Amiot AAC.1 `Toucan` (Ju-52), GT I/64 `Bearn`, Indochina, 1952

[russ c]

Howdy Everyone, just thought I might inflict some photo`s of my very latest addition to the `too big to go anywhere` collection 🙂

My attempt at converting the 1/48 Revell/Monogram Ju-52 kit into a French AAC.1

Finished to represent a `Toucan` from GT I/64, based at Tan Son Nhut, Indochina ( but shown here depicted out in the sticks somewhere 🤔)

Had to make a few alterations, including: extra fuselage windows, moving the stbd side door from the rear to the front of the fuselage,.......

.....scratch built some air intakes for under each engine, changed the main u/c wheels for some resin Dakota types........

.....deleted the outboard nacelle exhausts and fabricated new ones positioned above the mainplane, made and fitted some extra sticky out things behind the intakes and .........

...last but not least, deleted and tried to blend in the dorsal gunners position  😬

Also dropped the flaps, just for the hell of it.

Decals from Berna Decals BD 48-118 sheet which were a nightmare to apply over the corregated surface even using boiling water and scalded fingers.

It was also difficult to photograph. The rest was easy..............as they say

Hope you enjoy the pic`s, thanks for looking

Cheers Russ

[Max Headroom]

The effort was well worth it!

 

Trevor

[Pete in a shed]

Excellent piece of corrugation Russ. Were they built in France or were they leftovers from the war? 

Pete

[modelling minion]

Excellent result with your Toucan Russ, she looks fantastic.

What did you use for the metallic paint? It has given a very realistic result.

Now you just need to find where to store it!

Very well done mate.

[russ c]

4 minutes ago, Pete in a shed said:

Excellent piece of corrugation Russ. Were they built in France or were they leftovers from the war? 

Pete

Thanks Pete, they were built post war in France I believe. They had a few subtle differences to the wartime ones, some I did and a few I probably missed.

Cheers Russ

[28ZComeback]

I recall seeing a news reel of the French Ambassador waving to adoring farmers in his Ju-52 as he flew over Nha Trang at 500 feet near the beginning of the unpleasantness.  Nice job by the way Russ!! The silver finish is perfectly suited.  You must have been speed building this past week.

[VG 33]

7 minutes ago, russ c said:

Thanks Pete, they were built post war in France I believe. They had a few subtle differences to the wartime ones, some I did and a few I probably missed.

Cheers Russ

 

Hello

 

This is a very nice Toucan here and they were very useful in Indochina.

Actually "AAC" means "Ateliers Aéronautiques de Colombes" near Paris and around 400 of them were built between 1944 and 1948.

 

Patrick

[russ c]

5 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

Excellent result with your Toucan Russ, she looks fantastic.

What did you use for the metallic paint? It has given a very realistic result.

Now you just need to find where to store it!

Very well done mate.

Thanks Craig,

Most of it is an Xtracolour Silver Enamel X105 I think, I used it all up and threw the tin away. Odd bits are Humbrol Chrome 191 strategically placed. 

As for storing it, well it`s loft insulation now along with the Skywarrior, Stallion and others. It`s more interesting to look at than Glass Fibre I find 🙂.

Cheers Russ

[russ c]

9 minutes ago, 28ZComeback said:

I recall seeing a news reel of the French Ambassador waving to adoring farmers in his Ju-52 as he flew over Nha Trang at 500 feet near the beginning of the unpleasantness.  Nice job by the way Russ!! The silver finish is perfectly suited.  You must have been speed building this past week.

Thanks DJ, I`ve been at this one on and off since last May when I bought it, I kept finding things I`d missed and have to go back to and rectify, plus it took several attempts to delete the gunners position and blend it all in so you couldn`t see it ( from 6ft away ish )

Cheers Russ

[russ c]

5 minutes ago, VG 33 said:

 

Hello

 

This is a very nice Toucan here and they were very useful in Indochina.

Actually "AAC" means "Ateliers Aéronautiques de Colombes" near Paris and around 400 of them were built between 1944 and 1948.

 

Patrick

Thanks Patrick for the info` and for looking, glad you like it

Cheers Russ

[28ZComeback]

8 minutes ago, russ c said:

Thanks Craig,

Most of it is an Xtracolour Silver Enamel X105 I think, I used it all up and threw the tin away. Odd bits are Humbrol Chrome 191 strategically placed. 

As for storing it, well it`s loft insulation now along with the Skywarrior, Stallion and others. It`s more interesting to look at than Glass Fibre I find 🙂.

Cheers Russ

I gave my optometrist a C-121 in 1990 as a thank you gift and his estate attorney uses it currently as a novelty in one of his conference rooms. Never be afraid to give your masterpieces away.  They will experience soft landings.

[VG 33]

5 minutes ago, russ c said:

Thanks Patrick for the info` and for looking, glad you like it

Cheers Russ

 

Actually I built 1/72 Italeri Toucan No 334 #DG from the same unit "Cows" in 2004.

 

Patrick

[stevej60]

Another superb build for the Indo-China collection Russ,great job on her.

[Shorty84]

Hi Russ,

 

very nice build. Great to see the Ju 52 in some different colours 👍

 

1 hour ago, Pete in a shed said:

Excellent piece of corrugation Russ. Were they built in France or were they leftovers from the war? 

Pete

They were mostly built in France after the war. Already during the war Amiot built the Ju 52 and production was resumed postwar. Although the Ju 52 was already considered obsolete at that point it was in large part an economic decision. For one, at this point it was not clear the US would provide military aid after the hostilities, and it was assumed France would need to pay full for future equipment. Another reason was to keep the experienced workforce employed by building "domestic" designs. A good read can be found here: https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/aac-1-toucan-frances-post-wwii-ju-52/

 

Cheers

Markus

[russ c]

2 hours ago, 28ZComeback said:

I gave my optometrist a C-121 in 1990 as a thank you gift and his estate attorney uses it currently as a novelty in one of his conference rooms. Never be afraid to give your masterpieces away.  They will experience soft landings.

Thanks for the tip, maybe when the weather gets warmer 🙂

[russ c]

2 hours ago, VG 33 said:

 

Actually I built 1/72 Italeri Toucan No 334 #DG from the same unit "Cows" in 2004.

 

Patrick

Hi Patrick, I`d be interested to see it, any pic`s?

[russ c]

1 hour ago, Shorty84 said:

Hi Russ,

 

very nice build. Great to see the Ju 52 in some different colours 👍

 

They were mostly built in France after the war. Already during the war Amiot built the Ju 52 and production was resumed postwar. Although the Ju 52 was already considered obsolete at that point it was in large part an economic decision. For one, at this point it was not clear the US would provide military aid after the hostilities, and it was assumed France would need to pay full for future equipment. Another reason was to keep the experienced workforce employed by building "domestic" designs. A good read can be found here: https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/aac-1-toucan-frances-post-wwii-ju-52/

 

Cheers

Markus

Hi Markus, great back ground info` and glad you like it

Cheers Russ

[stevehnz]

That is a beaut build Russ, attractively different to a wartime "Tante Ju", I really like that.

Steve.

[Baldy]

Wonderful work Russ - great build and finish and interesting version. Super photography as usual too!

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

[RidgeRunner]

She’s a beauty, Russ

 

Martin

[Team Aer Lingus]

Another beauty Russ very nicely finished 

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Eamonn

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Lovely work! Great subject too

 

TT 

[John Masters]

Another beauty Russ.  Superb!