Carl_Brisgamer
03-29-2013, 05:35
My WGS project #9 for 2013 is a pair of 1/200 scale Tupolev SB-2M100 'Katyushka' bombers finished in Spanish Civil War Republican air force colours. The upper surfaces are light brown and dark green with light blue undersides. The Republican markings consisted of red panels on the wing-tips, red band around the fuselage and red, yellow and purple fin flashes. Both these aircraft represent SB-2M100s assigned to Grupo 24 of the Aviación Militar of the Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española. These light and well cast resin miniatures are produced by Armaments in Miniature (www.armamentsinminiature.com) and are available at USD 6.00 each.
83502
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A Tupolev SB-2 captured by the Nationalists, who subsequently used the type until 1948.
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB (Russian: Скоростной бомбардировщик – Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik – "high speed bomber") was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934. The SB was the first modern stressed-skin aircraft produced in quantity in the Soviet Union and probably the most formidable bomber of the mid-1930s. The aircraft was armed with 4 × 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns (two in nose, one each in dorsal and ventral hatches). The SB-2 could carry 6 × 100 kg (220 lb) or six 50 kg (110 lb) bombs in bomb-bay, plus 2 × 250 kg (550 lb) bombs on wing racks.
83501
83505
83500
83504
Despite just entering Russian service the Tupolev SB-2 was one of the first military aircraft sent by the Soviet Union to support the Spanish Republicans, with an initial batch of 31 aircraft arriving in Cartagena aboard the Soviet Freighter Komsomol in October 1936. The SBs were used to equip Grupo 12 of the Spanish Republican Air Force, initially mainly manned by Soviet volunteers and under Soviet control. The SB could outpace the Nationalist Fiat CR.32 and Heinkel He 51 biplane fighters, with dives from high altitude being the only way to intercept the bomber. The following year improved SB-2M100 models were received and Grupo 24 was formed. On 29 May 1937 two SBs attacked the German pocket battleship Deutschland, mistaking it for the Nationalist cruiser Canarias, killing 31 and injuring a further 83 German sailors. The delivery of Messerschmitt Bf109s to the German Legion Kondor meant that the SB could no longer evade Nationalist fighters by sheer speed, and losses rose. The type remained in service until the end of the Spanish Civil War by which time 73 out of 93 supplied had been lost, 40 aircraft to enemy action. From 28 October 1936 through 1 January 1939 Republican Air Force SBs flew a total of 861 operations made up of 5564 sorties and SB gunners reported shooting down nine fighters - four CR.32s, three Bf 109s, and two unidentified fighters.
83498
I added a bit of weathering to the dark green which was applied in the field over the light brown, and some carbon marks on the top wings behind the Klimov engine exhausts.
83499
83497
Like many successful 1930's designs, the SB-2 was obsolete when the Germans invaded Russia in June 1941. Despitethis at the time 94% of bombers in the Red Air Force (VVS) were still Tupolev SBs. The main disadvantages of these machines was weak defensive armament and almost complete absence of armor protection of crews and critical aircraft components. The front twin ShKas machine guns were mounted in two vertical slots in the glazed nose which allowed virtually no lateral traverse. The ventral machine gun likewise had a restricted field of fire.
83503 83495
Tupolev SB-2 WGS stats:
Base size: WGS Bomber
Manouver Deck: XB (440kph)
Armament: Short - An/Ad/Av, Long - An/Ad/Av
Damage Points: 24 (no crew armour or self sealing tanks)
Top Altitude: 11 (9,300 metres)
Climb rate: 6 (4.7 m/s)
83496
Two SB's escorted by Polikarpov I-16 Typ 10 'Moscas' flying over the Ebro, on the look out for prowling Legion Kondor Meserschmitt Bf109s.
I have a feeling this weekend's 'Saturday Night Dogfight' may be set in the skies of a divided Espana!
83502
83506
A Tupolev SB-2 captured by the Nationalists, who subsequently used the type until 1948.
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB (Russian: Скоростной бомбардировщик – Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik – "high speed bomber") was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934. The SB was the first modern stressed-skin aircraft produced in quantity in the Soviet Union and probably the most formidable bomber of the mid-1930s. The aircraft was armed with 4 × 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns (two in nose, one each in dorsal and ventral hatches). The SB-2 could carry 6 × 100 kg (220 lb) or six 50 kg (110 lb) bombs in bomb-bay, plus 2 × 250 kg (550 lb) bombs on wing racks.
83501
83505
83500
83504
Despite just entering Russian service the Tupolev SB-2 was one of the first military aircraft sent by the Soviet Union to support the Spanish Republicans, with an initial batch of 31 aircraft arriving in Cartagena aboard the Soviet Freighter Komsomol in October 1936. The SBs were used to equip Grupo 12 of the Spanish Republican Air Force, initially mainly manned by Soviet volunteers and under Soviet control. The SB could outpace the Nationalist Fiat CR.32 and Heinkel He 51 biplane fighters, with dives from high altitude being the only way to intercept the bomber. The following year improved SB-2M100 models were received and Grupo 24 was formed. On 29 May 1937 two SBs attacked the German pocket battleship Deutschland, mistaking it for the Nationalist cruiser Canarias, killing 31 and injuring a further 83 German sailors. The delivery of Messerschmitt Bf109s to the German Legion Kondor meant that the SB could no longer evade Nationalist fighters by sheer speed, and losses rose. The type remained in service until the end of the Spanish Civil War by which time 73 out of 93 supplied had been lost, 40 aircraft to enemy action. From 28 October 1936 through 1 January 1939 Republican Air Force SBs flew a total of 861 operations made up of 5564 sorties and SB gunners reported shooting down nine fighters - four CR.32s, three Bf 109s, and two unidentified fighters.
83498
I added a bit of weathering to the dark green which was applied in the field over the light brown, and some carbon marks on the top wings behind the Klimov engine exhausts.
83499
83497
Like many successful 1930's designs, the SB-2 was obsolete when the Germans invaded Russia in June 1941. Despitethis at the time 94% of bombers in the Red Air Force (VVS) were still Tupolev SBs. The main disadvantages of these machines was weak defensive armament and almost complete absence of armor protection of crews and critical aircraft components. The front twin ShKas machine guns were mounted in two vertical slots in the glazed nose which allowed virtually no lateral traverse. The ventral machine gun likewise had a restricted field of fire.
83503 83495
Tupolev SB-2 WGS stats:
Base size: WGS Bomber
Manouver Deck: XB (440kph)
Armament: Short - An/Ad/Av, Long - An/Ad/Av
Damage Points: 24 (no crew armour or self sealing tanks)
Top Altitude: 11 (9,300 metres)
Climb rate: 6 (4.7 m/s)
83496
Two SB's escorted by Polikarpov I-16 Typ 10 'Moscas' flying over the Ebro, on the look out for prowling Legion Kondor Meserschmitt Bf109s.
I have a feeling this weekend's 'Saturday Night Dogfight' may be set in the skies of a divided Espana!