Kit-bashing a 1/144 Super DC-3 (or C-117D)

[harrysone]

I wanted to build a Douglas Super DC-3 like the one I saw operating with Trans-Northern Aviation in Anchorage Alaska. I saw that the only kit available, the Eastern Express C-117D came with these makings...PRIMO!

IMG_8225 by Harry Follas, on Flickr

I opened the box only to find that its hopelessly out of shape, scale and proportions (even their artwork shows wrong tail size, the real thing has significantly greater area etc). The Eastern Express kit is largely based/copied from the original Minicraft DC-3 and it appears that they got their scales a little out.

IMG_8226 by Harry Follas, on Flickr

I took the only practical course of action to correct the model & decided to butcher it and combine the best parts with a Roden C-47, using scaled 3 view drawings as my reference. I was able to extend the Roden fuse and use the outer wings and engines etc from the Eastern Express Kit. However I needed to junk the horizontal stabilizer and massively increase the area of the vertical stab.

url=https://flic.kr/p/2a9pvGs][/url]20180804_161835 by Harry Follas, on Flickr


With patience, filler and quite a bit of sanding and checking a fairly representative Super DC-3 resulted. Funny thing is that It was probably produced much along the same lines as the real aircraft (hacking up and modifying original C-47 airframes).

IMG_6393 by Harry Follas, on Flickr



IMG_6403 by Harry Follas, on Flickr


Makes an interesting comparison with a normal DC-3

dc3s by Harry Follas, on Flickr

super3 by Harry Follas, on Flickr


The real thing...

IMG_5242 by Harry Follas, on Flickr

[Dave Homewood]

Wow!!

[davidd]

Did not all the "Super" DC-3s have late-model Wright Cyclone engines (up to 1450 HP) rather than the Twin Wasps as normally used in NZ? The single-row Cyclones were of considerably greater diameter than the (twin-row) Twin Wasps, and consequently had a noticeably shorter chord cowling. Anyway, the models look absolutely splendiferous!
David D

[markrogers]

Great work!! The difference between the C-47 and C-117 does show quite a bit.
I believe Super DC-3's/C-117's used to be based in Christchurch for Operation Deep Freeze.

[Dave Homewood]

They had R-4D's at Deep Freeze. Not sure if they also had C-117's? Denys will know.

[denysjones]

Correct Dave.

Of the 17 Douglas transports used by VX-6 4 were R4D-8s and 2 were LC117Ds the other 11 were either R4D-5 or LC47 variants. The last three left on the ice when the types were withdrawn were 1 R4D-8 and 2 LC117Ds, and of course our LC47H which was here in CHC.

That is of course taking what appears to be the generally accepted list of the a/c although some other lists give more and some less numbers of a/c.

[harrysone]

Yep, quite correct re the shorter cowls, however the longer engine nacelles were used to put the CoG further forward with the extended fuselage

www.douglasdc3.com/dc3tec/16.jpg

Incidentally Trans Northern still have 3 airworthy and 3 not so airworthy C-117s. This one (N30TN) is the no.2 civil Super DC-3 from Douglas, it has never been a military bird. One little issue with the model is the C-47 style cargo doors, the real aircraft has a combined passenger door/air stair. If I had used a Roden DC-3 for my conversion rather than the Roden C-47, it would have fixed this (bugger!)


The Co-Owner told me they are negotiating purchasing another airworthy C-117 from Kamaka Air in Hawaii. For such a limited production run, there are a surprising number of these aircraft still in operation

[planecrazy]

Wow great bit of kit bashing there she tuned out so nice.