RNZAF 1/48th Hudson

[silverfox]

Dave,

ask and you shall receive. Not my finest hour( or 3.5 years) but here is my CA Hudson with markings for the Bomber OTU, because I put the wrong engines on and only realised when I had finished construction.





Thanks for the Hudson images, I have never seen Chips before.

[Dave Homewood]

That looks very nice indeed Andy. Despite the error of gluing the wrong engines on, you have ended up with a very nice representation of an important and often overlooked part of the RNZAF's bomber force. And don't forget that the most experienced of pilots flew the OTU Hudsons as instructors, so even though they didn't see combat their operators did.

I've not yet found any other reference to Chips, or Happy Daze, or Tutae Wera (though this did appear once in Wings). All three were 3GR aircraft from the original fleet that flew up to Santo and then Cactus. All are neat schemes. I have been told there was also a Hudson that had an aretwork on the nose of a Hudson on a bombing run, but not found a photo yet.

[agalbraith]

Great work Andy. Dont sell yourself short mate, that is beautiful. Not an easy kit either.

Well done

Cheers
Anthony

[Calum]

Nice work Andy. from what I hear thats a tough kit to build. Any more photos?

[northcro]

Excellent work Andy. I have two of these CA kits and about to start on the first as a Mark III or Mark IIIA that operated up in the Solomons or in New Caledonia in full combat configuartion with rear turret and the second I am looking to build as either a Mark V or VI. I have tried to find drawings or photographs of one of the Mark VI(or A28A) Hudsons NZ2091-2094 powered by R-1830 Twin Wasps. The Mark V's appeared to have been relegated to OTU''s before the Mark III's arrived.

The Mark VI was designed to be easily converted to operate either as a bomber or transport configuration.

Would anyone know whether these four Mark VI aircraft were relegated to a transport role without the rear turret and armament removed or retained their armament and utlilised in the islands or relegated to a OTU as bomber trainers.

[Dave Homewood]

The Mk VI's never went into GR Squadrons, I believe they only went to No. 1 (B) OTU, along with the Mk V's and a few Mk III's.

[northcro]

Thanks Dave:

It appears then that they would have been assembled and configured as the Mark VI bomber version. I will keep searching for photographs and drawings. It has got me intrigued as I never come across any details displaying these particular Mark VI aircraft before in publications. There are some photographs in the National Museum of USAF website showing photographs of a A-28A (Mark VI) in RAF colours but not New Zealand markings and colours, even it does state some of the 450 Mark VI built were converted to the uprated P & W 1830-67 Twin Wasp engines.

Refer www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet_media.asp?fsID=3158

[Dave Homewood]

I too have never found much on them and I can't recall seeing any photos of them either. I wonder if they were perhaps not used for a lot of the time, and were kept as attrition airframes. If I find anything I'll let you know Dave.