Popular Post Heather Kay Posted June 29, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2022 When I embarked on my rather single-minded pursuit of trying to model at least one example of each aircraft in military service in North-Western Europe during 1940, I didn’t realise it would lead me down such interesting byways of discovery. The Netherlands in 1940 was a neutral country and had remained outside the growing conflict between its neighbours. This didn’t mean the Dutch authorities weren’t worried about the situation. While the 1920s and early 1930s had seen the Dutch military being neglected, the rise of a belligerent neighbour to the east caused a flurry of investment and renewal in the late 1930s. The Fokker aircraft company hoped to get in on the deal. Fokker G.I "Mercury" No 307, 3rd Jachtvliegtuigafdeling, Luchtvaartafdeling, Waalhaven Airfield, Rotterdam, May 1940 With the single-seat D.XXI fighter already on the drawing board, the same designer, Erich Schatzki, began working on a twin-engined concept known as jachtkruiser, or heavy fighter. The aircraft was expected to be able to gain air superiority over the battlefield, as well as being used as a bomber. The twin-engined, twin-boom layout had a central nacelle housing up to three crew members. It also featured formidable armament, concentrated in the nose. Like all Fokker aircraft of the time, the G.I was of mixed construction. A welded frame covered in aluminium sheeting made the front of the central nacelle, while the rear and the wings were built from wood. The original prototype was displayed at the 1936 Paris Air Show, to much interest. Testing began in early 1937, the prototype powered by a pair of 650hp Hispano-Suiza radial engines. After an accident, the engines were replaced with 750hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps. Interest in the new plane came from the Spanish Republican government, which placed a contract with Fokker for 26 P&W powered aircraft. Although the deal was paid for, the planes weren’t delivered as the Dutch government placed an embargo in supplying military equipment to Spain. The aircraft were still built, with a cover story they were intended for Finland. The Luchtvaartafdeling (LVA), Dutch army air force, ordered 36 aircraft, to be fitted with 825hp Bristol Mercury VIII engines for ease of maintenance since several other aircraft used Bristol powerplants. The Fokker classification system seems to intermix Roman and Arabic numerals, but interestingly the “a” and “b” suffix to denote different versions is a post-war affectation. For reference, I shall continue to refer to this model as the G.I “Mercury”. Four were to be ground attack, the rest finished as two-seat fighters. Twenty-six were operational with the 3rd Jachtvliegtuigafdeling (JaVa) at Waalhaven Airfield, Rotterdam, and 4th JaVa Fighter Group at Bergen, near Alkmaar. The aircraft were active patrolling the Dutch borders and ensuring neutrality. All this changed around 4am on 10 May 1940. The German invasion started with attacks on the Dutch airfields. The 4th JaVa lost all but one aircraft on the ground, while eight 3rd JaVa G.Is scrambled in time from Waalhaven and engaged several Luftwaffe aircraft. The surviving aircraft suffered mounting losses, with three still flying by the end of the first day. By scavenging spare parts, the 4th JaVa could still fly some aircraft. During the so-called Five Day War, available G.Is were used on ground attack missions, and also used to attack Luftwaffe Ju52/3m transports. Reports are fragmentary, but G.I crews are credited with contributing to the loss of 167 Ju52s, scoring up to 14 confirmed aerial kills. The model is the Mikro-Mir kit, released in 2021. It is a well-engineered kit, with a very detailed interior that takes up most of the construction process! I have a link to the WIP thread, which also features the next model, at the end of this post. Fokker T.V No 863, Luchtvaartafdeling, Schiphol Airfield, May 1940. Like the heavy cruiser concept that gave rise to the G.I, the LVA was also interested in the luchtkruiser, or aerial cruiser, concept. It was a multi-purpose aircraft with a primary role of intercepting and destroying enemy bomber formations, but also capable of operating as a long-range bomber. Colonel P W Best, commander of the LVA, controversially said more luchtkruiser should take precedence over smaller fighters, such as the D.XXI. Indeed, he proposed cancelling D.XXI procurement to release funds for the larger aircraft. Fokker had been working on a design since the LVA specification, which was accepted in late 1934 and became the T.V. A five-seat, twin-engined monoplane, of mixed construction of wooden monocoque centre fuselage, fabric-covered steel tube rear fuselage and duralumin forward fuselage. To meet the bomber destroyer remit, a 20 mm Vliegtuigmitrailleur M.37 (Solothurn S18-350) cannon was fitted in the nose. I have seen photos with a large machine gun also fitted in the upper fuselage behind the second pilot’s position. Defensive armament was five 7.92mm Mitrailleur M.20 Vliegtuig (Lewis gun without jacket) in dorsal, ventral, and lateral positions, as well as in the tail cupola. A bomb bay under the centre fuselage could carry up to 1,000kg of bombs. The aircraft was powered by a pair of 930hp Bristol Pegasus XXVI 9-cylinder radials driving 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers. Sixteen T.Vs were ordered in December 1936, and the first production aircraft taking to the air in October 1937 from Schiphol airfield. The first 11 aircraft were delivered as medium bombers in 1938. While the type had good handling characteristics, engine and propeller reliability was a serious problem and the Dutch government seriously considered purchasing 24 Dornier Do215s to replace them. On 10 May 1940, eight T.Vs managed to take off from Schiphol to avoid the incoming air attack, and encountered a formation of Luftwaffe bombers, shooting down two. The T.Vs then reverted to the bomber role, attacking German airborne troops landing at Den Haag and Rotterdam. By the end of the first day of fighting, only two T.Vs were still serviceable. They were sent to attack bridges over the River Maas at Rotterdam on 11 May, with one aircraft shot down. The last airworthy T.V was shot down attacking bridges at Moerdijk on 13 May. The T.V compared well with its contemporaries of the 1930s, but proved to be outclassed by Luftwaffe aircraft come the invasion of 1940. Nevertheless, the crews flew the aircraft valiantly, and gave a good account, in defence of their country. The T.V is the Valom kit. It could be said to be a little basic, but it has everything you need to make a creditable model of a Fokker T.V. I like Valom kits. They make some interesting models of aircraft that fit right into my 1940 kick. Work in progress thread for both models begins here: 89 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallBlondJohn Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 Beautiful models and great write-ups, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 Fantastic and inspirational work, Heather: two more superb additions to your 1940 collection. