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Hi all and finally over the line with this one, my first ever Vacform build. Originally started for the Maritime Patrol/Coastal Command GB but not making the finish in time, you can read all about my adventures in sanding on the WIPs here and here Not my greatest build by a long shot so please don't look too closely. The first Super King Air entered service with the Irish Air Corps in 1977 with the second joining in 1978. Both were operated by Maritime Squadron, No. 1 Support Wing in the fishery protection and maritime surveillance role. A third joined the fleet in 1980 but was used for pilot conversion & training and Air Ambulance. All have been retired and replaced with two Casa CN 235s in the mid '90s. Thanks to everyone who gave me tips and advice on this build and to all the Vacform builders out there, I salute you brave modellers - we all sand together! 😂 RarePlane Super King Air_Irish_Air_Corps (1) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr RarePlane Super King Air_Irish_Air_Corps (4) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr RarePlane Super King Air_Irish_Air_Corps (16) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr RarePlane Super King Air Irish Air Corps_2 by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr RarePlane Super King Air Irish Air Corps_9 by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr RarePlane Super King Air_Irish_Air_Corps (15) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Thanks for looking and happy modelling. Cheers, Dermot

Hi all and since I didn't make the end of the Maritime GB on the forum, am moving the build over here. A couple of pages of Vacform virgin shenanigans from the GB here. And here's the latest state of play... RarePlane VacForm_Super King Air_wip15R by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Cheers, Dermot

Morning all, Decided to give this one a go which will be my first Vacform kit - eeek! When Ireland entered the European Community in 1973, a 'nautical economic zone' was set around the island at 170 miles, later extended to 200 nautical miles. This covered a total area of 132,000 square miles. In order to patrol it, the Government of the time initiated a tender for a suitable aircraft and after evaluation, the Super King Air was picked. This was the first turbo-prop aircraft in Irish military service and only the second US-built one - the first being the Lockheed Hudson which was also used for Maritime Patrol & Reconnaissance during the war. The first Super King Air entered service in 1977 with the second joining in 1978. Both were operated by Maritime Squadron, No. 1 Support Wing in the fishery protection and maritime surveillance role. A third joined the fleet in 1980 but was used for pilot conversion & training, Air Ambulance and no surprise, Ministerial Transport 🙄 In the Maritime role, a typical flight lasted approximately 4 hours, covering an area of 10,000 square miles and flown at altitudes around 5,000 feet. If anything needed closer inspection, the a/c would descend to 500 ft or lower, which over the wild Atlantic in winter probably didn't make the for nicest of journeys for the crew of four - two pilots and two observers. Super King Airs also acted as top cover for SAR missions. Two of the more notable missions included the Fastnet Race disaster in 1979 and the search for an Air India 747 which crashed 100 miles S.W of Ireland in 1985 after an inflight explosion. The airframe had a lifespan set at 5,000 hours given the low level flights and Atlantic conditions. A/C 232 was retired in 1990 with 5,322 hours on the clock while A/C 234 followed her a year later with 5,229 hours. The third plan A/C 240 soldiered on and did get to fly the Atlantic in 2003 when it commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the first East/West flight of the Atlantic by pilots Herman Kohl, Baron Von Hunefeld and navigator James Fitzmaurice of the Irish Air Corps. You can read more about this remarkable man here. The Maritime Patrol duties have now been taken up by two Casa CN 235s which entered service in 1994. Thanks to Joe Maxwell & Patrick Cummins for all the background info on the Super King Air, from their excellent book - The Irish Air Corps; an Illustrated Guide.