The Fleet Marine Force in Death Valley - A Rather Dry Tale in 1/72 Scale

[Brian da Basher]

In the early 1930s, the Northrop Gamma heralded a new age in aerodynamic design.



The U.S. Navy in particular was keen to exploit the advantages of such cutting edge engineering under the aegis of its XLRS or Extra Long Range Scout program.



Northrop was given a contract to tweak the famous Gamma to meet Navy requirements and thus the Northrop XTXLRS Nemo was born.



Seeking even greater speed and intimidation through streamlining, the spatted landing gear was further refined, causing a hearty "Yowsa!" from everyone who saw that lovely sexy, sleek undercarriage.



The aircraft was powered by a twin-row Wasp Major-Minor in E Flat radial engine known for its reliability if not its harmony. Soon a service-test squadron of the prototype long-range wonder was delivered and duly assigned to the Fleet Marine Force.



Having such advanced features as an enclosed canopy and retractable tail hook, the Northrop XTXLRS Nemo was heavily armed for the day, boasting not only two synchronized, cowl-mounted .30 cal. guns, but also two .50s in the wings.



The Northrop XTXLRS Nemo looked capable of destroying any foe and its long fuselage housed extra fuel tanks, giving it the legs to get to the fight.



Flight testing had just begun when it was interrupted by Fleet Week, the aftermath of which was truly legendary.



As the Fleet Marine Force had been one of the leading instigators of the carnage, they were reassigned to the El Boro Marine Corps Air Station in Death Valley, California. Officially this was to prepare for for war games, but it was really a punishment tour.



The Fleet Marine Force's Northrop XTXLRS Nemos were re-painted in a sand scheme to match the bleak surroundings just as the hangovers were going away and the Shore Patrol released the last of the squadron's miscreants. However, events would soon overshadow the pending war games.



After the town of Needles was looted and burned to the ground, the newly-minted Desert Fleet Marine Force was ordered to stop these cross-border bandit raids. The flying leathernecks were determined to eliminate the threat, starting with the most radical group, the Bernie Banditos.



After wiping out this horde of insufferable ideologues, the Desert Fleet Marine Force was ready to take on the next band of desperados.



This opponent would be even more intractable. Don Macho "La Naranja" and his Trumpeters had earned a reputation for stubbornness.



Don Macho earned another impressive reputation as well.



The Fleet Marine Force gritted their teeth and used the heavy armament of their Northrop XTXLRS Nemos to good effect and obliterated Don Macho and his Trumpeters into irrelevance.



Last to face the fury of the Desert Fleet Marine Force would be the toughest opponent of all, a ruthless operator who was known to give no quarter.



The Northrop XTXLRS Nemos' range was crucial in hunting down the feared Clintonistas as those crooks could duck and weave with the best of them. The top-secret anti-personnel innuendo bomb was especially effective against these outlaws who were eventually forced to concede defeat.



While the operations were a success and allowed the Fleet Marine Force to be freed for normal duties, the Navy never found a role for the Northrop XTXLRS Nemo despite its capabilities. All Nemos were eventually scrapped and none survive today. While debates still rage about which gang of bandits was more terrible, there's no arguing that the Northrop XTXLRS Nemo was the weapon to bring them to heel.



Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

This all began with a venerable 1/72 Williams Bros. Northrop Gamma kit a very good friend sent me a while back (I can't thank you enough, hamsterman!). Isn't that box art just great? You really can't top that kind of artistry.



What's inside the very sturdy box is a little less artistic, but still quite buildable if one thinks of it more as a short-run kit and approaches it accordingly.



Of course, right off some changes would be needed. I wanted to make a more modern and combat-capable version. Not only that, but I also wanted to save those incredibly cool kit trousered landing gear. So I added the spats from a Val, the front canopy from a Martin B-10 and the engine & cowling from a Fiat CR.42. The cowl guns were left over from a Heller P-36 that I built as a racer. Here's how things looked before paint.





The kit prop was used and after I took these shots, I added the wing guns, tail hook and tail wheel brace.







Here's a close-up of the tail hook which was made by cutting up one of the kit's control yokes. Below the hook you can see that cute little spatted tail wheel.



The model was painted the old-fashioned way by hand with acrylics, Model Masters Sand and Polly Scale RAAF Sky mostly. The rudder stripes were also done by hand using a combination of Model Masters Insignia Blue, Insignia Red, and White Primer along with some Kentucky bourbon.





Decals were a mix from spares, but the squadron insignia and Fleet Marine Force placards were swiped from a sheet for a Grumman F2F-3.



Here's a couple of shots showing off the new landing gear. Wouldn't you hate to see those fearful spats swooping down on you?





I had a whale of a time building this model which took me four days and change.





I hope you enjoyed the Northrop XTXLRS Nemo and reading a little more history that's been lost in the sands of time.



Brian da Basher

[taiidantomcat]

 

This is too much

 

updated thread title, my typos are legion BdaB

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Interesting back story for your most interesting aircraft.  Looks like that Williams kit was a good source of spare engines and other goodies for your spare parts locker.  :)


"Don Macho and his band of Trumpeteers."  Could this be the start of a cinematic drama series for the silver screen?



updated thread title, my typos are legion BdaB

[finsrin]

All this starting with arrival of the Gamma and XTXLRS Nemo development thru fleet week and routing of the three bandit groups should become a movie.
Perhaps documentary style like Tora Tora Tora.

[Camthalion]

Nice.  Top build and backstory

[Alvis 3.1]

 

Alvis 3.1

[DFZ]

Excellent!!!  :) Love the model but the story is absolutely genius!!

[apophenia]

Great backstory and build  :)  Trousers or spats ... how does he decide? 

[kill me now, put me out of pain]

x

[Tophe]

I love this model and its "spatted" (? from spats?) elegance.

[Story]

This would make for an excellent Pulp graphic one-shot cartoon, as published by The Onion.

[pigflyer]

As per usual, all round brilliance. Story and aircraft just perfect.
This is not as unheard of as most of your work though, I hear
lots of folk have spent time in erm,,, finding Nemo.    (sorry)

[andonio64]

Brian, I missed this, is fantastic. And the desert tale behind it made me laugh a lot!