Bent Throttles
Journal of the Racing & Record Aircraft
Special Interest Group of IPMS-UK
Nos. 27, July 2003 & 28, November 2003

Reviewed by Jim Schubert

Well, old Jim screwed up again. For whatever reason(s) I completely missed reviewing Bent Throttles No. 27 and it's a good one. So here - better late than never - is No. 27: Three subjects of great interest to me are featured.

The first is the 1/48 RNAS Sopwith Schneider Special hobby kit converted to the civil 1914 Schneider Cup winner; one of my all time favorite aeroplanes.

The second is a fine build article by Chris McMillen on building the Amodel 1/72 kit of the single-seat Pitts S1-S; mislabeled on the box as an S2-A. The two-seat S2-A was kitted in 1/72 by LS several years ago. Chris built the Amodel kit to replicate his own S1-S, N720CB.

The third is a 50th anniversary recounting of the September 7, 1953 World Air Speed Record flight of Neville Duke in Hawker Hunter prototype WB188 especially modified for the attempt. The exercise was based at Tangmere Aerodrome near Chichester and the FAI record course was established just off the Sussex coast beaches between Littlehampton and Worthing over the English Channel. Duke's official record speed that day was 727.477 MPH. Two weeks later Mike Lithgow flew a Supermarine Swift to 735.703 MPH to eclipse Duke's mark. This article shows us how to modify a Hunter F.1 to the prototype to create our own model of the record plane - good stuff. Further details of Duke's record flight are covered in the September 2003 issue of Aeroplane magazine.

Other feature articles and regular departments in this 18 page issue include: The Kaiser-Fraser P-39 #11 of 1948, a review of the book L' Aviation Civile Francaise 1919-1939, Volume 1, news of the world of contemporary air racing and SIG leader Anders Bruun's editorial and our own IPMS-Seattle member Jacob Russell's new product reviews.

No. 28: The effort and talent expended in chasing records throughout history never ceases to amaze. The lead article is another illustration of that phenomenon.

In 1938 the leaders of Italian aviation saw the threat looming of Germany taking the World Air Speed Record from them. On October 23, 1934 Francesco Agello, flying the last of the five Macchi-Castoldi MC.72 putative Schneider contenders had raised the absolute record to 440.682 MPH. Senatore Giovanni Agnelli, Chairman of Fiat, decided to take preemptory action to put the speed record beyond reach of the Germans and commissioned Fiat subsidiary CMASA (Costruzione Meccaniche Aeronautiche, S.A.) to build a record setter. The resulting CMASA CS.15 was designed around the 34.5 litre, 2,220 hp, Fiat A.S.8, vee-16 engine.

The Germans were, however, much quicker at this game and several times raised the World Air Speed record until Fritz Wendel, in the Messerschmitt Me.209 V1, finally left the mark at 469.22 MPH where it stood for over 30 years. Work continued, nonetheless, on the CS.15 until the Italian government capitulated to the Allies on September 8, 1943. Fiat, being in northern Italy, was in German hands and they stopped all work not directly related to their priorities.

About all that had been built up to then was an operable engine and a full size wooden mockup of the airplane along with a lot of general layout and detail design drawings and some test hardware. A parallel effort to build a record setter was underway at Reggiane on what was to have been the Reggiane RE 2006 "Corsa" (Racer). This was essentially a modified RE2005 "Sagittario" fighter fitted with a German built, 1,750 hp, Daimler-Benz DB 603A, modified aerodynamically and stripped of all military equipment. This project too was stopped upon the surrender of the Italians.

Postwar some entrepreneurial minded Italian enthusiasts tried to promote the idea of building a CS.15 or two and contesting the Thompson Trophy Race in Cleveland but nothing came of this ambitious idea. This fascinating seven page article includes 1/72 drawings of both the CS.15 and the RE 2006. The CS.15 is a really slick looking racer and would make a good looking subject in Italian Racing Red for the "Hypothetical" category at your club's next contest.

The balance of this issue includes the editorial, a two page presentation of new products, decal reviews, 1/48 Beguine conversion radiator pods and decals and news from this year's Reno Air Races where the first over 500 MPH race average was posted by Skip Holm in modified Mustang "Dago red" at 507.15 MPH! modified Bearcat "Rare Bear" was back with pilot John Penny but not quite up to snuff. "Rare Bear", incidentally, holds of the World Air Speed Record for propeller airplanes at 528.329 MPH set on August 21, 1989 at Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA flown by owner Lyle Shelton.

Bent Throttles costs US$25.00. Euros 25.00, Yen 3,000.00 or Swedish Kroner 200.00. Write to:

Anders Bruun
Brådstupvägen 21
SE-129 39 Hägersten
Sweden

and enclose cash or a check in Swedish Kroner. You can also e-mail him and take a look at the web site