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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The need for a specialized self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, capable of keeping up with the armoured divisions, had become increasingly urgent for the German Armed Forces, as from 1943 on the German Air Force was less and less able to protect itself against enemy fighter bombers.
Therefore, a multitude of improvised and specially designed self-propelled anti-aircraft guns were built, many based on the Panzer IV chassis. This development started with the Flakpanzer IV “Möbelwagen”, which was only a Kampfpanzer IV with the turret removed and a 20mm Flakvierling installed instead, together with foldable side walls that offered only poor protection for the gun crew. The lineage then progressed through the Wirbelwind and Ostwind models, which had their weapons and the crew protected in fully rotating turrets, but these were still open at the top. This flaw was to be eliminated in the Kugelblitz, the final development of the Flakpanzer IV.
The Kugelblitz used the 30 mm MK 103 cannon in a Zwillingsflak ("twin flak") 103/38 arrangement. The MK 103 was a powerful aircraft weapon that had formerly been fitted in single mounts to such planes as the Henschel Hs 129 or Bf 1110 in a ventral gun pod against tanks, and it was also fitted to the twin-engine Dornier Do 335 heavy fighter and other interceptors against Allied bombers. When used by the army, it received the designation “3 cm Flak 38”. It had a weight of only 141 kg (311 lb) and a length of 235 cm (93 in) with muzzle brake. Barrel length was 134 cm (53 in), resulting in caliber L/44.7 (44.7 caliber). The weapon’s muzzle velocity was around 900 m/s (3,000 ft/s), allowing an armour penetration for APCR 42–52 mm (1.7–2.0 in)/60°/300 m (980 ft) or 75–95 mm (3.0–3.7 in)/ 90°/ 300 m (980 ft), with an effective maximum firing range of around 5.700 m (18.670 ft). The MK 103 was gas-operated, fully automatic and belt-fed, an innovative feature at that time for AA guns.
In the fully enclosed Kugelblitz turret the weapons could be fired singly or simultaneously, and their theoretical rate of fire was 450 rounds a minute, even though 250 rpm in short bursts was more practical. The total ammunition load for both weapons was 1,200 rounds and the discharged cases fell into canvas bags placed under the guns. The MK 103 cannons produced a lot of powder smoke when operated, so that fume extractors were added, which was another novelty.
The Kugelblitz turret’s construction was unique, because its spherical body was hanging in a ring mount, suspended by two spigots – it was effectively an independent capsule that only slightly protruded from the tank’s top and kept the profile very low. The turret offered full overhead protection, 360° traverse and space for the crew of three plus weapons and ammunition – even though it was very cramped. Elevation of the weapons (as well as of the crew sitting inside of the turret!) was from -5° to +80°, turning speed was 60°/sec.
The commander/gunner, who had a small observation cupola on top of the turret, was positioned in the middle, behind the main guns. The two gunner assistants were placed on the left and right side in front of him, in a slightly lower position. The assistant situated left of the guns was responsible for the turret’s movements, the one on the right side was responsible for loading the guns, and the spare ammunition was located on the right side. Each of these three crew members had separate hatch doors..
However, the Panzer IV-based Kugelblitz SPAAG was ill-fated: A production rate of 30 per month by December 1944 was planned, but never achieved, because tank production had become seriously hampered and production of the Panzer IV was about to be terminated in favor of the new E-series tank family. Therefore, almost all Flakpanzer IV with the Kugelblitz turret were conversions of existing hulls, mostly coming from repair shops.
In parallel, work was under way to adapt the Kugelblitz turret to the Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer hull, too, which was still in production in the former Czechoslovakian Skoda works, and to the new, light E-10 and E-25 tank chassis. Due to this transitional and slightly chaotic situation, production numbers of the Panzer IV-based Kugelblitz remained limited - in early 1945, only around 50 operational vehicles had been built and production already ceased in May.
By that time, the Kugelblitz turret had been successfully adapted to the Hetzer chassis, even though this had called for major adaptations of the upper hull due to the relatively wide turret ring, which originally came from the Tiger I. The conversion worked and the unique turret could be successfully shoehorned into the Hetzer basis, making it a very compact and relatively light vehicle – it was 5 tons lighter than the Panzer IV-based “Kugelblitz” SPAAG.
In order to carry the turret, the welded upper hull had to be widened and the glacis plate was reinforced with an extra plate, which also covered the Hetzer’s original opening for its 75 mm gun. The resulting 60 mm (2.36 in) thick front plate was inclined 60 degrees from the vertical, and therefore offered around 120 mm (4.72 in) of effective protection – much better than the Panzer IV’s almost vertical 50 mm (or 80 mm with additional armor on late versions). In this form, the vehicle could withstand direct frontal hits from most medium Allied tanks. The side walls were rather thin, though, only 20 mm, and they became more vertical to make room for the turret mount. The engine cover behind the turret had to be modified, too. Due to the massive changes, the vehicle received a new, separate designation, “Sonderkraftfahrzeug (Sd.Kfz.) 170” and it was officially called “Leichter Flakpanzer 38(t) 3 cm“.
However, there were many drawbacks. The interior was cramped: the self-contained Kugelblitz turret itself already lacked internal space, but the driver – the only crew member in the hull – also had little space in front of the turret’s mount and he could only access his working place through an opening in the turret at the commander’s feet when it was in a level forward position. There was no dedicated hatch for the driver, only an emergency escape scuttle in the floor.
Another issue was the field of view from inside for everyone. As already mentioned, the driver did not have a hatch that could be used for a good view when not driving under fire. He also only had a single panoramic sight, so that he could just see what was going on directly in front of him. There were no side view openings, and especially the right side of the vehicle was literally blind. The crew in the turret also could only rely on forward-facing sights, just the commander had a rotating periscope. But due to its position, the areas directly along the vehicle’s flanks and its rear remained wide blind areas that made it very vulnerable to infantry attacks. This flaw was even worsened by the fact that there were no additional light weapons available (or even deployable from the inside) for close range defense – the Panzer IV-based SPAAGs carried a hull-mounted machine gun. And the crew had, due to the open weapon stations a much better field of view or could directly use their own light weapons.
