forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: Boch on April 19, 2023, 10:20:00 PM
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Hello,
I'd like to say hello to everyone. This is my first post on this forum. So far, I've made only a few models from the period of World War II, to be precise, all five, although all in 1/32 scale. Therefore, I am a beginner modeller, and this forum is recommended as the best on the subject of the beginning of aviation, so I decided to present the construction of the first model from this period. I am preparing for a large project related to World War I machines and gaining experience.
For some time I have been preparing to expand the scope of modeling activities. The period of the Great War became for me not so much a goal as a stop for further travel, but before I talk about where this journey is to end, I will stop at the fronts of the Great War, at least for some time.
Donat Makijonek is an extraordinary character, so unusual that without a doubt the life and activity of this pilot deserves at least a few models. This time, however, I will focus on the second period of his aviation career, of course calculated in a completely conventional way. A Pole in the service of the tsar, he was one of the thousands of Poles for whom the outbreak of war marked a new reality in the armies of the partitioning powers. From the end of the 18th century, Poland was erased from the map. Torn and divided by Prussia, Russia and Austria. The outbreak of war often meant a fratricidal fight between Poles incorporated by force into foreign armies. The tragedy of the Polish nation will have an unusual finale in the very life of Makijonek.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_e1a86835cd794901bb67bec3fd4809f2~mv2.jpg)
Sebastian Łydżba
As you can easily guess, Makijonek finally went to fighter aviation and this is the period the miniature will refer to. I will not present the full profile of the pilot now, there will be time for that during construction and of course in the final gallery. During the next posts, based on the sources that I have managed to gather, I will present Makijonek's silhouette and his biography to those interested. At the moment, I will write only the most important few pieces of information.
Donat Makijonek served as a fighter pilot in the 7th Istrebitielny Avia Otriad (7th IAO) under the command of Ivan Orlov. It is the period of service in this unit that brings him the greatest fame and achievements. He is considered the most effective Pole in the Tsar's service, and the number of victories varies slightly depending on the sources. Most often, however, 8 is assumed. Throughout his aviation career, he made nearly 600 flights. From the moment of service in the fighter unit, he flew the Nieuport 21 with the number 2453 and won the most victories on it, it will also become a modeling subject. It is known that in the last phase of service in the 7th IAO he also flew version 17, which led to various misunderstandings in the development. The example below shows one such error. Almost certainly the Nieuport with "Polonia" is version 21, equipped with a full cowl and a rather unusual propeller cap. According to the photos, it is clearly a hubcap, not a "cone de penetration" typical for Nieuports.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_5adf0f08b97c4d5dac149ec9aeed027b~mv2.jpg)
The life story of this pilot and his achievements, as I mentioned earlier, will be presented on an ongoing basis on the occasion of subsequent posts. I treat the model as an introduction to a larger work that I have planned as soon as I finish this Nieuport, and because this type of aircraft requires slightly different skills and approach, I treat it as blazing the trail. Thus, the started P-11 will wait at least a year. Earlier, I put together a quick camel to test wood painting techniques, building heads and a few other issues.
I will rely on quite a wide literature, I managed to collect a lot of books, newspapers, magazines and articles. I won't list them all because it's too much. I have Russian, Polish, but also Finnish and English sources. Unfortunately, already at this stage I see discrepancies in the information about this period of Makijonk's life and the planes he flew. The differences are also about painting. I will describe any ambiguities, maybe someone interested with more knowledge than me will want to supplement some information. Whether you like it or not, you have to make a decision, which is why I'm posting a painting scheme, which will be the starting point for building the model. This is probably the most correctly rendered painting, although as I wrote earlier there are some doubts.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_1c820605c1b643be8140623c6ff8d7ce~mv2.jpg)
Since the Makijonek's Nieuport 21 from the outside was almost no different from the 17 version, I will use the Nieuport XVII late from the Copper State Model in 1/32 scale. In addition, as support will be Niweuport XXI Russian Service of the same company and scale. I plan to use chemistry mainly AK (RC+oils), including Tamyia, Gunze. The decals are made to order. The propeller cap will also be made, but it will be time to write about it. Resin add-ons and metal screws by Gaspatch, 3D printed engine. If anything else comes up in the meantime, I'll be sure to let you know.
I start with the cockpit.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_100de0ae723240b8b3ead1b3aec44346~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_5953f5655f004252883df36888e2e1a4~mv2.jpg)
Best Regards
Lukasz
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Lukasz,
You've made a great start on this build. I will enjoy following your progress.
We can never have too many Nieuports here.
Happy Modeling,
Kevin
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For a first WWI model this is an awesome start! You've obviously done other subject matter to have this kind of ability!
Steve
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Thank you for the kind words. I'm sure I'll find a lot of inspiration here.
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The hull allows you to build an open version and I must admit that the case is tempting. For sure, with the next planned Nieuports, I will decide to make internal strings and route the lines to control the tail. In the meantime, however, I decided not to add to the already huge amount of challenges. Anyway, I painted the hull from the inside, for practice and peace of mind.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_daa5664c94b648929a3a43c6e5b5355c~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Welcome Lukasz. Your first WWI build is looking wonderful. It’s apparent you’re not new to modeling and are applying your skills here. Excellent subject choice. I’ll follow with keen interest.
All the best,
Tim
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Thank you very much.
Before we get to know the story of Makijonek, I have to explain to you roughly what situation Poland was in, or rather the lands and people of Polish nationality, because there was no country in the sense of an independent state at that time.
Exactly in 1795, the so-called "third partition" of Poland takes place. Neighboring powers - Prussia, Austria and Russia are annihilating independent Poland, of course in cooperation with each other. Over 100 years of torture of the Polish nation begins. This period is by no means a time of passive acceptance of Poles. There are outbursts, there are many of them. The first erupt before the complete destruction of independence, the Kosciuszko Insurrection. Later, the most important uprisings are the fight alongside Napoleon, "November Uprising", "Spring of Nations", "January Uprising, "Revolution of 1905" and a few more can be mentioned. The Polish nation is destroyed and eliminated. Tradition, history, language are destroyed, music and all manifestations of Polishness. The greatest repressions take place in the Prussian and Russian partitions. Polish youth are forcibly conscripted into the army, Polish patriots are sent to penal colonies and to distant Siberia. People are tortured and persecuted, sentenced to death and exile. in a period of terror and extraordinary suffering, the spirit in Poles does not die. Patriotism and tradition are secretly nurtured. Mickiewicz, Słowacki are read. Chopin is played. Children are told about the power of the Piast and Jagiellonian dynasties, about uprisings against the hated invaders.
It is in such an atmosphere, in a period of particularly severe repression after the defeat of the "January Uprising" in the years 1863-1865, that our hero is born.
He was born in the village of Tambowka near Vitebsk, in a patriotic family of Polish peasants, on May 19 or 14 (depending on the elaboration) in 1891. The son of Adam and Anna Juchniewicz. He began his education at a craftsman's church school, where the teaching cycle was based on a 4-grade form, and then went to the Technical Agricultural Vocational School in Vitebsk, where the education lasted 6 years. Father had a farm and probably such a fate and career was seen for young Donat. How fate and history were to change these plans. After graduating from school, he took a job at the "Salamandra" factory in Riga. On November 20, 1911, as part of forced conscription, he joins the tsarist army. He becomes a private in the 97th Liwland Infantry Regiment. On May 15, 1912, he was transferred to the Ufim Infantry Regiment. Just 8 years earlier, man had taken to the air for the first time, and now, in 1911, the great powers were beginning to form the first military air force. The situation in Europe became more tense with each passing month. The system of alliances kept the great of this world in check, but it did not stop the huge armaments. Aviation was a chance to break out of the gray mass of soldiers. Makijonek reports immediately and, to his great satisfaction, is assigned to train as a mechanic's assistant. He was assessed as a talented and enthusiastic man, which resulted in completing the course with honors in 1912. This is how our hero ends up in unit 3 KAO (Corporate Aviaotriad) as an aircraft mechanic. During the service, he takes personal care of the commander's machine, and after some time he receives permission for a piloting course. On June 10, 1912, he begins piloting studies at the Sevastopol Aviation School on the Nieuport 4 aircraft. On February 1, 1914, he receives pilot diploma No. 230, and on March 7, 1914 he receives military pilot license No. 239 and the rank of sergeant.
The armchair is basically ready, maybe some slight adjustments on the straps and we can assemble it to the whole.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_4fbe935d7ab04c5fb095b756f30cda0c~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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I look forward to the next chapter of the story. The seat looks great.
Kevin
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Thanks Kevin
Meanwhile, after more than two weeks, I'm reaching the end of the cockpit. I have to admit that building this type of structure is very satisfying. There are still a few parts left and time for bigger pieces.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_ad8ccda73d0b4d2f958a783fec367ffb~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_c35210b91d5b48b4baaac8a494f2bb3f~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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A fascinating and engrossing history lesson combined with a magnificent model - Lukasz, you are most welcome here and I for one am on edge awaiting your next update!
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Thanks :)
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A small update, but important enough that the cockpit has been completed. A drum for an empty ammunition belt, a bulkhead and some reinforcements of the cage have arrived. Add some minor touch-ups with a brush and im ready to go ahead.
With the next update, there will be a further story about Makijonek. See you then.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_fc9a97528f8b4434abe4579bc4c5d831~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_9bed0446b6974968a9467cd61253e51f~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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What a beauty in the making. The cockpit looks so much realistic. I am in awe.
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What a beauty in the making. The cockpit looks so much realistic. I am in awe.
I agree...
/Fredrik
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What a beauty in the making. The cockpit looks so much realistic. I am in awe.
Thank you Przemek. I've looked at your work countless times, many of them bookmarked as favorites in my browser. It is a great honor for me that you like my work. ;)
I agree...
/Fredrik
Thanks :)
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Very interesting to read of the history behind the pilot and aircraft. Very nice work on the interior as well!
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Very interesting to read of the history behind the pilot and aircraft. Very nice work on the interior as well!
Thanks Tim
April 1914 arrives, the last spring of peace and the last weeks before the storm. Makijonek, already as a pilot, returns to 3 KAO. At the beginning of hostilities, he has the rank of senior sergeant-pilot, he is still a non-commissioned officer. Typical unit activity begins.