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 Two superb models of types I don't think I've ever seen in model form before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 Strange looking pair, beautifully finished - great job Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) Great work on two fantastic subjects. I love it when I see aircraft like this rather than yet another Mustang or Messerschmitt. The camo schemes are beautiful and remind me that I have a Dutch Buffalo in the stash. I enjoyed following your WIP - you can be proud of these two. Cheers, Bill Edited June 30, 2022 by Navy Bird Typo! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasermonkey Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Outstanding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff G Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Beautiful builds of under represented valour! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Beautiful models and fascinating history, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 A great looking pairing Heather, I really like the camo work. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Very nice results! I like the colors, they are right on spot in my opinion. Congrats! If you like to enlarge this Dutch set the Douglas DB-8 (SH kit) and Fokkers TVIII, CV and CX (MPM, LF and AZ kits respectively) are perhaps in your plans and maybe already in stash. Are you going with them as well? Regards J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh G Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Brilliantly done. I managed to get hold of the Geromy Models 1/48 Fokker TV kit but some of the transparencies don't fit the model, so it's basically unbuildable. Having seen this one I might have another look at it tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Excellent work and well written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 These are beautifully executed. One wonders how these aircraft would have been developed further had Netherlands not been attacked in 1940. You honor the people who flew and fought in them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Nice models Heather, and your writing is a delight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigster Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) Very well done and a big + for doing something out of mainstream! Thanks for sharing. And that first photo of G1 is superb! zig Edited June 30, 2022 by zigster Too quick on a "send" button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kay Posted June 30, 2022 Author Share Posted June 30, 2022 11 hours ago, TallBlondJohn said: Beautiful models and great write-ups, thanks 11 hours ago, 2996 Victor said: Fantastic and inspirational work, Heather: two more superb additions to your 1940 collection. 10 hours ago, IanC said: Two superb models of types I don't think I've ever seen in model form before. 10 hours ago, CedB said: Strange looking pair, beautifully finished - great job Heather Thanks gents! The fun of being hooked into just one - early - year of the war brings all kinds of surprises. 7 hours ago, Navy Bird said: Great work on two fantastic subjects. I love it when I see aircraft like this rather than yet another Mustang of Messerschmitt. The camo schemes are beautiful and remind me that I have a Dutch Buffalo in the stash. I enjoyed following your WIP - you can be proud of these two. Thanks Bill. So many unusual aircraft go overlooked, for whatever reasons. I really enjoy learning all about them, too. 6 hours ago, lasermonkey said: Outstanding! 5 hours ago, Jeff G said: Beautiful builds of under represented valour! 5 hours ago, John Laidlaw said: Beautiful models and fascinating history, too. 3 hours ago, stevehnz said: A great looking pairing Heather, I really like the camo work. Thanks, chaps! 1 hour ago, JWM said: Very nice results! I like the colors, they are right on spot in my opinion. Congrats! If you like to enlarge this Dutch set the Douglas DB-8 (SH kit) and Fokkers TVIII, CV and CX (MPM, LF and AZ kits respectively) are perhaps in your plans and maybe already in stash. Are you going with them as well? The colours are ColourCoats. In @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies we trust! Still in the stash I have a Fokker C.VD and Koolhoven FK.51. Yesterday, I discovered a list of aircraft in LVA service in 1940, so obviously I need to seek out those kits and add them to the collection now! 1 hour ago, Josh G said: Brilliantly done. I managed to get hold of the Geromy Models 1/48 Fokker TV kit but some of the transparencies don't fit the model, so it's basically unbuildable. Having seen this one I might have another look at it tonight. I think both Fokkers here would look superb in a larger scale. The T.V is not small, not far off the size of a Wellington. I hope you can figure out the glazing and get yours finished because I'd like to see it. 1 hour ago, Ed Russell said: Excellent work and well written. 1 hour ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: These are beautifully executed. One wonders how these aircraft would have been developed further had Netherlands not been attacked in 1940. You honor the people who flew and fought in them! 45 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said: Nice models Heather, and your writing is a delight. Thanks all! 45 minutes ago, zigster said: Very well done and a big + for doing something out of mainstream! Out of the mainstream is my thing! Cheers! 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.T.Dolby Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Absolutely wonderful work Heather, have really enjoyed following the builds in WIP! The end results are stunning! And I agree, whilst Valom kits aren’t always easy, we are so lucky to have them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echen Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 A couple of very impressive builds there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Those are lovely models of two rare and seldom modelled aircraft. Well done Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
François Escudé Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Fantastic models !! I too I'm a fan of this period of aviation History !! you did a superb job !! Congrats !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 They look great, that camouflage looks great. They are from a much neglected WW2 period for model builders I too would love to see more early war kits out there but in1/32 which is all my sausage fingers and failing eyesight allows me to build, I do not stand much of a chance, though I do have a Silver Wings DXXI. Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Superb builds, and thanks for the information ! Wulfman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Gorgeous models and the stories behind them are equally fascinating. The TVs attacking other bombers must have really been something to see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Well done, Heather! Very well done! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now