I finally finished this one today. The type really should be better known, as it pre-dated Curtiss designs and was copied by the Austro-Hungarian designers, who were in turn copied by Macchi among others. The common features on this, the early Lohners, and the Macchi series, not to mention the FBA boats developed directly from the original Donnet designs, are readily apparent.
Designed in 1912 by Frenchman François-Victor Denhaut and Swiss Jérôme Donnet, the Austro-Hungarian Navy bought 4, (numbers 8 & 12 - Type Cs, and numbers 10 & 11 - Type As) which it promptly copied, building 4 more. 3 more copies followed later, they liked them so much!
The aircaft depicted, number 10, was a Type A which had wing-warping, and entered service on 4th January 1913. Originally, the only markings carried where the red-white-red on the rudder and a black number 10, also on the rudder. The white "10" on the nose and the Austrian Coat-of-Arms on the tail were added per an order dated 2nd May 1913. From November 1913 a letter was added to the number on the nose. (Sources: French Aircraft of the First World War, Davilla & Soltan; Seaplanes of Bocche, Ciglic).
This photo (found online) would therefore date to between late May, and November, 1913.
Interesting to note is that it appears to have stagger wires in the outer bay, no actuator for the wing warping on the rear cockpit, and pulleys for an aileron return cable on the upper wing, so it looks as though it was converted to ailerons at some point. This is how I've modeled it. It was based at Pola (now Pula, Croatia), and flown by, among others, Linienschifflautnant Heinrich Huss, one of the first party of k.u.k. Kriegsmarine officers sent for flight training in Wiener Neustadt in 1911, and who passed away in Nuremburg on 7th September 1959.
The kit is the Libramodels vacform, which is sold as an FBA Leveque, although that is not correct. The wings were shortened and the fuselage heavily modified with Miliput and a 6" half-round file! Interior, all struts, and tail surfaces are scratchbuilt, the engine is SmallStuff, and the prop was stolen from an Eduard DH2 kit and modified. Painted with Misterkit, Tamiya, and Modelmaster acrylics, including the wood effects.
I hope you like her!
Ian
