Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Kittiwake in 1/72

[KiwiZac]

WA062/C-FHNA
The oldest surviving Curtiss-Fairey Kittiwake to serve with the Royal Canadian Navy is FB.1 WA062. On retirement in 1959 the aircraft was sold to Albertan businessman JHM Snell and allocated the civil registration CF-HNA. Painted silver with red accents the aircraft was used by Snell as an executive transport for about twenty years before he stopped flying due to medical reasons.

Academy 1/72 Curtiss-Fairey Kittiwake by Zac Yates, on Flickr

After it spent several years on the ground, maintained in airworthy condition by Snell, Dennis Bradley and Alan Ness purchased the aircraft and in 1972 it became part of the embryonic Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. CF-HNA was repainted in the colours it wore at retirement with its original number 117 on the nose cowl and went on to become a staple at airshows around Ontario and further afield.

Academy 1/72 Curtiss-Fairey Kittiwake by Zac Yates, on Flickr

Although in excellent condition when purchased the aircraft was in need of extensive work by 1989, and over the next five years it was fully restored. The aircraft was returned to flight in the spring of 1994 in the colours of Kittiwake WA067 Spirit of Sarnia, which was flown in combat over the Atlantic in WW2 by triple ace Captain Todd Pomerleau.

Academy 1/72 Curtiss-Fairey Kittiwake by Zac Yates, on Flickr

The Spirit of Sarnia continues to fly at airshows around Canada and the USA alongside other CWHM aircraft. This model depicts WA062 in its original "warbird" paint scheme, as worn between 1973 and 1989.

Academy 1/72 Curtiss-Fairey Kittiwake by Zac Yates, on Flickr

***
This is the Academy 1/72 Curtiss P-40M/N kit with Master Models turned brass Hispano 20mm barrels, decals are from an Xtradecal Sea Fury sheet. This build was started in 2015 and stalled due to a lack of 1) filler/putty for the upper cowling (I got some more, and then more, then remembered I had this to finish!) and b) a suitable four-bladed propeller and spinner, these last vital parts being Airfix Firefly Mk.V units kindly supplied by kitnut617 which arrived yesterday.

Academy 1/72 Curtiss-Fairey Kittiwake by Zac Yates, on Flickr

I hope you enjoy this addition to the Kittiwake story!

[Captain Canada]

Haha ! Nice one. I'm still mad at Baz for all that time he rode my steed 

Even got our race number....nice touch !

Cheers 

[KiwiZac]

Even got our race number....nice touch !

Cheers 

Seriously? I did not plan that! Brilliant!!

[zenrat]

Looks good Zac.

[The Rat]

Lovely! I'll have a look for it when I'm at the CWH museum in March! 

[PR19_Kit]

Lovely! I'll have a look for it when I'm at the CWH museum in March! 

There are people who STILL show up at Cosford wanting to see the PR19.................... 

[KiwiZac]

 

Thanks for the kind words, gents!

[chrisonord]

Nice  , I  am imagining a torpedo  stuck underneath  the fuselage.
Chris

[The Rat]

Lovely! I'll have a look for it when I'm at the CWH museum in March! 

There are people who STILL show up at Cosford wanting to see the PR19.................... 

[dwomby]

That looks (and sounds) really plausible.  Great job.

David