With the turret’s additional weight (the Sd.Kfz. 170 was 3 tons heavier than the Hetzer), and despite a slightly uprated petrol engine, the tank was rather underpowered, especially off road. Another negative side effect of the turret was a considerably raised center of gravity. The original Hetzer was a nimble vehicle with good handling, but the Sd.Kfz. 170 was hard to control, tended to build up and roll even on the road and its off-road capabilities were markedly hampered by the concentration of weight so high above the ground, making it prone to tip over to the side when the driver did not take care of terrain slope angles. This wobbly handling, as well as the turret’s shape, gave the vehicle the unofficial nickname “Kugelhetzer”.
Nevertheless, all these flaws were accepted, since the Sd.Kfz. 170. was, like its Panzer IV-based predecessors, urgently needed and only regarded as an interim solution until a light E-Series chassis had been adapted to the turret. It was also surmised that the vehicle would not operate independently and rather escort other troops, so that close-range protection was in most cases ensured. Under this premise, about 100 Sd.Kfz. 170s were built until early 1946, when production of the Hetzer and its components were stopped. Operationally, the vehicle was not popular (esp. among drivers), but it was quite successful, not only against aircraft (esp. when used in conjunction with the new mobile radar-based fire direction centers), but also against lightly armored ground targets.
Plans to stretch the hull for more internal space, better field performance and crew comfort as well as replacing the engine with a bigger and more powerful 8 cylinder Tatra engine were never executed, since all resources were allocated to the new E-series tanks.
Specifications:
Crew: Four (commander/gunner, 2 assistants incl. radio operator, driver)
Weight: 18 tons (22.000 lb)
Length: 4.61 m (15 ft 1 in)
Width: 2.63 m (8 ft 8 in)
Height: 2.63 m (8 ft 8 in)
Ground clearance: 40 cm (15 ¾ in)
Suspension: Leaf spring
Fuel capacity: 320 litres (85 US gal)
Armor:
10 – 60 mm (0.39 – 2.36 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 42 km/h (26 mph)
Sustained road speed: 36 km/h (22.3 mph)
Off-road speed: 26 km/h (16 mph)
Operational range: 177 km (110 mi)
Power/weight: 10 PS/t
Engine:
Praga 6-cylinder 7.8 liter petrol engine, delivering 180 PS (178 hp, 130 kW) at 2,800 rpm
Transmission:
Praga-Wilson Typ CV with 5 forwards and 1 reverse gears
Armament:
2× 30 mm 3 cm Flak 38 (MK 103/3) with a total of 1.200 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
The so-called “Kugelhetzer” was a real German project in late WWII, but it was rather a vague idea, it never it made to the hardware stage. Even from its predecessor, the Panzer IV-based “Kugelblitz”, only five tanks were actually built. However, I found the idea interesting, since the combination of existing elements would lead to a very compact SPAAG. And since I had a spare Kugelblitz turret from one of the Modelcollect “Vierfüssler” SF mecha kits at hand, I decided to build a model of this conceptual tank.
The chassis is a Bergepanzer 38(t), a.k.a. “Bergehetzer”, from UM Models, an unarmed recovery tank based on the Hetzer hull with an open top. For my conversion plan it offered the benefit of a blank glacis plate and lots of spare parts for future builds. However, upon inspection of the parts-not-intended-to-be-mated I became slightly disillusioned: while the Hetzer’s upper original hull offers enough room for the ball turret itself to be inserted into the roof, it could NEVER take the turret bearing and the armored collar ring around it. They already are hard to mount on a Panzer IV hull, but the Hetzer is an even smaller vehicle, despite its casemate layout. I was about to shelf the project again, but then decided to modify and adapt the upper hull to the turret. In real life the engineers would have taken a similar route.
I started to scratch the superstructure from 0.5mm styrene sheet, and work started with the roof that had to be wide enough to carry the turret ring. This was glued into place on top of the hull, and from this benchmark the rest of the “armor plates” was added – starting with the engine bay cover, then adding side walls and finally the more complex corner sections, which actually consist of two triangular plates, but only one of them was actually fitted. The leftover openings were filled with acrylic putty, also in order to fill and stabilize the void between the original hull and the added plates. Later, the necessary space for the ball turret was carved away from the original hull, so that the Kugelblitz turret could be inserted in its new opening. Sounds complicated, but the construction was less complicated than expected, and it looked even better!
Once mated with the lower chassis, some details had to be added to the blank surfaces – e. g. racks with spare barrels for the guns and some tools and stowage boxes. These were taken from the Bergehetzer kit and partly modified to match the different hull.
What really became a challenge was the assembly of the tracks upon the model’s completion. Unfortunately, they consist of single elements and even links that have to be glued to the wheels, and since they were not crisply molded (just like the sprocket drive wheels) their installation was a rather tedious affair.
Painting and markings:
This is another variation of the “Hinterhalt” concept, using the three basic tones of Dunkelgelb (RAL 7028), Olivgrün (RAL 6003) and Rotbraun (RAL 8012). In this case – as an autumn scheme with fading light and more red and brown leaves - I used a late-war Panther as reference and gave the vehicle a rather dark basic livery consisting of green and the brown, and on top of that I added counter-colored (green on brown and brown on green) mottles, plus contrast mottles in Dunkelgelb. The tones I used were Humbrol 83, 86 and 113 - the latter is not the standard tone for the Hinterhalt scheme (180 would be appropriate), but it comes close to the typical German red Oxidrot (RAL 3009) primer, which was not only used on bare tank hulls during production but was also integrated into camouflage schemes, frequently stretched and lightened through additives. Effectively the livery is very standard, and since this Kugelhetzer model would depict a standard production vehicle and not a conversion, I extended the camouflage to the turret, too, for a consistent look.
