Airfix C-47 (new tool)

[Jennings Heilig]

I just saw a photo posted on Facebook of the new tool Airfix C-47. The builder did a magnificent job on it, but I must say, the kit itself looks like somebody at Airfix thinks C-47s were made out of poured concrete. The cabin windows are set into recesses, and there appears to be a sheet of plywood screwed to the side of the fuselage in the propeller plane (presumably as an ice shield, but which doesn't exist on the real airplane). The forward crew door looks to be recessed, and many of the panels around the wing roots appear to be raised by about 6 scale inches...

These are the first, and so far only, photos I've seen of the actual Airfix plastic. I'm a lot less than impressed. The poor old C-47 seems to be a cursed airplane among kit manufacturers. The 1978 Monogram kit and the 1980 Italeri kit are still the best out there, even with their faults.

[stringbag]

There is a very informative build thread on this very forum.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234965109-airfix-c-47/

Chris.

[Ed Russell]

I have the kit and it is, by modern day standards, quite okay.

That means, if you are not a half decent modeller, you will end up with unrealistic surface detail. So, if you want something "realistic", if filling panel lines and sanding excess thickness off is too daunting, don't buy this kit.

It can be done.........

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234930547-italeri-sunderland-mk-ii-raaf-10-squadron/

Back in the "good old days" you got a few chunks of balsa and a plan......... things have moved on but modelling skill is still helpful.

[Space Ranger]

I finally got my hands on one today. Outline-wise, the new Airfix C-47 is by far the best available, matching the Maircraft plans (arguably the most accurate available) perfectly. The surface detail is incorrect, as Jennings points out. DC-3s/C-47s had lapped panel joins, not butt jointed, so the engraved lines of the kit are incorrect, but they do accurately correspond to the major skin panel joins of the real thing. The raised panels on the nose, looking like some kind of light applique armor, are a mystery; they lie in the plane of the propellers and I believe they are indeed suppose to represent skin plating designed to protect the fuselage from ice slung off the props. Some aircraft may indeed have had these retrofitted but I can't say for certain.

The surface detail also omits rivets – lots of rivets. The only flush rivets on a DC-3/C-47 are those on the leading edges of the wings.

As to the "recessed" windows, the fuselage windows are designed to be installed from the outside after the fuselage has been painted and include the frames, which will hide the ledges which hold the windows in place. Don't know about the door, but if it or the windows do not fit flush with the exterior, it should be relatively easy to add some spacers from thin sheet styrene to bring them flush with the surface.

All-in-all, this is the best DC-3/C-47 yet in 1/72 scale. Not perfect, but close enough.

[woody37]

The windows fit OK, very flush, I'll get some more pictures in the thread that Stringbag is referring to later. Agree about the panel lines, Tippex has worked well here to tone them down. I'm pleased with how it's looking so far.

Edit,

Just done the pictures, here's close ups of the windows.

[occa]

I agree to those who mentioned that shape and proportion wise it is by far the best kit.

Slight surface detail issues can be overcome easily by an experienced modeller.

Once properly built it is certainly most convincing outline wise and that is what counts for me.

[mike romeo]

Needs Tippex? Modelling skills? Clearly unbuildable rubbish . . . .

regards,

Martin

[ocatlub]

I just saw a photo posted on Facebook of the new tool Airfix C-47. The builder did a magnificent job on it, but I must say, the kit itself looks like somebody at Airfix thinks C-47s were made out of poured concrete. The cabin windows are set into recesses, and there appears to be a sheet of plywood screwed to the side of the fuselage in the propeller plane (presumably as an ice shield, but which doesn't exist on the real airplane). The forward crew door looks to be recessed, and many of the panels around the wing roots appear to be raised by about 6 scale inches...

These are the first, and so far only, photos I've seen of the actual Airfix plastic. I'm a lot less than impressed. The poor old C-47 seems to be a cursed airplane among kit manufacturers. The 1978 Monogram kit and the 1980 Italeri kit are still the best out there, even with their faults.

Of course the trouble is that it is not made in the good ole US of A and certainly not in West Virginia The one I have well on the way to being built (not photos) looks like a C 47 and measures up the nearest yet and it has nothing to do with the fact it is Airfix.

ocatlub

[Murph]

Of course the trouble is that it is not made in the good ole US of A and certainly not in West Virginia.

He lives in western Virginia, not West Virginia.

Regards,

Murph

[Space Ranger]

Let's not pick on Jennings … he's an extremely knowledgeable guy and was probably just having a bad day. I have to admit that when I first saw photos of the kit's sprues, I was disappointed at the apparent width of the engraved panel lines, but their appearance was probably due to the lighting.

