A Very Special Dakota, KP208!! FINISHED

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

                 Many of you will know that I am a former Paratrooper and a very special Dakota to our `family' is KP208, a former VIP transport variant which was one of the last Dakota`s in RAF service, where it had been serving as the personal aircraft of the C in N North in Oslo, Norway. Following withdrawal and replacement by an Andover, KP208 was presented to the British Airborne Forces on Airborne Forces Day, 27th May 1970 (the year I was born!) and went on to serve as a local landmark outside Para Depot, Browning Barracks, Aldershot where it served as the gate guard to generations of potential and serving paratroopers until 2009.

Here she is still in RAF service during 1963;

 

And after installation outside Browning barracks in 1970, still wearing the  VIP livery from her last tasking,,....

 

Later, this 1945 built aircraft,.....  was repainted into WW2 camouflage to loosely represent the aircraft flown by Flt. Lt. David `Lummy' Lord when he earned his posthumous Victoria Cross trying to drop supplies to the beleaguered Airborne troops at Arnhem/Oosterbeek in September 1944;

 

 

Where over the years she has provided the background to many unit photos;

 

And for every course who tackle the famous P Company pre para selection course,..... here is mine on a cold January morning in 1988;

 

It has also served as the backdrop to quite a few less formal photos of paratroopers old and young,...here are some of mine;

 

Plus a very personal love affair,.....here with my lovely missus on Airborne Forces Day in 1989,.... she later bought me a flight in an airworthy example ;

 

But sadly,.... the Airborne Forces was forced to up sticks and leave its post war home of Aldershot for pastures new in Colchester and the Dakota was taken along too,..... refurbished and put on display outside Merville Barracks in 2009 where it remains to this day, now bearing the `false' serial KG374, which was David Lord VC`s Arnhem aircraft;

 

 

Although she enjoyed a moment in the limelight on Horse Guards Parade in London this year (2018) to help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the RAF,....who gave the old girl some TLC as a way of saying thanks;

 

 

Now what the hell as this got to do with Coastal Command I hear you say,........ well,........ KP208 served with the RAF Coastal Command Communications Flight at RAF Bovingdon during its early career from 1958 until she was replaced by a Varsity and I`ll be having a go at building her in this guise using the new Airfix kit!! She saw RAF service with 24 Sqn, the Transport Command Development Unit, back to 24 Sqn, on to the Coastal Command Comms Flight, then NATO Air Forces North East in Norway, then off to the Air Attache Delhi and again back with Air Forces North East before retirement to 5 MU. at RAF Kemble. Flown to RAF Odiham on the 17th May 1970, she was dismantled and re assembled outside Browning Barracks in Aldershot where she was presented to the Army on the 27th May 1970  

 

Here is a photo of her from my personal collection while serving with Coastal Command;

 

 

And I have a photo of the other side on page 314 of the book `The Dakota' by Arthur Pearcy Jnr.

 

So off we go!!! The first thing to determine is the colours......... silver and white,..yes,.....but blue cheatline,.....yes probably? As for the titles,..... are they red or black? Hopefully black as that would be easier to model,.... although red would look better,.... and what colour are the spinner caps,....blue again?

 

Cheers for now,

                         Tony 

Edited February 15, 2019 by tonyot

[tonyot]

So,.... I`ll be using the Airfix kit;

 

Which has decals for another VIP aircraft,... KN452 which along with KJ955 ( which had a thicker, straight cheat line.),...served with the Middle East Comms Sqn,... and although the serial on the undersides should have the letters outboard on each wing, Airfix have got it spot on by depicting them as seen below as whoever aplied them on the real thing got it wrong ;

 

 

Now KN452 also served with the Coastal Command Comms Sqn earlier on in its service and wore a more `coastal' scheme,..... as seen here on a Model Alliance decal sheet;

 

,....... Well,.... I was pretty sure that I had a photo of KP208 in my collection wearing this same `coastal' scheme of Dark Sea Grey with White roof,.... plus it was also wearing red RAF Coastal Command titles on the roof above the windows,...... but can I find it,....no!!! So is this just a figment of my imagination, was I confusing it with a 202 Sqn Hastings or has my filing system gone to cock? If anybody can help that would be fantastic!

 

While on the subject of KN452,....... here are some photos of it from the web showing it later during its service with the Near East Communications Squadron Royal Air Force Middle East at RAF Khormaksar during the late 1960`s, just in case anybody is building the kit from the box,..... beware of the serial though!;

 

Before flying back to the UK to represent the type at the RAF`s Golden Jubilee Air Show at RAF Abingdon in 1968,...note how the titles have been removed and how the serial under the left wing is applied incorrectly with the letters inboard ;

 

Cheers for now,....confused yet?

