Well I don't see an option to enlist on the campaign page, but I've made my decision on what to build for this campaign. I've got a 1/72 Heinkel He 280, presuming that's acceptable for the campaign.

Check to make certain you're signed in when you go to the campaign page. Sometimes the site software randomly signs you out when you switch between segments of the site.

Being the Campaign Leader, I think the Heinkel 280 would be acceptable for this Group Build. Though it never achieved operational status, nor went into production, I think that in this case the HE 280 is worthy of inclusion, because it was unique.

The spirit of the GB was to highlight aircraft that for many reasons are unknown. In this case because of the prolonged development period, and it's being cancelled in favour of the Me 262.

If anyone objects please email me.

Welcome to the GB, Bushioka.

well, good news for me, I found my P-63. Now I just gotta find time to build it.

Great. Would this be in Free French, or Soviet markings?

You still have 5 months to build it!

Toko (Toyo?) kit, only option is Soviet...

I'm in with this Mig 3.

I am still working slowly on my Avia b.534, I've been occupied the last few days with arrival of our newest grandchild, Morganne Shirley, who was born on Wednesday.

There are some investing builds coming up.

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone, that one of the requirements of this GB is to write up a short, or long, description of why your subject aircraft was overshadowed. The Avia B.534, for example, was a biplane fighter during the period during which monoplane fighters were coming on strength, and that it was designed and built by a country torn apart at the beginning the war. It was a very good design, and finished only second to the newer Bf109 at an air competition in 1937.

Cheers.

I have my D.520 buttoned up and will post some pics in the next few days.

Dewoitine D.520 had a long gestation period with design starting in '36. The first prototype flew in Oct '38 but did not meet minimum speed requirements and suffered heating problems. These problems were not solved until May '39. First production aircraft flew in Oct '39 but failed to meet speed specs and continued to have heating issues. The aircraft were not declared combat ready til April '40.

It was slower that the 109 but had superior maneuverability but had a tendency to spin coming out of turn.

Over 900 were built and served on both sides during the War. It saw action in Europe and the African campaigns. Pierre Le Gloan, the fourth highest scoring French ace of the war, with 18 kills to his credit (4 German, 7 Italian and 7 British) scored all of them in a D.520.

For its breadth of service I consider it to be an overshadowed fighter of WWII.

From what I've read, the Germans continued to manufacture the Dewitoine 520 until 1944, although no further refinements or planned improvements were integrated into the aircraft.

BTW- it used the same Hispano Suiza 12 cylinder, 850 HP engine as the Czech Avia B.534 - the aircraft I am working on.

I am looking forward to seeing your pictures.

Didn't know about the engine. Interesting.

Here are some images

Nice progress on the D.520. It looks to be a very colorful build.

Looking forward to see more

More painting done. Some bleed through on the nose that will need fixing.

PrickleHead: the paint job on your D.520 is really looking good. That paint scheme has been a favorite of mine, but I have shied away from trying it. So after seeing your progress it has made me think that I should try it.

Bob

Thanks Bob. First time I have tried anything like this. Usually use the decals but I never really liked using them so I thought I would be brave. Am pleased so far.

And easing out of the starting gate, I've got a Toko 1/72 P-63A.
The box:

The bits:


Already found a few holes in my paint selections and I didn't breing any weights with me. So let's see how this goes...

More on the P-63A. According to the kit instructions, The P-63A replaced the P-63 in many squadrons but were not used in the fights with the Germans. Instead they were sent to the East and used in the "War against Japan", since that war started on August 6, 1945 and ended September 2 of that same year, they may not have seen much action.. The Kingcobras sent to the Soviet Union were not returned to the US and flew on in Soviet unions until the early 1950's

Tech Data: (from Wiki)
Length: 32 ft 8 in (10.0 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 4 in (11.7 m)
Height: 12 ft 7 in (3.8 m)
Maximum speed: 410 mph (660 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Range: 450 mi[48] (725 km)
Guns: 1× 37 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub.
4× 0.50 in (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns (two synchronized in the nose, two in the wings)
Bombs: 1,500 lb (680 kg) bomb load on wing and fuselage

Following is a brief history of the Avia B.534 describing the aircraft and its service record in WW2.



The Avia company was founded in 1919 and was the largest producer of aircraft in Czechoslovakia during the 1930’s. The B.534 became one of the most profound positive symbols of Czechoslovak aviation history due to the era and climate of service, and length of service. Eduard’s notes on the assembly sheet of the kit state that they considered their model as a tribute to original developers of the B.534.

