General Aircraft Limited GAL 50 Porthus

[zenrat]

GAL 50 Porthus – Frankston Sky Cabs

At the end of WW2 General Aircraft Limited looked to capitalise on the designs they had produced during the conflict.  In the case of the GAL 48 Hotspur troop carrying glider there didn't seem to be many civilian applications until it was powered.
GAL 50 Porthus 001 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The GAL 50 was created by mounting above the fuselage on struts a nacelle containing a Pobjoy Angel radial engine and a fuel tank.  With an eye to the colonial markets unmade strips a rugged heavy duty tricycle undercarriage was fitted consisting of spatted large diameter wheels.
GAL 50 Porthus 006 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Frankston Skycabs purchased twenty three of the eight seater Porthus in 1950 under the auspices of the PDRVs Transport for the People scheme and set up a number of scheduled Sky Bus services around the Republic.
GAL 50 Porthus 009 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The flagship service was the daily Frankston to Adelaide run.  On a good day a 10 hour trip departing Tyabb at 0700 and calling at Moorabin, Tullamarine, Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Dadswell Bridge, Nhill, Bordertown, Tailem Bend and terminating at Marion.  All stops other than Dadswell Bridge were request stops where if none of the passengers on board wished to alight the pilot would swoop low across the airstrip to see if any passengers were waiting in the Sky Bus Shelter adjacent to the runway.
GAL 50 Porthus 008 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Before the advent of sealed roads outside of the Republics major towns the Sky Buses with their government subsidised fares proved extremely popular with larger and faster aircraft soon replacing the Porthus on the longer runs.  The Porthus however were ideal for the more rural services where they soldiered on well into the 1960s as nothing fixed wing could compete with their rough strip capability and ruggedness.  They ended their days as Skycabs catering for larger groups and it was not unusual to see three or four Porthus in formation flying a bucks party or football club across the Bass Strait to the Casinos of Tasmania's  Two-Up Coast.
GAL 50 Porthus 004 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The aircraft depicted is the last of the twenty three as it was at its retirement in 1973 when it was replaced as the Frankston Skycabs management hack by a Cessna O1.
GAL 50 Porthus 002 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The model.
Frog GAL 48 Hotspur with a Hasegawa Kawanishi N1K1 engine mounted on a scratchbuilt nacelle (1/24 car wheel & 1/48 drop tank).  Matchbox Wellesley mainwheels & spats and nose wheel knocked up from the parts box.
Paint is primrose yellow rattle can enamel and decals are home made.

[Dizzyfugu]

It looks so sick, but I love it! 

[nönöbär]

Now this is cool! 

Looks totally crazy, therefore its good

[Dizzyfugu]

The exhaust is the best thing! 

[The Chaos]

Grat Work 
This Aircraft have my Surename 

[NARSES2]

That's "cute" 

[Tophe]

  I love this invention! My grand-father should have bought one...

[Glenn Gilbertson]

It's mad but cute! I love it!

[PR19_Kit]

A TOTAL hoot! 

Great work there Fred. 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.
This was one of those "why did I buy this?" kits.
As a confirmed petrol/diesel head I am opposed to gliders on principle so it had to have an engine and then what else would it be but a flying minibus?

Grat Work 
This Aircraft have my Surename 

Porthus?  It's an anagram of Hotspur.

[The Chaos]

Porthus?  It's an anagram of Hotspur.

Not Frankstone 

[Librarian]

She's a real beauty, very 'Herge'/ Tintin universe . I very much like the spat work, very convincing.

[zenrat]

I see what you mean Max.  I can picture Snowy standing on top while Tintin clings to the engine struts.  I think it's the yellow - its very much of the Herge palette.

[trickyrich]

Lovely job, well done!

Thou coming from Frankston shouldn't it be "racing grey"? 

[JayBee]

Absolutely fabulous. I love it.

The Tin Tin book would either be "Tin Tin in the Outback" or "The Black Opal".