Demonty-Poncelet Cyrano, Claudio Luchina, 1/72 Scratchbuild

Some dubious sources speculate that the Demonty-Poncelet is the result of an early techno-biological experiment mixing tadpole and bat DNA with wood and canvas in a sorta primitive bionic structure. The same technology that decades later will produce the 6 million dollar man we used to watch on TV munching a sandwich. The Demonty-Poncelet nevertheless accomplished a few firsts: it was also the first Belgian enclosed cockpit, side by side, foldable wing plane. Also reportedly it was the first plane that caused ladies to faint at its sight at aero-shows and the first plane that used a corset, hence the sinuous lines of its waist. It was very active in the 1924/25 period participating in aerial meetings and even won a few prizes (not the beauty contest, though). The first incarnation had a Gregoire engine, an adaptation of a 4 in-line car engine. Then an Anzani of 6 cylinders was installed, modifying noticeably the nose area. It sported a not very common 3-blade propeller and had an all-flying stabilator. That fist version also had to bear the Lamblin radiator on its back, adding to its already notable aesthetics. This first machine was named “Cyrano”, most likely due to the prominent nose that the Gregoire engine imposed on the design.