From the very beginning of World War I, the air squadron of the 3rd Corps, in which Donat Makijonek served, was assigned to the 3rd Army Corps under the command of General Yepanczyn. The main warfare in which he participated took place in what was then East Prussia on the route Wilkowiczki - Verzhblovo - Shtallupönen - Gumbinnen - Instenburg. The main tasks of the unit were liaison and reconnaissance flights. The unit was armed with five Nieuport-4 monoplanes, eight officers (five pilots and three observer pilots) and 117 lower ranks (mechanics, attendants, medics, convoys, etc.) served in it. Senior Petty Officer Makijonek was the only pilot who did not have an officer rank. The detachment was led by a military pilot, staff captain Georgy Myachkov. The squadron took an active part in the famous Battle of Gąbin on August 20-21, 1914, when the Russian army inflicted a crushing defeat on General Mackensen's corps. In this battle, the Germans lost about 8,800 killed and wounded, the Russian army took 6,000 prisoners.
It is here, in the skies of East Prussia, that military pilot Donat Makijonek stands out for the first time. On August 21, 1914, the squadron of the 3rd Corps was ordered to find the Russian cavalry, with which the command lost contact. The first crew of the squadron sent to search was missing (probably shot down by enemy fire). The second, who searched independently (without a pilot-observer) was Donat Makijonek. The young pilot found the cavalry and gave them their orders, but on the way back his plane came under fire from German machine guns. The shell pierced the fuel tank, and the pilot, turning off the engine so as not to start a fire, began to look for a place to land. Makijonek reached the line of his troops and landed safely. For this feat, on June 19, he was awarded the George Cross, 4th class.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_00a759d1d7254056b230d3e2b8142ce4~mv2.jpg)
Nieuport 4 owned by Donat Makijonek.
Despite the first victories, the Russian troops in East Prussia soon had to retreat. At that time, the Squadron of the 3rd Corps conducted reconnaissance flights over the cities of Koenigsberg, Allenburg, Friedland. The flights were accompanied by constant accidents and by September 1914 the unit was left without equipment, as a result of which it was declared unfit for combat and sent to the rear. In September 1914, Makijonek was sent to a flight school to train on the French Moran-Saulnier L Parasol aircraft. These machines were ordered en masse by the tsarist government in France, and later they were built at Russian enterprises (mainly at the Dux plant in Moscow).
According to the pilots themselves, these aircraft were not particularly successful. Their only advantages were the ability to carry light bombs weighing up to 70 kg and stability useful when photographing. This reconnaissance fighter was designed for a single pilot and could be armed with one machine gun: an 8.8mm Hotchkiss machine gun or 7.7mm Vickers or Lewis machine guns. However, at the beginning of its history, pilots flew combat missions armed only with handguns and revolvers. The maximum speed of the aircraft was 119 km/h. Due to the wing raised high above the fuselage, it received the name "Umbrella".
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_cc43fd7f427e4baea1475a2975ad4289~mv2.jpg)
3KAO - Makijonek fourth from the left.
Makijonek successfully completed training on the new aircraft and returned to his squadron in November 1914. After a relatively quiet winter of 1914-1915, he began to take part in daily air patrols on Moran-Saulnier L and Moran-Saulnier G aircraft. On April 27, 1915, Makijonek made a reconnaissance flight on Moran-Saulnier G aircraft (tail number MS107) and found himself under anti-aircraft artillery fire. One of the bullets pierced the engine, the pilot barely managed to reach the front line and made an emergency landing near the position of the Russian troops on the Nida River (Poland). Makijonek managed to pull the aerial photography equipment from the overturned plane and hide in the nearest trench before enemy artillery fire reached the wreckage. For these selfless deeds, on April 28, 1915, Donat Makijonek was awarded the Holy Cross. George 3rd class.
In June 1916, together with the observer Szpakov, Makijonek discovered a large group of infantry and reported this to the command, unfortunately, this priceless information was disregarded, it ended in a heavy defeat of the tsar's army, known in history as the "summer disaster of 1915".
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_324a35291eac4041a65a706e86170ae2~mv2.jpg)
Morane - Umbrella and Donat Makijonek
In December 1915, the 3rd Corps Aviation Unit (3KAO) was transferred to the Wierzbowiec airfield near Proskurów. On the eve of the New Year, Tsar Nicholas II signed an extraordinary order, in which Makijonk was also mentioned among the outstanding aviators, which gave him the title of "military aviator". Donat himself found out about it after Christmas, when the belligerents again moved against each other. If earlier the pilots performed mainly reconnaissance activities, this time the tasks related to bombing dominated. On February 14, 1916, Makijonek dropped 16 bombs on a German grouping near the villages of Podhajce and Biłkornice. While returning to the airport, the engine stopped working and he glided the last 15 kilometers.
On February 17, 1916, the detachment made the first night bombing on the Western Front (in the Russian sense of the West). Two crews were assigned to the flight. Makijonek with observer Głubkowski on Morane - Umbrella and senior non-commissioned officer Vasily Yanchenko with observer Shiryajew on Nieuport 10. To avoid enemy artillery fire, they glided over the target with engines switched off (maybe that's why the idea for Po-2 :)?). They dropped 12 bombs over the target on the Buczacz railway station. After the bombing, they turned on the engines and returned to their own airfield, escaping as quietly and quickly as they had come. They returned unscathed, landing among fires and car headlights.
On February 19, Makijonek repeated the night outing with similar success. This time, however, the Pole and Janczenko set off alone for the rally. These flights brought the two pilots closer together, they shared courage and mastery in piloting, they were to experience many more adventures together with Janchenko, but let's not anticipate the facts. At the beginning of April, the tsar visited the active army, and a special aviation unit was established to protect him. Its ranks included the best, including Makijonek. He had to patrol the area of Chotin-Ruchotin-Szydłowce and participate in air battles, which, however, did not bring any result. On July 30, 1916, he was promoted to second lieutenant.
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Meanwhile, the miniature is taking shape. I prepared the side covers of the cockpit and assembled the rear part of the fuselage. The cockpit covers and the base of the wing, which is also the floor, had to be painted in the color of plywood. Today I tested the oil accelerator from AK, great thing.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_d1977df2a01d46c1b9b072f88b7a5eca~mv2.jpg)
Best regards
Lukasz
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Another enjoyable update. Thanks very much.
Kevin
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Great history lesson and some superb modelling. It's coming along beautifully.
Richie
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Another enjoyable update. Thanks very much.
Kevin
Thank you Kevin.
Great history lesson and some superb modelling. It's coming along beautifully.
Richie
Thanks Richie
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Nice progress.
Steve
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Great interior on your Nieuport!
Andreas
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Very nice work on your Nieuport.
Cheers,
Gary
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Really nice work! So cool to have such detailed history to read with your build. Very interesting.
All the best,
Tim
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Hello,
Thank you all very much for your kind words.
The last few days have been a hard - and here, unfortunately, I have to call it that - fight. Struggling with fitting the hull covers properly. The model is rich in details, basically everything looks ok, but it is demanding. Traps in every possible place are so treacherous that it is sometimes difficult to judge where the edge ends and where the trap begins. There was a lot of sanding, puttying and all over again. I had to make the division lines smooth, and then engrave the lines. I got boned. You have to think a few steps ahead of the instructions here, because there may be a surprise later. For example, when attaching the cockpit covers, you need to cut out the engine cover from the frame and fit its fastening before gluing the first one. A real puzzle. The manual itself also has errors. According to reviews, a model for beginners? So as a live - I am a very beginner.
Meanwhile, the last fittings before the painting.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_03ec40ee7d9c48deba2656dd2e92b2c5~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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I loved your build thread on LSP for the Spitfire, it'll be a tall order to best that, but you sure are on your way!
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The photograph showing your current progress betrays none of the trouble you've been having, Lukasz - I think you're on the right track!
I loved your build thread on LSP for the Spitfire
I'm on LSP but there are so many Spits I'm afraid Lukasz' one has melded with them in my mind! Can either of you please give me a link?
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I loved your build thread on LSP for the Spitfire, it'll be a tall order to best that, but you sure are on your way!
Thanks :)
The photograph showing your current progress betrays none of the trouble you've been having, Lukasz - I think you're on the right track!
I loved your build thread on LSP for the Spitfire
I'm on LSP but there are so many Spits I'm afraid Lukasz' one has melded with them in my mind! Can either of you please give me a link?
Thank you verry much.
Link to Spitfire:
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/96415-132-tamyia-supermarine-spitfire-ixc-en315-zx6/
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You surprised me, Boch. I have built myself the early version of Ni17, and it was a verrrry fine model, indeed, no treacherous traps that I can remember. Me, I only complained about the seemingly unnecessary split of the fuselage into so many parts. Yes, filling and sanding was necessary but surely not beyond measure. Also, the instructions are alright - and generally, when building and painting WW1 multiplane a/c models I tend to treat the instructions only as a hint and generally I plan the build on my own, testfitting many times. ;-)
All in all, it makes me wonder if Ni21 kit and its instructions may be so diiferent than Ni17...
Still, what you show here is a stellar build, and I am looking forward to see your next installments. ;-)
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You surprised me, Boch. I have built myself the early version of Ni17, and it was a verrrry fine model, indeed, no treacherous traps that I can remember. Me, I only complained about the seemingly unnecessary split of the fuselage into so many parts. Yes, filling and sanding was necessary but surely not beyond measure. Also, the instructions are alright - and generally, when building and painting WW1 multiplane a/c models I tend to treat the instructions only as a hint and generally I plan the build on my own, testfitting many times. ;-)
All in all, it makes me wonder if Ni21 kit and its instructions may be so diiferent than Ni17...
Still, what you show here is a stellar build, and I am looking forward to see your next installments. ;-)
Thanks a lot Przemek. So the conclusion is simple. I still have a lot to learn :)
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Hello,
On August 11, 1916, Makijonek returns to his home unit and finds information about his friend's transfer to a hunting unit. Janchenko was transferred to the 7th IAO. At that time, Donat continued his work as a pilot in 3KAO, where the tasks were basically focused on reconnaissance, reconnaissance and attacking ground targets. Despite this, Makijonek used every opportunity to perfect the art of piloting, he knew that air combat with the enemy was rather a matter of time. He had already won his first fight. On March 15, 1915, near the village of Kosovo, he single-handedly attacked a German reconnaissance plane (probably an Albatros) and forced it to land. Unfortunately, the German machine sat down on its front line and this victory was not credited to him.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_2780ff1165334b32a8ee51a997aaafd5~mv2.jpg)
Donat Makijonek, original charcoal drawing. Artist: Terry Waldron, 1995.
