Jump to content

Beechcraft 17 (48031) 1:48


Mike

Recommended Posts

Beechcraft 17 (48031)

1:48 Iliad Design of Canada

 

boxtop.jpg

 

The Beechcraft Staggerwing was a pre-war design from the 30s, which saw a great deal of service with various military arms after most were taken into Government hands after the outbreak of hostilities.  As it was a good aircraft their use was wide, and they ended up all around the globe.  A pretty aircraft that saw a multitude of different schemes, which have perhaps been under-represented, even after the Roden kit in 1:48 came out a few years back.

 

Iliad, our Canadian friends have come out with this new sheet that gives you six options with quite a significant variation in user and scheme, from wartime camo to bright red or white.  With this sheet in hand, you should be able to make your Staggerwing stand out from the crowd.  The set is supplied on one large sheet with two smaller ones providing a lighter shade of blue in the large stars-and-bars for the upper wings of one of the US options.  The printer of the decals is undocumented, but has an air of Decals are by Cartograf, which is an indication of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.  Each option is split from its neighbour by a fine dotted line, and you will need to use a few of the kit decals such as the instrument panel, but as the Staggerwing wasn't festooned with stencils, this shouldn't be much of a task.

 

48031.jpg

 

From the sheet you can build any and all of the options depicted if you have enough kits, as follows:

 

  • Beechcraft D17S flown by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Beechcraft UC-43 from an unknown unit with tail code 895 around June 1944
  • Beechcraft UC-43 at Wright Field, July 1944
  • Beechcraft D17A in US Antarctic Service in 1940
  • Beechcraft D17R in Chinese Nationalist Government service as an air ambulance
  • Beechcraft D17R in Chinese Nationalist Government service as an air ambulance, but camouflaged after losses

 

profiles.jpg

 

The Staggerwing is an interesting and attractive design, and with the help of these decals and the accompanying information, you should be able to depict one that is perhaps less often seen on the tables at shows or in display cabinets.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

bin.jpg

 

Review sample courtesy of

logo.jpg

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...