Dewoitine D.520...the prodigal son

D.520 was among the most modern fighter aircraft at the beginning of WWII in the French Air Force inventory. Contrary to current design philosophy, this was a very good looking plane and was very useful as an advanced trainer for fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe after France capitulation in June 1940.

This plane is unique and a treasure for modellers because was used by many Air Forces during the war and, at last, return to french pilots when France was liberated in 1944. The most attractive for modelling D.520 is the fact that any user put some proper paint schemes but not erasing totally the former French scheme. Moreover, when the surviving planes came back to French hands, was utilized with no new paint, because there wasn't original paint except the German stock. The Free French Air Force slowly repainted its aircraft color by color according to availability.

This model is a Tamiya 1/48 kit. Indeed, superb molds as Tamiya high standard and, unlike Tamiya classic kits, a very decent interior cockpit details. No engine details.

As always with this company products, the construction -OOB- is very straightforward and no putty is required. My box come with the classic white 6 in black disc in the fin, one of the most know-ed D.520 in the Free French Air Force (with the hand write legend "vas y jojo" in the cockpit starboard side) . It's an specially dirty and multi-colored example of that era.     

source: warthunder.com

DHC-2 Beaver...

This is one of the great machines produced by the successful Canadian De Havilland company. Still flying all over the world. Our Air Force operated some Beaver in our Antarctic region since last part of fifties until seventies. I have a blur remembering of that plane... I think I've seen in Bahía Catalina, FACH base in Punta Arenas, Chile at the beginning of 60's when a was a very child. Chile is a very loyal and faithful customer of DHC from that time...our Air Force operated DHC2, DHC3 and DHC6 (was the very first customer of DHC6). In the first years of 80's DHC delegates tried to sell one DHC4 Caribou, that result totally burned in a landing accident in the same city returning from FACH Antarctic base.

The kit is the excellent Canadian Hobbycraft 1/72 scale. Easy to build, basic interior details but no problem because is difficult to see anything after the model is completed. Curiously, the fuselage halves came in transparent plastic. The numerals are from Letter Press letraset, a little bit narrower than real ones, but good enough.

Me110G....

The Me110 was the epitome of the German zerstörer concept, one of the central air warfare ideas on the mid thirties in Germany. Prove to be a failure (the concept) as a heavy fighter, became a successful night fighter.

Anyway, the Me110 is a loved bird to any modeler because the myriad of paint schemes used on it.

This is the magnificent Italeri 1/72 kit. A real gem. Made OOB, I'm tempted to do another model using aftermarket Fug 220 antennas. Auxiliary fuel tank looks too small but is not relevant in the final result...

 

Pfalz D.XII... the belated bird.

This was an excellent plane but entered in service in spring 1918, when the Fokker D.VII was the undisputed queen of the air. Pfalz XII was a sturdy machine with an extraordinary dive capability, but, in summary, no represent any clear advance over the magnificent D.VII.
Unfortunately, arrived too late to the front. This fact, had relegated Pfalz to be a semi unknown aircraft.

The kit is a very good representation of the real one in 1/72 scale, made by a short lived Ukraine company named Toko, now Roden (I think).