The wheels remained in a single color (just the basic red brown and green), since camouflage was prohibited to be extended onto moving parts of the vehicle: a swirling pattern would have been very obvious and eye-catching when the vehicle was on the move.
A washing with dark red brown, highly thinned acrylic paint followed. The decals – mostly taken from the small OOB sheet – came next, and I settled upon simplified national markings and just white outlines for the tactical code, due to the rather murky camouflage underneath.
The model’s main components were sealed with matt acrylic varnish from the rattle can before their final assembly, and I did some dry-brushing with light grey to emphasize details and edges. Finally, a coat of pigment dust was applied to the model’s lower areas and used to hide some flaws along the fiddly tracks.
A conclusive outcome, and a more complex build than obvious at first sight. The re-built upper hull was easier to realize than expected, the true horror came with the assembly of the tracks which consist of tiny, not really crisply molded elements. Why the return track section has to be constructed of five(!) segments - even though it's a straight line - is beyond my comprehension, too.
However, the outcome looks quite good, even though the use of the original Hetzer hull would have created several problems, if the original Kugelblitz turret had had to be integrated. Esp. the lack of space for the driver (and a suitable access hatch!) make this design idea rather unpractical, so that a stretched hull (AFAIK there’s a model of such a modified vehicle available) would have made sense.
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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Fiat G.91 was an Italian jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Fiat Aviazione, which later merged into Aeritalia. The G.91 had its origins in the NATO-organized NBMR-1 competition in 1953, which sought a light fighter-bomber "Light Weight Strike Fighter" to be adopted as standard equipment across the air forces of the various NATO nations. The competition was intended to produce an aircraft that was light, small, expendable, equipped with basic weapons and avionics and capable of operating with minimal ground support. These specifications were developed for two reasons: the first was the nuclear threat to large air bases, many cheaper aircraft could be better dispersed, and the other was to counter the trend towards larger and more expensive aircraft. After reviewing multiple submissions, the G.91 was picked as the winning design of the NBMR-1 competition.
The G.91 entered into operational service with the Italian Air Force in 1961, and with the West German Luftwaffe in the following year. Various other nations adopted it, such as the Portuguese Air Force, who made extensive use of the type during the Portuguese Colonial War in Africa. The G.91 remained in production for 19 years, during which a total of 756 aircraft were completed, including the prototypes and pre-production models. The assembly lines were finally closed in 1977, and the original G.91 enjoyed a long service life that extended over 35 years.
The G.91 was also used as a basis for a two-seat trainer variant with a stretched fuselage and further developments, based on this bigger airframe: the twin-engine development G.91Y, which was originally ordered by the Italian Air Force and Switzerland (as G.91YS) and later also operated by Poland, as well as the simpler, single-engine G-91X, a dedicated export alternative.
Like the G.91Y, the G.91X was an increased-performance version of the nimble baseline Fiat G.91, but unlike the G.91Y it was not funded by the Italian government but rather a private venture of Fiat. Like the G.91Y, it was based on the G.91T two-seat trainer variant. Structural modifications to reduce airframe weight increased performance and an additional fuel tank occupying the space of the G.91T's rear seat provided extra range. Combat manoeuvrability was improved with the addition of automatic leading-edge slats. While the G.91Y and X had a very similar appearance, their internal structure behind the cockpit section differed considerably and their tail section was visibly different, while the aerodynamic surfaces as well as the nose section (including the radar-less nose housing three cameras) were identical.
Instead of being powered by the G.91Y’s pair of small afterburning General Electric J85 turbojets, the G.91X only carried a single Pratt & Whitney J52 axial-flow dual-spool turbojet engine without reheat, a proven engine that was used in a number of successful aircraft, most of all the late Douglas A-4 Skyhawk versions. The bigger engine increased thrust by 60% over the original, earlier Orpheus-powered single-engine variants, and made the light G.91 a very agile aircraft. However, the J52 was considerably heavier than the small J85s, and despite less complex auxiliary installations, the G.91X weighed roughly 1.000 lb more than the G.91Y.
Performance-wise, the G.91X was, despite its conservative and heavier J52 powerplant, on par with the G.91Y, even though range, acceleration and rate of climb were not as good, the G.91Y’s afterburners gave the “Yankee Gina” a significant extra punch. On the other side, the G.91X was more robust, technically simpler and therefore easier to maintain and even better suited to operations from unprepared frontline airfields with minimal infrastructure.
Basically, the G.91X was designed to carry the same sophisticated avionics equipment as the G.91Y, which had been considerably upgraded with many of the American, British and Canadian systems being license-manufactured in Italy, but for the intended export customers in small countries with a limited budget, only a rather basic avionics package was offered, making the G.91X a simple daylight attack aircraft without any smart weapon or guided AAM capability (which the G.91Y lacked, too, only the YS for Switzerland could deploy weapons like the AIM-9 or the AGM-65).
Flight testing of two prototypes aircraft ran in July 1968 in parallel to the G.91Y program and was successful, with one aircraft reaching a maximum speed of Mach 0.95 in level flight, slightly less than its two-engine sibling. Airframe buffeting was noted and was rectified in production aircraft by raising the position of the tailplane slightly, and canted fins - similar to the G.91Y, but smaller - were added under the lower rear fuselage to improve directional stability. Unlike the G.91Y, which had been designed to NATO specifications, the G.91X did not feature an arrester hook, just a tail bumper.
The initial order of 55 G.91Y aircraft for the Italian Air Force was completed by Fiat in March 1971, by which time the company had changed its name to Aeritalia (from 1969, when Fiat Aviazione joined the Aerfer). The order was increased to 75 aircraft with 67 eventually being delivered.
