A-26 Water Bomber

WOW...that's one nice looking plane!

Very nice build!

Applause!    Verrrrrry interesting! 

Very nice! Makes me want to see "Always" again...

I've always thought that water bombers are an under rated subject. This one is rare as they began to faze out the prop for Bae 146 jets as water bombers. Nice model!!!

Beautiful model! I did the A-26 in the "Alway's" scheme, love the fire bombers.

The pictures are back!

Nice work! How long did it take to complete?

I don't keep track of the time it takes me to finish a project like this.  I guess the best way to answer your question would be (and I'm not trying to be a smart a$# here), as long as it takes.  When I start a project I usually do some research on the aircraft I want to build.  This kit is a re-boxed version of the military version but comes with the civilian decals and the solid nose.  The kit comes with the openings for the top and bottom gun turrets and the glass nosed cockpit (single seat) version.  These differences were corrected by scratchbuilding the twin seat cockpit and filling in the gun turret openings.  These modifications took a lot of extra time but in my mind I had to do them for realism.  

The time it takes to do all the work is irrelevant to me, it really doesn't matter as long as I get the results that I want.  Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, but the truth is I really don't know how many hours I put into this model.

gorgeous finish

i have one of these in my stash. thanks for the info. looks great.

That does look cool. The new fires going on here in Colorado are motivating me to pick this one up. Might have to bite the bullet.

 Chris

hey dirk

where are you in CO? i'm in littleton and on the jeffco tanker base/black forest flight path. just saw the DC-10 being used on the royal gorge fire will stay in state for the summer. of you get it join the FIRE/EMS group build. i just got THE FIREFIGHTER fireboat.

last year with the waldo canyon fire i built a mechanical mule as a firefighter. it's posted in armor if you do a search.

i have been doing some research and all sorts of planes are or have been used including B-17s, OV-10 for spotting and TIGERCATs. some very cool paint schemes.

I've seen  your mechanical mule at a couple shows, Wayne. That's an awesome build.

 I'm up here in Fort Collins. We got our dose of air traffic last year with the High Park fire. I parked at the side of Horsetooth Reservoir and watched that big Sikorsky Skycrane do its thing with the water drops. I'll have to see if I can post some pics. Wish there was a decent kit of that bird.

 Chris

edit: here are the pics. Both shots looking west, with the water drop on the trees right on the western flank of the reservoir near the northernmost dam. My  house was just east of here about 1.5 miles, and although in the city, still scary.

DSCF3393 by theirishavenger, on Flickr

DSCF3390 by theirishavenger, on Flickr

Here a few fire fighting planes and helicopters from a local fire in Lakewood 5 years ago:

That's beautiful!!