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An ebay £5.00 Buy it Now deal see's me picking up a copy of French Aces of WW2, one of the Osprey series. Too cheap to ignore.

 

The first thing I did was dig out my Heller stash. Can you see where this is heading?

 

20201030_134008.jpg

 

It looks like there's going to be another entry from me over the weekend, that cover shot is going to be hard to resist!

 

Tony.

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16 minutes ago, alt-92 said:

Didn't know Heller did a Sunderland :P

 

:coat:

 

It's quite disturbing, seeing that Sunderland under attack like that. It wasn't so long before that French Hawks were on our side. The plane attacking the flying boat might well be one of these...

 

20201030-133206.jpg

 

The picture is from the book.

 

Tony.

 

 

.

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There are still several 1/72 plane kits that I thought someone would have at least started a placeholder thread for by now, but nothing doing. I have previously built four of these myself, so maybe my humble efforts from years past might inspire someone to take the plunge:

 

Mirage F1CR (nowhere near as easy to build as the Airfix kit, which Heller also re-boxed):

SDMX3000_20050403_120018_S3700009_detail

 

Vought F-8 Crusader:

PANAFS30_20120422_121428_dr_025.jpg

 

Potez Po 540 (Smer re-box):

SDMX3000_20051113_114144_S3700058_detail

 

Vought F4U4 Corsair (Smer re-box). The canopy fit was awful, but I think the fuselage was the real problem:

PANAFS30_20110205_141152_P1000204_dr_20.

 

On the other hand, I'm not surprised that the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and N.A. P-51D Mustang have had no takers yet.  I used to have three of each, but sold two of each. The other kit of each was in a battered old Heller-Humbrol box, not fit for re-sale.

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Nice collection @klr. I agree, these GB’s tend to focus on subjects that are synonymous with the kit manufacturer, hence seeing many French aircraft and other types that only Heller moulded. Having said that, we do have a few Spitfire and Bf 109 kits being built too, one of latter which I just started the other day!

 

We’re all doing very well ticking over Hellers extensive back catalogue and thanks to @JeroenS’s build list, this makes it so much easier to do.

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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20 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

That Potez looks good :)

Painting the framing on the scalloped main canopy and on the turrets was ... interesting. A bit like the old Airfix Blenheim IV, but about twice as much work to do.

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7 hours ago, Pin said:

I just announced this guy in my teaser few posts above :)

I've got a Potez 540 waiting in the wings. Having nine other builds already on stage, and none yet completed, means it will be staying there until a bit of room is made!

 

Tony.

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11 minutes ago, TonyW said:

Having nine other builds already on stage, and none yet completed


Now, I have a 540 in the stash, as well as the LeO, Bloch 210 and Amiot 143. They were in the frame at one point.
 

The thing is, I’ve learned to pace myself in these group builds. For the Battle of Britain GB I proposed five builds and got them all done with plenty of time. I could have managed another, but the Heller monster arrived! Therefore, only three builds have been scheduled - and I’ve actually finished one quite quickly. If the others get finished in reasonable time I might well throw another kit into the ring, but I have to be realistic about what I can achieve.

 

Either way, it’s great fun seeing what everyone else is building. Like the other Classic GBs, I’ve learned a lot about the Heller output, and been inspired by a lot of what I’ve seen!

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15 hours ago, TonyW said:

An ebay £5.00 Buy it Now deal see's me picking up a copy of French Aces of WW2, one of the Osprey series. Too cheap to ignore.

 

The first thing I did was dig out my Heller stash. Can you see where this is heading?

 

20201030_134008.jpg

 

That's a very tidy looking example of a "black box" Heller Curtiss 75. If I had bagged that, the collector half of my Jekyll and Hyde modelling self would be trying to sneak that into the "classic collection" part of the stash.

 

Steve

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A rummage around the loft this afternoon turned up a box with a couple of old Heller builds in it. Yet another Amiot and a LeO 45. Both built back when I lived in Farnborough so at least six or seven years ago. There's no way I can squeeze them into the GB but I thought they would fit in the chat thread.

 

20201031-174909.jpg

 

Both need repairs but I think I have all the parts to do so.

I remember smiling all the way through the paintjob on the LeO, thinking the outlines to the camouflage colours were just a bit over the top. The instruction sheet shows them, so who am I to argue? I knew less about French colours then than I do now, which isn't exactly a lot however you look at it.

 

20201031-174752.jpg

 

The Amiot has a really nice original box to go with it, along with the wonderful Heller stand. The stand will get a refinish and almost certainly appear on some of my GB builds. I think it's right up there with the swoopy FROG stands of old. I have another Amiot finished pretty much identically to this one. I'm thinking I should keep the best of the two intact and refinish the other in the all black scheme some of them wore. Three Amiots! Who would have thought it?

 

20201031-175212.jpg

 

The LeO also has it's great big cannon still in one piece. I seem to remember boxing the kit up to finish later as the camouflage bugged me a bit and I thought the cannon hopelessly inaccurate. I'll keep things as they are now as the model has been with me long enough to be part of my own modelling history now!

 

20201031-175037.jpg

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It's a shame Heller didn't issue a Boston, as one done in these markings would have been a nice addition to the GB...

 

20201102-155540.jpg

 

Seeing a Boston being escorted by a 109 seems all kinds of wrong. I'm assuming they are both on the same side at this point? A very confused and unfortunate part of French history. 