In contrast to this success, the G.91X did not find immediate takers, though, because the potential market of Western-oriented countries was in the Seventies largely dominated by US American military support programs, which aggressively marketed the supersonic Northrop F-5 as a counterpart to MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters, which had been provided to many countries by the USSR.
One large potential customer had been Israel, but the G.91X was declined in favor of the bigger and more sophisticated A-4N Skyhawk. Turkey and Greece also showed interest, but both eventually procured F-5 variants, heavily promoted by the USA. In the end, only a small number of the G.91X were built and sold to rather small and obscure air forces.
One of these few G.91X operators became Honduras. After the so-called Football War with El Salvador in 1969, the Honduran Air Force (HAF) entered the jet era in 1971 and started a re-organization and modernization program. This included the procurement of 10 old, ex-Yugoslav Canadair CL-13 Mk.4 Sabre. Later, in 1974 and as a result of an institutional growth of the Honduran Air Force, the "Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía" Air Base, the "Coronel Armando Escalón Espinal" Base as well as the General Command of the Air Force and General Air Force General Staff were created.
Between 1976 and 1978 sixteen other Israeli aircraft were acquired, of the IAI \ Dassault Super-Mystere B.2 \ J-52 S'aar type, six new Cessna A-37 Dragonfly COIN aircraft and fifty UH-1 Iroquois helicopters. By then, the Sabres were in such a poor condition and deteriorated quickly under the harsh local climate, that a replacement was soon needed. The choice fell on the G.91X, not only because of the aircraft’s simplicity and ruggedness, but also because of its (though limited) reconnaissance capability as well as the engine and ammunition commonality with the ex-Israeli Sa’ars. A total of twelve G.91X were procured in 1977 and delivered until late 1979, and they were immediately put into action during the 1980s confrontation with the Sandinista government of Nicaragua, with heavy involvements in bombing raids and COIN missions. The Honduran G.91Xs flew frequent attack and reconnaissance missions, and even though they were no fighters the Ginas downed several Sandinista helicopters, including a Mil Mi-24 Hind (rather accidently shot down, though, through a salvo of unguided 5” FFARs which crossed the helicopter's flight path).
After the hostilities with Nicaragua had ended in 1990, the Honduran G.91Xs became actively involved in fighting drug trafficking and flew frequent reconnaissance and attack missions over home soil. By that time, the Honduran aircraft fleet was augmented or replaced (three G.91Xs had been lost through accidents or enemy fire by 1991) with 11 ex-USAF OA/A-37B Dragonflies, 12 ex-USAF Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II interceptors, 12 new Embraer T-27 Tucano armed trainers and four new CASA 101BB-02 attack airplanes.
By 1996, all eight remaining Honduran G.91Xs were, together with the Super Mystères, retired. The surviving aircraft were put up for sale as surplus, and one, already grounded G.91X airframe has been preserved at the Honduras Air Museum.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 11.67 m (38 ft 3.5 in)
Wingspan: 9.01 m (29 ft 6.5 in)
Height: 4.43 m (14 ft 6.3 in)
Wing area: 18.13 m² (195.149 ft²)
Empty weight: 4,400 kg (9,692 lb)
Loaded weight: 8,100 kg (17,842 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 9,000 kg (19,823 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney J52-P6A turbojet with 8,500 lbf (38,000 N) of thrust
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,110 km/h (600 kn, 690 mph, Mach 0.95) at 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Range: 1,100 km (594 nmi, 683 mi)
Max. ferry range with drop tanks: 3,200 km (1,988 mls)
Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 58 m/s (11.400 ft/min)
Wing loading: max. 480 kg/m² (98.3 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.47 at maximum loading
Armament:
2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA cannons with 120 RPG
4× under-wing pylon stations with a capacity of 1,814 kg (4,000 lb)
The kit and its assembly:
This build is my submission the 2020 "One week” group build at whatifmodellers.com. I had originally earmarked my Thai Navy A-4 for this event, but already built it for the “In the navy” GB that ran a couple of weeks earlier, since it was a perfect thematic match.
While searching for an alternative I found a Matchbox G.91Y in the stash and wondered about a single engine alternative, a simpler aircraft in the spirit of the original G.91R variants. Since I had some surplus fuselages from G.91R Revell kits in the donor bank, the G.91X was born.
The basis is the Matchbox G.91Y kit, a basic affair with mediocre fit and only few details. It was mostly built OOB, except for lowered flaps (easy to realize on this kit) and a completely new lower rear fuselage from a smaller G.91R section with only a single exhaust. This feat was a little more challenging than it seems, since the G.91R is considerably smaller and shorter than the G.91Y – a lot of improvisation and PSR went into this cosmetic stunt. For instance, the seams between the parts had to be reinforced from the inside, bridging the different fuselage shapes, and a 2-3mm gap between the fuselage halves had to be filled. In order to emphasize the new engine arrangement, the G.91Y’s dorsal air scoops were sanded away and a new jet exhaust had to be found for the new, rather oval tail orifice. I eventually settled upon a protective cap from y syringe needle.
Furthermore, the cast-on guns were replaced with hollow steel needles, and some blade antennae (styrene sheet) as well as gun nozzle protectors (thin wire) were added. The cockpit was also slightly pimped with styrene profiles and some wire (on the ejection seat and for some side consoles), the pilot figure – even though the Matchbox figures are among the best I know – was replaced by a pilot from an Airfix A-4 Skyhawk (left over from the recent Thai Navy A-4LT build). However, the canopy remained closed, since opening it would require more fuselage cutting.
The ordnance was kept simple, reflecting the attack/COIN role of this aircraft: a pair of LAU-19 unguided missile pods and two Mk. 82 bombs; these came from an Italeri NATO weapon set and an Airfix A-4 kit, respectively.
