Messages

661

Combat Warplanes / Re: Buffalo

« on: September 30, 2007, 04:05:40 PM »

In spite of its shortcommings, the Buffalo gave a good account of itself during the war against the Japanese when flown by Dutch pilots! It scored better that the Curtiss Interceptor and the Curtiss P-36 Hawk. In spite of its relatively low performances it was a very rugged plane that could survive severe punishment by enemy fire!
And we can hardly say it was a failure when operated by Finnish pilots agains overwhelming Russian forces!

662

Combat Warplanes / Re: Let's play

« on: September 29, 2007, 11:54:47 AM »

Here is the famous shot of that Russian flying promenade!

663

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 28, 2007, 02:01:40 PM »

Let's conclude my 'photo session' of the S-11.
Think placing the other 390 is just a little bit over the top!
Attached one last shot of the model kits I have.
As you see there are three different kits: one from Artiplast (1960 or so!) and two other from Smer.
However, it is all the same product from the same molds!
And NO, I do NOT offer the kits for sale!

664

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 27, 2007, 09:51:44 PM »

No, maingear was not a nose wheel from Dowty as used on the Gloster Meteor as it looks! The u/c legs were originally made in France, but since they showed to have some weakness they were replaced by legs produced in the Netherlands. Those u/c legs always were a weak point since they were sensitive to lateral force making crosswind landings not very desirable!
Here are two shots of the final version of the first prototype.
First we see it in KLu colours with registration E-2 (taken on 28 September 1948) during transport by barge from the Amsterdam-Noord plant to Schiphol.
The second picture shows the plane as PH-NBE again for demonstration purposes. Pilot in l.h. seat is Fokker test pilot Gerben Sonderman. Later, he crashed fatally in the USA with Fokker S-14 L-4.

665

Warplane Art / Re: This will be?

« on: September 25, 2007, 09:58:34 PM »

And don't forget to have a look at http://www.labiker.org/xb70.html!

666

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 25, 2007, 09:54:16 PM »

Here is more on  the S-11:

-Because the original PH-NBE prototype showed to have very unfavourable flight characteristics a large modification test program was set up. We see here the PH-NBE on the Schiphol platform with an enlarged and reshaped canopy and a modified tail. Photo was taken on 29 May 1948
-The second machine PH-NBF was used for airflow investigations around the fuselage. For this purpose the canopy section was faired over with only a small windscreen left. Photo dates from 7 June 1948.

667

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 22, 2007, 11:45:31 AM »

The update for today:
-The S-11 prototype PH-NBE during its firs engine testing on the (very!) small quay of the old Fokker plant at the Papaverweg in Amsterdam-Noord. Photo was taken on 9 December 1947.
-PH-NBE at Schiphol  on the day of its first flight (18 December 1947).

668

Warplane Art / Re: Machtrainer- almost ready

« on: September 21, 2007, 07:03:50 PM »

When finished it will be most impressive; I am sure of this!
One remark: as you know the S-14 had an excessive long tailpipe that ran from the mid-fuselage to the tail end.
On the ground with the engine not running the tailpipe did not extend out of the rear section. However, in the air with the engine continueously producing a stream of very hot air it expanded outwards for approx. 5 cm. This is clearly visible from in-flight photos!

669

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 21, 2007, 06:17:27 PM »

Here are two more shots:
The first one shows the S-11 fuselage of the prototype being sandblasted. It was taken on 3 September 1947.
The second photo shows the S-11 prototype under construction with a view on  the engine installation. It was taken on 6 November 1947, some 1.5 month before its first flight.

More to follow................

670

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 20, 2007, 09:54:50 PM »

So, let's continue with the S-11 story!
Here are two further images. The first one shows the first public release of an artist impression that was published in the
aviation magazine VLIEGWERELD of 1 December 1946.
The next photo shows the quite basic and apparently low-budget mock-up of the S-11.
Three Fokker emplyees are testing the fit of the cockpit interor! The photo was taken on 26 February 1947.

671

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 19, 2007, 10:06:17 PM »

Here is the first 'wished I was there' photo showing some 'goodies' at the Fokker hanger at Schiphol airport.
Except for the Italian and Israelian S-11 we see at the right side also at last the S-14 L-5 just to prove it existed.
399 more to go.......................(just kidding!)

672

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 19, 2007, 09:10:04 PM »

I just checked two photo albums with S-11/S-12 photos from a Fokker photo collection I purchased some ten years ago.
Since the S-11 is a production model  and I have no particular affinity with this plane I never even looked into these two books. I was a little bit amazed to find out that I have more than 400 photos, not only of practically all S-11's built by Fokker, but also a number of quite unknown shots from Brazilian licence manufacturing. I also seem to have some hundred photos of the mock-up and the prototype in various stages of construction! I am still amazed to find out I have all this stuff!!
If anyone out there is interested I would be more than pleased to place here some of the most interesting and nicest shots.

673

Combat Warplanes / Re: Aermacchi M 416 / Fokker S11 Instructor

« on: September 17, 2007, 07:55:47 PM »

The S-11 is a machine with a very interesting history. It was licence manufactured both in Italy and Brazil and even served in the Israelian air force. It was a very sturdy plane and even today a number is still flying around.
Here is the 3-view drawing of the production version. There were various versions of the prototype including one with a faired-over cockpit section and just 1 seat with a small windscreen!
There is a monograph on the S-11, but this is in Dutch!

674

Combat Warplanes / Re: The BAC TSR 2

« on: August 22, 2007, 09:55:17 PM »

Yes, that TSR-2 really had everything to become a great plane.
It was just politics that killed it!
Also in model form, it is a rare bird. I still have unbuilt the 1/48 vacform kit from Contrail including decals and some crude injection moulded parts for the u/c and I believe this is nowadays also a  rare bird!
Airfix released some years ago at 1/72 scale a limited-run injection moulded kit of this plane which was complete sold out before it was even offered for sale at the hobby shops and it was never re-released. Let's just hope that the Airfix mould will at some time be used again to produce this kit!!

675

Combat Warplanes / Re: Osprey deck landing

« on: July 19, 2007, 09:20:25 PM »

When you read my story of the Fairey Rotodyne on the website you will see that the end of the Rotodyne may have been influenced not only by budget cuts, but also by poor company management!
When reading more recent magazine articles on the Rotodyne in British magazines it seems the decision to terminate the project is still seen as' the most logical and appropriate'! I disagree on this and I think the UK missed the boat at that time!