The Chocolate Chippie

[K5054NZ]

de Havilland Canada Chipmunk AOP Mk.1
By John M. Nash-Zimmerman



After the United Kingdom's entry into the Vietnam War, the British forces found themselves without a suitable forward air control platform. The Americans had the Cessna O-1, but when they arrived in South East Asia the British had only six Auster AOP Mk.9 aircraft. The Auster was slow, underpowered and found to be extremely vulnerable to small arms fire (all six aircraft were shot down in the space of a week).

The solution was found when officials from the government saw a demonstration by University Air Squadron cadets of the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk two-seat primary trainer. One of the VIPs asked a DH representative if the aircraft could be made to fulfil the FAC role - the answer was a firm "we'll get back to you".

de Havilland's design team took to an instructional airframe DHC-1 with an almost religious frenzy - night and day for a fortnight the designers and engineers enhanced the basic design with numerous strengthening changes, the installation of underwing hardpoints, a bubble canopy for greater visibility (used on Canadian-built examples) and a major powerplant change - gone was the de Havilland Gipsy Major, replaced by a 85kW (115hp) Lycoming O-235.

The new Chipmunk AOP Mk.1 took to the air on February 9, 1968. The RAF accepted the aircraft for service almost immediately, an order for twenty being placed shortly thereafter. Painted in the Far East scheme of dark earth and sand over black, the first AOP 1 (TK982) arrived at Da Nang on April 2. It was put to work immediately, and the aircraft was found to be very effective in the role.

On a typical FAC mission, the Chipmunk carried eight smoke rockets (two each of red, yellow, green and white) used to mark targets for the RAF's Eagle strike aircraft. (the above is an excerpt from an article on the AOP Mk.1 in "Airplane" magazine)



The aircraft depicted by this model is TW593, which served with Number 253 (Observation) Squadron until its retirement in 1975. The aircraft has been on public display at RAF Hendon since 1988. The kit used to create TW593 in miniature is Airfix's 1:72 offering, with only minimal changes to the airframe (panel lines on the wing had to be rescribed as they did not correspond with those on the full-size aircraft, the tyres are of a type used only on the trainer Chipmunk and thus wholly inaccurate for an AOP machine) and some aftermarket decals (the sheet supplied with the kit is sadly lacking in stencilling and warning labels).

I took the liberty of adding proper flight helmets to the pilot figures, which in the kit wore only obsolescent leather caps with goggles. (This is a glaring oversight on the part of Airfix, but one easily remedied)

The kit assembled very well (congratulations to Airfix are due for the fit of this model, easy enough even for the most awkward of fingers) and, dimension-wise, very accurate to the original. The rudder was, for some obscure reason, offset to the right by 1mm, but I was thankfully able to correct this by removing and re-aligning the tailfin. I used TAMIYA acrylics on this kit (a mistake I shall not be repeating, instead my next build will utilise the far superior HUMBROL enamel range), with barely satisfactory results. I painted three coats, and the result is recognisable as an AOP machine*.

On the subject of paint, I have decided to depict the marking rockets as being of all red smoke - this is NOT a mistake, but on consulting 235 Sqn's logbook, it states that on 12 August 1968 TW593 took to the air with eight red rockets, rather than the regular mixture of colours. The logbook does not, however, state the reprimand made against the offending crew chief for this error.

I would hesitate to recommend this kit to the modeller concerned with accuracy, due to some major oversights/mistakes inherent in the components, but for the beginner this is a perfect kit on which to embark upon this most satisfying hobby.

*Shortly after I submitted this review, I visited RAF Hendon to see TW593 - she has been repainted in a spurious scheme depicting "TW536", a serial which in fact belonged to an Auster Mk.VI. I wrote a letter to the museum curator concerning this mistake, and am yet to receive his reply. I have planned another visit to Hendon to see if this has been remedied.