Painting and markings:
Another inspiration for this build were pictures from a PC-7 trainer of the Guatemala Air Force, which carried a livery in three murky shades of green. I found this paint scheme pretty interesting, esp. as an alternative to the ubiquitous SEA scheme (that Honduran A-37s carried). For the G.91X I adapted the scheme with slightly more contrasty tones of two shades of green and a more brownish hue: Faded Olive Drab (Modelmaster #2051), Olive Drab (Humbrol 155) and Dark Green (Humbrol 30). The undersides were painted in a light grey (Humbrol 166). I initially considered a wrap-around scheme, but eventually found it to look too boring – also with a look at the potential markings, because aircraft of the Honduran Air Force typically only carried and carry minimal markings. Instead of the Guatemalan PC-7’s apparently symmetrical scheme I rather went for a more disruptive pattern, though.
The model was seriously weathered with a black ink washing and post panel shading, simulating constant use and the influence of tropical climate conditions. The decals were puzzled together from various sources and improvised. Most stencils come from the OOB sheet, the roundels on the fuselage and the flags on the fin were printed at home on clear sheet, with a white decal base added underneath. Quite complicated, but the alternative white decal paper as printing base would not yield sufficiently opaque markings. In order to add some eye-catchers I gave the Gina roundels on the fuselage and on the wings, too – these are rather modern markings, but just with the flags on the fin I found the model to look quite murky and boring. Artistic freedom… The “FAH” abbreviations were created with single USAF 45° letters.
Finally, after some soot stains around the guns and the exhaust with grinded graphite, the aircraft was sealed with matt Italeri acrylic varnish.
A relatively simple project – chosen with the perspective of just a week (well, eight days, to be honest) to tackle and finish it, despite the major fuselage surgery and the photo shooting and editing on top.
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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a specification issued directly to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed and, with an engine installed, first flew on 26 October.
The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I). The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C (Mustang Mk III) model transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, giving it a much better performance that matched or bettered almost all of the Luftwaffe's fighters at altitude. The definitive version, the P-51D (Mustang Mk IV), was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series two-stage two-speed supercharged engine, and armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.
The Mustang VI (later re-designated FR.6; the Mustang V was a lightweight fighter of which only one prototype reached England) was an indigenous, British project that was based on the P-51D. It was to meet Air Ministry Specification F.4 of 1940 for a high altitude fighter, designed to fight at extremely high altitudes, in the stratosphere.
Background was that Great Britain feared, with an ever increasing air superiority over the British Isles, that German bomber raids might come in at very high altitudes in the near future, staying out of reach from conventional defense measures. Earlier reconnaissance flights of Ju 86P aircraft had already shown that this was a realistic scenario. Additionally, the domestic development progress of pressurized cockpits for high altitude fighters convinced authorities that Germany would easily be on the same technical level, so that a high altitude interceptor was indeed needed.
While Westland and Vickers responded with twin-engined designs, North American was also requested to modify the relatively new Mustang (which was designed for medium to high altitudes) for extreme altitudes, as F.4/40 specification was revised into F.7/41 in early 1941. British pressurized cabin technology was to be incorporated, but the engine could be based on US technology.
North American was quick to respond and modified a P-51D airframe. This prototype was internally coded NA-73HK and ready for inspection in mid-late 1942.
The NA-73HK’s most obvious feature was the enormous high aspect ratio wing, achieved by extended wing tips, together with a fortified internal wing structure and weight saving measures (which had already been designed for the lightweight Mustang V). This new wing necessitated enlarged tail surfaces and a slightly elongated fuselage to provide a longer moment arm.
The aircraft was powered by a Packard V-1650-20 engine that delivered 1.233 hp (920 kW) at 35,000 ft (10,668 m). It was based on the Rolls Royce Merlin 76 (RM 16SM), but instead of the standard two-speed, two-stage supercharger it was coupled with a General Electric C-23 turbo-supercharger. The system was fitted with A.D.I and a General Electric ignition system with a tubular ignition harness developed by the Scinitilla company. A water injection system was added for short-term power boosting, too. The original Bendix-Stromberg carburetor was retained, even though optimized for lower air density use and a higher air mass flow. It drove a new, four-bladed propeller with increased diameter and enlarged single blade area.
Since the slender P-51 airframe did not allow the placement of the turbo-supercharger in front of the cockpit it was re-located into a large ventral fairing which replaced the original radiator tunnel – the basic layout resembled that of the P-47 Thunderbolt. But due to lack of internal space the system had to be connected through external exhaust pipes running along the fuselage flanks. This was a draggy arrangement, but it would not matter much anymore once the aircraft was at its intended operating altitude of 40.000 ft (~12.000m) and beyond.
The cockpit retained an aft-sliding bubble canopy, even though it had to be reinforced and was quickly recognizable through its stiffener bars. The cockpit pressurization system was driven by a separate Rotol supercharger attached to the engine, providing a constant pressure of 3.5 psi (24 kPa) over the exterior pressure. This resulted in an apparent cabin altitude of 24,000 feet (7,300 m) when the aircraft was operating at its design altitude of 45,000 ft (14,000 m).
This cabin altitude was still too high for normal breathing, so the pilot had to wear an oxygen mask during flight. A rubber gasket filled with the pressurized air sealed the canopy when the system was turned on, and a valve ensured the pressure was controlled automatically. Moreover, the pilot also had to wear a high altitude suit as he might have been required to bail out at altitude.
Detail work turned into time-consuming process, though. For instance, the Mustang VI, how the type was called by the RAF, and “The White Horse” by its pilots and service drews, required a new, sophisticated electrical system. This was necessary in order to minimize the number of seals and points of entry into the cockpit for the controls and instrumentation. It worked, but it was complicated: it took an electrician experienced in the features of the Mustang VI almost four hours to undertake a pre-flight check of this system!
The armament was modified, too. The original six 0.5" machine guns were to be replaced by four long-barreled Hispano 20 mm cannon in the wings. These offered greater range and ensured more damage against the expected, big targets.
