Tag: paintable

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New Miniatures: The Airco D.H.4

The Airco D.H.4 was one of the great planes of World War One. Serving widely and in great numbers, its excellent Rolls-Royce engine gave it speed enough to outrun many enemy fighters, and power enough to overcome the drag lost through maneuvering. DH4s served from March 1917 through to the Armistice, performing bombing, observation, photography, anti-Zeppelin, and anti-submarine duties.

Overall, the D.H.4 was one of the great designs of World War One. It served on the Western Front, Italy, Aegean, Macedonia, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and during the Russian Revolution. An RNAS DH4 took down Zeppelin L.70 in August 1918. Belgium equipped six escadrilles with D.H.4s.

The D.H.4 also has the distinction of being the only fully American-built landplane to see action, serving with the U.S. Air Service starting in July 1918. American D.H.4s used twin Marlin/Browning synchronized machine guns, twin flexible Lewis guns, and the 400hp Liberty engine.

Three paintable Airco D.H.4s are now available from Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory: a standard version, and R.N.A.S. version with twin fixed Vickers, and a Liberty-engined American D.H.4.

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New Miniature: Levy-Besson “Alerte” Flying Boat

The Alerte class of triplane flying-boat was intended for long patrols and carried a radio and small bomb loaded, with the intent of spotting enemy planes, seaplanes, and submarines and radioing for help when needed. Levy-Besson’s entry for this class was based on a triplane fighter.

One hundred Levy-Besson Alerte Flying Boats were built and used by Aviation Maritime, entering service in October 1917. It was used primarily in the anti-submarine role. Production of triplane flying boats was relatively limited because they were harder maneuver on water.

A paintable 1:144 miniature of the Levy-Besson “Alerte” Flying Boat is now available from Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory.

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New Miniatures: The Tellier T.3 and T.6

Naval aircraft month continues with the release of these French flying boats, the Tellier T.3 and T.6. The T.3 was also used by the U.S. Navy.

In WWI the French were great proponents of flying boats, and the Tellier T.3 served with distinction alongside flying boats from F.B.A., Donnet-Denhaut, and Levy-Besson. Tellier was already accomplished at building boats before the war, and the Tellier flying boats had the reputation of having the best hull of any flying boat. About 190 were built and from February 1917 through the end of the war they were used for anti-submarine and mine patrols.

The USA inherited at least 32 T.3’s, which they operated from Le Croisic Naval Station starting in November 1917. Russia, via Dux, had plans to build at least twenty, but the hulls and wings were still in storage awaiting the arrival of engines when Russia exited the war. The RNAS acquired two for evaluation but there was never a production order.

In an effort to provide a cannon-armed flying boat, the Tellier T.3 was re-armed with a 47mm Hotchkiss cannon. To balance the weight of the gun, the hull was lengthened by almost a meter. The Tellier T.6 premiered in late 1917, where they were useful for patrol and convoy escort. At least fifty-five T.6s were built for Aviation Maritime.

Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory has released two new 1:144 flying boat miniatures: the Tellier T.3 and T.6.

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New Miniature: The Hansa-Brandenburg W.13

Though it was designed in late 1916, it wasn’t until July 1917 through March 1918 that the Hansa-Brandenburg W.13 was delivered to KuK Kriegsmarine. Shortages of the Type 21000 Daimler engine led to planes being delivered without engines, where they sat in storage until engines could be procured. Like the ubiquitous Brandenburg C.I, the W.13 was delivered by its parent company and by UFAG and Phönix, with the last of these arriving in mid-1918. Around 130 W.13’s were built overall.

The powerful 350hp V-12 engine gave the W.13 good bomb-carrying capacity, and it was used on bombing missions starting in August of 1917 over both land and sea. Its long range gave it distinct advantages in the reconnaissance and patrol roles.

A paintable 1:144-scale Hansa-Brandenburg W.13 is now available from Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory.

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New Miniature: The Lohner Type M Flying Boat

The Lohner Type M was an Austro-Hungarian flying boat similar to the Lohner L. The first five were delivered by May 1914 and a subsequent order of six improved M2 (Mn) flying boats were delivered by October. Two somewhat larger Mk models were tested in early 1915 for the reconnaissance role. The last two Type Ms, the “MkN”, were designed as mine-spotting aircraft, a role for which a larger aircraft was better suited, so they were relegated to training.

Type Ms were quite busy in the Adriatic in 1914 and early 1915. By spring the larger Lohner L started to take the brunt of the work and the Type Ms were moved to second-line missions, but they continued service until the last, M31, was retired in early 1917.

A paintable 1:144 3D-printed miniature for the Lohner Type M flying boat is now available at Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory.

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New Miniature: The F.B.A. Type H

Hydravions Franco-British Aviation (F.B.A.) built several flying boats during WWI, and the F.B.A. Type H was the most numerous. In fact, it may have been the most numerous flying boat of the entire war, with 982 built in Italy and several hundred in France. It was a development of the Type B airframe, but a 150hp Hispano-Suiza vee engine was used for increased power. The wings were redesigned and about half a meter wider, the tailplane was altered, and the hull was strengthened. A crew of three was carried: two flight personnel and a nose gunner. They were also used in small numbers by Belgium, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S.A.

In Italy, at least 982 were built: 38 in 1916; 367 in 1917; and 477 in 1918. A handful of Italian Type H’s were shifted to the RNAS at Otranto. A full 28 squadriglias used the Type H, mostly supplied under license by SIAI (Societa Idrovolanti Alta Italia). These latter machines used a 170hp Isotta-Fraschini engine. SIAI could not keep up with the demand and spread production over six subcontractors. The Type Hs were used all along the Italian coast and by war’s end there were still 382 in service.

A paintable 1:144 -scale F.B.A. Type H is now available from Great War Planes by Reduced Aircraft Factory.

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