This build report courtesy AIR International, reprinted with permission

[K5054NZ]

A new addition to the diverse number of warbirds resident in New Zealand was the first downunder example of the de Havilland Chipmunk AOP Mk.1, imported into the country in mid-March by Zac and Lana Yates of Wanganui.

The Lycoming-engined aircraft, registered ZK-AOP, was previously part of the RAF Museum at Hendon, coming off display in 1997 in exchange for a Martin-Baker MB5 restored by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford. The Chipmunk was operated for several years as G-CHIP by Roger Gamball at Southampton, before being purchased by the Yateses early this year.

ZK-AOP is now firmly on the NZ register and has been buzzing around the North Island for several weeks, large grins plastered firmly on the owners' faces! The aircraft is a genuine warbird, having served as a forward air controller during the Vietnam conflict in the late 1960s.

During a recent visit to Omaka, AOP was snapped with Arthur Dovey's Yak-3 and the Yates' Spitfire replica - surely a first here or overseas! The "Chocolate Chippie" (as the AOP Mk.1 was christened in RAF service) is scheduled to make her airshow debut at Wanaka in three weeks' time. About a half-dozen AOP Mk.1s are airworthy in the UK, with sole examples in Canada and the US, as well as about ten under restoration to fly.


Article courtesy Classic Wings magazine

[Brian da Basher]

A "Chocolate Chippie"? Oh Zac this is truly one for the book! I love how you've pulled it all off! Mating that Lycoming with that airframe is true genius! I really like your camo paint scheme as well! It all looks sooooo right! I also enjoyed the wonderful backstory too! The way this one ended out is a wonderful surprise!

Speaking of surprises...Zac & Lana Yates? Do you have some news to tell us, old bean?

Brian da Basher

[The Rat]

It might have a punch, but it can't escape being snatched out of the sky by a giant hand.  

Nice one Zac!

[K5054NZ]

Thanks guys. To be quite honest, this is the most satisfied I have ever felt after building a kit*. I feel I got the execution right, did my best adapting a totally new engine on without using any references (thank you to rotorheadTX for the cowl and prop ), and the end result has left me grinning ear to ear!

Thanks to whoever it was that first brought up the FAC Chipmunk idea. I thought I'd claim it for my own as I love FAC/AOP - I also thought the Lycoming, as fitted to some Australian and American Chippies, would be a sensible replacement for the Gipsy, and the Canadian bubble canopy made a ton more sense than the old Brit glasshouse one. And the colour scheme just looks so right on her too! Take a close look - the spotter in the back is actually looking to the left, as would be the thing to do on an AOP mission.



Bri, I would've told you months ago that Lana    and I are engaged, but it slipped my mind. Not terribly important   .




*Or at least, tied for the top spot - K5054 and ZK-HUT were both very rewardig builds. God I love this hobby! B)  

[Captain Canada]

Great stuff, Zac ! I agree with you, very nice execution on that one...awesome colours scheme as well !

Keep 'em coming !

   

[cthulhu77]

Fantastic !  I really like the air retrieval system you Aussie's have worked out too. And, congrats on the engagement !

           greg

[Leigh]

Nice one Zac, I'd of never thought of building a Chipmunk for God's sake but that one is real effective
I'm a big fan of putting different engines on planes.

[anthonyp]

Very nice, Zac!  Glad to see it turned out so well.

   

[Damian2]

Zac thats one sweet camo job and I like the conversion work too! But you knew that already!

[John Howling Mouse]

Me likey!

   

[philp]

good thing you corrected that tailfin.  The JMN would be all over you.

nice job and great story.  thanks for sharing

[retro_seventies]

Thanks to whoever it was that first brought up the FAC Chipmunk idea.

you are most welcome my kiwi homeslice - not that i would have built in a million years!

great job zac - one that i've been eagaerly watching for ages!      

[SimonR]

Great work Zac, it's got all the ingredients of superlative whiffery: excellent concept and excellent execution.