Biggles in the Cruise of the Condor

Aircraft name: Vickers Amphibian "Condor" 

Kit: Karaya, Supermarine Seamew

Notes: Cruise of the Condor is my favourite Biggles book, so this was a high priority build. This Condor is based on the illustrations as it is ultimately intended for a diorama. It conflicts with the description in the book, but the overriding concern here was to model a particular illustration wherein Algy brings down the bad guys' aircraft by flinging an oil drum that collapses the top wing: http://www.biggles.info/Details/02/Illustrations/236.jpg 

A lot of kitbashing was required to transform the Seamew. It has Smythe and Dickpa inside, just (only just) visible through the windows I made below the wing. Algy is leaning over the side in the act of hurling the drum of oil....

I dusted it heavily with black pastel powder to represent the volcanic ash that it flew through to take off, prior to this scene.

Aircraft name: Curtiss Flying Boat

Kit: Esoteric vacfrm, Douglas PD-1

Notes: The book describes the flying boat used by "Silas & Co" (the bad guys) as a Curtiss (almost certainly H-16) but the illustration depicts a Douglas PD-1. This one is an illustration-based build to match the iconic scene, paired with the Condor above. A vacform biplane flying boat is a tall order in modelling terms but thanks to the quality of the Esoteric kit is was actually easier than I anticipated.

Biggles Flies Again

Aircraft name: "Vickers Vandal" 

Kit: Matchbox, Supermarine Walrus

Notes: The eponymous Vickers Vandal, the fictitious aircraft from which I obtained my internet moniker. The kite that carries Biggles and Algy around the world on various adventures as they make their way back from South America to England. 

A tale of woe goes with this model. I laboured long over it and finished it one evening, took some photos then foolishly left it out on the bench overnight....in a household with an 18 month old. 

*Sigh*.......I will rebuild it one day....

The build is based purely on the illustrations, which show a Vickers-Supermarine Walrus with apparently a Napier Lion or Rolls Royce inline engine and the radiator from a Vickers 54 Viking. I used a cast metal Napier and scratch built the radiator. 

Biggles & Co

Aircraft name: Stella Carstairs' "Falcon"

Kit: Dekno, Miles Falcon VI

Notes: Stella Carstairs, 1930s flapper, aviatrix and daughter of a millionaire who comes to Biggles for help, owns her own Miles Falcon. In the book it is said to have previously belonged to the racer "Tommy Briggs". No such person existed in real life, but Harold Brooks certainly did and he competed in the Macrobertson air race in a Miles Falcon. This was the inspiration for my scheme for Stella's Falcon: http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/gallery/gallery/m/macrobertson-air-race-1934-no31-miles-falcon-flight-4478 

The model didn't require any modification apart from custom decals. Being a short run resin kit it was a bit hellish to build, which probably shows in the quality of the finish. The Stella figurine is from a Preiser 1920s airliner crew and passengers set. She is, of course, matching her outfit to her aircraft.

Aircraft name: Un-named dark green monoplane

Kit: Heller, Messerschmitt 108 Taifun

Notes: This is one of the unmarked high speed monoplanes used by Von Stalhein and his shady gang of spies and crooks. Given that he is in the pay of the German government to undermine British currency in this story, I figured he would be using something pretty up-to-date for the late 1930s setting. Hence the 108.

Biggles in Africa

Aircraft name: Puss Moth (Harry Marton)

Kit: Omega Resins

Notes: Harry Marton's Puss Moth as it would have appeared before he was abducted and it was repainted black. The kit was nicely detailed but definitely a challenge in resin. Glass all had to be scratchbuilt too. Urgh.

Biggles Goes To War

Aircraft name: "Lovitznian single-seater"

Kit: Heller, FW-56 Stosser

Notes: The story gives no clear indication of the design of the fighters used by the presumably-German-backed nation of Lovitznia. The illustrations all show parasol monoplanes. I ran with the Stosser for this one. It was built ostensibly as a trainer during Germany's stealth re-armament phase but could be armed for a combat role. It would be a fairly likely candidate for a small proto-fascist nation to be using in the 1930s. Built out of box with custom printed brown Lovitznian crosses.

Biggles Flies North

Aircraft name: Wilks' "Rockheed Freighter"

Kit: Special Hobby, Lockheed Model 9 Orion

Notes: Wilks sets up a freight airline in the frozen wastes of Canada and uses "Rockheed" freight carriers. "Rockheed" is a pretty obvious bastardisation of Lockheed. There are plenty of Lockheeds to choose from here: Electra, Orion, Vega, Altair. I went with the Orion as they were used by Canadian and Alaskan operators of small airlines. There is no illustration of the Rockheed in the book so it's really up to whatever line of reasoning works best. The Alaskan Airways logo that I designed and printed up actually uses the line drawing artwork from the original hardback, of an aircraft flying over pine-wooded mountains: http://www.biggles.info/Details/18/index_files/image002.jpg 

Aircraft name: "Weinkel Transport

Kit: Revell, Heinkel HE-70 Blitz

Notes: McBain and his posse of bad guys use "Weinkel" aircraft. Pretty obviously, Heinkel. The illustrations show a HE-70 (http://www.biggles.info/Details/18/Titlepage.jpg), so it was an easy pick. I built this kit fairly quickly - over a weekend while on vacation - so the build quality is perhaps not competition level....