Junkers/Souter JuSo-87 TurboStuka - Swift Air Freight

[zenrat]

Junkers/Souter TurboStuka

The end of WW2 saw a free for all as the armed forces of South Australia, Tasmania and the PDRV plus sky pirates, bushrangers, arms dealers, scrap merchants and used equipment brokers scrambled to get their hands on the matériel shipped to the Aryan Südreich by Nazi Germany.
"Honest" Bob Burns, a second hand plane dealer with a shady reputation, enthusiastically snapped up a large number of Junkers Ju87 Stukas but got his fingers burnt when he discovered there was no market for dive bombers in the post war world.  Seemingly unsellable, Honest Bob shoved them into a paddock and forgot about them.
TurboStuka 014 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Swift Air Freight were one of a number of fledgling air services that sprung into existence after the war taking advantage of a glut of cheap modern aircraft and trained pilots looking for work.  The size of the Australian continent with it's long distances between settlements and wide open space meant there was plenty of space for them to spread their wings.
TurboStuka 010 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
By the early 50's Swift, having absorbed a number of it's competitors to become leaders in the business of moving mail by air, issued a specification for aircraft to move parcels quickly over short distances.  A key requirement was to have as short as possible loading and unloading times.  Respondents to the spec addressed this in various ways including demountable cargo pods and clamshell dump doors but only one came up with the idea of dive bombing post offices.
TurboStuka 008 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Souter Aviation took Honest Bob's surplus Stukas, overhauled them, modified them and repowered them with Victorian Engine Works TP004-61 turboprops to produce the Junkers/Souter JuSo-001 TurboStuka.
TurboStuka 007 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Souter was a proponent of twin fins and believed that you could never have too much vertical stabiliser area.  He claimed this was because, a keen pilot himself, he liked to fly in thongs* and big fins meant more directional stability and so less work for his feet.
Given the rough nature of some of the outback strips it would be called onto use a stronger, tripod design undercarriage replaced the spatted original.
Parcel hatches were cut into the fuselage behind the pilot and the observers accommodation was converted into cargo space with the original canopy cut down to cover only the single occupant.
TurboStuka 005 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
But the thing that got Swift to buy them was the Parcel Pod.  Nicknamed Lipstick Bombs due to the shape and colour of their noses these were a sturdy aluminium canister that could be loaded with parcels in the Delivery Centre and then driven out onto the runway to be loaded up under the planes.  So far this was no different to other proposed cargo pods but Souter's genius lay in the method of delivery.  The rear of the Parcel Pod had stabilizing fins and contained a parachute.  Each Post Office would have a delivery area marked somewhere close to it and the pilots would swoop and drop the Lipstick Bomb aiming at this target.  On release a hatch at the rear opened and the chute deployed slowing the pod to a speed at which it wouldn't be damaged much**.  A tractor would then drag the pod into the sorting shed where it would be unloaded and the parcels delivered in the usual way.  Souter also foresaw deliveries to private residences being undertaken but this plan was dropped after trials resulted in the demolition of a number of sheds and significant psychological trauma to a family of Spanish refugees recently arrived from Guernica.
TurboStuka 003 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The TurboStukas went into service with Swift Air Freight in 1953 and immediately proved to be a favourite with the pilots.  The public were not so keen until the dive sirens (refitted when the original undercarriage legs were replaced) were removed.

* Flip flops or Jandals depending on your point of origin .
**Obviously parcels would have to have suitable wrapping to protect the contents from impact but as a wise man once said "if you can't dropkick it down a flight of stairs then you haven't wrapped it properly".

TurboStuka 002 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The model is a 1/72 Academy Ju-87G tank buster.  Vertical stabilisers are Matchbox Heyford.  Engine is scratchbuilt.  Prop is Academy P-51.  Undercarriage is Airfix Swordfish.  Lipstick Bomb is scratched up from a piece of 1/48 drop tank.
Paint is Appliance White Squirts Enamel and decals are home made.

[comrade harps]

Absolute genius, as usual! 

[PR19_Kit]

Dive bombing post offices? What a HOOT! 

Superb job Fred, both the idea and the execution. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Lovely...  Looks perfect for fire bomber or agricultural spraying, too!

[su27rules]

Nice!!

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.
I though about making it an agi plane or a fire fighter but seeing as I work for Aus Post I went with something I know - throwing parcels about 

[sandiego89]

Brilliant idea and execution! 

[upnorth]

Seriously cool take on the Stuka! 

[Librarian]

Supercalafragalisticexpialidocious . Someone pleas nominate this for a whiffie, my computer is fighting me. A Royal Stuka, SUPERB.

[NARSES2]

Super Dooper 

Very Sovietish

[major]

That's seriously cool!

Although, the 'thongs' thing threw me a bit, till i read on! Really bad mental picture. 'Thongs' over there 'aint the same thing as thongs over here!

[sandiego89]

What did you use to make the solid turtleback where the gunner would normally go?  Looks similiar to some Avenger firebomber conversions.  I need something similiar for a build. 

[PR19_Kit]

Supercalafragalisticexpialidocious . Someone pleas nominate this for a whiffie, my computer is fighting me. A Royal Stuka, SUPERB.

I already did, well worth it. 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

What did you use to make the solid turtleback where the gunner would normally go?  Looks similiar to some Avenger firebomber conversions.  I need something similiar for a build. 

All it took was a piece of styrene sheet glued across the opening with a couple of thin strips along the sides.  This looked very obvious so I sanded the sides slightly.  It still looked obvious so I hid most of the flatness with the back of the canopy which is another piece from my seemingly never-ending supply* of 1/48 drop tanks.  Finally I glued a length of 1/2 round styrene along the top of the fuselage from the back of the canopy to the tail (with a gap for the clear round thing I later found out is DF equipment - obviously retained so pilots could find their destination Post Office which would have a unique beacon).

*Not really, but there were a lot in the box marked "plane weapons $2" I bought at last years Model Expo.

[Captain Canada]

Now that turned out perfect ! I really like the look of this one. I want to build one myself, just so I can 'fly' it around the room ! Crop Duster for me tho