Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: MAT on October 07, 2021, 04:24:19 AM
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Dewoitine HD.781
In 1937 the Ministry of Aviation of France came up with a requirement for a marine fighter on a floats intended for use both from shore bases and from ships.
Dewoitine drew up a plane based on the D.520 fighter – the HD.780. But even before the first metal was cut, Aéronavale ordered the plans changed. Aéronavale had always loved aircooled radial engines, so Dewoitine turned it into a new design - the HD.781.
The prototype took to the air in the autum of 1938 an the first of the ordered 30 aircraft reached Aéronavale in the summer of 1940. With the fall of France the planes were taken to the free zone and entered service on bases in the south of France and in North Africa. In North Africa most were based at Mers-el-Kébir for the protection of the french naval forces harboured there.
The model will be based on a lot of different pieces found in my private scrapyard. And off course a LOT of plasticcard and model filler.
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This is the starting point:
Fuselage: Frog Dewoitine D.520C
Engine: Revell FIAT CR.42
Wings: Revell Macchi C.200 (which are far too small, and was replaced by the wings of a Frog Macchi C.202). Maybe pieces of an T-6 for the inner wing.
Floats: An old vacum set of unknown origin.
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Wow - those are some ancient kit bits! It'll be interesting to watch you turn many sow's ears into a silk purse (or float plane)
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Some of the pieces go back to my childhood in the 1960's, when I first began to glue lumps of polystyrene to each other.
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Those floats look like they are from the old Aeroclub set.
Good luck with all those parts I know you can do it!
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Wow - those are some ancient kit bits! It'll be interesting to watch you turn many sow's ears into a silk purse (or float plane)
Me too! Those under-scaled Macchi wing panels look like they might work for extending the Dewoitine wings (probably an option you have already considered).
Looking forward to this :smiley:
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Me too! Those under-scaled Macchi wing panels look like they might work for extending the Dewoitine wings (probably an option you have already considered).
Looking forward to this :smiley:
Part of the plan. The old Macchi wings are spot on compared with my drawings
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The D.520C have lost its Hispano-Suiza engine, and a new front end are slowly emerging from plastcard and putty
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:D :smiley:
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nice work on the rebuild
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It's looking good. This build is closer to a scratchbuild using conveniently shaped plastic bits!
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It's looking good. This build is closer to a scratchbuild using conveniently shaped plastic bits!
I confess!
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Part of the plan. The old Macchi wings are spot on compared with my drawings
Excellent! Love it when bits and pieces fall into place like that :smiley:
And your Hispano rhinoplasty looks like one serious bit of surgery ;D
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Just decided to build the center wing from schratch
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From those photo's it looks like the whole thing's been built from scratch using putty! ;D
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From those photo's it looks like the whole thing's been built from scratch using putty! ;D
Well. I keep about 60 pct of the fuselage ;)
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The inner wing is now fixed to the fuselage. Ahead is a lost of PSR
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Looks to be coming along nicely. Should be very pretty in Aéronavale colors.
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I do indeed have Aéronavale colours in mind. But the Vichy french version.
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Being in the middle of moving to another part of the country, the build have been on pause, but;
At last! The wings are on.
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:smiley:
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That's looking good. From the cockpit to the tail it reminds me of a Brewster Buffalo.
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Tailplanes on, floats ready and the paintjob started
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It's going to be bright! ;D :smiley:
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All the parts now in play.
Looking fine
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This is coming along beautifully :smiley:
It's going to be bright!
Well, Vichy did like 'em colourful! Mind you, any spotter who might misidentify this aircraft needs a transfer ... ;)
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My girlfriend and I are splitting up, so all my stuff is being packed down now, as I'm moving to a other part of the country. This is how far I got.
I'll probably have to beg for an extension.
Please!
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Oh wow, that is bad news.
On the other hand, the model is coming along splendidly
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Sad about the break up :icon_crap: ..................... Unless it isn't? ???
The Dewoitine is coming along nicely &, worst case scenario, you can always continue in the Current and Finished Projects: Aero-space board. :smiley:
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Sad about the break up :icon_crap: ..................... Unless it isn't? ???
It isn't. We both agreed, that we have reach a point, where we were mostly annoying each other
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:smiley:
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At last!
I'm now more or less in place after my move, so at last the Dewoitine H.D. 781 are finished.
The strange nationality markings are experimental Vichi France markings designed to avoid confusion with the Free French. They were apparently painted on a few planes in North Africa - but then came Operation Torch and the end of Vichy France.
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The Dewoitine came out great! Those markings probably helped bring the end to the Vichy air force. It would be hard to miss in the air or on the water!