DH9 From ruin to restoration.

[Britman]

Just finished reading this wonderful book and felt I just had to recommend it to anyone thinking of taking the plunge with a purchase. I think it would be a good read even for a non aviation reader. The stories from India and the absolute determination of all involved is just great.

 

Keith

[stevehnz]

Looks like a must have, New Zealand operated several DH.9s between the wars, gifts from a grateful mother country, I'd like to model one one day & suspect this would be a good book for details as well as a really interesting read.

Steve.

[Britman]

Well Steve, there's a bloke down your way who produces a very nice DH9 and this book would be of help.

 

Keith

[stevehnz]

I'm guessing you mean the WNWs one. I've seen the sprues at airshows & beautiful though they appear, they're too much for me in just about every way, I'm looking to convert either a Airfix or Pegasus DH.4 1/72 kits come the day. I'm sure with a book like that I can improve on the old Airfix mag conversion. Christmas soon isn't it?

Steve.

[Graham Boak]

There was a Russian release of a DH9 some years back, probably under the label of an R-1?  It might take a bit of digging out now, and presumably with a still different engine cowling.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/model-russia-rm0001-polikarpov-r-1--988480

 

Don't the years just fly by?  Looks more like a 9A.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Graham Boak

[stevehnz]

8 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

There was a Russian release of a DH9 some years back, probably under the label of an R-1?  It might take a bit of digging out now, and presumably with a still different engine cowling.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/model-russia-rm0001-polikarpov-r-1--988480

 

Don't the years just fly by?  Looks more like a 9A.

The R-1 was a DH.9a Graham, I picked one up earlier this year after looking out for one for ages, they can go for silly money on ebay. I'd still like a decent kit of the 9 in 1/72, otherwise its a conversion from a 4.

Steve.

[Learstang]

Years ago, Blue Rider (the decal company) made a nice conversion kit for turning a DH.4 into a DH.9. It came with decals (of course), an injection-moulded fuselage and other bits, and a metal engine, if I recall correctly. I actually used it to make a Spanish Civil War DH.9 (evidently a few were used at the very start of the war in 1936). I'd pay some good money for another of these conversion kits, but I haven't seen one in quite a few years (the last one I saw went for ridiculous money for a 1/72nd scale conversion kit). I'd love for someone to make a complete kit in 1/72nd scale as I need one for my Gran Chaco War collection.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited November 17, 2019 by Learstang

[Paul Thompson]

On 17/11/2019 at 20:57, Learstang said:

Years ago, Blue Rider (the decal company) made a nice conversion kit for turning a DH.4 into a DH.9. It came with decals (of course), an injection-moulded fuselage and other bits, and a metal engine, if I recall correctly. I actually used it to make a Spanish Civil War DH.9 (evidently a few were used at the very start of the war in 1936). I'd pay some good money for another of these conversion kits, but I haven't seen one in quite a few years (the last one I saw went for ridiculous money for a 1/72nd scale conversion kit). I'd love for someone to make a complete kit in 1/72nd scale as I need one for my Gran Chaco War collection.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

The Blue Rider sets turn up at shows over here fairly frequently, at around ten quid. There were several boxings (packetings?) differing  only in the decals. BTW, the one with South African decals needs further conversion to Hispano engine. There was also a very similar comversion from DB, without decals but with vac form fuselage halves. Both sets came with white metal wheels, prop, engine and details, one of them also had an  exhaust IIRC, and they were probably all sourced from Aeroclub, who supplied metal details for many other cottage manifacturers back then. Both kits require you to provide your own Airfix DH4 donor kit for flying surfaces etc.

 

There is also a very good all resin DH9 kit by Ardpol, whose only drawback except for being resin (boo or hiss as appropriate) was the lack of dihedral on the top wing. This was very early kit but still highly detailed , and I made one at the time of issue, only replacing the struts with Contrail stock, and it's one of the few resin models I have that wasn't warped when it was a kit, and has stayed that way during it's life as a model.

 

 

Paul.

[Learstang]

I didn't know about the DB conversion kit. The Blue Rider conversion had the exhaust, if I remember correctly. I do know about the Ardpol kit, and have been tempted to buy it, if only for the fuselage, but that kit is rather expensive to be using as a conversion kit. Hopefully, someday, someone will come out with one in IM plastic in 1/72nd scale.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[Paul Thompson]

7 hours ago, Learstang said:

I didn't know about the DB conversion kit. The Blue Rider conversion had the exhaust, if I remember correctly. I do know about the Ardpol kit, and have been tempted to buy it, if only for the fuselage, but that kit is rather expensive to be using as a conversion kit. Hopefully, someday, someone will come out with one in IM plastic in 1/72nd scale.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

The Ardpol is a complete kit of a wartime configuration 9, with decals . Are there modifications needed for a Gran Chaco version?

 

Paul.

[Colin @ Freightdog Models]

The Blue Rider plastic parts were made by Pegasus, I found about a dozen sets of fuselage halves when I went through the test moulding. Quite rough, one of the few injection moulded sets where you can see the wood grain showing through on the master! Some of the later ones sold by Blue Rider didn't have the metal parts, just the fuselage ( I bought one with Greek decals from them at Telford probably fifteen years ago).      

 

Colin

[Paul Thompson]

51 minutes ago, Colin @ Freightdog Models said:

The Blue Rider plastic parts were made by Pegasus, I found about a dozen sets of fuselage halves when I went through the test moulding. Quite rough, one of the few injection moulded sets where you can see the wood grain showing through on the master! Some of the later ones sold by Blue Rider didn't have the metal parts, just the fuselage ( I bought one with Greek decals from them at Telford probably fifteen years ago).      

 

Colin

    Not just rough - incredibly thick walls, even by Pegasus standards. If seen from that point of view alone then the DB vac is much easier to use, although if it's what you've got, the Blue rider fuselage is still easier to work with than balsa wood, talc and banana oil dope, which was the slightly older approach (been there, done that, and made a complete mess of it). OTOH most Pegasus mouldings use very easily worked plastic.

 

Paul.

[Learstang]

I do recall the fuselage having thick walls, but I don't remember having any problems with the plastic. At any rate, I was pleased with the end results. Regarding the Gran Chaco version, the Blue Rider Gran Chaco decal sheet (I have both sets) shows the Bolivian DH.9 with what appears to be the Puma engine, which is what the Blue Rider conversion kit had. Colin, you wouldn't have any of those fuselages around, would you?

 

Regards,

 

Jason