In 1916, the Russian military aviation started to create its own fighter units almost from scratch, and Makijonek decided to seize the perfect moment and applied for sending to a hunting course. The request was accepted and Donat went to Odessa for flight training on the new Nieuport-17 fighter. Makijonek completed his training in August 1916, already with the rank of second lieutenant, and then returned to the Squadron of the 3rd Corps.
On September 7, demonstration flights took place over Strunkowo airport, near Kołomyja. At an altitude of 1000-1500 meters, the pilots turned off the engine and landed in a gliding flight at their airport. The record was set by Shkarin, who maintained the set altitude for 7 minutes.
In the autumn Lieutenant Makijonek took part in one of the largest bombing raids carried out by the Russian Air Force during World War I. On September 15, 1916, large Russian air forces raided the Podvysokoje-1 railway station (Ukraine). In total, 20 aircraft took part in the attack, of which 16 carried bombs and 4 flew as cover. On that day, Russian pilots dropped over 700 kg of bombs on the station. In the air battle that ensued in the sky, the pilot Makijonek attacked the enemy Albatross three times and forced it to descend and withdraw from the battle, hiding in an area controlled by German troops. For this battle, the second lieutenant received further decorations: the Order of St. Anna IV class with the inscription "For Courage".
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_f500f1cb6357444aa870d0b295fa65ee~mv2.jpg)
7 I.A.O. The pilots of the unit near the Nieuport 10 aircraft. From left to right: Byczkow, Makijonek, Gilscher (with a dog) and a mechanic. Galicia, 1916
During his service in 3KAO, Donat Makijonek made 95 sorties, in a total time of 80 hours and 25 minutes.
Being a fighter by nature, Makijonek willingly accepts in December 1916 the opportunity to join the 7th Fighter Aviation Unit under the command of Lieutenant Ivan Orlov. In the unit, he is greeted by a friend from the previous unit, Janchenko. The unit was stationed near the city of Tarnopol (Ukraine). Makijonek arrived at his new duty station straight from the hospital where he had landed after an emergency landing.
Until the beginning of February 1917, Makijonek took part in several air battles, but his opponents managed to escape all the time. Donat realized that his chances would increase significantly if he found a reliable and courageous partner. Warrant Officer Vasily Janchenko became such a partner - an experienced pilot who had shot down three confirmed enemy aircraft until then (he ended World War I with 16 confirmed aerial victories). The pilots became friends and discussed the tactics of team attacks and combat in every free minute. By the end of February 1917, Makijonek and Janczenko had become a harmonious and dangerous team, now they were waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves in the sky.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_c6cbf63c727149a3886187822f6064e7~mv2.jpg)
Vasily Janchenko (left) at Nieuport 4
An opportunity soon presented itself to them. On March 7, 1917, flying at an altitude of 2,200 m above the village of Świstelniki, Makijonek and Janczenko spotted a German plane and immediately attacked it. During the battle, Yanchenko descended to 400 m, Makijonek - to 800 m. The battle lasted more than 20 minutes, and after the eighth joint attack, the enemy plane was shot down, unfortunately, it fell behind the German front line. The Germans at that time retreated behind the first line of their trenches west of the town of Lipnica-Gorn (Poland). For Makijonk, it was the first victory as a fighter pilot, confirmed by other witnesses, for Janchenko, the fourth. Although the plane crashed in enemy territory, detachment and division documents report this.
Just a few months after joining the 7th IAO, Commander Orlov wrote about Makijonk:
“A pilot of extraordinary courage. He boldly carries out the most dangerous flights, which he performs masterfully. He knows the flight technique very well and likes his job. It has a calm and static character. Although he definitely likes hunting tasks the most, he performs all others without exception with great commitment.”
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When it comes to building the model, I have finished work on the engine. In the end, I chose the original from the model. The large cap will basically cover this element completely, so introducing a resin substitute here did not make much sense. The engine will only be visible from the bottom and rear in a small fragment of the cowling, which will protrude beyond the hull, i.e. it will not be visible at all. As for the box engine, well, it leaves a lot to be desired. The cylinders are not clearly made, and the very way of dividing the cylinder into three parts carries the risk of visible joints. Anyway, the whole thing was assembled, painted and put in place. I can't wait to paint the plane properly.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_e8c13a7f87f44339b40c36b1cfa2e0c0~mv2.jpg)
Regrds
Lukasz
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Thank you for the link Lukasz, and for another interesting Nieuport post.
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I am catching up on your build and must say your Nieuport is Beautiful! I also enjoyed skimming over the History and will have to read thoroughly later! Stunning work to date!
RAGIII
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Thank you for the link Lukasz, and for another interesting Nieuport post.
Thank you :)
I am catching up on your build and must say your Nieuport is Beautiful! I also enjoyed skimming over the History and will have to read thoroughly later! Stunning work to date!
RAGIII
Thanks a lot
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Hello,
I finally got out of grinding. It's the smallest model I've ever made, has the fewest parts I've ever made, and sanding gave me as much as two bolts. Glad it worked. Time to paint. The concept for this airframe is a combination of a few inspirations and a few own ideas. The whole plane was painted silver, I would like to avoid the trap of one-color machines and show the surface in an interesting way. At this moment I have reached the stage of masking the ribs.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_3f3dae6bcd334a46bfc5436907b1205f~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_25d52c779f144f6bb825dc94b0ed284d~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_3ee3174baddb4b3b863f0f785e525d4a~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Looks fantastic !
RAGIII
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Looks fantastic !
RAGIII
Thank you :)
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That's an interesting process. Looks good so far.
Steve
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Beautiful work, I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks with the silver top coat. The interior is stunning!
Richie
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Absolutely beautiful work sir.
Warren
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Thank you very much. It is extremely motivating that you leave a word of support in this workshop.
Regards
Lukasz
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Very nice looking progress also on the exterior. I am keen on how you’ll do the silver dope.
Andreas
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Hello everyone,
A few days of changing the environment and getting away from the workshop did me good. But it's time to go back to Nieuport and continue painting. There was quite a lot of masking, then color rotations and the current look is the one where the right color will go, although not only, but let's not anticipate the facts.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_9d15d3218b7a4ab3bb68f979f13ba1d2~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_7d95e91dea594e8c99e68aab134502af~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Excellent masking work. The Nieuport should really look Terrific once the main coat of paint is applied!
RAGIII
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Excellent masking work. The Nieuport should really look Terrific once the main coat of paint is applied!
RAGIII
Thanks a lot :)
I also finished the upper wing and fins. I can start applying the main color.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_572afb85e4444a6bbc142b564a5795ae~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Great preparation for the final colour. It's going to look really beautiful.
Richie
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I am looking for the final result of all that tedious preshading.
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Hello,
Thank you all for your comments. The upper wing and horizontal stabilizers are covered with the base color. Unfortunately, I had to change it, despite my efforts, I was not able to paint Flat Aluminum in such a way that the grain of the metallic plates was not clearly visible. Finally went Gunze Sliver Chrome. The whole is shaded and painted in such a way that the paint abrasions are visible in places. This is still not the final effect, but the next step will be painting the tsar's markings, only later will the oils that will give the right look.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_f24d17c18cc34f52860712018df9de40~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_1cc032686c3144d495011b1918eb7f22~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_e181f0812c924914a6bfa7a39cfaa17b~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_4ed63122403442f0943bf9ae947d7c65~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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well that looks fantastic already, with the markings and oils it will look even better still.
Richie
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Very interesting approach. Painting enduit metallisé isn‘t easy and can quickly look toy-like. You are avoiding that effect in a very interesting way.
Andreas
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Very interesting approach. Painting enduit metallisé isn‘t easy and can quickly look toy-like. You are avoiding that effect in a very interesting way.
Andreas
Thanks Andreas. I am still looking for optimal solutions, I have no experience in this type of aircraft, but I hope that with time it will only get better.
well that looks fantastic already, with the markings and oils it will look even better still.
Richie
Thank you Richie. I saw your excellent work, such a comment is a great honor for me.
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Thank you Richie. I saw your excellent work, such a comment is a great honor for me.
[/quote]
That's very kind of you, I feel honoured that such a skilled artist as yourself should think so highly of my offerings!
Richie
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Lukasz,
I like where you are going with the Artistic approach. I am looking forward to seeing your work after markings and oils are applied!
RAGIII
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Many thanks gentlemen. Tracing paper imitating canvas has just arrived, I'm very tempted to try my hand at it.
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Hello everyone,
At this time, Donat Makijonek's machine permanently becomes Nieuport 21 number 2453. On this plane, together with two pilots from the unit (Janczenko on Morane and Matwiejewicz on Nieuport), on March 20, 1917, he intercepts a Austro-Hungarian expedition consisting of a bomber plane in the cover of a fighter . The battle takes place over the village of Monastyrzesko. As recorded in the report: "The large bomber plane did not accept the fight and in a sharp flight to the ground escaped over its own territory. The biplane fighter protecting him, armed with two machine guns, joined the fight, but after several attacks by our pilots, it also escaped. The fight was not resolved, but Donat himself, to his surprise, discovers a number of bullet holes just a few centimeters from his head after returning to the airport.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_62f5f8e5f3a549a09c02c36f5477684b~mv2.jpg)
On April 13, 1917, Makijonek's best described battle of the Great War took place. The fight was so important that it was an allegory of how the fate of thousands of Poles scattered on the opposite sides of the front unfolded. Two enemy Flik 7s (Brandenburg C.1) appeared over the front, coordinating the artillery. The crews of the aircraft were: observer Roman Schmidt and pilot lieutenant Paul Hablick, the second Brandenburg with the number 16.04 was piloted by sergeant Aleksander Klefacas, and the observer was Henryk Szeliga (a Pole). The Russian team consisting of Yanchenko, Gilsher, Makijonek and Martirov attacked the enemy formation with real fury. Klefacs and Szeliga found themselves in front of Makijonek, who opened fire from a short distance, aiming at the crew. The distance was no more than 15-20 meters. Szeliga suffered heavy wounds from his compatriot's bullets, and Klefacs tried to escape at low altitude. Makijonek rushed in pursuit, firing short bursts. In the meantime, Szmidt accurately fired on Martirow's plane, which had to withdraw from the fight and make an emergency landing. It was Szmidt's first officially recognized victory. In turn, Gilsher accurately fired at the Austro-Hungarian machine and, supported by Janczenko, forced the crew of Hablicek and Szmidt to land. During the emergency landing, Hablicek overturned and, unfortunately, died a few weeks later due to head injuries. Schmidt emerged from this disaster almost unscathed.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_788e135dde9b4fc99dda9539e3f8b1ec~mv2.jpg)
Sebastian Łydźba - the fight scene between Makijonk and the crew of Klefacs and Szeliga.
