Wright Flyer

1:39 Scale Wright Flyer ‘First Powered Flight’

Revell: 85-5243

Stock Number: RMXS5243

December 17, 1903: Orville and Wilbur Wright made history over a century ago on the sands of Kitty Hawk, NC, when they successfuly flew the flying machine that they had built. With Orville at the controls, it was the first time man had flown in a powered aircraft.

Base is plywood with Poly-Filla sand dunes. Kit includes track, clear stand, figures and accessories. Thread needed for rigging.

RCAF DC-3/C-47 Dakota

RCAF DC-3/C-47 Dakota. Search & Rescue, Abbotsford, 1967. 1/72 scale AIrfix #05031. Kit is built OOB, airbrushed aluminum, white, grey and red paint.

Western Pacific 737-300

1/144 scale Minicraft # 14446, Skyline Decals #144-35. Boeing 737-300 in Western Pacific “Colorado Springs” colours.

British Airways Hawker Siddeley Trident

Airfix – Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C Scale: 1/144 #03174

The tail decals were damaged, so I hand painted the tail, using an air-brush and masking tape.

Dornier DO217N-1 Night Fighter

Dornier DO217N-1 Night Fighter 1/72 scale, Italeri model# 125. Kit made out of box; went together very smoothly. no problems at all. The plane represents a night fighter from NJG 4, stationed in France, 1943. The DO-217 was designed as a bomber, but many, such as this one, were redesigned for the night-fighter role, hunting the RAF’s Lancasters. This version has DB-603 inline engines, and is armed with 4 machine-guns and 4 cannon in the nose.

E2-C Hawkeye

Grumman E2-C Hawkeye , twin turbo-prop carrier cased AWACS aircraft. This is the 1/72 scale Heller kit (#80349), representing a plane from VAW-112 (Golden Hawks), Point Mugu, NAS. The decals are from Microscale #72537, generously provided by Joe, of Flight Decs .

CC-108 Caribou

CC-108 Caribou (DHC-4) Twin engine STOL transport aircraft used by the RCAF starting in the 1960’s. It’s primary role was transport flying, and it saw action overseas in many United Nations (UN) missions.

This is the 1/72 scale Hobbbycraft kit, #1344

F-15 Eagle

F-15C Eagle, 1/72 scale Kit, Italeri #169. Plane is from 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley, VA, in the 1980’s.

Kit was a dream to build, straight out of the box.

CH-149 Cormorant

CH-149 Cormorant, Canadian SAR version of the EH-101 Merlin.

From the 1/72 scale Italeri kit, #1226. Kit needed some work to make an accurate version.

1. The forward bubble windows are missing from the kit, needing holes to be hand drilled and replaced from the spares box, ( I used some from Hobbycraft’s Labrador kit).
2. The antenna on the port side is incorrectly shaped, I had to shorten it and bend it over a flame to get it in position.
3. The kit has incorrect decals for the front sides where it has the flag over the windows. I had to use decals from another helicopter kit. The new decals are the wrong colour, but at least they have the correct text.
4. The main wheels are dual, not single as the kit provides.
5. The top wire-cutter should be in the position shown in my photos, not as per the kit instructions.

The rest of the kit is well made, except for a fairly difficult seam to sand just aft of the last square windows.

The version that I have made represents a unit from 442 Sqn, CAF, at CFB Comox, B.C. in 2006

Mustang III

North American P-51 Mustang 1/72 scale Revell Kit (#4133). Model represents a Mustang III of the RAF, 316 Sq, (Polish) SZ-H. The Mustang III was similar to the US P-51B or C, this version having a “Malcolm Hood” or “Blown Canopy” to give the pilot better vision.