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Frank Cronin
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B.O.A.C Short “Hythe”

August 25, 2016 · in Aviation · · 10 · 1.8K

This was not a kit and I restored this within this last year but I am submitting it anyway to the Water Wings Group build.

The short "Hythe" was the civilized version of the Short Sunderland. It was brought into service by B.O.A.C. in 1946.
For quite a few years I have been restoring various models for a gentleman that collects airline and manufacture models. He has an extensive collection of models of all types. He asked me if I would do something with a very rough carving he purchased of the Short Hythe. It is unknown when this was initially carved nor is it known who carved it. It is very close to 1/72 in scale and it looked like it was carved out of very rough dunnage wood. It is of course not perfect and certainly has some goofs but it is a representation of the Hythe which the collector wanted. I just went about cleaning it up by sanding and filling to get it ready to paint. I used a lot of automotive filler primer and automotive silver paint from a rattle can. ( ala Craig, the rattle can Rembrandt ) I robbed parts from an Airfix Sunderland to add to the completed model. He is happy that at this point he has a representation of a Hythe although not a perfect one.

Reader reactions:
4  Awesome

7 additional images. Click to enlarge.


10 responses

  1. Beautiful restoration, this one I've heard of.

  2. You did a great job bringing together a nice representation of the aircraft out of what you started with!

  3. Hat off for whoever built that model in the first place. Well done!
    Nice restauration job too. I thought it was a conversion of a plastic kit.

  4. My Hats off to you Frank-your patience and skill payed off once again resulting in a beautiful looking flying boat.

  5. Thank you all. I don't know what I am doing wrong but I had to post each picture individually. I haven't posted for some time so it is either me or my computer. I going with the computer to maintain my sanity.

  6. That turned out great, Frank..! Nice work, sir.

  7. Nice work, Frank. Might need to send you a Wood Butcher's Union card.

  8. A lovely restoration, Frank.

  9. Frank, Another wonderful restoration. I wonder how old this model actually is ?.

  10. Frank, with the roughish wood, I'm suspecting made during the war, when modeling supplies of all sorts were going to the war effort, to include balsa or the other kinds of woods used.
    I think it's lovely, myself, you did a marvelous job on it. Like the Catalina, used for more pacific uses, postwar.
    Love them flying boats. There's a whole ambiance about them, though only the wealthy and gummint folks could afford to fly in them.

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