2013 Air America Build

Due to lack of interest and time, this thread is being closed. I appologize to the participants.

That's great Tony! You'll like them. Looking forward to seeing how the look. Hopefully, will have made some progress on the Porter too by the end of the week.

Hi Bruce,

I've ordered the decals from Mike Grant. They should arrive this week, I think.

Cheers

Tony

Guess not ...... even me

Tony, John, Greg and myself so far. Will try and get the interior painted this week on the Porter. Does anyone else have any progress?

I'll have to admit, been pretty busy lately with too many projects. May all you Vets have a good day and a chance to reflect back on our loss.

pyrman64

Guys, I found this while looking for a subject for the "Counting to 2000" thread in the Ready Room and thought you folks might be interested....

 

Boeing 727-092C B-1018

This rare photograph is courtesy of the Vincent Ma collection. It depicts the ill fated Air America 727 N5093 (operating as Southern Air Transport) which was passed to Civil Air Transport in January of 1968.  It was intended to replace the Convair 880 on the Mandarin Jet flights. Vincent's image shows it at the old Chung Shan Airport in Taipei.  In the event, its tragic crash resulted in the complete demise of CAT.  The Taiwan Government (or perhaps the CIA itself) decided to close down the phantom airline and soon afterward China Airlines, the flag carrier for the Republic of China was born, under completely new management.  B-1018 crashed into the mountains at Kinkou, just south of Taipei on the night of 16 February 1968 with the loss of 21 lives, including several high ranking R.O.C. officers.  Officially, the reason given was pilot error, although scuttlebutt says that somebody had been tinkering around with the radar system.

WOW , that is an awesome photo you posted pyrman64 ...

There was one B&W photo in my Wings of Air America book of the same ill-fated Boeing 727 ;

Pyrman64 the photo you posted is much clearer , thank you kindly Sir 

I'll be darn! Great find! Maybe some one would like to take that one on

Guys, I found this while looking for a subject for the "Counting to 2000" thread in the Ready Room and thought you folks might be interested....

Boeing 727-092C B-1018

This rare photograph is courtesy of the Vincent Ma collection. It depicts the ill fated Air America 727 N5093 (operating as Southern Air Transport) which was passed to Civil Air Transport in January of 1968.  It was intended to replace the Convair 880 on the Mandarin Jet flights. Vincent's image shows it at the old Chung Shan Airport in Taipei.  In the event, its tragic crash resulted in the complete demise of CAT.  The Taiwan Government (or perhaps the CIA itself) decided to close down the phantom airline and soon afterward China Airlines, the flag carrier for the Republic of China was born, under completely new management.  B-1018 crashed into the mountains at Kinkou, just south of Taipei on the night of 16 February 1968 with the loss of 21 lives, including several high ranking R.O.C. officers.  Officially, the reason given was pilot error, although scuttlebutt says that somebody had been tinkering around with the radar system.

taxtp

Hi John,

Thanks for the info. I just dragged it out, it's a H-34G kit number 04424.

If it's good to go then so am I.

Cheers

Tony

Yep

She's good to go Tony .

Those revell kits don't come too often on ebay and I'm always on the look-out for another but they can become quite expensive when a few people are bidding on the same one and postage out of Europe to Sydney goes for around $20-$25 as well . A lot of times I've paid close to $40 in total for one . All because Italeri are too ignorant and miserable to include both types of landing gear on the sprue frame ...

John .

Looks great Tony. If you need decals for it, just go back a little and there's a link. Bought a set for the C-119 and C-123.

Hi John,

Thanks for the info. I just dragged it out, it's a H-34G kit number 04424.

If it's good to go then so am I.

Cheers

Tony

taxtp

Nice start Bruce. I'll look forward to the C-119 too. My UH-54is a 'G,, which I think is the German Navy version, so it's probably not the right kit for this build. I'll keep looking, and will probably by a kit for this GB when I see one.

Cheers

Tony

Tony , did you mean to say UH-34 and if it has German Navy markings it's okay for an Air America version . Not all the AA UH-34's had the turbine engine installed , plenty of them still operated with the standard piston engine and close to 99% of them all had the V-style landing gear , not the bent gear leg that italeri provide . This is why I have had to spend a small fortune on ebay buying those Revell H-34G kits so I can build a fleet of USN and USMC birds that have the (straight) V-style landing gear . Italeri are too miserable to include both types on the sprue , making the Revell kits twice their actual value on re-sale .