The raised panel on the nose is called out on the Maircraft drawing as a "stiffened propeller blast panel" and was apparently on all DC-3s/C-47s from early on. It appears flush with the skin on the drawing. It may be slightly raised; I don't have any photos which show it well. But I do think Airfix has exaggerated its thickness.

If anyone is interested in a copy of the Maircraft drawing, send me a PM or email me directly: skyking918(at)verizon(dot)net,

[Steve N]

I finally got one of these at the recent IPMS USA Nationals. I've only dry-fitted a few of the major bits, but it looks to be the best C-47 in 1/72 yet. As mentioned, the surface detail is a bit overstated, but it's very crisp and can be toned down a bit. The raised panels on the sides of the fuselage are indeed intended to represent the reinforcing panels added to protect the skin from ice being slung off the props. Every C-47 I've ever seen has them (most peppered with many dents, a testament to their effectiveness.) It appears the panels were installed at the factory, as they are clearly visible in this (obviously staged) wartime photo taken at the Douglas plant in Long Beach.

The panels are definitely too prominent on the Airfix kit, but a bit of sanding will tone them down, and once the model is painted they won't be that noticeable.

One little nitpick I noticed: there's a small recessed rectangle molded into the fuselage, representing the little "skylight" window added to many C-47s to give the navigator a bit of light. This was a postwar mod..for a wartime aircraft, it should be filled and sanded smooth (and for a postwar aircraft it needs to be opened up and glass added.)

Airfix also molded the top of the nose cap as "proud" of the surrounding surface, presumably because it flips open on the real aircraft. Again, a bit of sanding and scribing will fix it if you're so inclined. I also noticed that like Italeri, Airfix missed the square escape hatch in the cockpit roof (pilots referred to it as a built-in shower when flying through rain, because it rarely sealed well.) Again, some scribing will be necessary.

Naturally, I notice that this aircraft does not appear to have the reinforced fuselage skins. It's possible they were removed at some point, as other pictures of this "restoration in progress" show lines of large rivets tracing the outline of the usual location of the panels. There's also an obvious patch where the navigator's astrodome once was, and you can see the navigator's "skylight" window was added at some point.

Bottom line, the old Italeri and ESCI C-47 kits are still nice, and there's no need to toss them in the trash. But if you're looking for the best and most detailed Dak in 1/72, the new Airfix kit is absolutely the way to go. Disclaimer: I haven't measured the kit or compared it against plans..I usually don't concern myself with that sort of thing unless a kit has major and obvious shape errors.

SN

Edited August 31, 2014 by Steve N

[woody37]

Got the paint on last night, here's a few pictures to show the panel lines. I'm happy with the way they've come out, certainly don't look excessive now. Also added a few lines of rivets:

[Fea]

Ayup All...

A nice informative thread. I didnt like the Dak too much up until now. The build progress pics have really sold it to me. looks like another £20 quid or so lost to a trader at Wombourne on Sunday... I wonder if this could be modded to show a Dak dropping troops at Arnhem ?

[Nicolas V]

Hi, what did you made that the stickers add so well (add to the panel shape)??

[kev67]

excellent work Woody on the Dak, I would imagine there will be plenty of these finished at Telford adorned on the tables in various schemes

[Radleigh]

Would love one tbh, but I'm not modelling for a bit, not until I've had my operation.

Good work on the Dak Woody, nice to see some colour on it. Also hope to see plenty at SMW!

Jennings, could you share the one you saw please? Very interested in seeing it..? (a link will do)

[robvulcan]

I finally got one of these at the recent IPMS USA Nationals. I've only dry-fitted a few of the major bits, but it looks to be the best C-47 in 1/72 yet. As mentioned, the surface detail is a bit overstated, but it's very crisp and can be toned down a bit. The raised panels on the sides of the fuselage are indeed intended to represent the reinforcing panels added to protect the skin from ice being slung off the props. Every C-47 I've ever seen has them (most peppered with many dents, a testament to their effectiveness.) It appears the panels were installed at the factory, as they are clearly visible in this (obviously staged) wartime photo taken at the Douglas plant in Long Beach.

The panels are definitely too prominent on the Airfix kit, but a bit of sanding will tone them down, and once the model is painted they won't be that noticeable.

One little nitpick I noticed: there's a small recessed rectangle molded into the fuselage, representing the little "skylight" window added to many C-47s to give the navigator a bit of light. This was a postwar mod..for a wartime aircraft, it should be filled and sanded smooth (and for a postwar aircraft it needs to be opened up and glass added.)

