This build is more about an event than the actually aircraft. I am using the Huma 1/72nd DFS 230 to depict the German assault on the Belgian fortress of Eben-Emael on 10th May 1940, the first time that gliders had been used to launch a military assault. After doing quite a bit of research and looking at all the photo's I can find, I have decided to do the glider of Squad 8. This was the first glider to land. The only photo, a rather poor quality aerial shot, seems to indicate the glider was un damaged on landing, which is handy.
The kit I got my hands on was bagged and not boxed, so no box shot, just the instructions.
The first thing I did was sort the wings out. Each wing is one piece, but there were rather large sprue attachment points and some flash to clean up. This kit comes with mounts for a Mistel version and there is a small hole in the top of each wing for these mounts, so these needed filling.
On the fuselage, I needed to remove the rear kick out doors. Some references and photo's indicate a door at the front left of the aircraft just in front of the wing. But other pics, including those of the gliders used in 1940, show no sign of the door. I believe this may have been one of a few modifications made from lesson learned in Belgium. So all of the troops exited from either the rear doors or through the cockpit.
During my research, I learned that the troops sat on a bench which ran along the length of the fuselage. They could face front or rear and each had a folding back rest. I came across a couple of useful pics of this bench, which has been handy. But they include this one, I assume from a training manual. I can't imagine how the hell these guys were supposed to exit rapidly after a bumpy landing, in the dark, probably leaning over to one side and possibly under fire.
Sardines anyone.
With the canopy and rear doors off and the inside a light colour, it will be easy to see inside, so I am scratch building the bench. I need to clean it up a little and add a full length cushion and the seat backs.
And I made the rear doors using the thinnest sheet styrene I had and some plastic rod.
Then I moved onto painting the inside. I spray some RLM 02 and followed that with some black Flory wash along the inside struts. I then sprayed some more RLM 02 but very thin to tone it down.
I also got some done on the bench by using a couple of lengths of styrene strips for the cushion and bending some brass rod for the seat backs.
With the fuselage paint inside I could put the two half's together. I then dry fitted the wings so I could measure up for the base and work out the position of the figures. I normally plan the dio long in advance, some times several years before I start the build. But this time I wanted to wait until the build was under way.
One of the books I am using, The Fall of Eben Emael by James Mrazek, gives a good account of what each member of squad 8 was doing after landing, the one exception being the pilot. There is no mention of him once the glider has set down. So the figures are positioned based on this account with 3 moving out to take out the squads primary objective and 2moving towards a building that was putting down heavy fire and had caused one casualty as the troops were exiting. The pilot I have placed next to the glider with his MP 40 assisting Weinert, the MG gunner, to put down fire on the building.
Most of the figures are from Prieser. These must have been made for just this sort of thing as they are carrying equipment, namely the 12.5 and 55kg charges, used on the raid. The green pilot figure (Esci) I have since changed for a more suitable Preiser one, as the Esci figure had a shovel and kit on his back I don't think the pilot would have had. The two lighter figures are from the Revell set.
O, and in case your thinking I have discovered some before unheard of highly secret German weapon, sorry to disappoint you, but its just a pen. I wanted to get the glider over to one side as it was on landing.
The kit IP is a flat piece of plastic which is to thick. So I cut a piece of thin styrene sheet to shape and added instruments using the clear section found in PE sets, from the spares box. I also added a handle which I noticed in a pic and I am guessing is the tow cable release.
And a piece of plastic rod for a support bar with PE belts also from the spares box.
And the rear bench was finished off by using some lead foil for the fabric part of the back rests and some lap straps.
And this could then be fitted inside by sliding it through the large rear door on the right.
And that's how she sits now. I am currently altering the angle of the elevator's to match the photo's. I can now add the wings and should soon be ready for some paint soon.
Thanks for looking, all comments welcome.
