Getting caught up on the pics. Spent a fun hour or so getting putty off the fuselage only to discover a number of small sink marks along the seams on the upper and lower fuselage. Once I take care of those, I'll shoot a coat of primer and will likely have to repeat the above process. Here's the main pieces mocked up:

Here's the modified tail. 102 didn't have the DC-3 type tail cone, though many C-47's did or had them added later. The white tail nav light and a blue formation light were installed side by side here, and if you removed the plate, you had access to the mount fittings for the glider tow hook. The blue formation light was installed, but was deactivated, as it was not approved by the FAA for use.

Didn't monogram issue a DC-3 or was it still the C-47 kit with (real spiffy) Eastern Airlines livery? I remember seeing one way back when, now that I've built a Goony, I'd like a polished aluminum DC-3! (And an AC-47 as well!)

Josh, there was a civilian version, with a passenger door rather than the cargo doors. There was a passenger interior, also. I've never seen one built, I think it was in Eastern Air Lines markings.

Thanks Bernard. I've been eyeing up on the Eastern DC-3 kits on Ebay. DC-3s do look real nice in polished aluminum!

Looking Good Jaime!

Back to the bench for a little more work. I decided to add a few details that are missing from the kit (and there are quite a few of them!), so off to the junkbox I went. My Gooney had a rather prominent red rotating beacon on the fin, so I found a piece of clear red sprue from an old car kit and fabricated one. Slotted it with a small round file to fit the fin, then polished it with s fine sanding stick. I'll use the same sprue for the rotating beacon that will be on the belly. The wing landing lights were the headlights from the same car kit. They just happened to be the right size.

The exhaust stacks were drilled out, but they were missing the ram air tubes for the heaters. These were made from a piece of 1/16 brass tubing bent and cut to shape.

The DC-3 is a good size model in 1/48, so the main colors were all shot from rattle cans. The original scheme was the USAF white over bare metal. The white is gloss Krylon Colormaster, while the silver is Rustoleum 2X Metallic Aluminum. Both have primer already mixed it, so a couple of light coats was all it took to cover the green plastic.

The striping was the difficult part of the paint job. The red and yellow stripes along the windows are Testor's insignia red and yellow. The pinstriping had me stumped for a while, because I didn't want to try to paint them, and cutting decal stock that thin would have taxed my already frazzled nerves. The solution came from a trip to Michael's for something else.

This is self adhesive striping tape for RC models that comes in various widths from 1/2" to 1/64". It's very similar to automotive pinstriping tape. I've used it before and it was the perfect solution to my dilemma. Once I had the tape applied and well pressed down, I sealed it with a coat of future.

Last shot is of the model as it is today. I'm waiting for decals for the N-numbers to arrive (thanks Frank!) as no one seems to make letter and number decal sheets anymore and all the ones I have are really old and missing the numbers I need. Props are painted as is the landing gear. The engine cowls and control surface gaps were all picked out with Testor's CreateFX black acrylic wash. Once I have the decals on, I'll do the clear coats and weathering, then final assembly. I'm still debating whether to add all the various antennas the airplane was festooned with, as they have a tendency to get knocked off every time the the airplane gets moved or dusted...

Thanks, Lee! I have no plans for the figures apart from the standing pilot, so if you need the rest of them you're welcome to them. All of the troopers and their gear are still on the sprues, and one of the mechanics is missing a hand, I think. Drop me a PM and we'll work out the details.