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Revell DHC-6 Twin Otter - Manx Air c. 1985.

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  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Revell DHC-6 Twin Otter - Manx Air c. 1985.
Posted by gregbale on Sunday, October 25, 2020 6:41 AM

Another eye-catching civil scheme.

This is the fairly ancient Revell (ex-Matchbox) 1/72 DHC-6 Twin Otter in the colorful livery of the now-defunct Manx Airlines, which operated this aircraft -- leased from the UK's Loganair -- between 1983 and 1985. It operated from the Isle of Man Airport...formerly RNAS Ronaldsway, which had been home to a number of Barracuda torpedo-bomber training squadrons during the war.

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Changes to the kit were relatively minor, adding seat shapes to the completely-blank cabin, reinforcing and adding brake detail to the spindly main landing gear (and a landing light to the nose gear fork), and adding aerials and windscreen-wipers to the exterior. The prop blades were also feathered to the neutral position, a characteristic feature of the 'Twotter' with no engine power supplied. [I keep vowing to myself to one day re-engineer the dodgy windscreen architecture...the kit's most glaring weakness...but with the press of other 'stuff' going on, I decided yet again to take a pass 'this time!' I've got a few more waiting in the stash -- and loads of possible schemes --  so I'll get around to it eventually!]

Paints were Tamiya acrylics. Decals were drawn up in MS-Paint and printed on my faithful and long-serving HP inkjet printer.

Enjoy!

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Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Sunday, October 25, 2020 11:29 AM

Very nice!  Love the photography too!

I have that kit in my stash.  I'll have to put it up higher in the queue.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Sunday, October 25, 2020 3:16 PM

Very nice, Greg.   None of the model kits seem to be able to capture the look of the Otter windscreen.

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Sunday, October 25, 2020 3:37 PM

Thanks Don and John!

I did a minor stock-up on these kits a while ago, when Hobbylinc had them for around $10 a pop. The kit RCAF scheme -- probably with floats -- and another 'home brew' decal job for the NASA/Glenn Research Center are in the offing...but I've really got to work out a way to fix those cockpit-area contours! Bang Head

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Sunday, October 25, 2020 3:42 PM

That's awesome. Where did you get the decals?  My moms side of the family came from the Isle of Man. I'd like to do that livery

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: the redlands Fl
Posted by crown r n7 on Sunday, October 25, 2020 3:44 PM

  nice turbo prop and back ground too.

 

 

 Nick.

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Sunday, October 25, 2020 4:04 PM

Not sure I've ever seen an Otter look so good......1:1 or model.

Really nicely done, Greg. YesYes

PS, take another look at the first pic. You unintentionally created a bit of camo. Smile

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Sunday, October 25, 2020 5:15 PM

Greg
PS, take another look at the first pic. You unintentionally created a bit of camo. Smile

Big Smile

It's an odd color, even in the pics of the real a/c, but your 'camo' reference is apt. As I was pondering how to mix it...I realized I already had. It's the lighter green from the WW1 French 4-color camouflage I used for my 1/32 SPAD XIII builds a few years back.

[And to be honest...I had to look about 3 times before I realized what you were talking about.... Whistling]

Thanks for your kind words.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Sunday, October 25, 2020 5:18 PM

keavdog

That's awesome. Where did you get the decals?  My moms side of the family came from the Isle of Man. I'd like to do that livery

Totally home-made.

If you're able to print your own decals, I'll be happy to send you the file with the artwork.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    January 2020
Posted by Space Ranger on Monday, October 26, 2020 10:24 PM

gregbale

...but I've really got to work out a way to fix those cockpit-area contours! Bang Head

 

 
There is a fix:
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 8:15 AM

Space Ranger

 

 
gregbale

...but I've really got to work out a way to fix those cockpit-area contours! Bang Head

 

 

 
There is a fix:
 

Thanks!

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    May 2020
  • From: North East of England
Posted by Hutch6390 on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 8:20 AM

That's a beautiful job, Greg, and the decals are a masterpiece!

Vell, Zaphod's just zis guy, you know?

   

TakkaTakkaTakkaTakkaTakkaTakka

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 11:21 AM

Hutch6390

That's a beautiful job, Greg, and the decals are a masterpiece!

Thanks, Hutch! Hardly a masterpiece, but the scheme really grabbed me the first time I saw it. Once I found a font that approximated the Celtic lettering, the rest was pretty staightforward.

Cheers

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    July 2018
Posted by JustPlaneJon on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 11:39 PM

very nice work! looks like the real thing. We flew on one back in February on Winair - St Maarten to Saba and back....shortest commercial runway in the world. It was quite exciting! and we still only used half the runway during the landing rollout. 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 9:31 AM

JustPlaneJon

very nice work! looks like the real thing. We flew on one back in February on Winair - St Maarten to Saba and back....shortest commercial runway in the world. It was quite exciting! and we still only used half the runway during the landing rollout. 

