Author Topic: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale  (Read 4650 times)

Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Moderator
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
While the Burgess-Dunne tailless has carved out a noted niche in aeronautical history...



far less known is an improved version.



Developed after the company was reorganized under a new management team,



it would be forgotten as the Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Tailless II.



Given the nickname of one of the partners...



...it was perhaps no surprise that their first modern tailless aircraft was a float plane.



After a few public test-flights, France expressed a sort of bored, world-weary interest and ordered a test example for their Aéronavale.



The aircraft was so hideously ugly that it was immediately exiled as far away as possible and sent over 4,000 miles to French Guiana where it was intended for air policing duties.



Known as the Burgess-Dunn-Dunn float plane fighter in company documents, it was colloquially referred to as the ptérodactyle due the similarity of its appearance with the flying dinosaur although the unfortunate ground crew tasked with maintaining simply called it "le Ugly".



Almost as soon as the unusual aircraft was un-crated and made ready for flight, trouble erupted which would test the float plane's capabilities to the utmost.



The trouble started in the capitol city Cayenne over the price paid for the nation's leading cash crop.



The international pepper markets had cratered due to a bumper New Mexican crop and as the economic devastation spread throughout French Guiana, things became desperate.



Officially known as the Cayenne Riots, it was erroneously dubbed the Cayenne Pepper Revolt by the only American reporter on the scene, a free-lance stringer who was suffering from a blistering hang-over.



The story of the unrest in French Guiana was picked up by other U.S. newspapers and sensationalized as the Red Hot Chili Pepper War. This would lead to great confusion among future high-school history students.



The scrappy little floatplane was ordered into the air to help quell the civil unrest, but immediatly suffered engine trouble and was forced to land when the pilot spotted a dock-side seafood bar and realized it was time for lunch.



Unable to take off again, the aircraft was floated back to base for repairs, but by then international pepper markets had stabilized and the streets of Cayenne were peaceful once more.



The French Aéronavale made one attempt to rid themselves of this ungainly, unstylish aircraft. A sale was proposed to the land-locked desert nation of the North Sub-Saharan Sultanate.



Unfortunately for the French, His Most Excellent Excellency the CLXVII Sultan of the N. Sub-Saharan Sultanate was obstinate and would not raise his offer so the sale fell through.



While this was good for the Sultan, it was bad for the French and the scrappy little float plane which eventually rotted away from neglect sometime ca. 1939.



Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: January 15, 2018, 03:13:26 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline AXOR

  • Our returned Monkey Box man
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2018, 03:41:56 AM »
This is absolutely wonderful Brian !!!
Good job !!!  :-*
Alex

Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Moderator
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2018, 03:44:20 AM »
This all began with the classic 1/72 Italaerie CANT Z 501 fyling boat a good friend sent me recently (thanks a million, hamsterman!). Isn't that box art great? This thing is practically a whiff right out of the box.



It's not a complicated kit by any stretch as the sprues attest and I zeroed in on the most critical parts.



Tailless seemed the way to go and some spare parts from the venerable Glencoe DH Vampire helped me get there.



I was going to have to do something about those wheel wells though.



I took a moment at this stage to take a few pictures while I sorted the rest out.





I found that spare wing tips and fins (hehehe) and rudders from the Vampire kit made passable wingtip vertical stabilizers.



The central float was robbed from an He-51 and the wingtip floats were left-over from a Beriev Kor-1.



I added a central pylon made from a bit sprue and folded card. Rigging is from this great plastic wire Mr Fontaine sent me years ago (many thanks again, amigo!).



One of the CANT Z 501 turrets was used as the canopy with a slice of card added to cover up the hole in back and serve as a hatch.



Wing guns were cut from more sprue and the antenna on back was a nameless CANT Z 501 part. Last, I added a prop swiped from a Monogram P-36. Here's how it all looked before paint and the prop isn't glued on yet.



Speaking of paint, the model was finished with the old hairy stick and a lot of Model Masters Medium Sea Gray acrylic. The canopy was tinted with Insignia Blue and given a top shiny coat of Liquitex Gloss Acrylic Artist's Medium.





The engine grill was finished in some no-name craft store metallic and the exhaust stubs with a custom mix. The wing guns were painted Model Masters Gun Metal.







Decals were a mix from spares, most were for some nameless French Aéronavale plane that I got free off another modeler who was thinning out their decal collection.



The rudder flashes were from a Roundels of the World sheet from Mr Fontaine (thank you for those, Jeff!) with anchors added.



The model took a week to bring together and the back story practically wrote itself as I worked through the build.



