very much Tony :D - I can't help but think that Sergeant Schye must have had stones of steel to take on a 110 in a Gladiator, and must have been an exceptional shot as well. The surface detail on the kit is lovely, it flatters my abilities no end :lol:

Pawel, thank you very much mate :D

Mitch, thanks very much :D

Hey Stix, thanks and yes it was my first real go at it too, it was actually a lot less painful than I was expecting :lol:

Jason, thanks very much, I recommend the kit to you, apart from the cowling panels it seemed to mostly build itself :)

crobinsonh, thank you very much :D

Thanks for your attention gents B)

Cheers,

Stew

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Thanks PC; if it had not been for your heroic - and ultimately victorious - efforts with the Roden SE.5A I would not have even attempted this; cheers mate, for both the inspiration to do it, and an idea of the way to do it :)

Bernd, thank you very much :D

Cheers,

Stew

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Very nice model! You have done a good job with the rigging. The blue stripes in the national insignia should be much darker though. This is easily corrected by applying dark blue decal strips.

Early April 1940, the Norwegian Gladiators switched from ski undercarriage to wheels. This was however not completed on 427, which stil had a tail skid fitted on 9 April.

Nils

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Nils, thank you very much :D - the blue of the national markings is noticeably darker to the eye, I think it is just the proximity of the daylight lamp that has bleached the colour a bit, unfortunately my camera is reluctant to take a decent picture in any but the brightest light :shocked: Thanks for the information regarding the changeover from the ski undercarriage, I could only find three photographs of this aircraft online and while one appeared to show a tail-ski none of them seemed to show skis on the main undercarriage - now I know why, thank you :)

Max, believe it or not I just thought I could squeeze the Gladiator in as a quick build, as my flat-move has been delayed once more, however I am supposed to sign the papers at the letting agents tomorrow and should be moved by the end of the week - as soon as I am up and running with an internet connection I will be back on the 110 Group Build again, there are a couple more schemes I would like to do before the end of the GB :hmmm:

Cheers,

Stew

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You actually went and built it Stew! I just don't how you do it - an your first time rigging to boot - I'm still in the rigging fearing camp. It all looks so amazing: the scheme, finish, and rigging.

Great to see the victor next to the vanquished keeping that bit a history a little more alive.

edit: ps - I have quite a way to go before being as esteemed as the mighty Procopius. :)

Edited by Cookenbacher
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Thank you very much Val :D

Cookie, thank you very much - as PC notes, rigging is not anywhere near as difficult as you might imagine, otherwise neither he nor I, sharing as we do the congenital 'lazy gene' disorder, would have bothered with it :lol:

Adrian, thank you very much, you really are a glutton for punishment you know :D

Thanks very much Martin :D

Cheers,

Stew

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