Makijonek recounted the fight as follows: At 8.45 in the morning, having flown to intercept an enemy plane flying in the direction of Tyśmienica-Stanislaviv, but not having seen it, I met two planes in the area of Bogorodchany. Approaching them, I saw that one of them was our Morane-Umbrella (as it later turned out from the family's 3rd Corps Division), and the other was the Albatross that was stalking him (it was really Brandenburg C.I.). Our plane was escaping to its rear, and the enemy was chasing and firing at it. Attacked by me in the area of Łysiec, he abandoned the persecution of Morane-Parasol and took up the fight with me, which lasted 7 minutes. With a higher flight speed, the enemy did not give me the opportunity to perform an attack. During the fight, a Morane-Monokok plane piloted by Janchenko approached us. When the enemy was diving at me, ensign Janchenko, by attacking from above, forced the enemy to descend to the same height as me, which was conducive to launching a successful attack. After my last attack, the enemy began to fall quickly, fell onto the wing and fell into the forest, west of Majdańska Buda. Having descended to an altitude of 500 meters and seeing that the enemy plane had burned down, I returned to my own airfield, Markovce.
This story is not true, the Austo-Hungarian plane did not fall into the forest and did not burn down, so Makijonk was not awarded a victory. The crew of the Brandenburg C.I 67.04 aircraft he shot at was Klefacs and Szeliga from Flik 7. Klefacs escaped the oppression almost unscathed, Szeliga (a Pole) was badly wounded by Makijonk's fire, and the shot Brandenburg landed unhindered on his own airfield. On the other hand, Szeliga's shelling damaged Makijonk's plane and forced it to land near the front line. After a makeshift repair, Makijonek flew to its own airport. Szeliga was officially shot down.
This fight turned out to be a spectacular defeat of the Tsar's airmen. Despite the advantage of lighter, more manoeuvrable aircraft, they managed to force only one enemy to land, while on the Russian side, as many as two aircraft had to land due to damage sustained.
This story had its finale a bit later, when Makijonek met Szeliga in the Polish Air Force, this time as a comrade-in-arms.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I finished painting the base color of the wings. In the photo, the upper lobe is turned upside down, I gave it a lighter shade. Horizontal stabilizers - also got color on both sides. I took the hull, there's still some work ahead of me, for now I'm putting the shading. I hope that by the end of the week I will prepare the whole thing for painting the tsar's markings and applying decals.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_cc3ca0967ae249118db2eb8a95a8f5ac~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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I’m liking your technique with the enduit metalise paintwork and am eager to try it in smaller scale.
Fascinating history lesson as well. Hard to imagine former combatants emerging as comrades only a few years later.
All the best,
Tim
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I’m liking your technique with the enduit metalise paintwork and am eager to try it in smaller scale.
Fascinating history lesson as well. Hard to imagine former combatants emerging as comrades only a few years later.
All the best,
Tim
Thanks Tim. That's true. Extraordinary human fates can be surprising and unexplored. Enemies become friends, friends take up arms. For me, modeling and aviation are, above all, people and their stories. What fascinates me the most is exploring fates.
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I agree with Tim on all counts!
RAGIII
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I agree with Tim on all counts!
RAGIII
Thanks RAGIII :)
Slowly everything starts to take on colors and the right shades. I finished the engine cover with base colors, although I will probably still shade it before the proper oils. At the moment, the whole thing is shiny as hell, I had to cover the entire airframe with glossy varnish before applying oils and a few decals, but right after these treatments we will extinguish everything. The "Polonia" decal was made in two layers, a white background and a proper bitmap. Finally, I decided to paint the background and not use two decals on top of each other.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_b42c96e486f34ecfa6d791849b5c3366~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_85f172d8103e4b66bb2bbb692132e753~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Seriously good modeling skills you have. The decal really looks painted on. Nice work!
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Seriously good modeling skills you have. The decal really looks painted on. Nice work!
Thank you very nice to meet you. I hope that the work will continue smoothly and pleasantly. I plan to slightly shade the decals in line with the hull truss.
Regards
Lukasz
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The engine cover kept me up all night. This morning, armed with an idea, I sat down to the airbrush. I also shaded Polonia. I can go on. It's time to prepare the weapons and mount it all on board.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_c0ea286fe4384acf9824c5b6fbbd9e6f~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Really Impressive work with the decal and painted background. Like what has already been said, it looks like it was painted on like the original!
RAGIII
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Looks great and you're also doing a good job teasing us with things to come... Large markings to be painted on?
/Fredrik
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Really Impressive work with the decal and painted background. Like what has already been said, it looks like it was painted on like the original!
RAGIII
Thank you RAG
Looks great and you're also doing a good job teasing us with things to come... Large markings to be painted on?
/Fredrik
Thanks a lot. Yes, the Tsar's markings will be painted. Today I took the project to be cut out, I already have the masks.
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Hello,
"Polonia" got to the other side of the hull. It's also time to improve the painting of the wood, which unfortunately got a few losses during grinding and other works. Still, this place needs work on details, the photos always reveal something new. I also put decals on the vertical stabilizer and mounted the armament. The Vickers machine gun in the French variant and the accompanying clamps, there is still a lever to remove the weapon's jams. The machine gun from Gaspatch, unfortunately, required modifications to the mount. Boxed Vickers are narrower. Luckily, I managed to put everything back together.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_501a5e851d854caebdf5ba6f9d2b4c76~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_6fcbc6288f60438f97d2f88baadd9f93~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_02089300c3374ae08faa059d98de81c7~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Absolutely amazing work, Lukasz.
Cheers,
Gary
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Wow, that is just beautiful Lukasz!
Richie
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Absolutely amazing work, Lukasz.
Cheers,
Gary
Thank you Gary. If you like it, it means that there is hope that something will come of it hehe. ;D
Wow, that is just beautiful Lukasz!
Richie
Thanks Richie, your support motivates.
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Hello everyone,
First, a further story about our hero.
On April 21, 1917, Makijonek and the commander of the 7th IAO Ivan Orlov, near the village of Kołodzinovki, encounter an enemy plane. Ivan Orlov in a quick attack positioned himself in the right position and opened fire from a short distance, killing or wounding the observer, unfortunately at the same time the surprised Russian was himself attacked by another enemy plane, which was not spotted in time. Makijonek immediately rushed at the enemy, trying to save the commander. A fight ensued, in which Makijonek forced the enemy plane to descend to a lower altitude in the area of the Majdany settlement. A moment later, the Russian team (Makijonek and Orlov) were attacked by another plane, the third in a row, which unexpectedly joined the fight. Orlov and Makijonek, having run out of ammunition, withdrew from the fight. The clash was unresolved.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_826b056c735e4d5289ca7284f42f7965~mv2.jpg)
Donat Makijonek
On April 27, 1917, another fight takes place, but this time it was successful. Makijonek caught up with and forced an enemy plane to land near the village of Kozjarki. However, this victory was not approved for him, because it was not confirmed. In some studies, there is still a record of the fight and victory on April 29, 1917.
It was June 1917. Unit 7 IAO was reinforced with new Nieuport 17 aircraft, which significantly increased the efficiency of the pilots. At that time, Makijonek was making the last flights on his well-deserved, but already much worn Nieuport 21 with serial number 2453.
On June 26, north-west of Brzezany, a Pole attacks the observation balloon, forcing it to lower, unfortunately, due to the lack of incendiary rounds, it cannot be destroyed definitively. However, only a few days later, on June 29, there is a fight with an enemy plane, which is forced to land in the vicinity of the Marcenkowka farm. Unfortunately, at the same moment Makijonk is attacked by two enemy Fokkers and seriously damages his Nieuport 21 (2453). With the last of his strength and skills, he manages to escape and get to his own airport in a shot plane.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_025139e8ffef436fba7b9906a2ba7a2d~mv2.jpg)
Commander of the 7th IAO Ivan Orlov - 7 victories
The intensity of combat flights and the flying skills of our hero are amazing. In April 1917, he made 22 sorties. In May, out of 105 sorties made by five pilots of the unit, 30 were Makijonka. On some days he made 2-3 sorties. The second lieutenant did not shy away from tasks unusual for fighters: he conducted reconnaissance and photographed enemy positions. In June 1917, Makijonek made 39 out of 146 sorties of the unit.
In the same month, in a dogfight with two (according to another version, four) enemy fighters, the detachment commander, Lieutenant Ivan Orlov, was killed. The new commander was Yuri Gilsher, an exceptional pilot and with four victories. After the accident, his left foot was amputated, but not only did he not retire, but he continued to fly with a prosthetic and shoot down enemy planes.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_7adb99bf57a94e798afa2d1462d70924~mv2.jpg)
Nieuport 17 by Vasily Janchenko, which he flew from mid-summer 1917.
On July 6, a fight takes place near Brzezany. There is not much information on this subject, except that Makijonk and Janchenko's goal was to photograph enemy positions. There is an encounter with the enemy in the air and in the fight both pilots shoot down the attacker. A similar situation occurs on July 11, 1917. Again, together with Janczenka, Makijonek shoots down an enemy plane near Brzezany.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_16a5fe9b45614f5db01965de37ea0e73~mv2.jpg)
Yuri Gilsher, after Orlov's death, he becomes the commander of the 7th IAO. When he died in July 1917, he had five victories under his belt.
On July 20, Yuri V. Gilsher (new commander) and Vasily I. Janchenko and Donat Makijonek (on the new Nieuport 17 machine) flew out to intercept a formation of 16 enemy planes that were attacking Ternopil. In the process of capturing the formation, Makijonk is attacked by three enemy planes and binds him in combat. The remaining two Russians continue their missions and try to reach the bomber planes, they manage to intercept the expedition over the city, but at the moment eight enemy machines fall on them. Although the enemy has multiple advantages, the Russians decide to attack, and Gilsher shoots down his fifth plane rather quickly. As they approached the second attack, one of the enemy planes strafed Glisher, the commander's machine crashes, and he himself dies, he was 22 years old.