I hope you enjoyed the Burgess Dunn-Dunn float plane and reading a little more forgotten aircraft history that might be a bit too hot for the experts.



Brian da Basher








Offline Jeffry Fontaine

  • Unaffiliated Independent Subversive...and the last person to go for a trip on a Mexicana dH Comet 4
  • Global Moderator
  • His stash is able to be seen from space...
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2018, 07:42:30 AM »
Creative and Genius.  Two words that shall always accompany you.  :)

Great work as usual.  Certainly one of the most interesting use of spare kit parts so far. 
"Every day we hear about new studies 'revealing' what should have been obvious to sentient beings for generations; 'Research shows wolverines don't like to be teased" -- Jonah Goldberg

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2018, 09:13:32 AM »
Nice one Brian, always amazes me how you kitbash such disparate parts into something plausible and cool looking. Is there much pre planning  or do you do it on the fly and follow your imagination as it occurs to you, then hope it turns out ok ?


Mog
Mostly Harmless...............

Online The Big Gimper

  • Any model will look better in RCAF, SEAC or FAA markings
  • Global Moderator
  • Cut. Cut. Cut. Measure. Cut. Cut. Crap. Toss.
    • Photobucket Modeling Album
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2018, 09:25:00 AM »
I built this same kit OOB decades ago but your version BdB is one to be proud off.

Well Dunn!
Work in progress ::

I am giving up listing them. They all end up on the shelf of procrastination anyways.

User and abuser of Bothans...

Offline finsrin

  • The Dr Frankenstein of the modelling world...when not hiding from SBA
  • Finds part glues it on, finds part glues it on....
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2018, 10:28:57 AM »
 Burgess-Dunn-Dunn done swell.  Impressed by their creative design.   :smiley:
Every bit as impressive is Brian's ability to double task with just in time researching to build as research is revealing the aircraft and the history.  WOW.
Looks as it must have been.  What else would one expect !
« Last Edit: January 15, 2018, 12:02:01 PM by finsrin »

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2018, 01:19:43 PM »
Most creative model and backstory!  Bravo!!


Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2018, 06:28:06 PM »
How could the french consider that ugly, given some of the other aircraft to come off their production lines? ???
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline ed s

  • An outstanding, creative builder.
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2018, 11:15:12 PM »
A story and model to heat up the appetite. Looking forward to more spicy stories.

Offline Tophe

  • He sees things in double...
  • twin-boom & asymmetric fan
    • my models
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2018, 11:43:17 PM »
Great model! :-*
And I did not guess what the source was (even if I understand very well after seeing the answer - I built a Cant Z501 when I was something as 13 years old). You turned it into a marvel, congratulations!

Offline Frank3k

  • Excession
  • Global Moderator
  • Formerly Frank2056. New upgrade!
    • My new webpage
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2018, 12:43:47 AM »
Awesome model! It's amazing how well the Vampire engines fit the "fuselage"!

Online ericr

  • He's like some sort of Dr Frankenstein of modelling...
  • Has something for red, yellow or blue...
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2018, 08:53:20 PM »

very excellent concept !
and nicely built!

an excellent use of the Gabbiano engine nacelle!

 :smiley:

Offline pigflyer

  • If reality is real, give me whatif. Really?
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2018, 11:35:47 PM »
There are just no words Mr Brian Sir, you set a standard so high as to be unique.  I love the kite and the story.  Good stuff!

If I don't plan it, it can't go wrong!

If it's great, I did it. If it's naff, I found it.

Offline deathjester

  • 'Remember - Tiredness Kills Hedgehogs...!'
  • His Mother-in-law has Tardis pockets...
    • stormfront models
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2018, 02:54:37 AM »
Fantastic job Brian - love these kitbashes you do, always a laugh a minute backstory too !!

Offline Alvis 3.1

  • Self acknowledged "Bad Influence"…but probably less attractive than Pink
  • The high priest of whiffing
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2018, 03:54:08 AM »

Offline Rickshaw

  • "Of course, I could be talking out of my hat"
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2018, 12:15:30 PM »
Donald "Duck" Dunn?  A great session muso!   Remember him from the Blues Brothers.    ;D

Offline jcf

  • Global Moderator
  • Turn that Gila-copter down!
Re: The Burgess-Dunn-Dunn Float Plane - A Tailless Tale in 1/72 Scale
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2018, 03:33:55 PM »
 :smiley: :smiley:

Are you going to a Burgess - Dunn - Dunning - Kruger next ? ;)
“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014