SYLDAVIAN P.11C. The final cut!

[crobinsonh]

Lovely work

[quang]

THE COLOR SCHEME

Like I said earlier, I didn't know the plane but I fell in love with the kit. For that reason, I felt I was not indebted to represent my model as an example of historical accuracy. Rather I'd use it as a canvas for my pet subject: experimental camouflage. I was tempted by a low-vis Keith Ferris scheme à la Tomcat or a razzle-dazzle scheme as used on the early Mustangs. At the end, I chose a version of the early Luftwaffe splinter scheme because it fits better to the timeline and the type of aircraft.

 

So I started to design my own pattern based loosely on the Henschel 123 of the Condor Legion. I like the palette of RLM 61, 62, 63 used by the Luftwaffe. Furthermore it fits the Mitteleuropean landscape I intended for my model.

 

Quick sketches done on my iPad:

 

 

The camouflage patterns are transferred on the kit with masking tape. Despite the corrugated surfaces, no overspray occured providing one keep the air pressure low. Paints used are AK Real colors Early Luftwaffe set.

 

 

 

 

 

Next time, we'll deal with the national markings. And that, modeller friends, is another story.

 

See you next time,

Cheers,

Quang

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by quang

[Uncarina]

Quang,

 

Brilliant! I love the creativity.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[mozart]

That looks really super Quang; the combination of colours, splinter camouflage and of course your undoubted skills and creativity is making this kit a real winner. 

Edited April 17, 2020 by mozart

[shadowmare]

it is a pity that my ancestors were not so creative if it comes to camo  : ( :)) 

[quang]

10 minutes ago, shadowmare said:

it is a pity that my ancestors were not so creative if it comes to camo  : ( :)) 

Could be they had something else more serious to worry about at the time 

 

A small update

 

Cheers,

Quang

[quang]

Some more markings done.

 

 

 

 

Until next time,

Cheers,

Quang

 

[quang]

Hello folks,

 

Now that the camouflage's done, it's time to reveal the true identity of our P.11.

 

It's a plane of the 1st Royal Brigade of the Syldavian Air Force based in Sbrodj at the time of the Kropow incident in October 1938.

 

As every fan of the Tintin series of comic books would tell you,  Syldavia, nicknamed the Kingdom of the Black Pelican, is a country in the Balkan peninsula region. Syldavia has always had an uneasy relationship with neighbouring country Borduria.

For a fictional country created by the Belgian Hergé, author of the Tintin books, the kingdom of Syldavia has struck the imagination of millions readers and has been the object of numerous expertises concerning its geography, politics and even linguistics. You can find them HERE and HERE. And it's only the tip of the iceberg.

 

So I started working on the Syldavian markings. The national emblem was no problem: a black pelikan on a yellow ground. I added a numeral 5 in a vague cyrillic style to soften up the Germanic camouflage and give the plane a Balkanic vibe. The gold painted crown denotes the Royal Brigade, an elite force of 6 aircraft devoted to the protection of King Muskar VIII. The white stripes on the tail are victory markers against Bordurian Heinkel 51s.

 

The sketches

 

 

The model

 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to thank Andrew from the What-If Modelers forum whom I met while searching the subject and who sent me his vector files for the Syldavian markings,

My ever resourceful friend Max/Mozart which provided me with the masks – no, not those –

And Marc my old IPMS buddy who offers his assistance.

 

The model is not finished yet. Still have some small details and slight weathering to add.

 

See you next time,

Until then,

Cheers,

Quang

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by quang

[mozart]

Magnifique mon ami! 

[Iain]

Love it Quang! 

 

Iain

[Mebo]

Great work. Love the markings. 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Mebo

[Alain Gadbois]

Excellent work all round and the Sylvania theme fits the P. 11c perfectly. You could fool quite a few as it looks totally convincing!

Now you need a Bordurian Bf109 to mix it with your PZL!

 

Alain

[Uncarina]

Sensational!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[JefH]

On 4/2/2020 at 3:06 AM, quang said:

I have to admit that two months ago I couldn’t tell PZL from WHO.
 

 

I was in the same boat lol.  Not typically a fan of what-if markings but I have to admit I like yours a great deal.  Loved the build.

 

 

Jeff

[quang]

Thank you all for your kind words. 

To us Tintinophiles, Syldavia is like staple food as Tintin is hugely popular in French-speaking cultures. I don’t know about other countries but I’m glad to see you enjoyed the project.

 

My problem with what-ifs is that they are long considered as the poor cousin of modeling. While the concept may be well-researched and developed, the execution (the models) often suffers from a tongue-in-cheek and a half-hearted attitude. I, for once decided to do it seriously the way I would do another ‘legit’ model.

The biggest problem I encountered with this particular model is the crisp though prominent surface details.
For this reason, the masks provided by Max didn’t stick too well especially for the bird design. The contours were blurred and suffered from bleeding as a result. I was forced to take another route: make my own decals using Max’s masks and Daco decal paper. 

 

Cheers,

Quang

Edited April 22, 2020 by quang