looking for De Havilland DH4

[Arindel]

Hi all,

I am looking for a modele of the plane "De Havilland DH4", suitable for 28mm figures. (1/46 should be ok, do you agree?)
The modele doesn't need to be fine and accurate, just nice and robust for wargaming.
Sadly SMER doesn't make it ...

do you have an other source ?

Thank you in advance.

[Auton]

There's one on eBay that might do. Not sure of the size/scale though

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nice-Collectors-Metal-Model-Air-Plane-AIRCO-DH4-New_W0QQitemZ160148599564QQihZ006QQcategoryZ57738QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[TadPortly]

Pegasus Models stock a 1/48 scale limited run kit:

http://www.pegasusmodels.com/amdh4.html

[Arindel]

wow .. the pegasus one is great ... I want it !
The one of ebay is ... well ... funy.
Thank you very much !


Some info :

Although the DH-4 was originally a British combat airplane, it was redesigned in the United States in 1917 for the Liberty engine. The U.S. Air Service in France used the plane primarily for observation, day bombing, and artillery spotting. It carried the nickname "The Flaming Coffin" because of the supposed ease with which it could be shot down in flames. However, in reality, only eight of the 33 DH-4s the United States lost in combat burned as they fell. This was no greater percentage than for the French- and British-built airplanes used by the American Expeditionary Forces inFrance.

The DH-4 was the only U.S.-built airplane to fly in combat during World War I. By the end of the war, 3,431 had been delivered to the Air Service. The Dayton-Wright Airplane Company built most of these. Of these, 1,213 had been shipped to France, and 417 had seen combat.

The DH-4 had a span of 43.5 feet (13.3 meters), was 30.5 feet (9.3 meters) in length, and 10.3 feet (3.1 meters) high. It weighed 3,557 pounds (1,613 kilograms) when loaded and carried two .30-caliber Marlin machine guns in the nose and two .30-caliber Lewis machine guns in the rear as well as 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of bombs. It used a Liberty 12 421-horsepower (314-kilowatt) engine and carried a two-man crew.

Following World War I, the DH-4 continued in use with the army for a decade. More than 1,500 were rebuilt for increased strength and some were modified for carrying airmail in the 1920s.

I think this is typically the US-airplane which could be found in Sibery in the 20s. Will be some nice 'objective' or background with the aviators of copplestone.

More link:
http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj02/win02/notam5.pdf
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NXL/is_4_16/ai_97737379

[Boggler]

Aurora produced a DH4 kit in 1/48 scale back in the 60's and they occasionally pop up on ebay. The kits are perfect for gaming as they're very sturdy yet simple to construct.

[Boggler]

There is one of these though:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290152169080&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019

A bit on the large side but they were used post WW1 by the RAF in the near east (and you could always pretend one was captured and re-used by whatever faction you've got e.g. Bolsheviks, Chinese warlords or Whites

If you can't get a DH4 you could always use a Smer Avro504? The Soviets produced their own version as a trainer and liason aircraft and there were some armed versions during the civil war. It's a very cheap and easily available kit and takes Copplestone pilots without any chopping about.

[Boggler]

And there's also a Bristol fighter:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aurora-Bristol-F-2B-Fighter-Biplane-Model-Kit-1-48_W0QQitemZ230163801455QQihZ013QQcategoryZ142340QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Boggler]

And with a little further searching an AMT (reboxed Aurora) DH4!:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AMT-De-Havilland-D-H-4-Model-Kit-1-48-SEALED_W0QQitemZ230163801482QQihZ013QQcategoryZ2587QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Exactly what you're looking for, even down to the Liberty engine and US insignia...perfect!

[Arindel]

great recherche Boggler! Thank you very much.

Thanks also for the tip about the Avro. I didn't know that the russians had this airplane. It's a nice 2 personns airplane for background too.

I dind't find this kit of Smer. A lot other, but no avro... It is not so important, but do you know a good SMER internet seller ?

[Boggler]

I've had a look at the on line shops I know and found an Avro 504 kit here:

http://www.kingkit.co.uk/kingkit/

The Artiplast kit that's listed is the same as the Smer one.

As you're in Paris I'm sure you'll be able to get a Smer kit by phoning round some of the numerous model shops in the city? I get a lot of kits from a shop in Lorient but that's a long way from you! If I cna I'll find the address as the owner sells on line too.

[Boggler]

Here's a picture of the box lid of an Amodel 1/72 scale U1 copy of the Avro 504  

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=AMU72053

[Boggler]

And here's an article:

AVRO

The AVRO 504K two-seat biplane first appeared in Russia during the 1920s, when some machines entered service in the Don air detachment of General Wrangel's White forces and the 2d air detachment of the White Volunteer Army. They took part in anti-Bolshevik fighting in South Russia. Some were captured by the Reds. In 1922, Soviet Russia bought a batch of AVRO 504Ks (on wheels) and AVRO 504Ls (on floats) from Great Britain. Soviet factories copied this plane as the U-1 (AVRO 504K) and MU-1 (AVRO 504L). The U-ls served as military trainers until 1932. Civil air clubs flew U-ls until 1935. Thousands of Soviet pilots were trained on this type. The first U-ls were built at GAZ-5 aircraft plant. Beginning in 1923, production was transferred to the "Red flyer" plant at Petrograd. Production ceased in 1931 after 664 U-ls and MU-ls had been built. In 1931, takeoff rockets were tested on a U-1 by S. Mukhin. The MU-1 seaplane was built from 1924 to 1930, with seventy-three delivered. As a military seaplane trainers, they served until 1934.

[Darkoath]

SMER makes a De Havilland DH2 in 1/48 scale... I purchased one on Ebay.