Five prototypes were used in the development process in early 1943. Despite its complexity the White Horse proved to be successful, as it easily reached 50.000 ft. (15.000 m) altitude and handled well. But production was delayed as the standard P-51D had priority and no immediate high altitude threat from Germany materialized.
Serial production eventually started in mid-1944, but at a much smaller scale than initially planned: the original production plan from late 1942 demanded no less than 500 specimen, but towards late 1943 this drastically reduced to 100, and eventually only a mere 50 of these aircraft actually reached its exclusive user, the Royal Air Force, until early 1945.
When the Mustang VI arrived at the frontline in January 1944, there was virtually no sign of high altitude aircraft to be intercepted – and there was hardly any other use for this specialized aircraft. As a consequence most of the almost new airframes were modified to carry cameras for high altitude reconnaissance missions. These machines were converted by the Forward Repair Unit (FRU) to have two camera compartments fitted: one behind the cockpit cabin, facing to port or starboard, with respective windows added behind the cockpit and above the turbocharger compartment, and another in the extension segment in front of the tail wheel, where up to two vertical cameras could be mounted (even though the location proved to be rather unsuitable, as hot air from the radiator and oil leaking from the turbocharger frequently obscured clear vision). These modified aircraft were re-designated Mustang PR.VI, which turned into FR.6 from late 1944 on.
After WWII hostilities ended, a small number of Mustang FR.6 was kept in RAF service and allocated to squadrons in Germany and in the Far East, where the aircraft were exclusively used for reconnaissance duties.
One of the type's last missions took place in 1951, when Hainan Island (People's Republic of China) was targeted at the behest of U.S. Naval Intelligence for RAF overflights. RAF Mustang FR.6 of 80 Squadron, based at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong, were deployed, together with Spitfire PR.19 from 81 Squadron.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 34 ft (10,37 m)
Wingspan: 48 ft 9½ in (14.90 m)
Height: 14 ft 7½ in (4.46 m) w. tail wheel on ground & vertical propeller blade
Empty weight: 4,870 kg (10,737 lb)
Loaded weight: 5,100 kg (11,244 lb)
Max. take-off weight: 6,020 kg (13,272 lb)
Fuel capacity: 1,200 l (264 imp gal)
Powerplant:
1 × Packard V-1650-20 liquid-cooled piston engine, rated at 1.233 hp (920 kW) at 35,000 ft (10,668 m)
Performance
Maximum speed: 420 km/h (261 mph; 227 kn) at sea level, 660 km/h (409 mph) at 15.000 m (49.130 ft)
Cruise speed: 362 mph (315 kn, 580 km/h)
Range: 460 km (286 mi; 248 nmi) at maximum continuous power with 595 l (131 imp gal) of fuel at sea level; 1,440 km (895 mi) with 1,200 l (264 imp gal) of fuel at 15.000 m (49.130 ft)
Service ceiling: 50.500 ft (15.420 m)
Maximum ceiling: 55,610 ft (16,950 m)
Rate of climb: 11.5 m/s (2,260 ft/min) at sea level, 3.92 m/s (13 ft/s) at 15.000 m (49.130 ft)
Armament
4× 0.787 caliber (20mm) Hispano cannons with 200 RPG in the outer wings; some aircraft only carried a pair or these or were completely unarmed to save weight
2× hardpoints for up to 2.000 lb (907 kg) of external ordnance under the wings, typically only two drop tanks were carried.
The kit and its assembly
I've always been a big fan of the Westland Welkin and its elegant high altitude livery in PRU Blue and Medium Sea Grey, but lacking a suitable kit this had always been just a plan - until you build a suitable aircraft on your own! The plan for a high altitude Mustang had also been lingering for some time, as I found good donation parts in the stash (see below).
So... why not combine these into a whif model? Specification F.4/40 was a good real world background, and maybe a single-engined aircraft in the style of the Bv 155 would have been a better answer than the twin-engined Welkin or its competitor, the Vickers 432?
The basis is the Hasegawa P-51D. It's a decent kit with good detail but only of average fit. It's an old casting, but for this conversion it was a very good basis.
Many things were changed in order to create the FR.6, though:
● Wing tips extended with parts from a HUMA Me 309 (leading and training edge sweep match perfectly!)
● Extended rear fuselage, with a 2C putty plug (about 1 cm) inserted
● Elongated fin, the upper half comes from a Special Hobby He 100D
● New stabilizers, taken OOB from an ART Model Bv 155
● New ventral fairing; it's a seriously trimmed radiator from the aforementioned ART Model Bv 155 with scratch parts
● New/larger carburetor air intake, from a Matchbox Martin Marauder
● Camera windows on the real fuselage - simply drilled holes, filled with black glass paint and Humbrol Clearfix
● New propeller; the spinner is OOB, the blades come from the ART Model Bv 155, too
● New canopy; it's a vacu piece, also leftover from the ART Model Bv 155 (it fits almost perfectly!)
● Long-barreled Hispano cannons from a late Spitfire kit from Special Hobby
Fortunately I had everything at hand, true spare-parts recycling. Building the thing was pretty straighforward, the biggest issue were the fuselage with its extension and the bulbous, dorsal fairing, and the extended fin.
The exhaust system was completely scratched from styrene profiles. I used the Bv155 and a P-47 explosion sketch as design benchmarks – but I give NO guarantee for realism! Some small details were added with white glue, which was also handy as a kind of fluid putty that would bridge some gaps in the piping.
Painting and markings
I had a clear benchmark, to my Mustang FR.6 ended up with upper sides in uniform Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 165) and lower sides in PRU Blue (Humbrol 230). Since the Mustang has a similar layout as the Spitfire, I went for a high waterline - I think that this makes the aircraft more interesting than an all-grey upper side?
The basic tones were later highlighted through dry-brushing with lighter shades (Humbrol 145 and 167) and a thin black ink wash.
