Biggles group build?

[VickersVandal]

I'm sure many of us, like me, grew up reading Biggles. My modelling is pretty much entirely inspired by the books. A group build on the subject seems well overdue

Over in my latest Biggles build thread there has been an interest in a Biggles GB. There are plenty of real aircraft to choose from (Camel, Brisfit, Spitfire, Proctor) or if you wish to get more whatiff, you could build a Launcester Lance, Bluewing Jupiter, Storm Amphibian or Vickers Vandal .

Head here for some inspiration:
http://www.biggles.info/;
And David (lancfan) is also putting together a list of aircraft.
We also have a Biggles discussion forum:
http://www.bigglesforum.net/forum/portal.php;

I would prefer August/September to coincide with school holidays to give me more time to build but open to other suggestions.

[lancfan]

I voted september but will follow the crowd.


David.

[Stuart]

I voted september but will follow the crowd.


David.

Ditto for me, not sure what I'd go for though, I'd like to kitbash something but don't have much of stash to bash with. I guess I could do a Vandel having just finished 'and the black peril', failing that maybe a Goslin from 'delivers the goods', in SEAC camo and Z sqn markings...

The only thing I'd suggest is a slightly longer timeframe owing to theamount of scratch building needed.

Off to start 'Defends the desert', chocks away...

Regards

Stuart

[AndrewR]

Did 266 Sqn fly Pups before they got the Camel? I have the Airfix Pup. I Also have Billy Barker's Camel from Roden, but I'd rather do that as Barker's machine

Cheers


Andrew

[lancfan]

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

World War 1
Sopwith F.1 Camel
Sopwith Pup
Bristol Fighter
DH 4
Halberstadt
Pfalz
Gotha bomber

Between the wars
Bristol Bulldog
Twin engined Sikorsky amphibian
"Wanderer" - amphibian
Vickers Vandal
"Lance" - fighter
"Gannet"
Caproni
"Cormorant"
"Scud"
"Tourer"
"Storm" amphibian

World War 2
"S.1 mk1" - amphibian fighter/bomber
Wellington
Beaufighter
Mosquito
Hurricane
Spitfire
Typhoon
Blenheim
Liberator Transport
Grumman Gosling
P-38 Lightning.

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.
RAF Hastings transport on loan
RAF Sunderland on loan
Indian AF Hawker Hunter (borrowed)
Beechcraft Bonanza
The "Gadfly" (twin engined amphibian) on police strength
The "Scud" (twin engined amphibian) on police strength
The "Merlin" (twin engined 8 seater) on police strength
The "Otter" (twin engined amphibian) on police strength
"Kestral" helicopter
Lockheed constellation
"Tarpon" (single engined amphibian) on police strength

Sea Otter
DH Dove
------------------------------------------------------------------
I also spotted this-
The old 1960 Granada TV series has been found- complete, and is due for release on DVD as a 6 disk set next year-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biggles-The-Com ... iggles+dvd;


David.

[IronMan129]

Oh im all over this!
My nick name at work is Biggles because everyone knows I love aviation so this is perfect .

[AndrewR]

We need a few more to make this a GB. I think a Pup, with a suitable "B" on the side for me

[VickersVandal]

Ah, this is looking more positive

Thanks for the list, David.
There's a lot of different types that appear in WW1 that have been catalogued by dadlamassu from this forum:
http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Biggles/Bi ... Planes.htm;

The most important of which to include is the RAF FE2b.

I just ordered a vacform kit of it the other day, in fact

[IronMan129]

What Spitfire squadron did Biggles fly with?

[VickersVandal]

666

http://www.biggles.info/Details/24/;

[SJPONeill]

The kids got me the comic version of Biggles and the Sargasso Triangle for Christmas last year...it has some aircraft that might be relevant to this GB...















...although not all are actually flown by Biggles or his crew...

[VickersVandal]

Yeah, I have a copy of that one. It's not canonical (W E Johns authored) but its a good read and definitely good fodder for GB subjects.

I love that there's a Monospar amongst those silhouettes
I bought a Monospar to build for Biggles Flies South until I took a better look and realised its a DH Dragonfly in the illustrations for the first edition, and the description in the story implies one too.
I find that's half the fun of these builds - figuring out what aircraft Johns is alluding to with the fictitious-but-not-quite aircraft in some stories.

[carlos]

Hmmm...
Assuming I can nail down the paint scheme and get some suitable decals, I could be tempted to do my Academy Camel, or Eduard F2B for this.

I'm guessing they'd be a standard WW1 British scheme, apart from maybe trim colours (and letters/numbers of course)... ??

[Stevehnz]

I'd be keen but this year won't be so good, certainly not Sept so if it goes ahead then I'll be passing, maybe another one sometime, I'd be keen to do a Defiant from "Biggles Sweeps the Desert", the first Biggles I read about 45 years ago.
Steve.