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Goppingen Go 9

Background

The Go 9 was a concept aircraft to test the feasibility of combining a number of features into one aircraft. The first unique feature which was relatively new in 1940 was retractable tricycle landing gear. The second was an engine behind the pilot driving a pusher propeller. The third was the use of a ventral fin and rudder to augment the dorsal fin and rudder (and protect the rear propeller from a ground strike during take-off and landing). This combination was to lead to the principle features of Dornier's Do 335. This concept aircraft even had the Dornier-styled blunt, faceted nose.

While the combination was successful in flight, getting the aircraft safely off and back onto the ground was the challenge as there was not much clearance between the bottom of the tail and the ground when the aircraft was at rest and this limited the take-off rotation and landing flare that a pilot could safely execute without plowing the fin into the ground.

The Kit

The kit is a simple affair molded on a single parts tree of green styrene. Five resin parts are also included to provide the pilot's seat, control stick, pilot tube and propeller hub.

For whatever reason, the propeller will be the most difficult part of the assembly as it requires four styrene blades to be cyanoed to the resin prop hub. Not a problem for experienced modelers, but it might be more challenging for the novice, which is why this kit is rated for intermediate builders.

The canopy is a vacuformed part that should be easy to install, though more challenging to mask and paint.

Markings are provided for the single concept aircraft - D-EBYW. In fact, the front of the instruction sheet has a full-color four-view profile of the aircraft and its colors and markings both for its initial 1940 flights as well as for its revised appearance into 1941.

Conclusions

If you're looking for unusual subjects and one-of-a-kind aircraft to model, this is one you'll have to add to your scale flightline. You can get this kit from your favorite hobby retailer or directly from Squadron Mail Order.

My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!