Flying Dodos

[Torbjorn]

 

 

In 1919 the Swedish army air force purchased, as well as acquired license to build, Phönix  fighters and two-seat recon aircraft. The latter, the Phönix C.I, was quickly dubbed ”Dronten” (the Dodo) by the Swedes and although the official name was E 1 (E for escort - later also attack and training versions A 1, Ö 4 and Ö 5 appeared) the Dodo was the name the type got. The name came from its appearance - in fact it was well-liked and known to be easy to fly. A bit more on the history of the type in Swedish service can be found here:

https://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Flygkomp/019_dront/19Dront.htm

 

In 1926 the Navy and Army aviation companies merged to create an independent air force. In connection with this a number of Wings were created, one of them F4 on Frösön, to which Dronts were transferred as their first aircraft. I intended to build one of these F4 machines due to personal connections to the place.

 

A while ago I bought a Swedish Dront from HR model, but when I finally come around to build it I realized it had the wrong engine. I mentioned license-building: in the mid-20s the workshops of the army aviation company ended up sitting with a bunch of surplus Hispano-Suiza engines after the project they originally were intended for was cancelled. They decided to mate the engines with Phönix C.I airframes, creating the Hispano-Dront, officially E 2. The F4 machines were of this variety. I considered scratchbuilding the frontal section, but then I found that Choroszy Modelbud has a Hispano-Dront in their catalogue! So I’m about to try my first resin kit, in addition to the HR model Dront.

 

These are the kits:

 

The HR model kit will be finished as a pre-Air Force Dront, in the camoflague of the Army Aviation Company. The resin kit (the box says it’s an Ö 5, but can be finished as the virtually identical Hispano-equipped E 2 or A 1) will be finished in F4 livery according to the new air force regulations , looking something like this

 

 

The markings varied considerably in this period, until new standard regulations came into place in 1927, and some research will have to be done before painting. I can just mention themat the Choroszy box art has flipped the blue and yellow rudder bands.

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Torbjorn

[Torbjorn]

I lost interest in writing a progress report - I would have deleted the thread, but it seams impossible. I did however build them, so for completeness sake, here’s the results:

 

 

 

 

The HR model kit was finished as number 0124, a pre-Air Force Dront, in the camoflague of the Army Aviation Company on Malmen. The exact colours are unknown but were shades of middle green and light and dark brown. Below is a contemporary photo of a mock dogfight between two army Dodos, ca 1920:

 

The resin kit was finished as an E 2/A 1 in F4 wing livery. The number 626 was later changed to 458, but initially it was still 626 as evident from a film documenting bombing exercises on the frozen lake also housing the island where F4 was located (about two minutes in):

https://www.filmarkivet.se/movies/flygvapnet-25-ar/

Despite both kits being boxed with Swedish markings, they both needed some work to be moulded to Swedish versions:

HR models (E 1):
-ailerons completely remade
-engine is mirrored regarding intake and exhaust
-Observer cockpit coaming (0124 did not have a gun mount)
-Almost all hatches moved around
-markings were masked and painted - flag on the rudder from Bluerider decals (note: kit decals are fine, but I wanted an earlier version)

Choroszy (E 2):
-Ailerons replaced
- centre wing section should stick out in front where the radiator is
-The parts of the two wing tanks that are underneath the wing are missing, including lots of piping 
-Section in front of engine was entirely different and was completely made from scratch
-kit decals were used, except rudder bands which had the colours reversed
-Scarff gun ring from Eduard. I suspect the Swedes copied it based on British surplus equipment. The gun is a Swedish copy of the Browning machinegun, I used something from the spares box.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Torbjorn