The interior incl. the landing gear was painted in Interior Green (Humbrol 78). The complex exhaust system received special attention with some graphite, as I wanted to present the pipes as painted, yet totally scorched and worn from the hot gases inside, so that they stand out in front of the all-blue background.
The markings come from a Special Hobby Spitfire F.23 which contains markings for several RAF 80 Squadron machines based in Hong Kong. I kept the aircraft rather sober, with minimal markings and just the 80 Squadron ‘Bell’ badge as individual highlight.
After some additional dry-brushing with medium grey overall, the kit was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish.
A quick one and everything was kept very simple and straightforward, even though it might appear different. In the end the modified Mustang looks very nice and elegant, despite the extra plumbing and slightly distorted proportions. It actually looks like the illegitimate offspring between a P-51D and a Bv 155 in a dark night over the Channel...?
Composit with model Joy and his motorbike. Background shot in Beverwijk / Holland en subject shot in studio.
Photography: FLOR3NS, Florens van der Put
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Copyright Owner: © 2021 FLOR3NS Photography, Florens van der Put ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Sample image from our denim design pack. download from www.creativity103.com/design-packs/index.htm#roughdenim
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
Under the Treaty of Trianon (1920), Hungary was forbidden from owning military aircraft. However, a secret air arm was gradually established under the cover of civilian flying clubs. During 1938, as a result of the Bled agreement, the existence of the Royal Hungarian Air Force (Hungarian: Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő (MKHL)), was made known. The army's aviation service was reorganized and expanded.
Late 1938 the army aviation was once again reorganized. Admiral Horthy, the head of state, ordered that the army aviation should become an independent service with effect of 01.09.1939. It subsequently participated in clashes with the newly established Slovak Republic and in the border confrontation with the Kingdom of Romania.
In 1940, the decision was made to unite the Air Force, the anti-aircraft forces, and the civilian air defense organizations under one central headquarters. In April 1941, operations were conducted in support of the German invasion of Yugoslavia and, on 27 June 1941, Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union.
On 01.06.1941, the Air Defense Corps was established, and Lieutenant General Béla Rákosi became Commander of Army Aviation. In effect the Air Force had once again become part of the Army. In the summer of 1942, an air brigade was attached to the Luftwaffe's VIII. Fliegerkorps at the Eastern Front.
At that time, most of the Hungarian Air Force's fighter equipment was of German origin, consisting of types like Bf 109 F and G, Fw 190 A/F, Me 210. But some indigenous designs were under development, too, e. g. at the RMI, Repülo Muszaki Intézet, or Aviation Technical Institute. Its aircraft were primarily (but not exclusively) by László Varga, and as a result, RMI designs were often given the Varga name (in some cases, even when he was not the major designer). But the RMI designation was used in parallel, too.
One of the domestic developments was the RMI-11 'Sólyom' (= Falcon) fighter. This single engine aircraft drew heavily upon the Bf 109 design, but featured some changes and improvements like an inward-retracting landing gear or a bubble canopy. It also incorporated elements from the heavy RMI-8 fighter, a push/pull design with twin tail booms, but the RMI-8’s sole prototype was destroyed by Allied air raids before a serious test program could be launched.
In contrast to the complex RMI-8 the RMI-11 was a small and light aircraft, a conventional but clean design, based on simple shapes for easy, modular production. Most of its structure was made from wood, saving sparse metal whenever possible. Empty weight was, for instance, about 200 kg less than a contemporary Bf- 109 G.
The RMI-11 was driven by a liquid-cooled DB 605 inverted V12 engine, rated at 1.475 hp. Thanks to the low weight of the airframe, the machine achieved a high top speed and an exceptional high rate of climb.
Originally designed as a fast and agile interceptor in the early stages of WWII, the RMI was only armed with two 13mm MG 131 with 300 RPG and two 7.92 mm MG 17 in the outer wings. Two underwing hardpoints could carry up to 100 kg each.
The RMI-11 prototype made its maiden flight in late 1943 and after a basic but successful test program immediately ordered into production – in a hurry, though, and beginning March 1944, Allied bomber raids began on Hungary and progressively increased in intensity.
Production of the RMI-11 gained only slowly momentum, due to material shortages, because the RMI-11was primarily of plywood bonded with a special phenolic resin adhesive that was supplied from German sources. Due to Allied bombing raids on the glue’s original production sites the plywood glue had to be replaced by one that was not as strong, and was later found to react chemically, apparently in a corrosive manner, with the wood in RMI-11’s structure. In November 1944, several RMI-11s crashed with wing and tail failures due to plywood delamination. This same problem also critically affected the German Focke Wulf Ta 154 and Heinkel He 162 programs.
Late in 1944 all efforts were redirected towards countering the advancing Red Army. Soon it was clear that the type needed long range cannons with higher caliber in order to encounter heavy Allied bombers, so plans were made to add heavier German armament. This was realized through an extra pair of MG 151/20 20 mm cannons with 150 RPG, which were added in fairings under the wings instead of the original bomb hardpoints (which were hardly ever used in service at all). During the same refit, the rather ineffective MG 17s were deleted, saving weight and leaving more room inside of the wings for the MG 131s’ ammunition supply (now with 400 RPG)
At that time only about 60 production aircraft had been completed and modified, and production was halted due to the severe structural problems. These machines were nevertheless thrown into service, with repairs and upgrades done at the Hungarian airfields – but the glue problem was a constant operational danger.