Airfix also molded the top of the nose cap as "proud" of the surrounding surface, presumably because it flips open on the real aircraft. Again, a bit of sanding and scribing will fix it if you're so inclined. I also noticed that like Italeri, Airfix missed the square escape hatch in the cockpit roof (pilots referred to it as a built-in shower when flying through rain, because it rarely sealed well.) Again, some scribing will be necessary.

Naturally, I notice that this aircraft does not appear to have the reinforced fuselage skins. It's possible they were removed at some point, as other pictures of this "restoration in progress" show lines of large rivets tracing the outline of the usual location of the panels. There's also an obvious patch where the navigator's astrodome once was, and you can see the navigator's "skylight" window was added at some point.

Bottom line, the old Italeri and ESCI C-47 kits are still nice, and there's no need to toss them in the trash. But if you're looking for the best and most detailed Dak in 1/72, the new Airfix kit is absolutely the way to go. Disclaimer: I haven't measured the kit or compared it against plans..I usually don't concern myself with that sort of thing unless a kit has major and obvious shape errors.

SN

Looking at that those photos it looks like the cockpit of the real thing is shorter, taller and more rounded than the kit offering. Glad to see a new Dakota and though I love Daks the italeri offering looks fine to me. I am not informed enough to comment just saying what I see, Could be the angle. of the photos

I dunno

[tonyot]

Here is my Airfix Dak and I`m really happy with how the kit looks;

It is certainly the best one on the market at the moment,

Cheers

Tony

[robvulcan]

Yep looks like a Dakota to me. First time I have seen one complete. Good job

[Paul J]

Luckily I'm not swayed by damning reports on any kit! I love the Airfix one. Nearly finished mine complete with those 'flat ' tyres!! I don't care! But they did miss the trim tab on starboard aileron(there wasn't one on the port) and definition of the fin leading edge de icer boot. Oh, and the raised rivets!!

It IS the best around at the moment.

[Byron Boyd]

Luckily I'm not swayed by damning reports on any kit! I love the Airfix one. Nearly finished mine complete with those 'flat ' tyres!! I don't care! But they did miss the trim tab on starboard aileron(there wasn't one on the port) and definition of the fin leading edge de icer boot. Oh, and the raised rivets!!

It IS the best around at the moment.

I have really enjoyed this topic, and do not look at the comments as being 'damning' by any means. Rather, I appreciate it because all this info will help me be build a more accurate C-47 myself when I get around to it. There are some things I probably won't do, like trying to 'lap' and rivet my panels, but I also don't condemn Airfix (or anybody else) for that - it's just the the standard of production circa 2014. If anybody is responsible, it's more likely us modelers, who seem to expect recessed panel lines and recessed (flush) rivets, and pretty much all of the major manufacturers tend to oblige us.

On the other hand, there are a bunch of little things that I can and will fix, pretty much thanks to the really great people who take the time and effort to post it here for us (including you!)

At any rate, that's the way I choose to look at the world through my rose colored (well, at at least Transitions) glasses, so thank you all!

Byron

[woody37]

Hi, what did you made that the stickers add so well (add to the panel shape)??

Hi Nicolas,

Are you talking about the stripes? If so, these were airbrushed on, they aren't decals.

Sprayed whilte first, then masked, then sprayed the black then masked, then applied the top colours.

[Space Ranger]

There are some things I probably won't do, like trying to 'lap' and rivet my panels, but I also don't condemn Airfix (or anybody else) for that - it's just the the standard of production circa 2014. If anybody is responsible, it's more likely us modelers, who seem to expect recessed panel lines and recessed (flush) rivets, and pretty much all of the major manufacturers tend to oblige us.

The standard of production circa 2014 has been set by Airfix with their magnificent 1/24 Typhoon and its prototypical surface detail. if they can do that, then they can do lapped panels and mushroom head rivets, even in 1/72. But as you state, most modelers want inaccurate recessed details so they can flood them with all the washes (after pre-shading and post-shading, of course) that are currently marketed, thereby creating a caricature or art object instead of a scale model.

[robvulcan]

Luckily I'm not swayed by damning reports on any kit! I love the Airfix one. Nearly finished mine complete with those 'flat ' tyres!! I don't care! But they did miss the trim tab on starboard aileron(there wasn't one on the port) and definition of the fin leading edge de icer boot. Oh, and the raised rivets!!

It IS the best around at the moment.

Yep I agree with that, Even if kits are not totally accurate (does such a thing exist ?) It will still be fun to build and still look much better than anything I could scratch myself so I could not moan.

Certainly looks like a Dak, I am surprised Tamiya have not done one.

Cheers Rob

[Paul J]

Anyway, we have all yet to see an accurate all singing all dancing kit of the DC-3/C-47 from any of the US manufacturers!!!!!! The birth place of the DC-3