                                                   Tony

Edited December 26, 2018 by tonyot

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,...... here are the sprue shots;

 

From what I can gather the cockpit was a mixture of original US Cockpit Green and Black and of course the main cabin was in a VIP fit with the walls cladded and lined, carpet on the floor and comfy seats. I will be painting the cockpit accordingly but because hardly anything can be seen through the cabin windows I will just paint the cabin area black, but will probably add curtains to the windows, made from paper. 

 

Cheers

          Tony 

[Fatcawthorne]

Tony, I’ll give you a big thumbs up for this one, was planning to do this in its current guise in 1/48 using the Kits at War decals. As I’ve only got the Revell/Monogram kit in the stash, I might wait until I pick up a Trumpeter version on the cheap though.

 

I was at the re-dedication ceremony after it came back from Horseguards to Merville Barracks in Colchester a couple of months back and I met David Lord VC’s surviving family (despite having been a Green Jacket I have a great relationship with 16 AAB) for whom I had donated a brass memorial plaque that is now displayed inside the plane.

 

it was a very moving service (especially with the reading of the VC citation) that meant a huge deal to the Paras present.

 

One of my good friends works on the airframe on an almost daily volunteer basis so I’ll ask him if there’s any reference material squirrelled away that’s not in the public domain.

 

Looking forward to yet another cracking build.

 

Chris

 

 

[tonyot]

51 minutes ago, Fatcawthorne said:

Tony, I’ll give you a big thumbs up for this one, was planning to do this in its current guise in 1/48 using the Kits at War decals. As I’ve only got the Revell/Monogram kit in the stash, I might wait until I pick up a Trumpeter version on the cheap though.

 

I was at the re-dedication ceremony after it came back from Horseguards to Merville Barracks in Colchester a couple of months back and I met David Lord VC’s surviving family (despite having been a Green Jacket I have a great relationship with 16 AAB) for whom I had donated a brass memorial plaque that is now displayed inside the plane.

 

it was a very moving service (especially with the reading of the VC citation) that meant a huge deal to the Paras present.

 

One of my good friends works on the airframe on an almost daily volunteer basis so I’ll ask him if there’s any reference material squirrelled away that’s not in the public domain.

 

Looking forward to yet another cracking build.

 

Chris

 

Quote

 

 

Brilliant,... cheers Chris. I was in contact with the 2 Para Sergeant who was responsible for the Dak after arriving in Colly and he did a great job with little resources,.... I believe that since returning from London the interior has been fully fitted out,...... it was quite a mess beforehand? Well done with the plaque,.... it is nice to know that people like yourself are looking after the old girl,..... she means a lot to us all.

 

Cheers mate,

                    Tony

 

PS,.... I noted a 23 Para Field Ambulance sticker on the perspex protecting the cockpit inside,...... really made my day that my old unit is still remembered since it was disbanded

                     

Edited December 27, 2018 by tonyot

[Fatcawthorne]

Jim’s done a cracking job as you say with minimal resources. The wooden floor was rotten when I first went in it when it first arrived here from Aldershot, you wouldn’t recognise it now, it’s gleaming and it has been converted back to an airborne configuration. The work the RAF did on the airframe in return for the loan over the 100th Anniversary celebrations was a big bonus too.

 

I can’t remember if I took photos of the cockpit when I had my tour round it but the flight deck hasn’t been restored. I’ll ask my pal Chappy if he can take some snaps through the Perspex that’s over the flight deck door to confirm colours.

[tonyot]

26 minutes ago, Fatcawthorne said:

Jim’s done a cracking job as you say with minimal resources. The wooden floor was rotten when I first went in it when it first arrived here from Aldershot, you wouldn’t recognise it now, it’s gleaming and it has been converted back to an airborne configuration. The work the RAF did on the airframe in return for the loan over the 100th Anniversary celebrations was a big bonus too.

 

I can’t remember if I took photos of the cockpit when I had my tour round it but the flight deck hasn’t been restored. I’ll ask my pal Chappy if he can take some snaps through the Perspex that’s over the flight deck door to confirm colours.

Cheers Chris,........ yeah Jim deserves an MBE for what he has done for this iconic old girl. 

[tonyot]

Fellow Britmodeller Julien has posted some fantastic in depth pics of KP208 here;

Thanks Mate!

 

[Robert Stuart]

Tony, I was worried, reading your first post, and half-way through your second ... wondering whether there was a Coastal Command / maritime patrol link ... and then you supplied the answer

 

You have a good background story with an excellent personal link to the aircraft - and its great that somebody still cares for the old bird.

