Italeri 1:72 C-47 Skytrain

[gaz45]

This will be my first GB and i'm just going to build oob.





Douglas C-47 Dakota history
In December 1935 in North Carolina (USA), the first Douglas C-47 took off. Also known as the DC-3, this aircraft had to insure the civil and military logistics: 800 units were built for the civil aviation market, while 10,000 units were delivered for the military, from 1938.

The DC-3 is known as C-47 (U.S. Air Force) and R-40 (Marine Corps and U.S. Navy). Its role is initially primarily logistical: the "Dakota" transported military equipment, and it had a capacity and a speed more important than its predecessors. But the C-47 was also used as a carrier of military VIPs, communications relay, training aircraft and of course as parachutists transport aircraft.

Indeed, the airborne troops were born in 1942 in the United States, and the C-47, then known as the "Skytrain" is selected thanks to it its non-standard capacity. It took part in military operations in Sicily, during Operation Overlord in Normandy, and Holland during Operation Market Garden, but also in Asia and in the Pacific.

Built under license in the Soviet Union and in Japan, nearly 11,000 copies of the C-47 were manufactured between 1935 and 1946. After the Second World War, many Douglas C-47 joined the civil airlines around the world, since it could carry up to 28 passengers

User: USA
Denomination: Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Length: 19,65 m
Wingspan: 28,96 m
Height: 5,16 m
Curb weight : 7,700 kg
Maximum speed: 370 km/h
Range: 2,175 kilometers
Ceiling: 7,350 m

Transport : 28 passengers or 4536 kg cargo

Crew: 2 (pilot and co-pilot)

Motorisation : two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92, 14-star-cylinder of 1,200 hp each

June 6, 2014 - Gerald Parker was a very young C-47 Captain on the night of June 5, 1944. He was left seat in a Douglas C-47 which had more than 70 of the type set for this mass launch in his group. By the time that they crossed the channel and made France, it was early on the morning of June 6. Listen in on this phone call and hear Gerald recount the tale in his own words, and what happened that night



All sprues in one bag



2 sprues and 1 clear sprue

























and finally the decals.


The instructions look easy to follow. The paint call outs are for model master but i'll be using tamiya and revell.



















This is the one i will be doing



There is no decals for the stripes so they have to be painted on.

Thanks for looking

[Apple]

Bring in the troops sir..!!

Nice build, good luck.

[peppie]

Nice, a skytrain

Build one like this myself (I think an older one from Italeri) and it's a nice build.
One warning, the book says to put the front window in, later, from the outside. This is possible, only problem is there's nothing there to push the window against. So if you push it in, it will fall in (or 4 times, ask me how I know ). I've tried putting tape on it and things like that. At the end I even ended up breaking it I mean, you push it in, you look, you think: "oh, needs to be a little bit deeper", and before you know it.....

As I'm going to build more of these (sorry, my favourit airplane), I was thinking about a few options to take care of this problem.
1. glue in a small edge inside the cockpit (top and bottom) where later you can put the glass against.
2. Cut the window in the middle en glue each half in the fuselage before glueing the fueselagehalfs together. And later, after masking the glass, fill it up in the middle.

Then again, maybe you don't have any problems with it, and it's just me with my big hands Don't say I didn't warn you

Well, good luck with the build. Like I said, I'm gone follow this one

[Rob]

Lovely stuff Gaz

[DC87]

Great stuff, fine addition to the GB.

[gaz45]

Thanks a lot guys. Cheers for the heads up peppie it does look like the front windows will be an issue i will have to look into this.

[HistoryRider]

Well well well! Looks like My choice of the Gooney Bird (Yet to be revealed..well until just now ) has another contender! I will be following this build with much interest!!! Good Luck and i can't wait to see your progress!!

[T3hGuppy]

Nice choice dude

[Willem]

Iconic aircraft. Best of luck with your build Gaz.

[gaz45]

cheers mate

[gaz45]

So ok made a start today got some pieces primed today with Humbrol Acrylic rattle can primer very pleased with the result having never used it before











Hopefully the next update will see some colour and detail even though not much will be seen i thought it would be good practise.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Nice entry!
Looking forward to see this one!

[Coen]

It amazes me just how big these things are. Even at 72nd it still takes up half the bench.
The details don't look to bad either. A bit of dress up here and there if it strikes ya and she'll be a fine build.
It was also and wicked important aircraft to D-Day efforts.
I can't imagine the GB without one.
Great choice bud.

[gaz45]

Ok dis some more work on this over the last few days.

painted the 2 figures using Revell leather brown for the trousers then mixed in a little yellow for the rest



the flesh tone was some paint i found in an old painting by numbers set.

the seats were done in revell 365 pantina green and leather brown for the cusions

next up was the cockpit instruments using thinned flat black, the dials done in flat white with a cocktail stick and the pedals done in tamiya xf-71 cockpit green.
then when dry i dry brushed it with tamiya xf-56 metallic grey



The interior i used the patina green in the cockpit and for the seats with the leather brown on the top.
the door sections were painted in the cockpit green with a black wash to pick out the doors.
I also tried to add a bit of detail by painting some harnesess with tamiya xf-59 desert yellow and metallic silver not sure this turned out too well.



next up fitted the seats and figures



the instrument panel



and the windows



then added a little wash to it all



So thats where i'm at primed the engine parts last night so hopefully get some paint on those today.
thanks for looking.