Nice start on your Porter Bruce

I've completely rested my arm these past two weeks and it's slowly getting better , so hopefully it won't be long before I jump in with my builds .

John .

Nice start Bruce. I'll look forward to the C-119 too. My UH-54is a 'G,, which I think is the German Navy version, so it's probably not the right kit for this build. I'll keep looking, and will probably by a kit for this GB when I see one.

Cheers

Tony

Had some time to start cleaning up the fuselage and start construction.

Also received my C-119C Flying Boxcar in the mail today

Thanks a lot John, I think he had some Fieseler Storch decals I was interested in too. I might as well kill the two birds...

Cheers

Tony

Awesome tips John! Started to clean up parts yesterday and noticed some of the things you are mentioning. An aweful amount of clean up for this kit! I can see why they are so rare:) Great on the decals. Already ordered a set. Keep up on the details. This is awesome!

Two excellent additions Bruce

I know your going to start your PC-6 first but I thought I might upload four reference pic's  about the Mach 2 C-123 Provider build . Apart from a huge amount of filing that's need to get the fuselage halves to line up nicely and you need a steel file for that , there are two main areas that require attention . One is the main wheel well boxing and the other is the cockpit floor .

Firstly , you need to file the underside of the main wheel well opening a little bigger as the wheel and landing gear strut won't fit

You also need to add some plastic strip to the main wheel boxing to make up for the larger opening

As well as some plastic strip to the landing gear door , although sometimes these appear not to be fitted to the aircraft .

Anyway those are the two main issue's  and I just thought I would mention it . Just as well I take ridiculous amounts of WIP pic's with my builds , the one's I posted are from the first two Mach 2 C-123 Provider builds which I started three years ago and still haven't finished , although their about 95% complete and wouldn't take much to finish off .

taxtp

John, I have an Italeri H-34, but haven't been able t ogoole up any Air America decals for it. As the most knowledgable Helo guy that I know of, I was hoping that you might be able to pint me in the right direction.

Cheers

Tony

Hi Tony ,

There is a gentlemen by the name of Mike Grant who makes his own decals and he produces an Air America sheet which I bought from him .

The decal sheet is listed as 1/48 scale but there are different size lettering on the sheet to suit 1/72 scale as well .

http://www.mikegrantdecals.com/Page1.html

I ordered my sheet from him and received it in the post about a week later , excellent service .

John .

Just received my copys of an Ozmad Caribou 1:48 scale and a Mach C-123 Provider. Don't know if I'll get them all built in this group build, but certainly want to try.

John, I have an Italeri H-34, but haven't been able t ogoole up any Air America decals for it. As the most knowledgable Helo guy that I know of, I was hoping that you might be able to pint me in the right direction.

Cheers

Tony

Greg, if you would like to enter a vehicle, that's fine with me. It's all Air America and things surrounding it. What did you have in mind?

Great start John! Washed my Pilatus parts and hope to start laying them out soon.

I guess this is kind of a start , I have laid out the Mach 2 C-123K Provider and Italeri S-58T onto the bench

My right arm is still a bit sore and being right handed it's going to be a little awkward getting started . I think I can use my left hand and file out the flashed over windows on the C-123 fuselage halves ;

I'll see how I go .

I've been searching around google for some 1/76 diecast vehicles but as yet I haven't seen anything suitable to pose along side my up coming builds . Hopefully I can find something .

John .

Here's a couple of vehicle pic's from my Wings of Air America book

John .

What about the vehicles that were in Air America?!

• AM General M-35
• Kenworth K-100
• Seagrave fire engine
• 1963 Imperial Crown
• 1969 Buick Electra
• 1974 Cadillac Ambulance
•  Dodge M37
• Ford MUTT M151A1
• Toyota Land Cruiser

Bet you book has them all. Two more great planes John! Maybe some one can come up with a Build Logo?

I have this book in my library

I was reading through it again last night and saw another aircraft I can add to my fleet

According to the book the Beech 18 is the civilian version of the C-45 , I checked my stash and found the Encore models C-45 Expeditor

It looks to be a fairly straight forward build , so hopefully I can get her done as well .