The B.534 was a very advanced biplane for its time (1934 to 1938); it had a metal frame and wings with the front part of the fuselage covered in removable panels (aft fuselage and wings were cloth covered - like the early Hawker Hurricane I, it was a single bay biplane with split-type fixed undercarriage with wheels equipped with brakes, the rudder and elevator were hydraulically and statically balanced, it had four .30 calibre (7.7mm) machine guns mounted in the fuselage, providing a concentrated cone of fire, it had a supercharged 850 Hp 12 cylinder license-built Hispano Suiza liquid cooled engine, the craft was capable of a maximum speed of 245 mph, a service ceiling of 34,000 feet, a range of 360 miles, and it was capable of carrying six 44lb. bombs.

The fuel for the B.534 was a special mixture of ethanol (44%), benzene (44%), and petrol (12%) called Biboli. This was not unusual as other European countries were using similar mixtures so as to reduce their dependance on imported oil. The scarcity of Biboli later in the war was to prove an Achilles heel for the B.534 - see service history below.

The B.534 contemporaries were the Hawker Fury 1, the Polikarpov family of I-15’s, the Curtiss P-6, the Arado 66 and 68, the Fiat Cr.32, and the Heinkel 51.

At the 1937 International Air Meeting in Zurich, the B.534 finished in 3rd, 4th, and 5th places after the Me 109 in the climb event, and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the dive event, again after the Me109.

The first prototype flew in 1933, and it was produced in a series of four blocks - Series I, II, III, and IV. The subject of my model is a Series III which was made in 1936. According to Wikipedia, 445 were produced, although other sources say 570. The B.534’s were flown by Czechoslovakia, the Slovak Republic, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, the USSR, Croatia, and Romania.

At the time of Czechoslovakia’s dissolution in 1938, Avia was working on the design of an all metal monoplane fighter, the B.135. Only 12 were produced before stopped by Germany - these were all bought by Bulgaria. It had a top speed of 335 mph, using the same 12 cylinder Hispano Suiza engine as the B. 534’s. Clearly by this time the dominance of the biplane fighter was over.


Skeleton of early series B.534.


Service in WW2

Following the Munich Agreement of 1938, Czechoslovakia was dismembered and various parts are taken over by Hungary, Poland, and Germany. The Slovak Republic was created, the Czech part became a German protectorate - the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. In September 1939 the pro-Hitler fascist government of Slovakia participated in the German invasion of Poland to get back its territory taken by Poland the previous year. The subject of my model, the Avia B.534.138 Series III, aircraft took part in this invasion of Poland.

The Slovak air force contributed 2 squadrons of B.534’s, mostly as fighter escorts for Ju 87 dive bombers and Ju 52’s The Luftwaffe supplied Heinkel 51’s, Arado 66’s, Henschel 123’s, and Bf 109’s.

In 1941, the Slovak Republic contributed three squadrons of B.534’s for the invasion of the USSR along the Ukraine border. It was here that the Avia’s dependence on the Biboli fuel was to prove their undoing. It became nearly impossible to function, and by mid 1942 were replaced by other types.

In 1943, Bulgaria, used B.534’s, which were acquired in 1939, in its attacks against US B-24 Liberator bombers, to little affect. After the anti-German coup in 1944, the B.534’s were used against the Germans in ground attacks and at least one documented melee against Me 109’s.

In September 1944, during the Slovak National Uprising, B.534’s flew under Slovak colours against the Germans, and on September 2nd, Sergeant František Cyprich downed a Hungarian Ju 52, probably the last biplane victory of WW2.

No B.534 survived the war, but there are two replicas, one at the at the Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely, Czech Republic, and the other at the Slovak Technical Museum, Košice International Airport, Slovakia. Both contain parts from original B.534’s.

Here is my D.520. Decals on. The stripes on the wings are painted since I wrecked the decals,,,The camo was painted free hand, first time I had attempted anything like that.

PrickleHead, the Deo is coming along fine and that paint job has me thinking. Great job.

Bob

Work continues on my Italeri 1/72 Re.2000GA. I would post the picture of the progress however I can't load it to my gallery. Tried four times and received the same notice.

[function.copy]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/gallery3/public_html/image-inc.php on line 327

My finished DW.520. Upload to the campaign when the issues are fixed with the galleries.

Very nice paint job.

PrickleHead great work!

Hi all, I would love to jump in on this one with the Gloster Gladiator in 1:72 from airfix - however since there is already a Gladiatr in this build, I thought I would build this as one of the Mk 1 Sea Gladiators from Malta, just to be a little different!







I apologise for the picture quality, it will get better for the progress pics - have to use my phone for the min.

cheers, Simon