[gaz45]

Got some work done on the engines last night

Firstly used tamiya xf-1 on the centres



Then edged it of with humbrol 53 gun metal and dry brushed with tamiya xf-16 flat alluminium







painted up the centre hubs ( no idea what there called lol ) with revell 57 grey





and finished off with a dab of tamiya xf-6 copper







Glued the fusalage which was a pretty good fit







that's all for now

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Looking good so far!

[UKguyInUSA]

She's coming along nicely now, Gaz.

This is a plane that I want to build, but in 1/48 scale, in memory of my Father-In-Law who was with the 101st Airborne during the D-Day Landings. He passed away 5 years ago and my wife has a lot of "German memorabilia" that he brought back from Europe, including SS Officer Daggers and Scabbards, buttons, badges, medals, a German Officer gun and other things. I plan on do a large figurine, if I can get one, of a 101st Paratrooper, too.

I look forward to seeing yours finished, mate!

Cheers,

Martin

[MarkVerploeg]

Looking good so far
Nice to see somebody is building the workhorse of the airborne troops
Enjoy the build
Cheers Mark

[gaz45]

Cheers guys appriciate your comments.
just a small update today.

I got the wheel wells painted up with revell 90 silver matallic and dulled that down with a dark wash





Then attached the wings









As you can see not a great fit on one side so while i wait for my tamiya putty to arrive i build up the engines





the props are painted with flat black with flat yellow tips.
next update i will have the wing joint filled and sanded.

[gaz45]

Filler arrived so got the wing roots filled so i will be sanding these and getting her primed up.

[gaz45]

Ok got the old girl all primed up and started the invasion stripes on the wings I need to work out how i'm going to do the ones on the main body can't just use masking ape as with the wings as it just doesn't line up

[eoinfinnegan]

Very nice job, I have the other italeri C-47 that uses the ISCI moulds, I picked it up for this GB but I'm not sure if I'm gonna do it. Good luck with the rest of the build

[UKguyInUSA]

Can you use the kit decals as masks?

[gaz45]

There is no decals for this in this kit but I think I have worked it out i used a rubber band pulled tight allowing me to draw the lines on and taped to the lines













I think they turned out ok just need a little tidying up





The engine and covers are now in place with the exhausts and whot ever those things are called on the tops of the covers







The next step will be to paint the under side
Thanks for looking any comments will be appreciated.

[gaz45]

So just a small update
got the underside painted up using revell 57 matt grey and the exhausts in revell 83 rust







The rest of it has had a of revell 65 bronze green the tail section is complete just a little tidying up then finish the second coat on the wings and body









Thanks for looking.

[Willem]

Looks great! Coming along really well and nearly at the finishing line now. Have been puzzling over how to get D-Day stripes to look like they've been hurriedly applied by the ground crews- you've done it and now I'm going to use your ingenius idea. Cheers Gaz.

[gaz45]

No probs mate glad to help

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Agreed, nice trick with the rubber band
Looking great mate!

[UKguyInUSA]

Looking great so far Gaz....looking forward to seeing her complete. Good idea with the laggy band to mark your stripes!

[gaz45]

Just a small update finished the paint coats and a couple of coats of klear.
Got all the decals on did have one slight issue as i am going to have the door open i had to slice the decal i did put the cut piece on the door but i don't think it will be seen.









So just the landing gear to go on and the last few clear parts one on the top the 2 on the front edge of the wings and the cockpit window which presents a slight problem there is actually nowhere to fix it to so somehow i need to come up with a plan to hold it in place while it drys.
Thanks again for your comments much appriciated.

[UKguyInUSA]

Almost at the finishing line! great job so far, mate!

[HistoryRider]

Great Job Gaz! Great updates! Fantastic job on the Invasion Stripes!! My kit that I'm building comes with decals, but I'm still debating about painting them on...

Great progress and I can't wait to see it all finished up!

[gaz45]

Cheers for your comments guys imo i think they would look better painted on

[gaz45]

it's been awhile since my last update new job gives me less time
Just a small update almost finished this now
The landing gear is in place as are the last few clear parts except the cockpit window still have some issues as to how i'm going to hold this in place while it drys.

Tried my hand at doing some staining where the exhausts are using Humbrol black wash.

Also had a go at chipping using the underside colour Humbrol 57 grey using a sponge on the leading edge of the wings and the nose and using a fine brush on the fuselage.

Then some streaking on the wings with the Humbrol wash. These are all firsts for me not sure they turned out too well but i guess we after start somewhere and can only get better with practise.

So here she is almost finished.













Once again thank you for taking a look and for all your comments they are most welcome.

[gaz45]

All finished off with a matt coat my first GB Build more pic's in the reveal section thank you for your time and comments