Vasily Yanchenko, in a letter to Glisher's father, described the commander's last fight as follows:
“The description of the last battle of Gilscher is described in detail in a letter to Yuri's father by ensign Yanchenko, a participant in the battle: “Dear Vladimir Ivanovich. I, as a participant in this fight and an eyewitness of your son's heroic death, undertake to describe this glorious battle in which your son, through the death of brave people, left his mark on a heroic life. ... a squadron of 16 aircraft surrounded us, it would be disgraceful to avoid battle, Ternopil would be destroyed by bombs, and we took the battle. ... I saw the enemy open fire, and smoke trails, clearly visible through me, lay along your son's plane. At that time, attacked from above by the rest of the enemy planes, and looking up, I saw about 10 planes above me, while Gilscher's cornet engine broke free from the frame and flew forward, the wings of his plane folded and fell like a stone. The device is already partly fragmented in the air. ...the corpse was extracted from the rubble and sent to Tarnopol, from there to our division, where it was sealed in a coffin and solemnly buried in the town of Bugach in Galicia. It was impossible to send the body to Russia, because during the panic of our troops there was no way to get the wagons. Aviation will not forget about its great fighters.”
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_9c9f6a0f7e42463a83cdbdf8f41b59b8~mv2.jpg)
Gilsher's death
Thus, on July 20, 1917, after Gilsher's death, Makijonek temporarily assumed command of the 7th IAO. He held this position until August 1917, when another Pole, Tadeusz Grochowalski, took his place. Soon after taking command, Makijonek, overloaded with duties, a lot of flights and difficult conditions, fell ill with tuberculosis. His condition became more and more serious and the situation in the country worse and worse. The February Revolution and the established Provisional Government could not cope with the mood of the society, communist factions began to gain power. It should be noted here that despite the illness and the general internal situation in Russia, the unit under Makijonk's command maintained combat efficiency and successfully fought the enemy.
Makijonk's last victory in the Russian Air Force took place on August 5, 1917. Again with the irreplaceable Janchenka, Makijonek destroys an unknown machine near Brzezany. All flights and victories since July 1917 were performed on Nieuport 17.
In August 1917 Makijonek, due to his terrible health, is sent to the rear. He is sent to the Eupatory Aviation School in Sevastopol to learn how to use new machine guns and shooting techniques. Later he found himself in a hospital in Sevastopol, where he was treated for the effects of tuberculosis. That's where the news of his promotion found him. In November 1917, Makijonek returned to the unit. At that time, Russia was in turmoil, another revolution put the Bolsheviks in power. Makijonek was elected a member of the Military-Revolutionary Committee of the 7th IAO. However, the unit itself ceased operations and the equipment was stolen, the pilots had to think about their further fate. It was then that many of them remembered their origins and the new opportunity that had arisen. Ukrainians talked about independent Ukraine, Georgians about independent Georgia, Latvians, Estonians and others formed their national units. Makijonek turned his gaze towards Poland, which he had never forgotten.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Workshop news:
Work is underway to place the Tsar's bows on the wings. I decided to paint the above-mentioned markings, because the difference in my opinion between decals and painted markings is significant. The design of the masks was helped by the irreplaceable Tomek. Oramask foil and cutting at a specialist point. The whole thing is already shaded. It remains to fine-tune the details of the wings and you can apply oils. I also shaded the horizontal stabilizer and turned off the contrast of the decal, here he did not paint, the owl is a custom-made decal.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_dcfe3c2a9a1741d2b9a960c1c1b67510~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_25f0e21b6c4c4f1fa3db3476126ce1f9~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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The underside of the upper wing received markings. Painting of tsarist bows completed. I can go on.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_6e364c7a4a08421c80d0782e798b76cc~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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I am continuing to enjoy not only the beautiful Nieuport but also the History! Both are well done!
RAGIII
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Lukasz,
What you have done so far looks incredible. And I very much like the background story about Donat Makijonek, which makes this almost personal.
You are turning a great kit into a marvelous model and I enjoy every post.
Kind regards,
Willem
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It’s getting better and better! The shading is really nice.
Andreas
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I am continuing to enjoy not only the beautiful Nieuport but also the History! Both are well done!
RAGIII
Thanks for your support RAGIII
Lukasz,
What you have done so far looks incredible. And I very much like the background story about Donat Makijonek, which makes this almost personal.
You are turning a great kit into a marvelous model and I enjoy every post.
Kind regards,
Willem
Willem, im really glad to hear it. Thank you for your attention and kind words.
It’s getting better and better! The shading is really nice.
Andreas
Thank you Andreas, I hope you will like the final surface finish. I plan to treat the whole thing with salt and shading, then oils, so there's still a bit ahead of me.
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Very striking effects on the enduit metallise with shading. I wish I could see your model in real.
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Just catching up with this Lukasz,
What a beauty! An inspiring build…
Guy
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Very striking effects on the enduit metallise with shading. I wish I could see your model in real.
Thank you Przemek. Maybe we'll meet again someday, who knows?
Just catching up with this Lukasz,
What a beauty! An inspiring build…
Guy
I am very pleased that you are interested in my Nieuport.
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In addition to "Polonia" with a sword and an owl on the vertical stabilizer, Nieuport 21 number 2453, on which Makijonek flew, had one more special feature. A large propeller cap covering the cylinders almost completely. As I wrote in the editorial, it was certainly not the "cone de penetration" found in other Nieuports (especially in Nieuport 17). Anyway, today's presentation of the hubcap. At this point, I would like to thank Piotr, without whom the idea of making this model would be incomplete. It was quite a journey, but in the end it turned out really well. I am satisfied with the effect. It remains to wait for the propeller.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_a9186305a709499c9c7983c858a25cc5~mv2.jpg)
At the same time I put serial numbers. Copper State Model made a smile to the modellers here and put all the numbers on the tracing paper. So any serial number can be reconstructed, albeit a painstaking job.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_778bb970c1714f5f885c63942828634c~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Makijonk had an illustrious career, it's been great learning about him. Your model is a fantastic tribute to a very brave young man. Your painting technique has produced a beautiful, interesting silver doped finish.
Richie
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Makijonk had an illustrious career, it's been great learning about him. Your model is a fantastic tribute to a very brave young man. Your painting technique has produced a beautiful, interesting silver doped finish.
Richie
You know Richie, what you wrote really matters to me. In our country, we know little and are little interested in pilots from the beginning of our country after a long captivity. We focus on World War II, and we have almost forgotten those people. What you write about was the most important and main reason for my interest in the subject of those years.
Take care and thanks :)
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Lukasz,
So many fine details to admire with your project. I really like the subtle weathering and paint chipping around the engine cowl and spinner. Top notch work painting the Tzars colors as well!
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Lukasz,
So many fine details to admire with your project. I really like the subtle weathering and paint chipping around the engine cowl and spinner. Top notch work painting the Tzars colors as well!
Thank you Tim. I'm glad you like it all.
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One set of serial number 2453 with the inscription Type 21 is six parts, ten sets in total. On the second day of digging, the type designations and serial numbers were in place.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_a1cf6a4a4f0b4539a57637025ca4c715~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_5abb729500d4456a9492a3effd32b85c~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Gobsmacked by your skills, Lukasz. What a superb rendition of the aluminium doped finish - and everything else!
Looking forward to seeing the end product.
Just one point though: are you happy about the belt chute and drum?
When I was building my CSM17 I opted to leave the left panel off to display the internals. (wish I'd added the cross rigging, when I see yours!) After much looking at refs etc I surmised that the empty belt comes out of the left side of the gun down the chute to the drum, while the empty casings eject downwards from the body of the gun - see attached youtube of gun firing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApmMbiF0nVs
Thus, I altered chute and drum feed to meet each other, inside the left upper longeron as in attached picture. (Sorry about quality)
I may be totally wrong and welcome anybody else's view on this, but I thought I'd mention it before you mount top wing and add rigging etc in case you agree!
Great story and I can't wait to see final result
Sandy
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Thank you very much for your kind words and extensive comment. Totally agree with what you wrote. I must admit that opening the panel put me in front of several challenges. One of them was the ammunition belt drum.
Your photo inspired me and motivated me to improve it. Thank you.
Lukasz
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The cap on the prop looks excellent! Did I miss how you made it? If so point me in the right direction!
RAGIII
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The cap on the prop looks excellent! Did I miss how you made it? If so point me in the right direction!
RAGIII
Hey RAGIII, i used few metallic colors, smoke with flat black and maskol. Then I painted alternately. Finally, I removed Maskol with a cotton swab and got this effect.
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Truly remarkable work Lukasz, I'm at a loss for words.
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Truly remarkable work Lukasz, I'm at a loss for words.
Thank you :)
Work on the surface proceeds to the next stage. My intention was to break the contrasts of the bows, color saturation and obtain local discolorations. So I treated the whole thing with a few treatments to give a slightly more worked look and breathe life into a rather sterile look.
The photo shows the upper surface of the upper wing.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_100ed2854ed3491b827447f466d5f2f3~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Utterly impressive...
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Utterly impressive...
Thank you Przemek. :) I'm very pleased.
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Very nice work here. Your efforts are paying off in the appearance of the finished model.
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Stunning and subtle at the same time!!
Steve
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Very nice work here. Your efforts are paying off in the appearance of the finished model.
Thanks a lot
Stunning and subtle at the same time!!
Steve
Thank you Steve. In front of me are oils and the final makeover.
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Still a very interesting treatment with colors! I am keen on seeing the final effects.
Best regards,
Andreas
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Still a very interesting treatment with colors! I am keen on seeing the final effects.
Best regards,
Andreas
Thank you Andreas
Recently, I was consumed by a whole handful of small things that needed to be prepared. Slowly, however, I start to assemble everything and prepare to assemble the rigging.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_96994185174e47408bb9370c6c65f9b5~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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You have certainly achieved your goal of creating a realistic and interesting worn aluminium doped finish. It gives the model a real sense of scale and looks stunning.
Richie
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You have certainly achieved your goal of creating a realistic and interesting worn aluminium doped finish. It gives the model a real sense of scale and looks stunning.
Richie
I must admit that many of these works are experiments. This is my first biplane model and I can definitely consider it as a guinea pig on which I test a whole bag of ideas. This is the final test before an important exam.
Small parts are demanding. One wants to treat them a bit neglectfully, but in the end, they largely make up the whole. Painting the last parts before final assembly.
