dbay133 Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Hi all This is my latest production and last of the backlog for RFI. Back in 1983 I had a flight in a DC3 at an airshow at Dyce, Aberdeen. The aircraft was G-AMPO of Air Atlantique in their, then new, Green Stripe livery. I loved the look of this livery and the memory of the flight has lasted. When I returned to modelling I was browsing through BM and found an example of G-AMHJ in the Air Atlantique blue stripe livery, That set me looking for a set of the green stripe decals by 26decals. I then looked for a suitable kit of the DC3, winning an old ESCI kit on eBay for a very good price. Nice to see that the image on the box was the aircraft I intended to build, albeit in an older scheme, and with a previous owner. The build was fairly straightforward with good fit of the kit. I did some alterations to make the kit as close to the plane I flew in as possible. I cut and glazed some extra cabin windows and scratched some extra seats in the cabin so that it was the 32 seater I was in. In hindsight that seemed a waste of time because you can't see in the cabin. The 26Decals were excellent and easy to work with although there were a coupled of errors; the emergency exit marks for the cabin roof say 'EXIT HERE IN EMERGENCY' when it should be 'CUT HERE IN EMERGENCY'. I have left these as they were. The other issue with the decals was the plane has three emergency exits through windows but there is only 2 on the decals sheet. I resolved this by painting a red square onto the decal film, seems to work ok. While the plane I flew in was basically out of the paint-shop I have chosen to present my interpretation as G-AMPO appeared in 1985, looking quite grubby and bearing recently added Air Luton titles. My presentation is just before the new titles were added. On to the pictures. Thanks for looking. Graeme 50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince1159 Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 She's gorgeous.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruskin Air Services Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Always like a nice Dakota 👍 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nocoolname Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Lovely build which brings back memories. I flew on an Air Atlantique DC-3 from Liverpool Airport in the late 80's. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army_Air_Force Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 (edited) Nice to see AMPO as a model, I have a soft spot for G-AMPO. Here it is at Newcastle having been impounded. Note by this time, there is a patch on top of the fin/rudder. Debts were eventually paid by Aces High ( I'm guessing ) as they came to fly it out. Edited October 10, 2019 by Army_Air_Force 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbay133 Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 5 minutes ago, Army_Air_Force said: Nice to see AMPO as a model, I have a soft spot for G-AMPO. Here it is at Newcastle having been impounded. Note by this time, there is a patch on top of the fin/rudder. Debts were eventually paid by Aces High ( I'm guessing ) as they came to fly it out. Thanks, I think this is my favourite of all the Daks that visited Dyce back in the day, (Intra, Air Anglia, Skyways, etc.). AMPO had about 20 changes of owner/charterer, and a spell in Norway, after leaving RAF service. Maybe more than one of these changes due to debt recovery. I had seen an image, dated 5/10/85, of AMPO with the rudder patch on Airliners.net, presumably taken sometime before your Newcastle images because it still has the AIr Luton titles. Aces High ownership is recorded as starting on 6/10/87. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army_Air_Force Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Found another at Newcastle.... and at usworth in 1982 in an earlier scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbay133 Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 Just now, Army_Air_Force said: and at usworth in 1982 in an earlier scheme. That's the Eastern Airways scheme shown on the ESCI kit box and would be after 21/10/81. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Army_Air_Force Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 I flew in sister ship G-AMPY from Cranfield in 1985, seen in Northwest colours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbay133 Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Army_Air_Force said: I flew in sister ship G-AMPY from Cranfield in 1985, seen in Northwest colours. In an earlier scheme sometime in the early 70's, again at Dyce in the days of minimal airfield security. Edited October 10, 2019 by dbay133 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbofan Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Hi Graeme, That's a lovely model! It's got a great 'busy workhorse' look about it. It's not a livery I've ever seen modelled. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Nice model! I, too, had my first DC-3 experience in an Air Atlantique aircraft - in my case, G-AMSV, at HMS Daedalus in 1985: daedalus85-02 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr Thanks for th etip about 26 Decals - I just ordered the decals for that very same commemorative scheme! