Snell 19 G-FRAP

[K5054NZ]

Snell Aviation S-19


By the mid 1980s it became apparent that a new aircraft was needed for high-speed touring. One of those greatly interested in such an aircraft was Belgian asphalt magnate Karel Bosman of KB Industries. In the quest for a new, relatively cheap "aerial taxi" he approached lightplane manufacturer Barry Snell whose Edmonton, Alberta company Snell Aviation had made a name for itself producing turboprop aircraft for both military and civilian customers.

Snell, the son of a World War 2 fighter ace, drew a rough arrangement on a napkin and showed it to Bosman. The Belgian accepted, and asked for a prototype to be built, offering $2 million for the aircraft. Accepting the offer, Snell set to work immediately, expanding on his original idea and creating what would become a classic in the history of aviation design.

The aircraft, designated S-19, was of a low-wing configuration, with Snell's distinctive T-tail trademark (noted for great stability and responsive handling), retractable tricycle undercarriage and a cabin seating four passengers. It was to be powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT-6A turboprop with a three-bladed propeller, and feature the latest avionics equipment. Winglets were added fairly late in the design, in preference to tiptanks.

The prototype, C-FXIX, rolled out into the Alberta sunlight on June 24 1986, painted in Snell's house colours of silver with gold trim. Under the control of former CAF fighter pilot Francois Martinique, 'KBI lifted off the runway and performed a 30-minute test flight (originally to be only 20 minutes, but Martinique said he liked the aircraft so much he wanted to really play with it). Karel Bosman, who beamed from engine startup to shutdown, ordered five on the spot.

Word began to spread of the economical cruiser being flight-tested in Alberta, and orders began to trickle in. Upon delivery of OO-KBI, Bosman's first aircraft, this trickle became a flood. It seemed no business high-flyer could be seen without an S-19. The type became known as the "Learprop", as its popularity came close to that of the Learjet. Each aircraft was available with custom upholstery and paint scheme, all decided by the customer.

To date, 253 Snell S-19s have been built, and the Edmonton production line remains open. The S-19 design is now the flagship of Snell Aviation, being featured on the company's logo.

One buyer of the S-19 was English pop star Alison Goldfrapp (of the electronic/dance duo of the same name), who had c/n209 painted in an all-over blue colour scheme with gold registration and the band's logo. This aircraft, registered G-FRAP, is featured in the accompanying photography.

[philp]

yay, its done.
obviously having some time off is good for your modeling.

[Brian da Basher]

That's an excellent little S-19 there Zac! Fantastic job on the codes, especially the Goldfrapp on the wing! I really enjoyed the backstory too.

I keep imagining THOSE LEGS as she climbs into the cockpit...mmmmm...
 
Yet another wizzard build, mate!

Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

No bias here (    ) but this is freaking fantastic!  Gutsy, too.

What a sleek little bird: I'm glad you built it in flying config. as that is just too tempting to not buzz around the house with it.

This would also be great to see in 1:48 scale and, since my firms "owns" the design...  heh, heh.

Good job, Zac!

     

[Ollie]

Good show Zac!

So, this Snell character is the son of the WWII pilot who fought Ta 183s in his MB.5 above North Africa?



http://rcaf2000.net/ta183/ta183.htm

   

[K5054NZ]

So, this Snell character is the son of the WWII pilot who fought Ta 183s in his MB.5 above North Africa?

How ever did you know?


Yes, M. Lacombe, the very same ace. And did I mention he was present at the first flight? Cos he was. So there!

[John Howling Mouse]

Wish my family's actual legacy was half as interesting!    

[K5054NZ]

So, due to popular demand, I've decided to tell you all how exactly I've made this Snell creation.


The base kit is Airfix's classic DHC-1 Chipmunk in 1:72. To begin with I cut some sections from a Heller Super Frelon's rotor blades to act as spacers in the fuselage, which I widened all along by about 5mm (I think). I cut off the vertical tail and relocated this to the spares bin. Originally I was going to use a late Spitfire Mk.IX rudder to stay with the DH theme, but after a word with Ollie I decided to take a different route.


The T-Tail is from the Supermodel Aermacchi MB.339 jet trainer, previously butchered to make my DH Venom. I cut the vertical tail to make it thinner and joined the horizontal stabs to make the distinctive T. This setup luckily fit into the gap made by a) the departing DH tail and 2) the widened fuselage. Part of the rear fuse was also cut off to make the aircraft's lines more "even". The part where the horizontal stabs join the fuse were also sanded away.

I also cut the part where the upper wing meets the fuse so that the wide fuse would fit nicely - perfection! I was planning on fitting an entire interior for the cockpit, and I even had seats made, but I discovered I would have no canopy. So, along with the gaps all along the fuse, I made a canopy out of filler.

The original intake for the Gipsy Major engine was binned, and huge amounts of filler used to sculpt the PT-6A cowling. The exhausts are from Monogram's 1:48 P-39, and the prop and air intake setup from an unidentified twin (parts supplied by RotorheadTX). Again, I was planning for undercarriage, but I don't quite have Baz's skills in the wheelwell department. So wheels-up it was.

The winglets are the tailplanes from Academy-Minicraft's 1:144 MiG-25 Foxbat, trimmed slightly. I used my Mk.I "Eyeball" tool to get these correctly aligned. Finally, after much sanding, Tamiya Flat Blue was used to brush paint the entire airframe with two coats, and Tamiya Gold Leaf used for the registration and "Goldfrapp" logos.

And at the moment, there are no plans to model Alison Goldfrapp and her boots to stand alongside the model.

Thank you, and goodnight!

[BlackOps]

Zac, I think it's a keeper! nice lines for sure


Jeff G.