C-47 ex-USAAF Finland
Commentaires
79 2 January, 08:38
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurA build that I have been looking forward to for some time: this is the excellent C-47 from Airfix, which I would like to display as a Finnish civil aircraft. The original was a surplus aircraft that had been transferred to the Finnish civil aviation in the mid-1940s. In its first livery, it bore the weathered USAAF colours with overpainted markings and the new Finnish codes – very attractive!
1 2 January, 08:41
KennethFollowing 👍 I'm building the same kit and I find it awful 🙄 Be careful when you insert the windows, the recesses in the fuselage are too deep and they easily end up such that they are not flush with the surrounding fuselage skin.
2 January, 16:07
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurThank you mates!
Kenneth, that seems like an important tip—I'll take it to heart and keep you posted on the results.
1 2 January, 17:43
Transall NGFollow !
I do not know the history of this specific aircraft, but if it was transfered in the mid-1940, be aware it might not be a C-47 !!!
Can you provide me the constructor number please ?
Regards.
2 January, 18:59
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurThank you for replies and interest!
I'll show you the Arctic Decals instructions: this is the machine I'm interested in!
3 2 January, 19:49
Transall NGThank you ! Try to get some extra informations...
This is the OH-LCB you are interested in i suppose ?
2 January, 20:18
KennethAnother thing: The Finnair aircraft has the short air intakes on top of the cowling, without an air filter. They are actually also included in the kit sprues but are not shown in the instructions.
2 January, 20:18
Transall NGOH-LCA is c/n 9799
OH-LCB is c/n 19109
OH-LCC is c/n 25511
OH-LCD is c/n 19309
OH-LCE is c/n 12970
OH-LCF is c/n 25515
OH-LCG is c/n 11750
OH-LCH is c/n 6346
OH-LCI is c/n 19560
OH-LCJ is c/n 12050 (then OH-LCK)
There are far more aircraft in other registration range, including DC-2.
2 January, 20:59
Transall NGc/n 6346 is a DC-3A-453, civil commercial aircraft, used as C-53 with USAAF, probably with landing gear legs of original type (as DC-2). It was rebuilt with cargo door 25 jan 1963 and sold to Finnish AF.
c/n 9799 is a C-47 42-23937, sold to Finnair on 12 june 1946 and converted for civil purpose by Fokker on 24 July 1946.
c/n 11750 is former 42-68823
c/n 12050 is former 42-92268
c/n 12970 is former 42-93096 - Used in movie "A bridge too far"
c/n 19109 is former 42-100646 (no mistake !)
c/n 19309 is former 42-100846 - Static display Helsinki since May 1997
c/n 19560 is former 43-15094 - Converted as Bassler BT-67 22 august 2005 flying with Kenn Borek Air Ltd since september 2005 as C-FMKB
c/n 25511 is former 43-48250
c/n 25515 is former 43-48254 - Museum of Central Finland Tikkakovski since may 1982
2 January, 21:25
ClementVery cool project.
One thing I wished I had done on mine is install the fuselage windows before closing the fuselage, it makes the adjustment easier. They can easily end up recessed instead of flushed with the fuselage if you're not careful.
1 2 January, 21:44
KennethOn photo #4: The end of the tape in front of the wings and extending below the fuselage covers a protrusion on the fuselage skin, which starts between the wing and the first fuselage window, and extends forward. I can't find this on the original (checked the C-47 in Flugwerft Schleißheim in Munich), and scraped it off on mine.
2 January, 22:45
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurThanks for all the tips—I'll try to implement them.
The installation of windows that lie really nicely flat against the hull seems to have been successful...
4 4 January, 13:32
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurA brief update: I am becoming increasingly enthusiastic about this kit! The accuracy of fit is beyond reproach, and Airfix's unconventional approach to assembling the parts is quite entertaining and, incidentally, makes sense.
2 5 January, 18:03
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurAt last, we can get on with it here too: the "Finnish" C-47 has had the black de-icer strips on the leading edges masked off, the aluminium on the engine cowlings applied, and a first coat of pre-shading applied, so the actual painting can now begin.
2 19 March, 07:09
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurA lot has happened here in a relatively short space of time. The surfaces of the C-47 have been finished – and are still very dusty. I suspect that all that hard polishing has built up quite a bit of static electricity 🙂 Otherwise, I'm now looking forward to some proper 'wear and tear' here, using pastel chalks as the material once again.
1 26 March, 17:17
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurWell, today I managed to take a few photos of the recently completed C-47 in service with the early Finnair. In principle, it's an interesting subject – depicting former military aircraft in civilian use – as it offers plenty of opportunities for unusual camouflage schemes on familiar shapes. That was certainly the case here: it was fun to depict the positions of the US markings as areas sprayed over with dark paint and to add signs of wear and tear to the whole thing. The decals from Draw Decals worked a treat. A bit of a challenge was improvising the specific antenna system of this Finnish Dakota, but it was but it was thoroughly enlightening fun.
This C-47, with the charming name 'Kyytipoika', did not wear this semi-improvised livery for long; soon after 1947, the paint was removed and an early version of Finnair's smart NMF/blue livery was applied. OH-LCF /DO-4 is still preserved today and can be seen at the Finnish Air Force Museum in Tikkakoski.
Thank you all for your words and encouraging interest, mates!
3 29 March, 18:44
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurThank you for your complimentary remarks; they really have made my ears burn 🙂
The little yellow Jeep is from this Airfix kit and has been 'demilitarised' for these photos, based on my own creative interpretation. It is to hope, that it will remain a useful prop for future model photos.
30 March, 09:43
Thomas KolbAbsolutely marvelous! If I may ask, what kind of base and background is that in your photos? It looks totally realistic, I first wasn't even sure if this was your model or some original photo.
1 30 March, 10:48
Roland Sachsenhofer AuteurThank you very much for your appreciated words, Mark, Thomas and Gordon!
Thomas, the model was photographed on a base I made myself using standard Dio materials, against a backdrop from 'Coastal Kits'. I've since made a few cardboard props and walls, which I've got quite the hang of using now. I've attached a photo of yesterday's setup (I placed it as image number 21 at the start of yesterday's series of photographs.)
3 30 March, 17:45
TimmieGreat result. Beautiful end-shoot, nice to see hiw you setup a model for your great photographs
1 31 March, 16:00
