Pulp Airplanes

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

I would love to put one of these on my board, the Italian IMAM RO.37 Lince (Lynx) reconnaissance aircraft. These entered Royal Italian Air Force service in 1933 but in 1938 several were sold to the Kingdom of Afghanistan. This example was found during the Afghanistan War in 2006 and brought back to Italy for restoration; it's in the Italian Air Force Museum on Lake Bracciano. I wrote about the museum when I was stationed in Italy: https://www.wayfarerdaves.com/storytelling-at-lake-bracciano-the-italian-air-force-museum/

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

These are a set of early 1930s racing seaplanes, also at the Italian Air Force Museum. Thanks to Porco Rosso, there's a model very similar to these.




Macchi M-39
The M-39 was designed in eight months and won the 1926 Schneider Trophy, Italy's last victory in that series.


Fiat C. 29
Built in 1929 for the Schneider Trophy race, this is the oldest Fiat aircraft in existence. Also, very dangerous and nearly killed the test pilot. Twice.


Macchi M.C. 72
Broke the world speed record in 1934; still holds the world speed record for a piston-powered seaplane as of 2025. Moving at 440 mph, it was faster than the more famous Hughes H-1 Racer.


Macchi M-67
Also built for the 1929 Schneider Trophy race, the only Italian aircraft to participate that year. Unlike the C.29, successfully killed it's test pilot.

[Michi]

That last picture shows a lot of exhaust diffusers. Are there two V12 engines in line driving the propeller on the same shaft?
Anyway there is proof that red goes faster! 

[Michi]

That last picture shows a lot of exhaust diffusers. Are there two V12 engines in line driving the propeller on the same shaft?
Anyway there is proof that red goes faster! 

Ah, I see two propellers! Even cooler!!!
Very close to Crimson Skies. 

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

Ah, I see two propellers! Even cooler!!!
Very close to Crimson Skies. 

I made an error in stating it was the M-67, it's actually the M.C.72 and it still holds the record for fastest piston-engine seaplane ever built. For a time it was also the fastest airplane, faster than even the more famous Hughes H-1 Racer. Probably because it's painted red. I'll update the original post in a moment.

[Kourtchatovium104]

There is also this japanese one. 


Sorry, it's a serious thread here. 

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

A plane's a plane. Even a... short plane.

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

And some even fly.

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

I found one of the pulpiest airplanes:
https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-aeroplan-at-the-mountains-of-madness-campain-264538

[Daeothar]

As long as we're talking old anime, here's something less transporty, but exceedingly pulpy: the autogiro from Lupin III, Castle of Cagliostro. It's a still widely available 1/48 plastic kit.



I have one I still need to finish, and it's a simple, but very well fitting model. The only changes I made were a tube in the ventral surface to put it on a flying stand and a change of pilot. I used a Copplestone(?) Roaring Twenties metal pilot torso for that. I believe my project stalled at trying to find clear plastic stiff and thin enough to represent its spinning rotor...

[Michi]

I am still a big fan of the CS models and novels! 

[bluewillow]

Excellent mate

[Daeothar]

I am still a big fan of the CS models and novels! 

Same here. And let's not forget the super fun PC game! 

I actually have all of the planes from the old clicky game (and extras), as at one point I had been planning to port the X-Wing (1.0) rules to be used for CS, but the amount of DTP work was rather daunting and I never seem to find the time to work on it. I even bought a mat for the game

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

What game series is CS? I used to play X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter religiously.

[Daeothar]

What game series is CS? I used to play X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter religiously.

If you love X-Wing and TIE-Fighter, you'll like Crimson Skies as well for sure. It's not a series, regrettably; it's just the one PC game from the early zeroes, although I believe there was also a console port (X-Box) that did get a sequel:



Link to the Crimson Skies wikipedia page.