Nigerian Aviation NA.142M Pitta

[comrade harps]

Nigerian Aviation NA.142M Pitta
a/c 1037, 19th Aviation Company, 5th Infantry Division, Nigerian Army
Menongue, Angola, August 1980
Personal mount of Captain Olisa Ndah



The Pitta (named after a family of birds common in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa) was the last new design by Nigerian Aviation before the UN's 1980 Year of Defeat in Africa. First flown in 1977, the Pitta was an evolution of the NA.42 and NA.43 series of light planes. Characterised by their swept-forward wings, these aircraft were otherwise conventional in design and construction. Cheap to build and operate, they were popular with civilian and military users.



Nigerian Aviation (NA) was established at Lagos in 1952 and was, in essence, a re-creation of Scottish Aviation Limited, formerly of Prestwick in Britain. Like Scottish Aviation, NA was led by the well-connected aviator Duke of Hamilton, Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, and aeronautical engineer David McIntyre. They were joined by a team of British and Czech exiles, the latter including several previously employed by the Zlín Aviation Works. In addition to providing maintenance, repair and training services, NA designed and built aircraft including the NA.10 Pioneer and NA.20 Twin Pioneer STOL transports, the widely-exported NA.37 crop duster, the NA.26/126/226 series of tandem-seat trainers and the NA.42/43/142 series. They also purchased the rights to the Dornier Do 25 and developed it into the successful NA.27, futher evolving the type into the twin-engined NA.28 and NA.128. In the 1960s and 70s the company built the NF-5A, NF-5B and NRF-5A versions of the Northrop Freedom Fighter for Nigeria and other African customers. NA also produced STOL kits for several Cessna types, collaborated with the US-based Summit Aviation on its Spartan and Sentry programs and converted T-28 Nomad trainers to Fennec COIN standard.



This Pitta was photographed at Menongue in Angola during August 1980. At the time, the UN's Operation Just Defence was nearing its end. Just Defence was launched in response to the Anzanian-led invasion of Angola and an associated series of uprising across sub-Saharan Africa. It would prove to be the UN's last major action in the theatre. With non-African UN ground troops mostly withdrawn from the continent, Just Defence was distinguished by its massive application of tactical and strategic airpower against Anzania and its Red allies. Three months into the Operation, Black Power mutinies in the US military brought Just Defence to a crashing halt, precipitating the Second US Civil War. With the US knocked out of the conflict, Africa's UN-backed government quickly succumbed to a series of revolutions and Red invasions.



In August 1980 the Nigerian Army's 19th Aviation Company, 5th Infantry Division (19AVC/5ID) was stationed at Menongue in Angola. Its task was to help defend the town and the major roads that passed through it. Tasked with COIN roles including visual reconnaissance, armed convoy overwatch, close air support, light strike, forward air control, artillery spotting and liaison, the unit's Pittas were active against Red insurgents interdicting UN supply routes. It is modelled here as photographed carrying two SUU-14A submunition dispensers; the type of submunitions carried are unknown. The Pitta's other common loadouts were two LAU-32 7 round rocket pods or two SUU-11 7.62mm Minigun pods. This aircraft has been identified as the personal mount of Captain Olisa Ndah.



As the security situation in Angola deteriorated and the Nigerian government started to lose domestic authority, the 19AVC/5ID was withdrawn to Nigeria in early September. On 11 September 1980, the unit's members joined with other mutineers to overthrow the Nigerian government in Lagos. Flying their Pittas in defence of anti-government protesters, the planes were used to strike at loyalist troops and pro-government militia fighters. Captain Olisa Ndah, flying a different Pitta, became famous for using his Miniguns to shoot down a loyalist-flown Nigerian Army Hughes 500MD/TOW Defender that was firing into crowds massed around the Nigerian Presidential Lodge.

[zenrat]

Good job Comrade.

Any problems with paint reacting with the plastic?

[comrade harps]

Good job Comrade.

Any problems with paint reacting with the plastic?

Some places had to be painted several time because it would slake off quickly through handling. Also, the see-through factor when held up to the light was a concern because of all that clear plastic. Humbrol enamels throughout, by the way.

Did you or Dizzy have any painting problems when you made yours?

[zenrat]

My (enamel) primer crazed the clear styrene.  I thought it might have been due to me being heavy handed with the rattle can (it was a 1 week build).

[PR19_Kit]

Is the whole model moulded in clear then?

[Dizzyfugu]

I had no problems on mine, and I used Humbrol enamels. And, yes, it's almost completely molded in clear material - and even comes with a seperate canopy, so the material makes hardly sense at all...


1:72 Zlín Z-142M, '182' of the Macedonian Aviation Brigade's  101. Avijaciska Eskadrila; Petrovec Air base, summer 2006 (Whif/modified Hobby Boss kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Zlín Z-142M, '182' of the Macedonian Aviation Brigade's  101. Avijaciska Eskadrila; Petrovec Air base, summer 2006 (Whif/modified Hobby Boss kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[PR19_Kit]

Now bizarre! 

And it's not as if they've moulded the interior structure or anything to see as well. 

[comrade harps]

The clear plastic has a really smooth and shiny gloss surface.

There's something good about the fuselage and canopy both being clear though: the fit is really good.

It's not even Wonder Woman's invisible plane!

[zenrat]

There has to be a build one could do using the fact it is mostly clear (other than Wonder Woman's plane).
Maybe paint parts of it but leave one wing and some of the fuselage clear and then claim it carried an experimental cloaking device which was malfunctioning...