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3 hours ago, TonyW said:

It's a shame Heller didn't issue a Boston, as one done in these markings would have been a nice addition to the GB...

 

20201102-155540.jpg

 

Seeing a Boston being escorted by a 109 seems all kinds of wrong. I'm assuming they are both on the same side at this point? A very confused and unfortunate part of French history. 

 

That picture is very thought provoking, did the Vichy French airforce have Bostons ?

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3 hours ago, TonyW said:

Seeing a Boston being escorted by a 109 seems all kinds of wrong. I'm assuming they are both on the same side at this point? A very confused and unfortunate part of French history. 

 

36 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

did the Vichy French airforce have Bostons ?

The French Air Force got some DB-7's before the fall of France.  Some of the order ended up with the RAF as the Havoc I IIRC.

I think the Vichy French has some of the DB-7's,  the red/yellow stripes were the Vichy high visibilty markings, and a quite a big chunk of France was under Vichy control.

 

so, that's what memory says, lets see if google agrees...

 

https://www.passionair1940.fr/Armee de l'Air/Appareils/Bombardement/Douglas-DB7/EN-Douglas-DB7.htm

" The Douglas DB7 took part in the fighting only briefly: the first engagement took place with GB II / 19 on 31 May 1940, and by 17 June all Douglas DB7 equipped bombers were sent back to North Africa . The Air Force has decided to shelter in AFN its most modern equipment. During this short campaign, 14 DB7 will be lost in combat.

In the end, only 116 aircraft will have been received by the Air Force. 26 more will be assembled after the Armistice, and 6 others will be used as spare parts.

Under the colors of the Vichy Army, the Douglas DB7 will be hired against the allies in Gibraltar, before joining the French Free units. Some of them will be used during the fighting for the reduction of the "pockets of the Atlantic".

 

Some survived log enough to be used by the Free French later, "pockets of the Atlantic" means late 44-early 45 !

 

Before you get too excited, the DB-7 has a lot of differences to a A-20, even an early A-20.

 

HTH

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42 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

 

That picture is very thought provoking, did the Vichy French airforce have Bostons ?

Wikipedia has this to say about it. I had no idea the type saw service against the Germans, then us, then the Germans again! Yet more fascination information being flushed out by the GB.

 

It served with several Allied air forces, principally the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), the Soviet Air Forces (VVS), Soviet Naval Aviation (AVMF), and the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom. A total of 7,478 aircraft were built, of which more than a third served with Soviet units. It was also used by the air forces of Australia, South Africa, France, and the Netherlands during the war, and by Brazil afterwards.[1]

 

The French order called for substantial modifications to meet French standards, resulting in the DB-7 (for Douglas Bomber 7) variant. It had a narrower, deeper fuselage, 1,000 hp (750 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC3-G radials, French-built guns, and metric instruments. Midway through the delivery phase, engines were switched to 1,100 hp (820 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G. The French designation was DB-7 B-3 (the B-3 signifying "three-seat bomber").

DB-7s began to be delivered from Douglas's El Segundo, California production line on 31 October 1939, and the passing of the Cash and Carry Act on 4 November 1939 allowed the aircraft to be handed over in the United States to the French, who would then be responsible for delivering the aircraft. The DB-7s were shipped to Casablanca where they were reassembled and tested before being handed over to operational units of the Armée de l'Air.[16][17] When the Germans attacked France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940, about 70 DB-7s had reached North Africa, equipping three Escadrilles (squadrons), which were transferred from Africa to the French mainland in response to the German attack. They flew about 70 sorties against the advancing Germans during the Battle of France, with at least eight aircraft being lost, but before the armistice surviving aircraft were evacuated to North Africa to avoid capture.[17] Here, they came under the control of the Vichy government and briefly engaged the Allies during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942.[17]

After French forces in North Africa had joined the Allies, DB-7s were used as trainers and were replaced in front line escadrilles with Martin B-26 Marauders. Free French I/120 Lorraine, under RAF control, was based in England and re-equipped in 1943 with Boston IIIAs, later with Boston IVs. It was part of No. 2 Group RAF and then the Second Tactical Air Force and carried out numerous raids against targets in mainland Europe.[18][19]

In late 1944 to early 1945, a few DB-7s were moved to mainland France, where they saw action against the remaining isolated German pockets on the western coast.[18]

 

Full article here...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-20_Havoc#France

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On 28/10/2020 at 06:57, Rabbit Leader said:

** Replacement decals ** 

Thanks so much for that link. They not only provide decals for Heller Dewoitines, but some obscure Czech and Russian biplanes too! Ordered a load of decals today.

 

On the current topic, I guess a 1940 DB7 would be the first version with the small tail fin?

 

Thanks,

Adrian

 

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On 10/30/2020 at 7:04 PM, alt-92 said:

Best get them in before Jan 1st, else it's custom VAT stuff to do :P

 

My brother lives in Enschede so he will be my VAT-free holding warehouse! 

 

As a bonus, he doesn't make models so there is no chance of him raiding my 'European' stash. 😀

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2 hours ago, Jinxman said:

My brother lives in Enschede so he will be my VAT-free holding warehouse! 

 

As a bonus, he doesn't make models so there is no chance of him raiding my 'European' stash. 😀

There will probably be a limit to how many kits you're allowed to bring into the country. Like 6 bottles of wine, a case of beer and 4 kits in scale 1/72. Anything to declare, sir? 🙂 

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