Cool!

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Longmont, Colorado
Posted by Cadet Chuck on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 12:36 PM

I flew on a twin otter run by a commuter airline many years ago.  It was very cramped and uncomfortable, noisy and rough.  Then we flew into a turbulent storm, at night.  Couldn't see a thing.  That was the closest I ever came to getting airsick.

There is a skydiving school near us, and they have a twin otter, so I frequently see it overhead.  Nice nostalgic memories, but I wouldn't care to fly on one again!

Gimme a pigfoot, and a bottle of beer...

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 1:05 PM

Oh Boy ! 

       A "Twotter" To see.The one plane I haven't found for my civil fleet. That's in Model Form of course. Very nice looking  aircraft. Thanks for the views Greg!

  • Member since
    January 2020
Posted by Space Ranger on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 2:26 PM

Cadet Chuck

I flew on a twin otter run by a commuter airline many years ago.  It was very cramped and uncomfortable, noisy and rough.  Then we flew into a turbulent storm, at night.  Couldn't see a thing.  That was the closest I ever came to getting airsick.

There is a skydiving school near us, and they have a twin otter, so I frequently see it overhead.  Nice nostalgic memories, but I wouldn't care to fly on one again!

 

The most uncomfortable flight I ever experienced was in a Pilgrim Air Twin Otter from New Haven to LaGuardia. No leg room to speak of whatsoever.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 4:20 PM

Space Ranger
No leg room to speak of whatsoever.

That's interesting.

When I was trying to work out the spacing using (smaller-scale) HO model RR seats and photographs of real cabins -- to work out relative positions of seats to windows -- I ended up having those seats pretty much 'heel to toe' to match the photos. I didn't think much beyond that after I buttoned the fuselage up...but it sounds like I got it just about right.

I don't think I've ever seen a single account suggesting these birds offer a comfortable ride....

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    February 2011
Posted by knox on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 4:55 PM

  That is such a great looking build!  

  • Member since
    October 2020
Posted by rcguy on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 8:28 PM

My father was a flight engineer on Twin Otters in the RCAF and had many opportunities to take rides in the otters on wheel and floats.

One vivid memory was take off on floats in really rough water.

Well that made me somewhat seasick then the pilots decided to do some training tip stall maneuvers once we where up to altitude well that was it for me my head was in the little white bag till we landed.

  • Member since
    February 2015
Posted by skyraider0609 on Thursday, October 29, 2020 3:37 AM

The good news is that no Twin Otter crew has ever landed gear upBig Smile

 

Nice job on that kit sir!!

  • Member since
    January 2020
Posted by Space Ranger on Thursday, October 29, 2020 9:55 AM

gregbale

 

 
Space Ranger
No leg room to speak of whatsoever.

 

That's interesting.

When I was trying to work out the spacing using (smaller-scale) HO model RR seats and photographs of real cabins -- to work out relative positions of seats to windows -- I ended up having those seats pretty much 'heel to toe' to match the photos. I didn't think much beyond that after I buttoned the fuselage up...but it sounds like I got it just about right.

I don't think I've ever seen a single account suggesting these birds offer a comfortable ride....

 

I should mention that I am 6 feet tall and the flight was right before Christmas and completely full of passengers and their luggage. Thank God it was a short flight.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Thursday, October 29, 2020 11:10 AM

Space Ranger
I should mention that I am 6 feet tall and the flight was right before Christmas and completely full of passengers and their luggage. Thank God it was a short flight.

I'm 6'1"...with at least one bad knee...so I can empathize completely! I don't think I've had comfortable leg-room on a commercial flight since about 1980. Wink

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    November 2020
Posted by JC1113 on Saturday, November 14, 2020 3:08 PM

Beautiful plane. I flew in one ages ago in Hawaii.  Once I am done with my wooden ship model, I'm going in to plastic planes, modeling one of each type on which I have flown. Starting with a Twin Otter and ending up on a 747.  

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Saturday, November 14, 2020 3:35 PM

JC1113
Once I am done with my wooden ship model, I'm going in to plastic planes, modeling one of each type on which I have flown. Starting with a Twin Otter and ending up on a 747.

That's a great plan for a collection. How many types between the Twotter and the 747?

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    November 2020
Posted by JC1113 on Sunday, November 15, 2020 9:02 AM

Enough for a medium sized airport.  The plan is to go big to small.  I haven't decided  whether to do all of the variants of each consecutively or come back to them, eg. DC-9 series 10,30,50.  As some of these flights were on obscure or short lived airlines, I will be making a lot of decals, which be great as I enjoy the graphic design aspect.  

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