WGS Spanish Civil War 1936-39 - 1/200 Shapeways Polikarpov I-15 Chatos
After almost 48 months sitting in a drawer two days ago I drew out these four 1/200 Shapeways FUD Polikarpov I-15 fighters and have now completed them in the colours of the Chato Escuadrilla, Gruppo 26 and the Escuadrilla de Caza del Norte of the Fuerzas Aéreas de la República Española.
Surface prep was a coat of Cabots satin finish spray sealant. I then used a grey spray primer, followed by a spray coat of olive green. Flat black around the cowls and engine with flat aluminium spinners and metallic blue and white for the windscreens. I hand masked and painted the red stripes on the wings and fuselage, and also hand painted the Republican colours on the rudders (I was going to use decals but the printer decided to run out of magenta!). The numbers are Microscale decals.
White 56 was an I-15 flown by American volunteer pilot Frank Glasgow Tinkler. Tinkler joined the US Navy in 1926 intent on training as a naval aviator. In 1933, he graduated from the US Naval Academy (graduation photo above right) and the following year was assigned to US Navy aviation. He became a reconnaissance floatplane pilot aboard the cruiser USS San Francisco. A sign of the personal demons that tormented Tinkler, in 1935 he was discharged from the Navy for problems with alcohol and brawling. In July 1936 motivated by his desire to fly and anti-fascist beliefs, Tinkler offered his services to the Spanish Republic for the princely sum of US$1500 a month plus a bonus of US$1000 for any aircraft he shot down. In March and April 1937 Tinkler scored three victories in White 56 and one in White 58 before his Escuadrilla was re-equipped with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane fighter. By the time Tinkler left Spain in late July 1937 he has been officially credited with eight victories (unofficially as many as 19) making him the highest scoring American ace to serve in the Spanish Civil War. It is now considered likely Tinkler was suffering PTSD following his service in Spain. After poor treatment by the US Government including the rejection of applications to join the US Navy and US Army Air Corps Frank Tinkler took his own life on June 13, 1939.
Polikarpov 1-15 'White 57' was flown by teniente Leopoldo Morquillas Rubio (picture above right), CO of the Escuadrilla de Caza del Norte, La Albericia and Penilla de Cayon airfields, Northern front in the summer of 1937. Morquillas as he was known was credited with 21 victories by June 1938 when he was posted for training at the Tactical High School in Lipetsk, USSR. Major Mosquillas was still there when the war ended and remained in Russia, serving as a combat flight instructor. During the Great Patriotic War he flew with ground attack and fighter units, first leading an assault eskadrilya and later as inspector of an air division. In all Morquillas served in the VVS (Soviet Air Force) for ten years and was awarded numerous decorations. Retiring in 1948, he became a factory manager at Tula where he married and settled down. Leopoldo Morquillas Rubio passed away in Tula on December 1, 1989.
Now with my I-15s finally complete I can fire up some 1936 Spanish Civil War scenarios against Heinkel He 51s and Junkers Ju 52s of the Legion Kondor. Of course I still have a number of Italian aircraft for the Aviazione Legionaria to finish....
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks