1/32 Hobbycraft Spad XIII C1

in Turkish Independence War

by Özkan Türker

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  Turkey Victory Day 

 

History :  

Spad XIII’s  participation in the Turkish Airforce was during the hardest days of the independence war. Prior to the final attack on invading Greek forces, twenty war weary Spad XIII  procured from Italy with a back room operation. Though  unarmed, these were  equipped with  available German Spandau guns at the maintenance depot in Central Anatolia.  

Four Spads with  this array  used in armed patrol missions over  Western Front. One of the pilots (Captain) Yüzbaşı Fazıl shot down a Greek Breguet XIV on August 29 1922 during one of the patrols.  

Delegated to training purposes later years, Spad XIII’s completely decommissioned in 1930.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

Model :

The Hobbycraft kit was almost  built out of the box no painstaking corrections or detailing. Fit is almost perfect.  With a very small  amount of putty.  Various mixes of  Humbrol enamels used for painting as well as  all national insignias.   Rigging simulated  with Model Suplies’ 0.015 mm wire and fishing line.  Finally, laminated wooden propeller finished with burnt amber oils over tan enamel.

 

Happy Modelling

 

Özkan

Photos and text © by Özkan Türker