Elements in progress, before the final appearance:
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_64eb57ffcf374738a7171ed3c7f7fbce~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_f30a62fb99774bfd90caf33f5b6375ea~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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This is my first biplane model
Nothing about your work so far suggests that. Bravo my friend!
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This is my first biplane model
Nothing about your work so far suggests that. Bravo my friend!
Thank you. Your support helps me a lot. Thank you very much.
Lukasz
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The propeller is ready.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_1681792ccad945e892f0d9f5d236c910~mv2.jpg)
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You are building faster than I can read Lukasz ;D
This is one of the best looking model propellers I have seen. Very convincing weathering!
Willem
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The struts and prop really look great. Lovely wood tones! You are moving along Nicely!
RAGIII
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I agree with Rick and Willem, that is some first class wood painting.
Richie
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Thank you very much gentlemen. I'm really glad that you like this work.
The time of the Bolsheviks has come. Russia was in turmoil, structures and the army were falling apart. People shared views and ideas for the future. A long period of unrest was beginning, which in the future would lead to an extremely bloody civil war in Russia. It was January 5, 1918.
Tired of the situation in the unit, Makijonek sets off in his Nieuport to Kamieniec Podolski. There he joined the 1st Polish Aviation Department. He took the position of assistant to his former commander and comrade - Tadeusz Grochowalski. However, in May of the same year, the Germans disarmed and liquidated the 2nd Corps of the Polish Army, and with it the Polish Aviation Division. Makijonek, trying to avoid the fate of his friends, escaped by plane, but was shot down near Kaniów. Avoiding German captivity, slightly wounded, he reached Kiev on foot.
Kiev was also in turmoil, Hetman Skoropadsky was creating the Central Council there at that time, and basically no one cared about the Polish pilot. Taking advantage of the confusion, Makijonek made contact with Polish conspirators and, after gathering a group of 18 former soldiers, together they decided to get to Murmansk, and from there to Poland, which was being created on the ruins of the partitioning powers. During this journey, in the vicinity of Nizhny Novgorod, having covered half the way, they were arrested by the Bolsheviks and on October 1 they were transported to Butyrki in Moscow. Makijonek, who refused to serve in the Red Air Force, suffering from tuberculosis, managed to escape from the hospital at the end of 1918 and after a month of wandering, he got to Warsaw.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_54c493ccc5b943fc83bad5f6e1f73e95~mv2.jpg)
Donat Makijonek in 1919 or 1920.
At that time, after 123 years of captivity, Poland was reborn. Power and administration are taken over from the invaders. Polish military formations begin to form. Unfortunately, the Republic of Poland is facing a time of great trial, a fight for borders. In December 1919, an uprising breaks out in Wielkopolska against the Germans, and in November, fighting begins in Galicia for Lwów. The situation is difficult, and every qualified soldier is worth its weight in gold.
Already on November 4, Makijonek checks in at the Mokotów airport in Warsaw. A new stage began in his life - a direct struggle for the homeland, to which he was heading with such difficulty. However, the situation was not so simple, the Polish air force was just being formed, the command was being organized, there was no back-up, and qualified personnel was just gathering. Although there are a lot of planes in Mokotów, their condition left much to be desired. Almost all machines were of German production and for a pilot unfamiliar with such equipment, any untrained flights were very risky. There have been accidents. One of them was attended by Makijonek himself. On November 21, flying as a passenger with Lieutenant Norwid Kudło on the LVG C.V, they hit the hangar and fell to the ground. Fortunately, the fall from a small height only led to the loss of the aircraft. This is how the need for ruthless training of pilots on German types of aircraft arose.
On December 30, 1918, a new unit was created in Warsaw. 3 Air Squadron. The best staff among the airmen available was selected for it. Captain pilot Julian Słoniewski became the commander.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_4f138b40e16a497688ab29951328f47b~mv2.jpg)
DFW C.V 3 Squadrons - Słoniewski, Makijonek and two mechanics
On January 20, 1919, Donat Makijonek joined the unit. Verified in the rank of captain, he took the position of the chief of pilots of the Squadron. On January 23, 1919, the Squadron set off by rail transport to the Volyn front. Lublin becomes the destination airport. Makijonek stayed in Warsaw preparing the rest of the planes for the Squadron. He personally flew DFW C.V number 808/17 and side number 54, which on January 29, 1919 he flies to the airport in Lublin. The time has come for another war in the life of our hero.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All bolts separated, draw plan drawn. However, before I glue the screws, it's time for oils, at least the most important ones. Analyzing weathering on archival photos and models allowed me to pre-prepare a set of treatments, which, however, does not change the fact that it looks a bit different than with machines from World War II and I feel a bit lost in the subject.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_dd5cef28101743fa98bb89d27166cc62~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_d1e9cd3983c6418bbc80c12ed158c1e0~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Your weathering / Oil streaks look great. I tend to go a lot farther, perhaps too far, on My rotary engine aircraft like Nieuports! ::)
RAGIII
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I'm enjoying the biography of Donat Makijonek as much as the model Lukasz. I have learned a lot from this thread.
Richie
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Your weathering / Oil streaks look great. I tend to go a lot farther, perhaps too far, on My rotary engine aircraft like Nieuports! ::)
RAGIII
(https://i.postimg.cc/zGwyTmkQ/IMG-20201205-185638847-2.jpg)
Your Nieuport looks great. Weathering is an individual and contractual matter. It depends on so many factors that it is never possible to determine the perfect painting. Maybe that's why it's so interesting?
I'm enjoying the biography of Donat Makijonek as much as the model Lukasz. I have learned a lot from this thread.
Richie
Thank you Richie. You don't even know how happy I am that you want to read about Makijonk. Thank you for your comments and presence.
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Soiling of the main part of the airframe done. There will be a billion more fixes for sure, but certainly without the use of a jar of turpentine, so I can safely glue the screws with CA glue, without fear that they will let me go.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_63a0a62a0f914759a1d184dee66de861~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_42bf42770eb94f4283ba2a62b2cb9dc4~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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Gobsmacked by your skills, Lukasz. What a superb rendition of the aluminium doped finish - and everything else!
Looking forward to seeing the end product.
Just one point though: are you happy about the belt chute and drum?
When I was building my CSM17 I opted to leave the left panel off to display the internals. (wish I'd added the cross rigging, when I see yours!) After much looking at refs etc I surmised that the empty belt comes out of the left side of the gun down the chute to the drum, while the empty casings eject downwards from the body of the gun - see attached youtube of gun firing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApmMbiF0nVs
Thus, I altered chute and drum feed to meet each other, inside the left upper longeron as in attached picture. (Sorry about quality)
I may be totally wrong and welcome anybody else's view on this, but I thought I'd mention it before you mount top wing and add rigging etc in case you agree!
Great story and I can't wait to see final result
Sandy
I would like to thank you very much for motivating me to improve this unfortunate tape. Thank you, Sandy. Unfortunately, CSM did not predict what happens to the belt between the rail and the drum. In the case of an open panel, this shortcoming is very visible. A resin tape from Gaspatch and Piotrek came to the rescue and told me how to shape it properly. The final result of the ammunition belt looks like this:
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_ce1c6b01258b4227b15b50ccbea0a2a8~mv2.jpg)
The upper wing received oils and is basically ready for painting. A few more rain marks and it should be ok.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_087915ab70b148b2b138dcccff454cc3~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_494ba08bdf4a4da494b98a9b4755ca00~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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The Ammo Belt fix looks amazing. Your weathering on the rest of the airframe and upper wi g is Fantastic!
RAGIII
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Beautiful work all around! Love me some Noops!
Warren
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The Ammo Belt fix looks amazing. Your weathering on the rest of the airframe and upper wi g is Fantastic!
RAGIII
Thank you RAGIII. I appreciate your words very much. I am glad that you motivate me and encourage me during these works.
Beautiful work all around! Love me some Noops!
Warren
Im really glad. Thank you.
At the end of a very intense day, I'm posting a general photo of the plane with the upper wing applied dry. I secured the whole thing with a matte varnish, I will apply some traces of rain and work a bit with crayons. I laid out all the rigging and prepared the bolts. A few more days and it's over. I think that with the next update I will post a story about Makijonk. I should fit in one, maximum two parts.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_59123bef000c4bcab6e275ea97f275a0~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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So nearly done and looking superb. Yes please, include more biographical information on Makijonk. I think this build has been a real labour of love for you where you are paying your respects to him. I am sure you take great care with all of your models but this must feel a bit special for you.
Richie
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So nearly done and looking superb. Yes please, include more biographical information on Makijonk. I think this build has been a real labour of love for you where you are paying your respects to him. I am sure you take great care with all of your models but this must feel a bit special for you.
Richie
Thank you very much. I actually got used to the history of Makijonek. For me, planes are people, their stories and the plane itself can be interesting, but it becomes extremely interesting when we intertwine it with human fate. We will get to know the context and place our model in it. For me, it is also a tribute to extraordinary people, giving them respect, in my humble way. Many of them are not known to the wider public, but they deserve to be remembered for having devoted almost their entire lives to us so that we can build models and enjoy freedom today
Lukasz
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Your Nieuport looks Stunning with the upper wing mounted. Looking forward to your next update, and Yes More Historical Info is great!
RAGIII
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You have a sharp eye for the details and every part gets a small peace of art for its own. I am curious how it looks all together!
Your weathering / Oil streaks look great. I tend to go a lot farther, perhaps too far, on My rotary engine aircraft like Nieuports! ::)
RAGIII
(https://i.postimg.cc/zGwyTmkQ/IMG-20201205-185638847-2.jpg)
No Rick, just simply cool!
Andreas
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You have a sharp eye for the details and every part gets a small peace of art for its own. I am curious how it looks all together!
Your weathering / Oil streaks look great. I tend to go a lot farther, perhaps too far, on My rotary engine aircraft like Nieuports! ::)
RAGIII
No Rick, just simply cool!
Andreas
Thanks but I actually regret posting the photo of My Nieuport Now. Lets focus on Lukasz build going forward!!
RAGIII
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Thank you for being here and commenting. I am very pleased that you support me. I also think RAGIII that your Nieuport lacks nothing. It's a great model and your interpretation.
We return to the story about Donat Makijonek.
