1/72 captured Luftwaffe Lioré et Olivier LeO 451T (Heller) ** RETIRED HURT **

[TonyOD]

Well, with apologies to anybody who was getting all excited about the prospect of my doing a Hellcat for this GB (don't all shout at once) I've had a complete rethink on what I'm doing for this GB.

 

I mentioned on the chat thread that I had found it difficult to get very excited about building yet another FAA plane in a TSS scheme (there's only so much Extra Dark Sea Grey that I can take), and had already lost interest in a Barracuda almost soon as I started it. I think I've started to get a bit jaded about my old "specialist subject", and to feel that I should loosen up and bring a bit of variety into my modelling.

 

Meanwhile, over on the chat thread for the upcoming Heller Classic GB, I've been finding myself quite enchanted by the weird and wonderful offerings by the venerable French brand. So many possibilities! Far too much time spent browsing on Scalemates! (Coincidentally my current Dragon Rapide project originated with Heller)

 

So, I have ordered one of these. I've had a hankering to do something a bit heavier than your typical carrier plane for a while and this will do nicely. Apparently it comes from moulds almost 50 years old, and I actually like the sound of that. 

 

 

Now, the kit comes with a couple of nice schemes, one of which is a Vichy job with the red and yellow stripes from Algeria during Operation Torch, but I don't think I could do the handsome "soft edge" camo scheme justice. This is the scheme I'm going to do with aftermarket decals, a Leo flown by the Luftwaffe in Sicily in 1943. It's an interesting subject, I haven't done a Luftwaffe plane in years and the camo scheme will be rather more within my skillsets.

 

 

Now I'm excited about my modelling again. Result! I foresee a great upheaval in my stash....

 

Serious offer: if anybody wants a barely started Italeri 1/72 Hellcat (a few of the cockpit bits part-painted) with a bunch of aftermarket decals, give me a shout. It's free to a good home. I hate waste, and don't like the idea it that it would just languish in its box unfinished for the rest of my days... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by TonyOD

[TonyOD]

Ha ha, in my haste and excitement I misread the decal sheet that I’ll use, and the Luftwaffe one was based at Le Bourget, which I’m pretty sure is nowhere near the Med. The captured aircraft with US markings Bottom right was in Sicily. But those French schemes also look very pretty...decisions, decisions...

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by TonyOD

[Graham Boak]

Luftwaffe LeOs were used for transport duties, so will have appeared everywhere.  I must admit not having seen a photo of any on the splinter scheme, but what do I know...

[stevej60]

That captured US machine look's great,best of luck with the build!

[TonyOD]

52 minutes ago, stevej60 said:

That captured US machine look's great,best of luck with the build!

I agree, it really does. I think that’s my boy.

[Ozzy]

Welcome to the build Tony, an intresting subject and one I've not seen before.

[TonyOD]

Hellcat claimed 😁

[TonyOD]

15 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Luftwaffe LeOs were used for transport duties, so will have appeared everywhere.

I'm sure it's not too much of a stretch  to suggest 7V+CA will have visited the Med at some point in its career. Still, if I was desperate to build a Luftwaffe Leo 451 transport that's known to have operated in the MTO, I could always build DK+ZD without the yellow belly and white stripe, with German crosses in place of the USAAF roundels and a bendy cross in place of the tricouleur. I do like the look of the captured aircraft though.

[TEMPESTMK5]

Hi Tony

I think that the captured US aircraft would fit perfectly  ..

Have fun and take care

Best Regards

Patrice

[TEMPESTMK5]

On 18/09/2020 at 16:36, TonyOD said:

 

Serious offer: if anybody wants a barely started Italeri 1/72 Hellcat (a few of the cockpit bits part-painted) with a bunch of aftermarket decals, give me a shout. It's free to a good home. I hate waste, and don't like the idea it that it would just languish in its box unfinished for the rest of my days... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony the Hellcat STGB reached the magic number today so  you will have the opportunity to finish it next year

 

Patrice

[TonyOD]

4 hours ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

Tony the Hellcat STGB reached the magic number today so  you will have the opportunity to finish it next year

Maybe @Corsairfoxfouruncle will do it... 😁

[TonyOD]

OK, so after the false start of the Hellcat and a lost week, I now have my chosen kit in my sweaty and eager hands, so here's a first look. I have just been rhapsodising about the beauty of the presentation elsewhere (Heller Classic GC chat thread), but what's in the box?

 

This is the front, as pictured above. I love this box art. It's like something from my childhood, and fit for framing.

 

 

The back of the box: blurb about the history and heritage of the Heller brand, and how the Musée range came about. Nice. They appear to have got the length and wingspan the wrong way round though.

 

 

First sight of the kit. The first thing that strikes me is the lovely warm colour of the box inner, followed by the size of the kit; the biggest thing I've ever built is a Mosquito, so this is a lot of plane for me. NB there can't be many kits that offer the chance to build a model with a foot of wingspan for 15 quid, right?

 

 

The big bits, and the little bits. Raised panel lines, as I gather was the norm back in the early 70s when this was issued, but nicely moulded, tiniest amount of flash. Nice hard plastic. Two pairs of tailfin thingies, interestingly. A basic interior. I could throw a load of aftermarket resin and PE at it but, well, there ain't none!

