Alpine Canary...1/48 Saab 91D Safir, Austrian Airforce

July 14, 2020 · in Aviation · · 11 · 1.6K

Like the T-6, this was also built by my dad for our homeland collection some years ago.
The kit is for a B, C and D model. But for a 100% correct D Model some minor changes have to be done, my dad did not all. The D model had a different engine therefore also a different open engine front. My dad did only the half-round cut-out of the upper cowl front edge. The D model also had open cooling ribs on the "chin".

The antenna on the spine is 3D-printed by Shapeways, the position light on the rudder top is scratch like the pitot tube(s), the seatbelts were made with masking tape.

Sadly the Maestro Models decals don´t provide the "arrows" on the fuselage sides, so all orange trim was masked and painted.

Paints once again from Gunze and Tamiya, the yellow paint is selfmixed.

In 1964 our airforce bought 24 of these Swedish trainers which served in the "Fliegerschule", the last ones until 1993. The survivors are now in museums and civil use.

Reader reactions:
6  Awesome

17 additional images. Click to enlarge.


11 responses

  1. beautiful model of a colorful subject! Well done.

  2. Gorgeous bird! Looks like a sports plane in any colour, that Safir, especially the brighter ones. The linage to the Bucker Bestmann is very clear.

  3. Great looking trainer, Reinhard. Your Dad did a fine job ... many of us (including me) wouldn't know the differences of the different 'marks.'

    Well done & thanks for sharing!

  4. Great build.
    Really like the idea and the results of the seatbelts.

  5. This is another very well done model your Dad built. It looks great in these bright colors. When I look at this plane, I can see several influences from other aircraft. The cockpit arrangements remind me of a Bf-108 Taifun, and the vertical fin / rudder looks a lot like a Mooney.

    This is a very nice looking build. Well done to both of you. Your Dad for building, and you for the pictures and posting it for us to enjoy.

    Thanks !

  6. I hope you don’t mind me saying but I like this one much more than the T-6 in many ways. Beautiful plane, beautiful model

  7. Nothing more for me to say: agree 100% withabove gents.
    Beautiful work on such a beautiful subject.
    Having built the 1/72 Heller in the past, I remember how neat this plane was.

  8. 🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
    Beautiful work overall on a model not often seen.

  9. Thanks a lot for your likes and comments, appreciated!

  10. @grimreaper, always a joy to see some "GA" stuff. Maestro Models also made a resin conversion for the A model that had a inline engine. Somewhere in the distant future I might build that one (yep - it is in my stash) Thanks for sharing.

  11. Beautiful. Yellow aircraft always seem to make attractive models, even though it can be a difficult colour to apply.

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