February 6, 1919 - Lublin. Volyn Front. There was a thick fog over the airport that day. Despite the weather, Captain Makijonek and Captain Słoniewski attempt to carry out reconnaissance. They took off at 1:00 pm on DFW C.V number 808/17 towards Kovel. Unfortunately, during the flight, the engine failed, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in Anusin (26 km from Chełmno). The undercarriage of the airframe was damaged during landing. However, Makijonek and Słoniewski managed to repair the machine on their own and return to the airport on February 7.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_abe99da7adf74a4ba2c06256b1aa16e4~mv2.jpg)
DFW C.V 808/17 - a machine on which Makijonek flew combat flights on the Volyn front.
Over the next few days, a bad streak haunted the unit. The bad streak was broken on February 15, 1919. Makijonek together with Słoniewski again on the DFW C.V plane left Lublin at 9 am for a reconnaissance mission on the route Chełm-Kowel-Rożyszcze-Łuck-Włodzimierz Wołyński-Chełm-Lublin.
Słoniewski described the flight as follows:
“During reconnaissance, a field gun stationed on the north-eastern edge of Rożyszcza fired a dozen or so shrapnel at our plane, and then we fired at it with a shot putter. The railway station in Rożyszcze as well as the town itself were also shot with a shot putter. On the way back, due to strong, contrary wind and running out of fuel, we were forced to land near Chełm, where we reported the results of the reconnaissance to the headquarters of General Śmigły-Rydz.”
The pilots were delivered gasoline and returned to Lublin on February 17.
The following weeks and months are filled with intensive aviation tasks for our hero. I will deliberately not focus on describing in detail Makijonk's mission and his experiences as part of the 3rd Squadron, because in the future I plan to perform his DFW. C.5 808/17. Then there will be an opportunity to describe these events in more detail.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_eea168fb8d7e49479c6043b276e51410~mv2.jpg)
The crew of the 3rd Squadron in front of the Breguet-14 aircraft. Inside is Captain D.A. makiyonok. The photo is believed to be from 1919.
Makijonek flew very intensively and for the most difficult tasks. He often took off in very difficult weather conditions, performing assault attacks and reconnaissance over the area occupied by the enemy. The enormity of tasks and requirements of the General Staff on the one hand, and the thinness of the staff and the constant shortage of equipment on the other, caused a huge burden on the staff, and since Makijonek did not allow anyone to use his "54", he had to fly almost every day.
On April 11, 1919, he had to escort his favorite plane to the central depot in Warsaw, CWL. In return, he received another DFW C.V 1805/17, on which he first returned to Lublin, and on April 24 to Kowel. On this machine, he made 7 more combat flights, the last one on May 17, 1919.
Pilot Makijonek performed bombing, long-range reconnaissance and assault flights against infantry and cavalry. He often returned from action with a machine damaged by enemy bullets. Donat Makijonek made a total of over 34 flights over the enemy with a total duration of about 74 hours. It dropped about 875 kg of bombs, fired 10,600 rounds from the deck weapons, its airframe received about 50 hits.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_90b5b2107e2a4eb1b2188b0587821359~mv2.jpg)
Personnel of the 3rd Squadron in the first days of August 1920. From the left, sitting: Łaguna, Prauss, Kossowski, Makijonek, Toluściak. Behind them are: Bula, Sieczkowski, Krzyczkowski, Ratomski, Faleński, Hryszkiewicz.
On May 30, 1919, Makijonek takes command of the 3rd Squadron, at the same time he received an order to prepare the transfer of the unit from the Volyn front to Warsaw. The hostilities with the Ukrainians were coming to an end and the squadron's presence at the front was no longer needed. On June 7, the glorious 3rd Squadron arrives in Warsaw for a well-deserved rest. Thus ended another war in the life of our hero. For their participation in the fights, dedication, sacrifice and courage, five airmen received order ribbons, which were later changed into the Cross of Valor. Makijonek was also in this group.
On June 23, Makijonek received a categorical order to go on a health leave to Zakopane. The mountain air and the charming surroundings allowed him to slightly improve his health damaged by untreated tuberculosis. On September 5, 1919, Makijonek returned from vacation and immediately undertook very intensive actions to equip the Squadron with new Breguet XIV aircraft.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Today it's time for rain marks, after performing these treatments on all external surfaces, I glued the upper panel in place. I was afraid of that moment, but it went really well. It definitely paid off to assemble the entire airframe before painting on the maskol. The whole thing had to be reinforced with additional brackets, which were in the vicinity of the fairing. I did not assemble the fairing itself, because it was based on the upper plate, which I do not have. The biggest challenge of this stage was to make a system of pushers that move the ailerons. The original ones are divided into two parts, one between the upper wing and the upper plate covering the cockpit, and the other from this plate to the base of the control stick. I had to make them from scratch from one piece. I used brass tubes with a diameter of 0.4 mm. Eventually everything fell into place. It's time to glue the screws and mount the strings.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_08498f4b57184ad89a9941ac2c1beb75~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_e4c2c9707ada4aa29bd8ec72924453c2~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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More very interesting History, Thank You! Your Nieuport is looking Brilliant in all aspects! Making the Aileron control rods in one piece is a great idea and was probably more difficult than you made it sound like!
RAGIII
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More very interesting History, Thank You! Your Nieuport is looking Brilliant in all aspects! Making the Aileron control rods in one piece is a great idea and was probably more difficult than you made it sound like!
RAGIII
Thank you RAGIII. Indeed, these aileron sticks were a challenge. I had to paste them into the base of the plane's control stick. A rod soaked in CA glue in a tangle of other elements and strings. Fortunately, everything ended well. Thank you for your kind words and for reading the story about Makijonk. I think that we have the last part of this story left, which I will definitely publish and we will finish tracking the life story of this extraordinary man together. Another time, I hope to present you in more detail his fate in the 3rd Squadron, they are really interesting. However, this is on the occasion of the DFW machine.
Regards
Lukasz
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More beautiful work here, how are you adding the rain effects? It looks very effective.
Donat must have been an incredibly determined and brave man to have been so active despite suffering tuberculosis.
Richie
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More beautiful work here, how are you adding the rain effects? It looks very effective.
Donat must have been an incredibly determined and brave man to have been so active despite suffering tuberculosis.
Richie
Hi. Thank you for the kind words. I made the rain marks using a fine brush and diluted oil. A small dot and gentle guidance in the direction. Then the second brush, soaked in turpentine and wiped almost dry, I rub it after a few minutes. Finally, a completely dry brush to reduce the intensity.
Makijonek was indeed incredibly determined. During the Polish-Ukrainian war, he flew many times in the worst possible weather. It paid off with a large number of emergency landings due to engine failures and others. The disease made itself known. Unfortunately, it can be said that the Bolshevik prison ruined his health before he reached Poland and he never fully recovered.
Lukasz
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Hello, everyone
Workshop update.
Rigging and tubes. Tedious work. Anyway, the wings are finished, the lines are mounted and I can already see that the 0.1 rigging, although it holds the scales, is too thin. These tensions disappear when working on the photo. I used screws from Gaspatch, lines from AK. In the end I am happy with the result and most importantly I learned a lot for my upcoming biplane work.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_64b706b166c24a26918d25aa538a2f26~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_50caa01bb2da4bf89fc33036b02e5cec~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_69926a9bb6524420838537f16eca08b6~mv2.jpg)
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_44584dfd1d75444db0aa49fdbf68f2c7~mv2.jpg)
Regards
Lukasz
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The rigging looks excellent, nice and tight, turnbuckles facing the right direction! Almost there now 8)
RAGIII
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just fell off my desk. Fortunately, on the feet, the upper wing fell off, the tachometer, the aileron control stick, the vertical stabilizer. Several strings broke. Horror and resignation, but I cooled down for a while, I decided to calmly assess the losses. These turned out to be extremely small. All the breaks went at the joints, nothing broke. I managed to put everything back together, all that remains is to redo the strings. This Nieuport really doesn't want to be finished. :'( :'( :'(
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just fell off my desk. Fortunately, on the feet, the upper wing fell off, the tachometer, the aileron control stick, the vertical stabilizer. Several strings broke. Horror and resignation, but I cooled down for a while, I decided to calmly assess the losses. These turned out to be extremely small. All the breaks went at the joints, nothing broke. I managed to put everything back together, all that remains is to redo the strings. This Nieuport really doesn't want to be finished. :'( :'( :'(
Oh My! I am All Too Familiar with drops and disasters as I had a two year run that contained quite a few Fatal Drops! Glad to hear your Beautiful Build was repaired :D
RAGIII
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just fell off my desk. Fortunately, on the feet, the upper wing fell off, the tachometer, the aileron control stick, the vertical stabilizer. Several strings broke. Horror and resignation, but I cooled down for a while, I decided to calmly assess the losses. These turned out to be extremely small. All the breaks went at the joints, nothing broke. I managed to put everything back together, all that remains is to redo the strings. This Nieuport really doesn't want to be finished. :'( :'( :'(
Oh My! I am All Too Familiar with drops and disasters as I had a two year run that contained quite a few Fatal Drops! Glad to hear your Beautiful Build was repaired :D
RAGIII
Thank you RAGIII. It's really a miracle that nothing broke.
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just fell off my desk. Fortunately, on the feet, the upper wing fell off, the tachometer, the aileron control stick, the vertical stabilizer. Several strings broke. Horror and resignation, but I cooled down for a while, I decided to calmly assess the losses. These turned out to be extremely small. All the breaks went at the joints, nothing broke. I managed to put everything back together, all that remains is to redo the strings. This Nieuport really doesn't want to be finished. :'( :'( :'(
Oh no Lukasz, so near the end too. Glad the damage was minimal and you are calm enough to repair it. It wants to be finished, it just wanted to test your resolve to see if you are worthy. You definitely are!
Richie
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just fell off my desk. Fortunately, on the feet, the upper wing fell off, the tachometer, the aileron control stick, the vertical stabilizer. Several strings broke. Horror and resignation, but I cooled down for a while, I decided to calmly assess the losses. These turned out to be extremely small. All the breaks went at the joints, nothing broke. I managed to put everything back together, all that remains is to redo the strings. This Nieuport really doesn't want to be finished. :'( :'( :'(
Oh no Lukasz, so near the end too. Glad the damage was minimal and you are calm enough to repair it. It wants to be finished, it just wanted to test your resolve to see if you are worthy. You definitely are!
Richie
Thank you. It was a real test of motivation hehe. I knew that if I didn't fix it right away, I wouldn't make it at all. The whole sad situation ended happily this time.