 

 

The instructions. Based on a principal "explosion" drawing and a lot of text. Which is entirely in French. Fortunately, I speak French. 😁 Very nice depictions of the camo schemes, that Vichy scheme with the red/yellow stripes as a beauty (and MTO compliant) but beyond my skills I think!

 

 

Finally the decals, none of which I will use (apart from the instrument panel), but they're beautifully printed, and I do like the fact that they're not all crammed onto the smallest piece of paper possible. Classy!

 

 

I'm looking forward to this! On y va!

 

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by TonyOD

[fightersweep]

That's very nice presentation from Heller there, and refreshing to see a company not shy to be proud of it's heritage kits. The plastic doesn't look bad at all, with a fairly decent level of interior detail, and for the price these go for, good value too. How have the transparencies held up?

 

I'm onboard for this one. Looking forward to the progress.

 

Steve

[TonyOD]

9 hours ago, fightersweep said:

How have the transparencies held up?

They look very decent, nicely moulded and very clear. I’m going to Klear dip the nose and main canopy but the not the other little bits as they gain nothing from it and anyway I’m going to mask them with Maskol. In my experience Klear and Maskol aren’t the best of friends.

[TonyOD]

Well, getting to work...

 

first job, a bit of painting bits on sprues (“grappes”, apparently). The instructions are very relaxed about the colours. Humbrol colours are specified for the outside, but for the interior it’s just “dark green grey”, “brown” and a lot of “apple green”. I’ve been rummaging around in by boxes of Humbrol and Revell paints for things that fit these vague descriptions. I mean, I have something that looks like an apple, but wonder if something like good old Humbrol 78 might be more appropriate...

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by TonyOD

[Foxbat]

Humbrol did an apple green at one point. I used it for the collars and cuffs on my Rourkes Drift infantry. Can't remember what number it was. I do remember it was an absolute pig trying to paint white webbing over scarlet jackets - everything just bled together into a horrible pink mess. 

 

Andy

[Rabbit Leader]

That’s a very nice package of Heller (new-ish) nostalgia there Tony. I’ve seen some of their later kits reboxed and with new decals, however have never seen what comes with these new Musee’ kits. I have to say, they do look quite nice and would think we’re gonna see a heap of them come Heller GB in a few weeks time. Good luck and enjoy the build.

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[CliffB]

A great choice Tony 

[RidgeRunner]

Nice

 

More and more LeO 45s emerging!

 

Martin

 

 

[TonyOD]

13 hours ago, Foxbat said:

Humbrol did an apple green at one point.

I did a bit of googling and found something referred to as "vert pomme" but it's a virulent shade of green that I find it hard to imagine would grace the interior of a bomber. I think I'm more comfortable with H78.

 

There's a fairly involved discussion about the colours of French planes of the 40s going on here:

 

https://heller-forever.forumactif.com/t8521-couleurs-des-avions-francais-des-annees-40 

 

46 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

More and more LeO 45s emerging!

Are there others on the GB? I need to go have a look...

 

13 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

they do look quite nice and would think we’re gonna see a heap of them come Heller GB in a few weeks time.

I plan to do an Amiot 143, but I hope to see a few more French bombers!

[RidgeRunner]

1 minute ago, TonyOD said:

but it's a virulent shade of green that I find it hard to imagine would grace the interior of a bomber

We are talking French aircraft here, Tony

[TonyOD]

I’ve been doing a little research on the subject and managed to turn up a picture of the captured Leo. Happy days!

 

 

Then I turn up reliable information (French Wings publication) with further pictures that suggests the aftermarket decal manufacturer has got it wrong, and that the codes on the plane were actually OK+ZD, not DK+ZD. Sad times! There's also a question mark over whether the 20mm cannon was still present.

 

 

Source:

 

 

If I had four “D” decals I could cut them down the middle and fashion a couple of “O”s. Or I could source a decal sheer with white Luftwaffe letters, which I’m sure must exist, but it would be costly for the sake of a couple of letters. Or I can just live with it and enjoy the build.

Edited September 21, 2020 by TonyOD

[TonyOD]

Further ponderage on the French Wings profile of the captured Leo. Why would it retain the Luftwaffe code letters on the underwings? Surely the underside of the plane was painted yellow when it was captured to identify it to friendly forces, and the codes would have been overpainted? Doesn't seem to make sense to me. 

 

They always bend my head, these things...

[TonyOD]

Great joy! I have found and ordered a decal sheet with the correct codes from a French manufacturer. Interestingly the colour guide shows the underside as white, whereas the colour photo of OK+ZD clearly shows it as yellow, and (now I think of it) yellow while still in  Luftwaffe markings. Which means the Americans just added the white stripe, their roundels and the tricouleurs on the tail, and left the codes on the underwings intact. So finally I know where I'm going with what it will look like.

 

 

In and among all this thinking out loud there is some actual building going on, but nothing worth showing just yet.

Edited September 22, 2020 by TonyOD

[Wez]

8 minutes ago, TonyOD said:

Great joy! I have found and ordered a decal sheet with the correct codes from a French manufacturer. Interestingly the colour guide shows the underside as white, whereas the colour photo of OK+ZD clearly shows it as yellow, and (now I think of it) yellow while still in  Luftwaffe markings. Which means the Americans just added the white stripe, their roundels and the tricouleurs on the tail, and left the codes on the underwings intact. So finally I know where I'm going with what it will look like.

 

 

In and among all this thinking out loud there is some actual building going on, but nothing worth showing just yet.

Where did you get those from Tony?