On June 12 1943, a P-38G landed at Capoterra in Sardinia, either due to a navigation error. or something more strange. The 'plane and pilot have never been properly identified, nor the mission it was on, nor the unit it was operating with, as the US US markings were cancelled almost immediately. What is visible of the codes in photos points to it possibly being from the 1st Fighter Group 94th Fighter Squadron
The 'plane was taken to Guidonia airbase by Tenente Colonello Angelo Tondi, who later flew it in actual combat, shooting down B-17 'Bonnie Sue' on 11 August and possibly also B-17 'Lady Evelyn' on 11 September. American reporting talks of a 'pirate' P-38 'carrying swastikas.' Due to the Armistice, and the unavailability of high octane fuel, the P-38 was handed on to the Germans and ended up at Rechlin, flying with Zirkus Rosarius with the codes T9+XB
So, my collection of Regia Aeronautica 'planes extends to war prizes. Any excuse really
This is the old Airfix P-38F kit, slightly modified to make it a 'G.' As it's all rivet-frenzy and raised panels I sanded most of the surface detail off, then finished the panel lines with smeared fibre tip. Although the kit goes together really well, it has some major flaws, not least of which is the control panel, with integrally moulded spade grip, fits as the front of the cockpit bucket, so it's a centimeter under the cowling and invisible. A bit of cut and shut there. Also, not until the wheels were on did I discover there wasn't enough weight in the nose to not be a tail sitter! GAH! Oh, and two of the nose guns pinged into oblivion. One oddity, which is actually a really good idea, is the main wheel bays have the doors moulded on to them as a single piece. The closed doors are a separate piece
Didn't do too much weathering as the 'plane may have been pretty new when taken
So, next up will either be in the RA war prizes a Breguet 693 (but that's the SMER release of the old Heller kit, which has NO interior detail at all and a lot of glass to see through!) or a Beaufighter I. I may eventually get around to the captured Albacore, if I can face building a Pegasus kit (shudder)
The 'plane was taken to Guidonia airbase by Tenente Colonello Angelo Tondi, who later flew it in actual combat, shooting down B-17 'Bonnie Sue' on 11 August and possibly also B-17 'Lady Evelyn' on 11 September. American reporting talks of a 'pirate' P-38 'carrying swastikas.' Due to the Armistice, and the unavailability of high octane fuel, the P-38 was handed on to the Germans and ended up at Rechlin, flying with Zirkus Rosarius with the codes T9+XB
So, my collection of Regia Aeronautica 'planes extends to war prizes. Any excuse really
This is the old Airfix P-38F kit, slightly modified to make it a 'G.' As it's all rivet-frenzy and raised panels I sanded most of the surface detail off, then finished the panel lines with smeared fibre tip. Although the kit goes together really well, it has some major flaws, not least of which is the control panel, with integrally moulded spade grip, fits as the front of the cockpit bucket, so it's a centimeter under the cowling and invisible. A bit of cut and shut there. Also, not until the wheels were on did I discover there wasn't enough weight in the nose to not be a tail sitter! GAH! Oh, and two of the nose guns pinged into oblivion. One oddity, which is actually a really good idea, is the main wheel bays have the doors moulded on to them as a single piece. The closed doors are a separate piece
Didn't do too much weathering as the 'plane may have been pretty new when taken
So, next up will either be in the RA war prizes a Breguet 693 (but that's the SMER release of the old Heller kit, which has NO interior detail at all and a lot of glass to see through!) or a Beaufighter I. I may eventually get around to the captured Albacore, if I can face building a Pegasus kit (shudder)
Comment