Lukasz
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Hello everyone,
The time has come to finish the story about Donata Makijonek. This will be the last historical part before the final presentation of the model, where I will post a summary of Makijonek's activities. I also invite you to one of the last posts about the Nieuport XXI 2453 replica building workshop.
The fights with Western Ukraine came to an end, and meanwhile the Ukrainian People's Republic under the command of Semon Petliura, fighting in the east with the Bolsheviks and the army of the white General Denikin, reached the Polish positions. In view of the approaching danger in the form of the Red Army, an agreement is reached between the governments of Poland and the Ukrainian People's Republic to stop fighting. Later, the agreement will turn into a military alliance of close cooperation and joint struggle against Russia's imperial plans.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_b5902be8b32346398187a7c15d82ece1~mv2.jpg)
After returning from the last combat flight. In the cockpit of Breuguet XIV 10.41 - sergeant pilot Toluściak and lieutenant observer Ratomski. Standing next to the plane is the squadron commander, captain pilot Makijonek (second from the right) and lieutenant pilot Prauss (third from the right). Barnowicze on October 14, 1920.
The beginning of the Polish-Bolshevik war is estimated as early as February, or even January 1919, but now it was about to break out in full force. The first year of struggle ended with a number of successes of the Polish army, which gave the commander-in-chief Józef Piłsudski the certainty that the coming year 1920 would be a time of fighting on an unprecedented scale.
For Makijonek, a new war began, a new enemy and a period of new struggles. Unfortunately, his health declined sharply. Untreated tuberculosis from the time of the Bolshevik prison was constantly making itself felt. This conflict was supposed to be a period without combat flights for him precisely because of his health condition. At that time, the 3rd Squadron was equipped with the most modern aircraft at the disposal of the Polish Air Force and one of the best in the world - Breugeut XIV. This type of aircraft was too demanding for the ailing pilot, so Makijonek was now in command from the ground.
In mid-April 1920, his Squadron began flying on the South-Eastern Front from the airfield in Starokostiantyniv. At that time, the 3rd Squadron was included in the V Aviation Group, which was commanded by the legendary pilot Jerzy Kossowski. This amazing man, to whom I will surely dedicate a workshop and a model in the future, took a liking to Makijonk and was constantly staying in the place where the 3rd Squadron was stationed. Perhaps both pilots were brought closer by kinship of souls, both came from the tsarist air force, both complemented each other perfectly, both were people of extraordinary courage and dedication to the cause of their homeland.
I also plan to discuss the details of Makijonek's service during the Polish-Bolshevik War during another workshop, so today I will only mention that as a commander he showed an extraordinary sense of organization. The unit under his command received numerous praises, and Makijonek himself was mentioned in the praise order by the Commander-in-Chief himself for the ingenious and efficient withdrawal of the Squadron from Kiev during the Soviet counteroffensive.
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0762f0_4d6dde987b7a4e60ac40ea5e8ca9f065~mv2.jpg)
Flying personnel and chauffeurs of the 3rd Squadron in Barnowicze in October 1920. The first on the left is the squadron commander, captain pilot Donat Makijonek, the second - lieutenant pilot Tadeusz Prauss.
The 3rd Squadron ended its combat activity on August 20, 1920. After the Warsaw battle, she returned to the Mokotów airport to rest. However, the break was short, the war was still going on and it was necessary to return to the front. As one of the best squadrons, it was to work for the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters this time. At the end of the war, her glorious activity received the highest ratings from the command. Makijonek receives the highest Virtuti Militari award for his service.
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The car park of the 3rd Squadron in Barnowicze in October 1920. The squadron's commander, pilot captain Donat Makijonek is standing first on the left, pilot lieutenant Tadeusz Prauss is second.
After the armistice, Donat Makijonek returns to the health resort. After the treatment, he again takes command of the 3rd Squadron, which at that time was based in Vilnius. He commanded it until March 1925. Unfortunately, aviation was changing, posing new challenges, new qualifications and new skills for the staff. Makijonek, although he was an excellent pilot and commander, was unable to meet the new requirements, most of his time was spent fighting the developing disease. In the face of these facts, the command decided that Makijonek no longer met the requirements and in January 1925 transferred him to the position of the park commander of the Lower School of Pilots in Bydgoszcz.
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Breuget XIV with the emblem of the 3rd Intelligence Squadron in a hangar in Vilnius in 1921. Standing from the left: Lieutenant Bronisław Wąsowski, the next two gentlemen are unknown, Captain Pilot Donat Makijonek, Captain Pilot Tadeusz Prauss, Lieutenant Observer Stanisław Ratomski, Second Lieutenant Observer Józef Sieczkowski.
He worked there until December 30, 1928. The next day he was retired with the rank of major. His service to Poland is over. He started a family and in order to provide for it, he had to take a job, a small pension does not allow for a normal life. This is how he started working at the Prodmetal factory in Bydgoszcz, but he was on sick leave more often than at work, so he was finally fired.
In 1938 he moved with his family to Puławy. In 1939 came another dark time in his life. Another war broke out. The German invasion of Poland on September 1, and the aggression of the Soviet Union on September 17.
In 1940, Donat Makijonek was arrested by the Germans and imprisoned in the Lublin fortress. It's still unclear what the cause was. It is possible that Donat Makijonek was involved in the resistance movement in Poland, or the arrest was related to his activities as an outstanding soldier. We know for sure that in May 1941 Donat Makijonek was transported to the German concentration camp in Auschwitz and murdered there. We do not know the date of his death.
A man who survived thousands of hours of danger, risked his life in the heat of battle for many years, was murdered by the criminal German system of the Third Reich.
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Unfortunately, the fall of the model from the table caused a lot of havoc. Over the last few days, it took me some time to remove the damage and here I must say that luck smiled on me, I managed to restore the state from before the fall. It remained for me to eliminate some defects in painting, which arose as a result of this catastrophe, but I left that for the end.
I started to put on the tail rigging, horizontal and vertical rudder control lines. I also installed the tail skid. The last stage of this work was to install the legs of the landing gear and make tensioners in this place. In order to better present the model, I decided to make a wooden base for the tail boom in the meantime. It was mounted the wheels and the propeller with the hubcap and give it a final finish with pigments.
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Regards
Lukasz
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A Very Sad ending to the Historical story but Not the Model! The Nieuport is Gorgeous!
RAGIII
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A Very Sad ending to the Historical story but Not the Model! The Nieuport is Gorgeous!
RAGIII
Thank you RAGIII. True, an unworthy and terrible end to an extraordinary man. His fate somehow reflects the fate of Poland in the 20th century. Under the oppression of the invader, in the fight for independence, later in defense of this independence, to finally experience the greatest catastrophe at the hands of the studies in World War II.
Lukasz
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What an unjust and unworthy fate for a man with his status and courage.
Thank you for telling us this personal account Lukasz. It gives so much more depth and context to the beautiful model.
How dit you achieve the streaking engine oil smear on the nose and fuselage. Dit you you use a fan?
Kind regards,
Willem
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What an unjust and unworthy fate for a man with his status and courage.
Thank you for telling us this personal account Lukasz. It gives so much more depth and context to the beautiful model.
How dit you achieve the streaking engine oil smear on the nose and fuselage. Dit you you use a fan?
Kind regards,
Willem
Thank you very much. You don't even know how honored I feel that you read the story of this man, that we are writing about him, 100 years after his great deeds and 80 years after his terrible death. Thank you for that.
As for the streaks, while learning the techniques, I saw in many films a method with an airbrush, where the streaks are blown by the rush of air. This method, although it gives quite natural results, unfortunately has a few of you. At least in my opinion. First of all, it does not give you control over the streak behavior, secondly, it requires a lot of paint and thus these streaks are too large in my opinion. That's why I use long hair brushes. Probably the most important piece of advice I can give is to never, ever use just one color. Juggling colors gives much better effects, it creates an extremely plastic mosaic. That's why I choose 3-4 colors and build streaks in this way. I always start with the lighter ones. Leaks are always bright at the periphery and darkest where something has been deposited recently, so by layering colors on top of each other, I build a color sandwich. I hope I managed to explain it in an understandable way.
Regards
Lukasz
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Hello everyone,
This is my last post with a report on the construction of this model. Today only one, tight frame showing the latest work on Nieuport. I glued the propeller with the hubcap and mounted the wheels. In the meantime, I made the last corrections to the edges of the wings and paint losses, painted the wheels with oils and used a mixture of pigments at the very end.
So this is the end. Great relief and joy. It was not an easy road. A lot of challenges, but I also learned a lot. A model that literally and figuratively fell down to rise again. In a word, it happened. However, I will tell you about all this in the final gallery, which I hope to post tomorrow. Thank you all for your attention, comments and ratings during the construction.
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Regards
Lukasz
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Awesome build! I am looking forward to the Gallery Photos!
RAGIII
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Awesome build! I am looking forward to the Gallery Photos!
RAGIII
Thanks RAGII. Thank you for yous support and entering.
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Many congratulations on a superb model completed and a very informative thread. I was so sad to read how Donat's life ended. It's been a very moving experience reading of his life.
Richie
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Many congratulations on a superb model completed and a very informative thread. I was so sad to read how Donat's life ended. It's been a very moving experience reading of his life.
Richie
Thank you Richie. It's a great honor for me to write about him and build a replica of his machine, and it's even greater that you took part in it with me.
Lukasz
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Very interesting biography, and yes, what a horrible end that he had to share with millions!
Very nice Nieuport 21 despite of the mishaps in the end. This is a fantastic model.
Andreas
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Very interesting biography, and yes, what a horrible end that he had to share with millions!
Very nice Nieuport 21 despite of the mishaps in the end. This is a fantastic model.
Andreas
Thanks Andreas. Tomorrow I will try to prepare the final geleria. I hope you like the whole thing.
Lukasz
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I thoroughly enjoyed this thread Lukasz, learning about Donat was a fascinating addition to a terrific model. I'm excited for the final gallery.
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I was so sorry to read about your disaster... But the recovery was more than successful, I see. Looking forward to the complete model - great job all around!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this thread Lukasz, learning about Donat was a fascinating addition to a terrific model. I'm excited for the final gallery.
I was so sorry to read about your disaster... But the recovery was more than successful, I see. Looking forward to the complete model - great job all around!
Thank you very much and I invite you to the gallery for the final effect.
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Regards
Lukasz
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:o 8)
RAGIII
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Just gorgeous!
Warren
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Beautiful work, I really like your painting style is it is interesting, but not overdone!
Jeroen