 

I'll watch with interest 

[tonyot]

35 minutes ago, Robert Stuart said:

Tony, I was worried, reading your first post, and half-way through your second ... wondering whether there was a Coastal Command / maritime patrol link ... and then you supplied the answer

 

You have a good background story with an excellent personal link to the aircraft - and its great that somebody still cares for the old bird.

 

I'll watch with interest 

Sorry mate,..... but that was the intention out of devilment,...... however I did pop it in at the end of the first post,....... the RAF Coastal Command link that is..

[Beard]

It's nice to see a build where the builder has a personal link to the model, plus it's an Airfix Dakota and as I have more than a passing interest, I'll be following.

[dnl42]

Outstanding choice, building my favorite aircraft!

 

The personal nature of this one makes it all the better.

[stevej60]

Great project Tony,I'll be following this one as I want to use this kit for a future build as my Dad had a spell in Dakota's as an air dispatcher we think

post war Palestine (this year I must send off for his record's)!

[tonyot]

Thanks for your kind remarks everybody,...... and Steve,........ it might be worth writing to 47 Air Dispatch Sqn, RLC at RAF Brize Norton,..... they are the only AD unit left, they run the courses and might have records of what your Dad did when he was an Air Dispatcher. Some of my mates in the Army were AD`s at JATE and I got to go along on sorties with them,..... brilliant experiences including lobbing Land Rovers out of the back of a Herk! 

 

Back onto the model,..... some progress;

 

As the interior isn`t converted to VIP status,..... basically because nothing will be seen with the doors closed,....... I`ve painted it black and may add curtains to the windows later. The cockpit appears to be painted in a darker green colour than usual Interior Green,..... so I opted rightly or wrongly for Acrylic Humbrol Bronze Green,.... unfutunatelt the thinners that I had to use made it a bit streaky;

 

The lower wing section in place with the wing spar,.... wheel wells were painted using the more usual US Interior Green, as per the detail pics of the real thing;

 

So time to get curtain making and join the fuselage halves,

 

Cheers

           Tony

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,...... a further update,.......

 

After adding curtains in the cabin windows made from blue paper, the fuselage was sealed up and the completed wings were attached too;

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

           Tony

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,...... after a sanding session and a half I`ve put a few coats of rattle can silver onto the model to help check the seams,...using Tamiya Bare Metal Silver;

 

 

Maybe I should have filled in some of those panel lines on the fuselage, I`d forgotten that they look so deep in a photo!

,

Cheers for now,

                        Tony

Edited January 2, 2019 by tonyot

[Silver Fox]

Yet another cracker from the O'Toole Aircraft Factory. Great subject and an excellent backstory. Looking forward to seeing this one finished.

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Nice work Tony, I like the curtains, might use the same method on my Dakota GB entry later in the year. What did you use to secure them? White glue or some equivalent?

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

Nice work Tony, I like the curtains, might use the same method on my Dakota GB entry later in the year. What did you use to secure them? White glue or some equivalent?

Cheers,.... yes I used white glue,...... well Micro Kristal Klear to be more accurate,.... which is the same really. I just cut triangles from paper and fitted them, you can draw on tiebacks if you like with a pencil! I did the same with my Fleet Air Arm Dakota using the Esci kit a few years or so ago.

 

Tony 

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Silver Fox said:

Yet another cracker from the O'Toole Aircraft Factory. Great subject and an excellent backstory. Looking forward to seeing this one finished.

Thanks Andy,....... hopefully shouldn`t be too long now,...... White top on tomorrow and then the blue cheat line,..... once I`ve found some suitable blue paint! My RAF Roundel Blue from Xtracolor has dried up!

 

Cheers

          Tony

[zebra]

Looking great Tony. I've got 3 of the Airfix Dakotas in the stash, might have to crack on with them soon. One option might even fit this GB!

[tonyot]

9 hours ago, zebra said:

Looking great Tony. I've got 3 of the Airfix Dakotas in the stash, might have to crack on with them soon. One option might even fit this GB!

Cheers mate,........ SAAF grey and white one by any chance? I love that scheme and did build one many moon ago,

 

Tony

[zebra]

1 hour ago, tonyot said:

Cheers mate,........ SAAF grey and white one by any chance? I love that scheme and did build one many moon ago,

 

Tony

That’s the one! I can almost hear it calling me from the stash!

[tonyot]

7 hours ago, zebra said:

That’s the one! I can almost hear it calling me from the stash!

Ah go on now,..... you know you want to,......in fact it would be positively rude not to!!

 

 

I like quite a few SAAF schemes and this one is another favourite,... the man eating target tug;

 

Not really a fan of the elongated tubo engined conversions though,.......call me old fashioned!

 

Cheers

           Tony

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,..... another update,...... the white roof has been masked off and a coat of Halfords White undercoat has been applied by spray can;

 

 

Cheers

          Tony