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich G Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 This brings back memories, I remember seeing these lovely looking Daks, along with the DC-6's and Electras operating out of Baginton Airport near my house! You've done this one justice, I vaguely remember those schemes from when I was a kid! Rich 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 A different and unusual finish of an iconic plane in civil guise. Well done! Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jyguy Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 (edited) It Just goes to show how well the old Esci kit stands up against the "new" tool Airfix model.Great attention to detail in the build of PO. During the early 1970's whilst with Macedonian aviation G-AMPO flew into Beirut which was being shelled to rescue a wedding party.She also flew with BAC in support of the Concorde program operating a shuttle between Wisley,Fairford, Bristol(Filton) and Toulouse. Nice to see the photographic contributions.I for One would like to see a set of NorthWest decals so that G-AMPY could be modelled in the commemorative scheme. Edited October 11, 2019 by jyguy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Nice to see a different pic of 'GAMPY' in the Intra colours. Had a hours flight in her around 1978 ish. Have made an Airfix new tool Dak in those colours courtesy 26 Decals. A;so saw it in the Northwest colours at one of the North Weald displays. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jyguy Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jyguy Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Another shot of Papa Oscar looking very grubby and unloved whilst impounded at Newcastle after Top Flight ceased trading. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Great build and lovely choice of scheme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Pearcy Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Beautiful build of an unusual subject. Congratulations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasermonkey Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Back in the eighties, I used to see a DC-3 fly over every night at around 9.15 pm, or at the very least I'd hear it. Apparently it was the Stansted-Glasgow night mail run, which was done by Air Atlantique, so there's a very good chance that 'AMPO was one of those I saw. One day I listened out for it and it never came. It probably sounds weird, but the sound of that DC-3 in the distance used to tug at the ol' heart in quite a profound manner, and I still miss the old girl. It's lovely to see that model. I have plans to do the whole Air Atlantique fleet at some point, but I'll probably start with 'AMPO, what with green being my favourite colour and all. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbay133 Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 2 hours ago, jyguy said: Another shot of Papa Oscar looking very grubby and unloved whilst impounded at Newcastle after Top Flight ceased trading. Thanks for sharing. It certainly looks 'unloved'! It should be a crime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26Decals Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 20 hours ago, dbay133 said: The 26Decals were excellent and easy to work with although there were a coupled of errors; the emergency exit marks for the cabin roof say 'EXIT HERE IN EMERGENCY' when it should be 'CUT HERE IN EMERGENCY'. I have left these as they were. The other issue with the decals was the plane has three emergency exits through windows but there is only 2 on the decals sheet. I resolved this by painting a red square onto the decal film, seems to work ok. I have now corrected the mistakes on the artwork 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbay133 Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 4 minutes ago, lasermonkey said: Back in the eighties, I used to see a DC-3 fly over every night at around 9.15 pm, or at the very least I'd hear it. Apparently it was the Stansted-Glasgow night mail run, which was done by Air Atlantique, so there's a very good chance that 'AMPO was one of those I saw. One day I listened out for it and it never came. It probably sounds weird, but the sound of that DC-3 in the distance used to tug at the ol' heart in quite a profound manner, and I still miss the old girl. It's lovely to see that model. I have plans to do the whole Air Atlantique fleet at some point, but I'll probably start with 'AMPO, what with green being my favourite colour and all. I used to live under the approach path to Dyce and would get the DC3s of various carriers plodding along on their way in. It is always nice to hear a piston plodding along rather than the current fleets of jets. I had to search around to get the decal sheet, eventually finding a small supply at AvaitionMegastore.com. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 (edited) Very nice, mate. In Dec 1979 I managed to get a jump seat ride on G-ANAF (also Air Atlantique), flying Gatwick to Amsterdam and return on behalf of British Caledonian. The Captain was Chris Unit.It was a night ride, flying through some rain and a little hail.... I remember it well. Sat LHS out and RHS back, once in the cruise, of course. Martin Edited October 11, 2019 by RidgeRunner 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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