tommyinuk0 Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 (edited) Hi all, As a young boy in the 1980's I was fascinated by the TV programme 'Airline'. Don't know who remembers it but at the time it was spectacular. To me it just fuelled my aeroplane addiction, I spent ages trying to obtain a model of a Dakota, which at the time was quite difficult. I can remember returning home from a long day at the Duxford end of season flying display, where everything was launched. I was sat in the back of my dad's car clutching my prized Italeri model of a C-47. It did not take long to be built, as one from the TV programme and although I had no decals my imagination knew it was one of Jack Ruskin's aircraft. How things have changed... I recently picked up 3 of the same Italeri C-47 kits easily and with the help of the web found someone who sold decals for 'Ruskin Air Services'. They also turned out to be a Britmodeller member 'Paul @ Parkes682Decals'. It was not a question of if, I was having them and my childhood dream of building a Dakota as in Airline was fullfilled. It only took over 25 years..............I hope you agree the wait was worth it. The 3rd model was built out of the box as a D-Day C-47, but I have added the pics as all 3 were built together. First G-AGHY 'Vera Lynn' G-AGIV All of Jack Ruskins fleet. The D-Day C-47 Thanks for looking, I hope you like the pictures as much as I enjoyed building them and finalising my childhood dream. Airline the box set also came out this year, for the first time, so I am in heaven!! Tommy Updated Nov 2012 due to broken picture links. Edited November 2, 2012 by tommyinuk0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Fantastic...looks real to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Excellent modellage and well up to your usual standard General! I remember Airline. Don't recall much of the plot except ep.1 had a crash in it. A (third?) series that was cancelled supposedly was to have a Constellation in it. Whoever supplied the hardware for the series even imported one, G-CONI that now lives with the Science Museum in Wroughton. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basosz Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Excellent stuff. I hope you don't intend to stop now that you've fulfilled your boyhood desires cause you sure as hell don't suck at it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Wow, inspirational builds and great pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Those DAKs look great. I remember the TV series, me & my dad watched it, theres clips on YouTube Very nostalgic! cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Alfonso Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Hey Tommy: Three Thousand cheers for you!!! Its amazing your job as modeller and as a photographer!!! I really enjoyed this one, those models are JUST SUPERB! I am happy that the thing you dreamed has come true. I remember the first planes I ever saw was a three ship formation of Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca -FAG- three ship C 47 formation in 1966, its nice that watch that Ol' Charlie has good memories for MANY MANY MANY people. Simon: Thank you for the link, I haven't watched this series as this one is unknown here in my country, if you know how to obtain all the chapters, please tell me how to. Cheers for all and thank you very much for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Beautiful builds Those were the days...buy a couple of surplus C-46/7 and just take your surname and add '...Air services' after it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike DeTorrice Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 All are superb builds of these all-time classic Douglas transports. The photos are especially excellent and very nicely place these craft in the scene ! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ale85 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Nice job! I really love the Dak, now I'm building the big Trumpeter kit!!! ciao Ale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_Ukraine Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Excellent! Classic models of the classic airplane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Your Daks are "extra accurate". The producers just removed the domes from the tail mounted anti-collision beacons to represent 1940s vintage. Wasn't there a third aircraft with a passenger door? The camo Daks seen in the series were the Ruskin planes with a water soluble top coat which was prone to needing retouched after rain or snow. The RAF aircraft had different codes on each side. I recall an Auster and a Harvard also appeared in various episodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Great stuff! I never saw the show but read an article about it not too long ago (I think it was in Aircraft magazine) and it sounded pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyinuk0 Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Great stuff! I never saw the show but read an article about it not too long ago (I think it was in Aircraft magazine) and it sounded pretty good. Thanks everyone for the positive comments. A trip down memory lane for some.. Those asking about the show itself, the DVD set is available from amazon, on E-bay etc just search for 'airline' I think there is a Dak on the cover. There were two Daks, the original was G-AGHY and then 'jack ruskin' got a second IV which crashed. Sad story really he ended up loosing everything. I think the real story was the independent airlines fighting against the corporate ones BEA etc. It portrayed the independents like 'Ruskins' as dangerous, cutting corners and a bit illegal...therefore it supported the big airlines. There was an auster in one episode, when fuel was scarce and it was winter, and he did one trip with passengers. I think a second series was planned but there was an issue with the writer and producers, I believe. Thanks again Tommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Lovely stuff. That's a welcome trip down memory lane. I watched that series as a youngster, too. I have some pictures I took of one of the Daks painted up in Ruskin colours, from one of the early Great Warbird displays, at West Malling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Sorry G-AGIV had a passenger door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancfan Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tom, I have wanted to build the Ruskin Daks for some time now, seeing yours may just give me the push to actually do it. Did you know that the complete series is now available on DVD? David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I believe it was made by Yorkshire television? I saw the Daks at Leeds Bradford Airport many many years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bri48 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Remember the programme well and what beauties you have built...Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Hi, Realy nice models, it inspired me to build my own airline Dac with my own company on it, i was about 13 at the time. I think my cousin still has the 7" single with the theme tune on it. Great memories... Regards Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Hi, Realy nice models, it inspired me to build my own airline Dac with my own company on it, i was about 13 at the time. I think my cousin still has the 7" single with the theme tune on it. Great memories... Regards Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 They look fab, great work. I have fond memories of the Dakotas in and out of Lydd Airport in the 1970s. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcyonjet Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Really like the models and the great pictures of them. Was one of the Ruskin Daks named 'Vera Lynn'? Or is my memory playing up (again) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasticbutcher Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I thought I was looking at the real thing there for a min, excellent builds, and that's an understatement. I really really like both of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Pure nostalgia! I remeber that series well. Lovely models too, Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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