Still, all these efforts were to no avail: All fighting in Hungary ended on 16 April 1945, and all RMI-11’s were scrapped after hostilities ended.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 8.82 m (28 ft 10 ½ in)
Wingspan: 10.58 m (34 ft 8 in)
Height: 4.10 m (13 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 16.82 m² (181.00 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,964 kg (4,330 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,200 kg (4,840 lb)
Max. take-off weight: 2,395 kg (5,280 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 liquid-cooled inverted V12, 1,475 PS (1,085 kW)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 640 km/h (398 mph) at 6,300 m (20,669 ft)
Cruise speed: 590 km/h (365 mph) at 6.000 m (19.680 ft)
Range: 850 km (528 mi)
Service ceiling: 12.000 m (39.370 ft)
Rate of climb: 17.0 m/s (3.345 ft/min)
Wing loading: 196 kg/m² (40 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 344 W/kg (0.21 hp/lb)
Armament:
2× 13mm MG 131 (.51 in) machine guns in the wings,400 RPG, plus 2× 20mm MG 151/20 (.51 in) machine cannons, 150 RPG, in external underwing fairings.With the cannons deleted up to 8× 15 kg (33 lb) or 2× 50, 100, or 150 kg (110, 220, or 330 lb) bombs under the wings
The kit and its assembly:
This is a serious kitbash and a totally fictional aircraft - and you are IMHO an expert modeler if you recognize what basically went into it!
This build was inspired when I recently bought an RS Models Nakajima Kikka jet fighter, the double seater kit. As a bonus it comes with two fuselages: effectively, it is the single seater kit with an extra sprue and a different canopy. Looking at the Kikka's profile I found that it HAD to be converted into a piston engine aircraft, with a liquid-cooled engine. Wings and anything else would come from the scrap box, but it should become a sleek fighter aircraft, a late WWII design.
From that, things went straightforward:
● Fuselage from a RS Models Nakajima N9J1 "Kikka", front end cut away
● Wings from an Revell Macchi C.200 Saetta
● Stabilizers from an Art Model MiG I-210 fighter
● Canopy from a late Supermarine Spitfire (Special Hobby, IIRC)
● Nose/engine and radiators from an RS Models Ki-78
● The propeller was scratched from single pieces/blades and the Ki-78 spinner
● The landing gear is a Ki-78/C.200 parts mix.
I settled for the Ki-78's radiator installment on the rear flanks because it is a unique feature and simply does not hamper the sleek side profile. I also thought that this might have been a smart solution for modular production - fuselage and wings could be completed separately.
The Ki-78 engine had to be widened considerably to match the Kikka’s trapezoidal fuselage diameter, putty and major sculpting resulted in a relatively smooth and subtle intersection. As per usual, an axis construction for the propeller was added, too, so that it can spin freely. Mating wings and fuselage necessitated a new cockpit floor (which acts at the same time as landing gear well interior), and a 3mm bridge at the wing roots had to filled – but that was easy.
The cockpit interior was outfitted with spares, the Spitfire canopy needed some small styrene wedges under the windshield to make it fit onto the Kikka fuselage.
Things went rather smoothly until I fixed the wings to the completed fuselage. However I placed them, it looked odd – too far back, and the nose stood out; too far forward, and the tail was too long. Somehow, proportions did not match – only slightly, but it bugged me. So far that I eventually decided to shorten the fuselage – after having completed it, radiators already in place and everything sanded even. I made a vertical cut behind the cockpit and removed ~7mm of length – and suddenly the aircraft looked good! Needed some extra body work, but the aircraft looks much more balanced now.
The underwing fairings for the cannons were late additions, too. I wanted to keep the fuselage clean, with no nose guns, but adding heavier armament turned out to be tricky. The fairing solution was inspired by a real-world Fw 190 Rüstsatz which featured two MG 151/20 apiece. I had appropriate parts from an Academy Fw 190 left over, so I sliced these up and narrowed them for a single cannon each, and this was the right size for the slender aircraft. All gun barrels were created through heated and pulled-out styrene tubes.
Painting and markings:
Deciding what this aircraft was to become was tougher than building it! With its clearly German origin it had to be a WWII Axis type, but I did neither want a German nor a Japanese aircraft, even Italy was ruled out – all too obvious. With Hungary and its RMI designs I eventually found a good potential origin, and this also allowed a rather "colorful" livery. With the Hungarian background this kitbash became the RMI-11.
The paint scheme was inspired by an experimental Hungarian camouflage in Green, Gray and Brown, seen on a Bf 109G. I could not find color indications, but in the end I settled for three RLM tones for the upper sides, RLM 71, 75 and 79, coupled with RLM 76 for the lower sides. All tones are enamels from Modelmaster's Authentic range, panels and leading edges were slightly emphasized with lighter shades. As a small design twist I added a wavy, medium waterline on the fuselage sides.
Interior surfaces were, lacking any reference, kept in RLM 02. In order not to be too fanciful, the spinner became black with a green tip (RLM 62), and the blades were painted with a mix of RLM 70 (Black Green) and Black, for a very dark and dull green tone, Luftwaffe style.
The yellow markings correspond to German Luftwaffe markings of the late WWII era, the yellow 45° “V” under the lower left wing was introduced in the Balkan region in 1944, it was also carried by Luftwaffe aircraft in this conflict theatre.
The flashy decoration on all tail surfaces disappeared at that time on real aircraft (only small Hungarian flags were carried on the tail rudder), but I still incorporated the full national insignia because it's unique and a colorful contrast to the rest of the aircraft.
Most markings belong to a real Hungarian Bf 109G (from a Print Scale aftermarket sheet), I just scratched the national markings on the fuselage and the yellow markings (all cut from stock decal material) and parts of the Hungarian flag insignia on the tail: the tips were painted with red, the white and green bands were cut to measure from a Frecce Tricolori sheet.
A light black ink wash was applied and some dry painting added with gray and black (for soot and exhaust stains), for a lightly weathered effect. As final step, everything was sealed under matt acrylic varnish (Revell).
A quickie, done in just a week, but with a very convincing look. One might recognize Bf 109 F/G, Ki-78 and even He 100 features, but none of these aircraft really matches up with the RMI-11 at second glance, there are too many individual differences. If it gets you wondering – mission accomplished! ;)
Flower on Violet graphic available for download at dryicons.com/free-graphics/preview/flower-on-violet/ in EPS (vector) format.
View similar vector graphics at DryIcons Graphics.