Historical References

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JohnRatzenberger
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Historical References

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Here ask questions and post historical information and references about the subject of the GB.
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lancfan
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Re: Historical References

Post by lancfan »

Here is a list of the aircraft used in the books and some unused civil registrations and military serials we can use for our models.


This is a list of Aircraft flown by Biggles and the gang,

World War 1
Sopwith F.1 Camel (Biggles of the Camel Squadron - The Camels are coming)
Sopwith Pup
Bristol Fighter
DH 4
Halberstadt
Pfalz
Gotha bomber

Between the wars

Ex. RAF Bristol Bulldog (Biggles & Co.)
Twin engined Sikorsky amphibian (Biggles flies west)
"Wanderer" - amphibian (Biggles in the Jungle)
Vickers Vandal
"Lance" - fighter (Biggles goes to War)
"Gannet" (Biggles Hits the Trail)
Caproni
"Cormorant" twin engined biplane (Biggles & co.)
"Scud" (Biggles in the South Seas)
"Tourer" (Biggles Flies South)
"Storm" amphibian (Biggles, Air Commodore)

World War 2

"S.1 mk1" - amphibian fighter/bomber
Wellington (Biggles in the orient)
Beaufighter (Biggles in the orient)
Mosquito (Biggles in the orient)
Hurricane (Biggles in the orient)
Spitfire (Biggles in the orient)
Typhoon (Biggles in the orient)
Blenheim
Liberator Transport ( Biggles delivers the goods)
Grumman Gosling (Biggles delivers the goods)
P-38 Lightning (Biggles delivers the goods)
Defiant (Biggles sweeps the desert)
Whitley (Biggles sweeps the desert)
Rapide (Biggles sweeps the desert)
Messerschmitt Bf109 (captured) (Biggles sweeps the desert)
World War 2
"S.1 mk1" - amphibian fighter/bomber
Wellington
Beaufighter
Mosquito
Hurricane (Biggles in the orient)
Spitfire
Typhoon (Biggles in the orient)
Blenheim
Liberator Transport ( Biggles delivers the goods)
Grumman Gosling (Biggles delivers the goods)
P-38 Lightning (-delivers the goods)
Defiant (Biggles sweeps the desert)
Whitley (Biggles sweeps the desert)
Rapide (Biggles sweeps the desert)
Messerschmitt Bf109 (captured) (Biggles sweeps the desert)

Air Police

SGT Bigglesworth, CID (the first police story)- RAF mosquito repainted grey with civil markings and a prototype twin-engined fighter called the "Spur" in similar markings.
The Air Police went on to have their own fleet of aircraft including both Police titled and unmarked (civil reg.) Austers and Proctors, a Wellington, Halifax and often borrowed aircraft from the Air Ministry.
Wellington (the Mandarin's treasure chest -short story from Biggles of the special Air Police)
RAF Hastings transport on loan (Biggles presses on)
RAF Sunderland on loan (Biggles presses on)
Indian AF Hawker Hunter (borrowed) (Biggles in the Terai)
RAF Tiger Moth (borrowed) (Biggles in the Terai)
Beechcraft Bonanza (Biggles- Foreign Legionaire)
The "Gadfly" (twin engined amphibian) on police strength
The "Scud" (twin engined amphibian) on police strength (Biggles of the special Air Police)
The "Merlin" (twin engined 8 seater) on police strength
The "Otter" (twin engined amphibian) on police strength (Biggles presses on)
"Kestral" helicopter
Lockheed constellation
"Tarpon" (single engined amphibian) on police strength
Dakota (Biggles forms a syndicate)
Sea Otter
DH Dove
---------------------
Civil Registrations
Many of the aircraft used by Biggles between the wars and after world War Two were civil registered so we will need dead registrations to apply to the models that we build, these are listed as registrations issued to light aircraft but for some reason not applied to an aeroplane and are dated from 1936 to 1939- ntu= Not Taken Up (not actually carried by an aeroplane)

G-AEWW Ntu - scrapped during WWII
G-AEWW Ntu - scrapped during WWII
G-AEYH ntu
G-AEYN Not completed
G-AEYO Not completed
G-AEYP Not completed
G-AEYR Not completed
G-AEYS Not completed
G-AEYT Not completed
G-AEYU Not completed
G-AEZU ntu - sold abroad
G-AEZV ntu
G-AEZW ntu
G-AEZX Not used
G-AFAC Not built
G-AFAD Not built
G-AFAE Not built
G-AFAF Not built
G-AFAG Not built
G-AFBD Ntu
G-AFBE Ntu
G-AFBG Ntu
G-AFGM ntu
G-AFJV ntu
G-AFNO Ntu
G-AFNX Ntu
G-AFPE Ntu
G-AFPV Ntu
G-AFVD Ntu
G-AFXW Ntu

Unused British Military Serials

Anyone wanting to build Great War subjects will have to use a real serial because there were no gaps in the numbers but for WW2 there is a different story, there were gaps (some large, some small) in the sequence of serial numbers to fool the enemy into thinking that the RAF/FAA/AAC had more aircraft than they actually had, here are a few dead serials to be going on with.

EN760 to EN762, ER201 to ER 205, JD477 to JF273, JM418 to JM430, LA145 to LA156.
There were lots more so if you want any further blocks to choose numbers from let me know and before anyone asks- yes there was an unused JB block, JB749 to JB780. sandwiched between large batches of Lancaster III (550 aircraft ending with JB748) and Halifax II (350 aircraft beginning with JB781)

David.
edited 29/8/14 to include book titles-ongoing
edited 29/8/14 to include book titles listed by VV
David.

If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Historical References

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Can you match the following 'tween wars aircraft to the book ?
"Wanderer" - amphibian
"Lance" - fighter
"Gannet"
"Cormorant"
"Scud"
"Tourer"
"Storm" amphibian

It's not a quiz, I might want to take a look at one, although it is a bit late to start from complete zero ...
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VickersVandal
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Re: Historical References

Post by VickersVandal »

I have done a lot of thinking and figuring and looking at original illustrations when it comes to these aircraft. I will try to arrange my ideas into some coherent form and post them up in the next day or so.

*Edit* Oops - I misread your request. I can match to book. I will match to nearest real life equivalent (in my opinion) later.

"Wanderer" - amphibian
Biggles in the Jungle

"Lance" - fighter
Biggles goes to War

"Gannet"
Biggles Hits the Trail

"Cormorant"
Biggles & Co

"Scud"
Biggles in the South Seas

"Tourer"
Biggles Flies South

"Storm" amphibian
Biggles, Air Commodore
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...

My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
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lancfan
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Re: Historical References

Post by lancfan »

VV, I have added the book tie in info. to the aircraft types list and am filling in the other gaps from the books that I have.

David.
David.

If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
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VickersVandal
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Re: Historical References

Post by VickersVandal »

So I feel like a total goose - I've not actually posted links to e most useful reference sites.

I consider Roger Harris' site to be the ultimate reference and I am enormously indebted to it!
http://www.biggles.info/;

The YABS site is also very handy and has a great inventory of props (aircraft, ships, etc)
http://yabs.isambard.com.au/;

The Biggles forum is a fun place to hang out and we've had a number of good wrangles over the details of different aircraft (see the aviation and the models sub-forums)
http://www.bigglesforum.net/forum/portal.php;

Alan Hamilton has also put together a great list of the WW1 aircraft mentioned in the stories
http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Biggles/Bi ... Planes.htm;

Any others you know of, post em up :)
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...

My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
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