Minicraft 1/144 C-54

Started by George R Blair Jr · 62 · 1 year ago · C-54, DC-4, Lima Movember, Minicraft, SAS
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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 9 months ago:

    I like groups because they move me out of my modeling comfort zone and force me to learn about aviation topics I don't know much about. I did a little online research to discover what planes SAS has used in their history, and was immediately struck by the DC-4 or later props. It appears that SAS took some C-54s after the war and turned them into airliners. I did a little shopping at Hannant's and bought some Lima November decals for a 1/144 C-54/DC-4. Given the pandemic-induced slowness of the mail, I probably won't see the decals for 3 weeks or more. I am getting ready to move, so most of my models are in storage, but I managed to find a Minicraft C-54 on Ebay for a reasonable price. As soon as everything is gathered together, I will get going on this build. Cheers.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 2 years, 9 months ago:

    This is a great entry, my friend @gblair!
    The scheme looks very cool.
    Looking forward to it!

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    John Healy said 2 years, 9 months ago:

    Great choice, George! FYI, I received a couple decal sheets from Hannants in one week last month. Hopefully yours are speeding to your door as well.

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 9 months ago:

    Thanks, Spiros (@fiveten) and John (@j-healy). I never know how long things will take from Hannant's. I usually only order very flat and light stuff, like decals and photoetch. Anything bigger and the postage goes way up. I have had them come in a week, but other times they take so long I forget they are coming.

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    Erik Gjørup said 2 years, 9 months ago:

    George, that is almost like making a schedule with a fleet of C-54's. In the old days the C-54 in operation with Greenlandair (partly owned by SAS) were said to be the most reliable three-engined plane around! Another story goes; on the PA; this is your captain, we have just lost an engine, so we expect to have a ½ hour longer flying time to our destination. A bit later another spluttering engine had to be shut down and again a slightly longer flight was announced. So, a bit later yet another and another delay announced when a passenger was heard mumbling "great, now if we loose the last engine we have to stay up here for ages. . . "

    Hope your letter arrives swift and safe. I shall have my boarding pass ready for this flight @gblair!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 2 years, 9 months ago:

    Very nice choice George, @gblair
    Entirely true, those groupbuilds are great to force yourself to finally build something which you have never thought of to be doing normally.
    Looking forward to this one.
    Good luck with the preperations of your moving.

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    Small update. I purchased the needed kit on Ebay, and it didn't make it to my house. I got a tracking number for the kit, and I followed all the way to my local post office. When it arrived there, they sent it back to sender. When I checked the post office, they had no idea why it was sent back. Contacted the seller, who has been very helpful. The kit went back to him and he is sending again, this time using UPS. More to follow.

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    Csaba said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    I hope it will arrive soon - the logic of the postal services is sometimes a real mystery.

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    Everything has arrived. I plan to finish my current build (a Ki-54 Hickory) and then jump into this airliner. Decals look nice. I religiously avoid natural metal finishes, so this should be interesting. Cheers everyone.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    Wishing you all the best for this build, George @gblair
    Love to see it finished.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    The SAS livery looks gorgeous, my friend @gblair!
    Looking forward to your build!

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    Thanks, Spiros (@fiveten) and John (@johnb).

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    Erik Gjørup said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    The original C-54's were travelling a lot - seems like yours is just following procedure 🙂
    Great that it has arrived.

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    I think you are right, Erik (@airbum). I got around to building the fuselage and wings today. Only 2 parts for the fuselage and 3 parts for the wings. 5 or 10 minutes total to get everything glued and taped. Yeah!

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 2 years, 7 months ago:

    Looking great, my friend @gblair!
    "Metal flake" appearance is witnessed also at my silver molded DC-6B wings, which I have entered in this GB.