Clark GA-43, modified Execuform 1/72nd vacuform

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Another model from 8 years ago, to further illustrate vac construction.

 

I never built a model with so many names and such complicated history. Suffice to say that it is known as Faichild 150, General Aviation GA-43, Clark GA-43, and North American GA-43. The “Clark” there is the same one as in the Clark “Y” airfoil fame, for you aerodynamicists. The plane also has some Fokker strings attached. To explain here all the mergers, acquisitions, take-overs and other financial mysteries would take too much space, so let just say that it was an all-metal ten-passenger plane with –after the prototype was converted- retractable landing gear. It was used by Swissair (two machines), SCADTA in Colombia, Western Air Express in the USA, one ended up in Japan as J-BAEP and yet another somehow managed to fly in Spain on the (fortunately) anti-Franco side. A pretty good story for only five machines built in total. There is a very good article on the subject on Skyways magazine issue of January 1998.

I opted to represent the prototype, since its spats and short one-seat canopy had a chubbier look that was very appealing to me.

Parts were separated from the backing sheet using the well-known tachyon pulse method, and flat-sanded cautiously while testing. References were consulted in order to establish which parts were needed so they could be made with the replicator. Some goodies were beamed-up from an obscure British manufacturer with Klingon ties.

Do not get rid of the leftovers of the backing sheet, many extra parts (like bulkheads, spars, seats) can be cut from them.

The next thing to do was to establish the position of the windows, door and luggage hatch on the fuselage and cut them open. Five bulkheads and the cabin floor were cut from the leftovers (see, I told you!).

At this point I decided, after much pondering, to diverge from the Execuform path and separate the stabilizer halves, work out the tail cone integrity, and add the stab halves later. Execuform planned the parts to provide some sort of easy keying for alignment, but I rather sand the fuselage smooth and add the stab than meander between the parts later with the sanding stick and the putty.

The ten passengers chairs came next, each one made of six parts (back, seat, head cushion, two armrests and magazine pouch in the back). As per photos a few metal parts were found in my spares box too. The cavity showing the wing root from inside was closed using sheet styrene. The wing roots in the model are slightly asymmetrical, being one a bit higher than the other. Be careful to compensate for that. The wing halves were glued and their panel lines engraved. Beware that the prototype had longer span ailerons and no flaps. Also some anti-stall small sections were located at the leading edge. Those were replicated carving the styrene and adding a few small ribs. No landing lights were present at the leading edge at the time that this first machine was flown. No nav lights can be seen on the wingtips either, but two were present on the fin and on the tip of the tail cone. The whole interior, as a single unit –see images- was detailed and prepped for its later insertion between the fuselage halves.

A roof was glued to one side and some detail added on those halves too.

All these may sound boring or difficult, but it wasn’t at all. Is like solving a puzzle for which you create the pieces as you go. Very Zen.

Once the fuselage was closed the stab halves were refined and a few parts created to better engineer its addition to the fuselage. To the wheel pants a strip was added and blended to represent the shock absorbing mechanism arrangement.

Once all the painting was done and set, home-made decals and a few external details were added, and the gleaming retro beauty of the GA-43 shone away in all its glamor.

And as Master Po used to say, a Shaolin monk is not ready until he builds his scratchbuilt, resin and vacuformed models.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2018 by Moa

[Alpha Delta 210]

Wow! I simply adore image #2!

 

The legend continues to grow!

[Learstang]

That looks rather snazzy with its spats! Another great job! I keep hoping one of the limited-run manufacturers will come out with one of the retractable landing gear variants so I can make the Spanish Civil War version.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[TheLurker]

What a gorgeous little oddity.

[RidgeRunner]

Sorry Moa but I've used up my bag of new words of praise, you'll have to be content with an old but appropriate one - fantastic!

 

Martin

[JWM]

Very tasty model.

I think the only one prototype had fixed u/c, the other production machines had retractable one. 

 

In complex and lush history of that machines one (ex Japan) went to serve in Manchukuo

The only one ex-Swiss used in SCW looked likely that way:

 

There was one on floats as well!

 

Indeed, a planty as for 5 only build!

Cheers

J-W

 

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

7 hours ago, JWM said:

I think the only one prototype had fixed u/c, the other production machines had retractable one. 

As said in the header of the post.

[dogsbody]

Another beauty! I see you use Citadel Paints, too.

 

 

Chris

[Unfinished project]

Wow I think this is my favourite of all your builds Moa. What a beautiful aircraft and the photos show it in all its glory 👌

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

34 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

I see you use Citadel Paints, too.

 

 

Chris

I used to, Chris, the old ones with the multifaceted container.

All the new ones I bought and tried were utterly useless, despicable crap.

I wrote (long ago) to the distributor, who stated as usual that the line has gone through some changes (I don't really recall with precision but I think it was bought by a chinese outfit)

Every time I hear from corporations the words "upgrade", "update", "brand new", "improved" and such, I cringe.

 

 

 

[dogsbody]

2 hours ago, Moa said:

I used to, Chris, the old ones with the multifaceted container.

All the new ones I bought and tried were utterly useless, despicable crap.

I wrote (long ago) to the distributor, who stated as usual that the line has gone through some changes (I don't really recall with precision but I think it was bought by a chinese outfit)

Every time I hear from corporations the words "upgrade", "update", "brand new", "improved" and such, I cringe.

 

 

 

I have some of the newer ones but I haven't used them yet. I may have to do a test run.

 

 

Chris

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

6 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

I have some of the newer ones but I haven't used them yet. I may have to do a test run.

May be you will be luckier, and with time they managed to get the product's quality at least nearly to what it used to be.

I for sure am not buying more of those.

Fooled once.

[Courageous]

Love your informative vacform builds. 

 

Stuart