Where was the RAF at Dunkirk?

Started by Paul Barber · 148 · 6 years ago
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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    George, Tom, Louis - thank you so much - some great references and opinion. I am going with Alumin(i)um for this one! The Eduard photo-etch provides a metal seat to bend into shape and attach belts etc. to - so I will work with that.

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    Tom Cleaver said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    The kit seat is a bazilion times superior to the too-thin/innacurate Eduard p-e set, which proves that just because it's p-e doesn't mean you can't throw it away for useless (I generally throw away 2/3 of any p-e fret, not being that OCD (merely Aspergian) to waste time on the eeensy-weensy stuff you won't see anyway.

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Good thought Tom, thanks. I will make up the photoetch seat for comparison. It’ll be good to look at them next to each other to illustrate the point!

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    David Mills said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Another great account of the Dunkirk battle from the RAF point of view is given by Alan Deere in his book 'Nine Lives'. Flying spitfires with 54 squadron out of Hornchurch, he describes one of the first Spitfire v Me 109 duels. he was also shot down over Dunkirk and describes his journey back from the beaches to his squadron. Well worth a look if you have not read it.
    Thanks for kicking off the thread Paul looking forward to sailor Malan's spitfire !

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    David Mills said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Louis - fabulous photos as always - can any one tell me what the square shaped frame/indentation ? in the bottom of the seat was for? It seems to have some fabric strap connected to it?

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Thanks David, for the steer - I will hunt a copy down. From what I have read so far the discussions of Malan and Deere at Hornchurch, and discussions they also had with Bob Tuck , on formation and tactics - a lot of which came out of their experiences against heavy numbers of 109s at Dunkirk - prepared the RAF well for what came next! I know many will know this already, but reading around the detail is just fascinating!

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Also David here is the contentious Eduard photo-etch seat. It has the ‘indentation’ and the fabric (part 11) in the second picture.

    .
    It is a great question. I was guessing it was something to do with securing the pilot or an insert into the seat. But now finding out seems more important!

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Here’s another indented seat - this time in Interior green.

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    Tom Cleaver said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Hmmm - comparing the above photo to your photo of the Eduard seat, my antipathy to much p-e may have been overstated in this case.

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    david leigh-smith said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Tom, I think you are correct about PE, I usually end up using about 40% of any given additions and 'parking' the rest (almost always because it's too thin for scale). However, the Hurricane seat seems pretty good in comparison to the real thing.

    Great thread, Paul, I'm really enjoying this and looking forward to seeing where we go with the posts.

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Ok with three planes to this story currently I’ll try to make sure I head updates to label which plane is which:

    Lysander:

    Cockpit parts including fuel tanks, and wheels cut from sprues (glued if in halves) and sanded.

    First observations - no location pins on this kit so needs some care, and no numbers on the sprues even though Eduard has put them on its instructions!

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    Chuck A. Villanueva said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Paul you have the tri-fecta going on. All classics, the Lysander is quite a choice. The Hurricane seat PE seat looks just like the 1/1 seat. I would go with that as it looks the best in shape and scale. And the Spit always one that is perfect in any shape or form. Looking forward as you progress on each model.

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Thanks Chuck, I have grouped them because they are all relevant to the time around Spring/Summer 1940 over France and the low countries. I agree about the seat - I think it gets the shape quite well.

    Louis, thanks for those photos - I have tried to look at photos of pilots to see what trappings they have about their person waiting to scramble. Those metal seats must have been just one more thing to cope with - as if they didn't have enough! Great shots that will certainly help to inform the build!

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Some goodies arrived in the mail today. The Lysander decals - details are on the picture, but basically 4 squadron - some of whose crew ended up on the beach for the evacuation. This is Xtradecal set X48106 - History of RAF 4 Squadron. At some point I will build the Mustang I am sure. Less convinced about the post-war Mossie and the pre-war Hawker Audax, so if anyone wants to give me a postal address I will be happy to send those ones on!

    Also 2 books: one self explanatory, and the other a really interesting collection of photos taken by German soldiers - mostly using their own cameras - having arrived at the beaches, docks and town of Dunkirk. Some interesting shots inside m of wrecked aircraft among all of the other scenes of devastation.

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    Greg Kittinger said 6 years, 5 months ago:

    Great thread and multi-subject project (seems a bit reminiscent of a Louis iron-works build!). Will be following along...