1/72 - Reims-Cessna FBT 337G Skymaster/Rhodesian Lynx resin kit by LiftHere! - released

[Homebee]

LiftHere! is to release 1/72nd Reims-Cessna FBT 337G Skymaster resin kits

 

- ref. LHM038 - Reims Cessna FBT337G Minirole (Portugese Air Force)

Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/reims-cessna-fbt337g-minirole-portugese-air-force-expected-end-of-2017-lhm038-lift-here-decals-lhm038-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=147788

 

 

- ref. LHM041-  Reims Cessna FBT337G Rhodesian Lynx

Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/rhodesian-lynx-expected-end-of-2017-lhm041-lift-here-decals-lhm041-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=147789

 

 

V.P. 

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by Homebee

[stevehnz]

Being resin means it could be spendy but it won't be very big so I'll have to hope it isn't too bad. I really do fancy a Rhodie Lynx kit.

Steve.

[sinistervampire319]

16 hours ago, Homebee said:

- ref. LHM041-  Reims Cessna FBT337G Rhodesian Lynx

Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/rhodesian-lynx-expected-end-of-2017-lhm041-lift-here-decals-lhm041-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=147789

 

Will it have a full interior?

[Branky]

Well, a basic interior will undoubetly be provided but info is scarce and space is limited in that kit fuselage anyway. But if anyone can provide clear pictures of the interior as well as clear pictures of the Strela cups over the exhausts Dragan of Lift Here would probably be very happy and who knows, might include it all.  Maybe even make open entrance doors to show some of it. Now, who has pictures of those spent cartridge bags that were inside the fuselage ?

[vozdushniy]

If it is same or similar to the Portuguese 337, then yes, it will have the interior.

But it will surely have twin Browning 303 roof mounted guns, two rocket pods, a napalm bomb and a mini 'Golf' bomb. I just have to make it look convincing.

[sinistervampire319]

16 hours ago, Branky said:

Now, who has pictures of those spent cartridge bags that were inside the fuselage ?

I have been looking and asking people for years.

[vozdushniy]

Unfortunately, almost nothing can be seen. For me, the most probable configuration would be that there were only three seats and the rest was empty. Useful in combat and compensating the weight of roof Brownings. I guess that rounds were in containers just below the guns.

 

https://pasteboard.co/GGemiBw.jpg

https://pasteboard.co/GGems6W.jpg

[Mach82]

On 18/08/2017 at 5:41 AM, sinistervampire319 said:

I have been looking and asking people for years.

I hope I can help you if my memory can go that far back. I can't find any photos of the interior of the Lynx although I do have some somewhere and will keep searching. For now however maybe this can help. A similar set up was used for the magazine and spent cartridge collector for the .303 Brownings mounted on the Allo III G car .....

The larger box was the magazine and the two smaller boxes below collected the spent casings. The spent casing were ejected into the canvas chutes which fed directly into the collector boxes, one for each weapon. This set up was very similar to the one fitted on the 337 and was located in the cabin in the region of seat row 3. They were either black or khaki in colour. CofG wasn't too much of an issue since the guns and magazine were mounted close to the a/c centre of gravity and both magazine and collector were in line vertically.

 

Hope this is of help  

[vozdushniy]

Incredibly, almost exactly as I have thought, with only difference that I imagined TWO boxes for bullets and two for spent casings, arranged in pairs one on top of each other, placed along the floor. But I see it is far more convenient to have it put just by the cabin bulkhead.

 

Well, here is the sample pic of spent cartridges collector bag from some Cessna bird: https://pasteboard.co/GH8CYdmr.jpg

 

[sinistervampire319]

On 8/18/2017 at 7:22 AM, vozdushniy said:

Unfortunately, almost nothing can be seen. For me, the most probable configuration would be that there were only three seats and the rest was empty. Useful in combat and compensating the weight of roof Brownings. I guess that rounds were in containers just below the guns.

 

https://pasteboard.co/GGemiBw.jpg

https://pasteboard.co/GGems6W.jpg

From what I have learned from the Veteran's is that they were on the floor.

[sinistervampire319]

On 8/22/2017 at 1:39 AM, Mach82 said:

I hope I can help you if my memory can go that far back. I can't find any photos of the interior of the Lynx although I do have some somewhere and will keep searching. For now however maybe this can help. A similar set up was used for the magazine and spent cartridge collector for the .303 Brownings mounted on the Allo III G car .....

