1/72 Fränken-Wülf Döppeldecker

[Brian da Basher]

Begun in 1935 as top-secret project XXX-A55 v. D but known colloquially as Wilde Stäntze, this art-deco styled fighter prototype completed flight-tests the following year.



Performance was so-so and while the prototype had many advanced features such as an enclosed cockpit and incredibly intimidating spatted landing gear, the cantilever winged biplane design was already obsolescent.



The Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) rejected the type and "suggested" it be offered for sale on the international market.



The aircraft is shown here prior to being loaded on a train for transport after that sale. It still proudly wears the Deutsches Döttlander Diktät Reich (DDDR) national banner along with the spurious RLM civil registration D-ANAL.



If you think that might indicate a pranging, you'd be right since the customer never got what they paid for.



By this time, the DDDR Reichsbahn was hard-pressed as the situation in Europe worsened and the national rail carrier was beset by operational bottle-necks.



The aircraft was lost in transit to Lower South Slobovia and no record of it exists after it was put on that flat-car. Once the war began, evidence of the Fränken-Wülf Döppeldecker became scarce.



Things got no better when all the manufacturer's internal company documentation was destroyed in a 1942 bombing raid which leveled the factory and offices, forcing the firm into liquidation.



What few remaining official government records left on the type went missing after the Red Army occupied RLM HQ near the end of the war. Rumors these records were used for Red Army personal hygiene purposes have not been confirmed, even after Soviet archives were opened in the 1990s.



Nothing is left of this aircraft with its finely-streamlined yet incredibly intimidating spatted landing gear today except a crude cottage-industry kit, of which only a single example is known to have been completed. It still didn't end up looking like the nice picture on the box.



This is a 1/72 Minicraft/Hasegawa FW-190D-9 fuselage with wings from a Revell P-26, the upper wing joined by a nameless biplane wing center. Horiz stabs were recycled from an He-51. I added a Peashooter sighting tube. The spats are from a Monogram F11C. The cabanes were cobbled together from the FW-190 kit's landing gear.











The model was painted in acrylics with the old hairy stick.





The D-ANAL registration is from a 1/144 Eduard Ju-52 and one assumes there actually was an aircraft so unfortunately coded. Eduard are nothing if not accurate.



One of the fuselage codes folded on me irretrievably so I had to cobble those together from individual spare letters.





Then the tail banners cracked and I had to aplly a fix with paint.



At least the large codes fared better as did the other decals.





I hope you enjoyed the Fränken-Wülf Döppeldecker and reading a little more forgotten airplane history even if the so-called "experts" refuse to believe it and think it's all just a train-wreck of a tale.



Brian da Basher

[Camthalion]

Once again great model and back story.  Looks very cool

[elmayerle]

Once again great model and back story.  Looks very cool

What he said!!  Very cool, indeed.

[Old Wombat]

That really does look good, Brian!

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Definitely needs all of those P-26 wings to get enough lift.  Did not realize how short the wings were until now. 

[apophenia]

Definitely needs all of those P-26 wings to get enough lift.  Did not realize how short the wings were until now.

Doubtless those spats add something to lift.  Great build, Brian 

[finsrin]

Such an eye you have for which parts work together.     This would be completely off my concept radar.   P-26 wings lend a speedy appearance.   That wide track landing gear looks super stable and may have inspired Pontiac's 1959 design.

[FAAMAN]

My sides are hurting from laughing, love the unfortunate rego code but what really got me was "Adolf the Tank Engine" 
Excellent work and thanks for the laughs 

[GTX_Admin]

 

[Robomog]

Nice one Brian !  I got the wings straight away (not supriseing really) but it took a couple of second glances to spot the FW, the canopy was the give away. Very unfortunate serials. A real looker.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Yves Marino]

The D-ANAL registration is from a 1/144 Eduard Ju-52 and one assumes there actually was an aircraft so unfortunately coded. Eduard are nothing if not accurate.

Indeed, the registration is accurate - the Ju-52 with this registration was called "Gustav Leffers".

[Brian da Basher]

Poor Gustav Leffers. Now he's known for being anal.

Brian da Basher

[Robomog]

What a bummer 

Mog
>^-.-^<