Hoping to finally show winter the door with something a bit breezy and tropical: the Revell (ex-Matchbox) DHC-6-300 Twin Otter in the sunny livery of InterCaribbean (formerly Turks & Caicos) Airlines.
As one of Matchbox's better late issues, the kit holds up reasonably well in its current Revell/Germany release. Old options still included are skis and floats as landing gear alternatives, and choice of the blunt short nose (used on military aircraft) or the longer tapered 'shovel' nose I used on my civil build. Build was pretty much out-of-box, with a few minor add-ons.
The kit's completely blank cabin got some basic 'seat shapes' to have something visible through all those windows. I slipped several fishing sinkers into the nose, to keep her solidly on all three wheels. The simplified landing gear itself got a semblance of brakes for the main wheels, and scissors for the nose strut to replace the solid triangular chunk on the molding. Remaining additions were mainly assorted exterior bits and bobs such as windscreen wipers, aerials, and slightly more petite pitot heads to replace the large kit parts. Last necessary fix---for a grounded bird---was to remember to feather the props, since they do so automatically once hydraulic pressure bleeds off.
Decals were home-made, based on the lovely photo of the same aircraft on the Airline's own website. Paints were mainly Tamiya acrylics, with special Testors fluorescent acrylics for some of the bright tail colors.
There are a few things I'll do differently next time...one structural, one cosmetic. As to structure, the kit's main gear axles are especially spindly, and might best be replaced with heavy-gauge wire or even paper-clip sections. The cosmetic fix will be more challenging: the kit's windscreen isn't quite wide enough, and the 'A pillars' (to use an automotive term) consequently too wide; this does much to lend a 'blocky' look to what is supposed to be the Twin Otter's fairly sleek cockpit area. (There are some other problems with this area on the kit, but that's for those far more expert than I.)
All in all, a nice winter-beating project. I hope you enjoy the pics.