The larger box was the magazine and the two smaller boxes below collected the spent casings. The spent casing were ejected into the canvas chutes which fed directly into the collector boxes, one for each weapon. This set up was very similar to the one fitted on the 337 and was located in the cabin in the region of seat row 3. They were either black or khaki in colour. CofG wasn't too much of an issue since the guns and magazine were mounted close to the a/c centre of gravity and both magazine and collector were in line vertically.

 

Hope this is of help  

I would be grateful if you can find those. I have asked pretty much everyone over the years. 

[sinistervampire319]

Here is some photos I have that show some of the mods.

This one shows the Anti-Strella mod. The bowl is slightly angled down with the wide lip. Two vortex generators forward.

 

This one shows the rear exhaust mod. It has also vortex generators on the sides and two rows of the at the bottom of the fuselage.
Also nice shot of the Frantan and bomb rack.

 

In the walkaround section. Julien posted a really nice set of photos of the FTB337G showing details found on the Rhodesian aircraft.

 

This shows another small mod located on both sides of the nose. It covers the 4 slatted vent. Looks to be just some bent sheet metal.

 

Other side showing the vent cover. Also note the bubbled side window.

 

Guns

 

Golf bombs

 

 

 

 

[Julien]

5 hours ago, sinistervampire319 said:

 

In the walkaround section. Julien posted a really nice set of photos of the FTB337G showing details found on the Rhodesian aircraft.

 

Someone found the walkaround section. Seriously thanks for pointing people there, and posting these other great pictures.

 

[vozdushniy]

Very nice, indeed. I had all of these pictures, except maybe one. There are also some Rhodesian planes with wheel caps and some without.

I hope that people would be pleased with both FTB-337Gs that are to be released.

 

Very interesting detail is that, at the first time, upon delivery, the front exhaust on Rhodesian a/c was at the same position as on Portuguese planes.

https://pasteboard.co/GIaopTk.jpg

Later it was moved in lateral position.

The one thing that puzzles me is that French planes have it fixed in factory:

https://pasteboard.co/GIaoVeZ.jpg

 

Finally, I guess you would like this detail:

https://pasteboard.co/GIapPYf.jpg

 

[Mach82]

I am still looking for the internal Lynx cockpit shot.... its there somewhere, I simply have to locate it in amongst the boxes of old unscanned photos from earlier years. Rest assured that when I do, I will get it up here. In the meantime I found this which shows some details when viewed from below and gives a sense of scale to the forward exhaust anti strella mod.

 

 

Hope you find it useful.

 

Cheers

 

Mark

[vozdushniy]

It is EXCELLENT, and I have to find the way to download this picture, I have troubles with Android at the moment. Any larger size available? 

[sinistervampire319]

6 hours ago, vozdushniy said:

It is EXCELLENT, and I have to find the way to download this picture, I have troubles with Android at the moment. Any larger size available? 

Yes, I second that. Would love to see the rear exhaust detail.
Keep them coming Mark. These really are some fantastic shots. Very helpful.

[vozdushniy]

I attached the pic of resin part for Bosbok kit:

 

https://pasteboard.co/GJomI0J.jpg

 

I guess that both Lynx exhausts were turned and put in some sort of simple cup, too.

[sinistervampire319]

6 hours ago, vozdushniy said:

I attached the pic of resin part for Bosbok kit:

 

https://pasteboard.co/GJomI0J.jpg

 

I guess that both Lynx exhausts were turned and put in some sort of simple cup, too.

They were a little more complicated than simple cups. The rear was larger and shaped different than the front one.

Front close up.
 

Rear. Note the more curve and angle to the airframe. Also a slight angle upward. Whereas the front had a slight angle downward.
Also the slit cutouts on front and rear.

[sinistervampire319]

Any news on this?

[vozdushniy]

Well, this is a test shot of Portuguese 337G:

 

 

It will be modified for Lynx as soon as possible.

Edited November 14, 2017 by vozdushniy

[Eric B.]

Hello, 

 

It looks very sharp and a beautiful little kit.

 

Does anybody know? Is there any civilian version in the plans?

 

Regards 

 

Eric B.

Edited November 14, 2017 by Eric B.

[vozdushniy]

I know 😃

I guess not. Just these two military FTB-337Gs.

[Eric B.]

Thank you for your kind reply,

 

Never mind, I think the Portuguese version should not be to far from a civilian Skymaster. Maybe a good paint job could do the part.

I'll keep this in mind... 

 

Regards..

 

Eric B.

[vozdushniy]

Well, besides cutting the wingtips and removing the wing fences and curvatures around fins roots, there is a major difference in windows on earlier versions of 337. The rest is more or less similar. But it is not a small job to do.