British Antarctic Survey Skyvan

[Weaver]

This is the model that I put on the table at Telford over the weekend. It was originally built for the Anything But Military GB over on BTS, which is why it hasn't made an appearance here yet, but due to various problems it didn't make the deadline for that GB.

The build has been beset by delays, problem and bad luck in addition to my legendary capacity for distraction and diversion. Here's an edited list of the low-lights:

Spilt a bottle of glue over the original wings and totally wrote them off. Luckily had a spare set from the Skyvan helicopter I did a few years back.

Decided to build an interior full of cargo, which completely delayed the project because nothing else could proceed until it was done. It's almost completely invisible now.

When I did finish the interior, it turned out that the fuselage was warped, nothing fitted, and the seams kept pinging apart, stopping me from painting it.

Had to re-engineer the Twin Otter skis to fit the Skyvan, due to the latter's oddball landing gear arrangement.

Spray painted it, then discovered that the masking fluid I'd used on the windows had leaked, ruining the lot of them. Still don't know if it was a fault of the fluid or grease on the windows, but it also bound so hard to the exhaust pipes that it pulled the Metalcote finish off them and I had to repaint them as well, so I suspect the fluid.

Waited quite a while for a reply from Airfix's spares dept, but it turned out that they had a replacement clear sprue (kit OOP for 12 years: impressive). Then had to fit the new windows to the fuselage by trimming their flanges off and putting them in from the outside. knocked out one of the interior seats in the process of getting the old ones out too....

Stuck the wings and tail on, then discovered that despite the pilots and the front half of the cargo being white metal, it was still a tail-sitter. Drilled out the round thing behind the nosewheel, with the intention of dropping steel shot into the space under the cockpit floor, only to hit solid plastic. Then I remembered that I'd "cleverly" glued a central keel into that space months before to make it easier to put the shot in from the sides.... So, nothing for it but to drill two damned great holes a little further back, fill it with shot, and then stick a couple of black discs (irises from soft-toy eyes) over them to make "geophysical sensors".

I'm only calling it kinda finished on three counts:

1. I want to see if I can make a better job of the jokey bus number over the cockpit (No.77 is the bus you'd get from Cambridge Airport to Maddingly Road where the BAS HQ is ). I stuck a couple of 7s pillaged from the spares box on last week but didn't have time to get into custom decals.

2. The skis are supposed to have various cables and rods that arn't modelled in the Revellobox donor kit. Again, I didn't want to risk screwing it up that close to a show with no time to fix it, but I'd to try and do something that at least acknowledges that I know they're supposed to be there, even if the result isn't 100%. Various ideas.

3. I'd like to put it on a snow base with figures and a vehicle.

Because of this, I'm not doing a full article and write-up now, and these are just temporary pics:





I know the props don't all have the same stripe pattern: the BAS Twotters are sometimes painted like that. The badge on the nose is International Polar Year 2007-2008 so that sets the timeframe.







The "geophysical sensors" (above) and why they're really there (below). The ski bottoms are unfinished to make it easier to put it on a base. The LORAN "towel rail" aerials are optional on the Skyvan, but I figured they'd want every nav aid you can get. Same argument for the aerials on top of the cockpit.















The plywood floor protectors were made by printing a pic of a sheet of plywood from the web onto paper them gluing it only plastic sheet before punching the holes and colouring the edges with light-brown paint.

[Librarian]

...but worth it in the end . Skyvans, you just want to take them home and feed them. Been on my top ten wish list in 1/48 for years.

I've always found the wood-end of a  matchstick works really well for clearing paint around frames, the slightly waxy ones that is. Don't ask me why but it's always worked for me.

[Dizzyfugu]

Uh, THAT's a pretty one!  

[Weaver]

...but worth it in the end . Skyvans, you just want to take them home and feed them. Been on my top ten wish list in 1/48 for years.

I've always found the wood-end of a  matchstick works really well for clearing paint around frames, the slightly waxy ones that is. Don't ask me why but it's always worked for me.

Nothing would clear this stuff: even tried a new kind of paint stripping gel, but no luck. The real problem was the side windows, which had white car undercoat underneath the red. It was really bonded on solidly.

[The Rat]

Turned out beautifully! I used to see some of their aircraft in Toronto, for some reason they would fly them all the way up to get serviced by Leavens Aviation at YYZ.

[Weaver]

Turned out beautifully! I used to see some of their aircraft in Toronto, for some reason they would fly them all the way up to get serviced by Leavens Aviation at YYZ.

Yeah, I think it's all part of the deal, since all their aircraft are now DHC (four Twotters and a DH-7). The aircraft leave at the end of the Antarctic summer, go to Toronto for a service (and, I suspect, a repaint), then spend the winter doing charter work.

[sandiego89]

Nice, really like the cargo. 

[lancer]

That is stunning!! The detail is superb...

[The Rat]

Turned out beautifully! I used to see some of their aircraft in Toronto, for some reason they would fly them all the way up to get serviced by Leavens Aviation at YYZ.

Yeah, I think it's all part of the deal, since all their aircraft are now DHC (four Twotters and a DH-7). The aircraft leave at the end of the Antarctic summer, go to Toronto for a service (and, I suspect, a repaint), then spend the winter doing charter work.

I'm talking 30 - 40 years ago!

[Captain Canada]

What a beauty ! Love the interior....too bad it's not that visible, you did a really good job on it ! Love the pilot and crewman as well. Nice touch. Always a fan of Antarctic Survey birds, and their colours. Great stuff.

[Weaver]

Turned out beautifully! I used to see some of their aircraft in Toronto, for some reason they would fly them all the way up to get serviced by Leavens Aviation at YYZ.

Yeah, I think it's all part of the deal, since all their aircraft are now DHC (four Twotters and a DH-7). The aircraft leave at the end of the Antarctic summer, go to Toronto for a service (and, I suspect, a repaint), then spend the winter doing charter work.

I'm talking 30 - 40 years ago!

Well they've had Twotters for years (the current crop arn't the first), single Otters before them and Beavers for going back before the the BAS was the BAS (it used to be FIDS), so the maintenance arrangment might easily go back that far as well.

[zenrat]

I love this.  You did a great job battling The Fates and came out, if not on top then at least right way up and still fighting.

[TsrJoe]

Turned out a really nice model, looked very plausible too in the scheme, more a should have been than what if methinks 

cheers, Joe

[NARSES2]

Yup certainly looks right 

Lovely model

[davecov]

Nice work.

Can't help but be reminded of Kurt Russell in "The Thing" by the twelfth picture!

Dave