Skywriting local legend - Monogram AT-6 1/48 - Skylight's PH-NKD [Landed]

[alt-92]

Reserving my spot

 

Waay back then, when I was a small alt-92 we could frequently hear the buzz of a Harvard (well, everything Texan we called a Harvard then) high up and see it writing advertisement in the sky:

 

The plane in question was (rather - still is) an original WW2, 1942 built North American AT-6A Texan with C/N 78-6922,  41-16544.

(stats: https://www.t6harvard.com/dutch-harvards/n13fy-t6-harvard-t6-texan/ )

 

Bought by an enterprising local business man, and registered as PH-NKD, the AT-6A was equipped with a Diesel tank in place of the rear seating from which the oil was injected into the stretched exhaust.

 

 

The company, Skylight, was based at my local airfield Hilversum (EHHV) until the mid-1990s. 

A falling out with the Dutch CAA in 1993 resulted in the aircraft being re-registered  as N13FY in the USA. 

What the FY stands for, I'll leave to the imagination

She's still based at Hilversum airfield, albeit under different ownership. 

 

 

 

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The kit:

 

Monogram's classic 1979 original release. 

 

All raised detail, of course. But that's fine.

 

Decals are totally shot - I might try and save some stencil data but not too worried.. 

 

I'm in the process of having custom decals printed for the Skylight logos and registration letters, so once they're in I'll start the build proper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CliffB]

Something a little different 

[85sqn]

Fantastic, look forward to it.

[RidgeRunner]

That’s a great choice, mate :), adding some civvie flavour to the GB :). Very nice.

 

Martin

[John Masters]

This'll be fun.

[rob Lyttle]

A dear old Monogram kit AND a civil version..... Splendid project on both counts Alt 😎👍

I will look in and see how you are getting on 

[modelling minion]

Great that you are building a subject local to you, and while the Monogram kit might be old it is a very good and accurate kit.

[alt-92]

Hilversum/EHHV  used to be Harvard Central for a while in the late 60s and early 70s. 

 

 

With the odd movie star included.

The brown-beige-green one represents a Fokker D.XXI for the dutch movie Soldier of Orange, and the one painted up to look like a Focke-Wulf 190 is very likely one of the extras while shooting A Bridge Too Far, as one of the locations used for some shoots isn't too far from here. 

 

 

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Time to pull my finger out and start cutting some plastic  

Primed internals, and a first Interior Green coat.

 

 

Nice view of the internals as a baseline :

 

This is how N13FY looks these days on the inside.. 

 

From what I've found so far, even in her old guise the internals were pretty much standard.

 

So, framework dry-fitted and sprayed. 

 

Details will be done hairy-stick. 
Also, the elevators were cut off to make things a bit more interesting. 

 

 

 

 

[alt-92]

I hate macros.

 

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apart from some touchups needed (argh) : We have a diesel tank  

 

Snug fit, but just the right proportions.

 

 

 

Engine, another thin coat of blue-grey and it'll get some gloss.

 

 

[John Masters]

Nice attention to detail.

[alt-92]

Fuselage joined up and puttied, sanded, puttied again and joins smoothed:

 

That little ghost seam on the rear panel is a bit persistent, but by now gone.

There were still lights fitted to the Texans, so those were added - pre-cleanup pic.

 

Wheel wells and doors were aluminium as well, so the wings have been primed. 
In the meantime, I've scored the logo decals. Still need to do the registration codes, I'll print those out myself. 

[Wez]

Nice progress and good to see a variation on the theme.

[alt-92]

 

First coat of Surfacer 1500 for primer & walkways on  

 

 

Target state:

 

I may have inadvertently bought another RevelloGram T-6, this one should have the spinner I need ánd I can build it later as the German markings lookalike

 

Gear looks really nice OoB btw..

And some careful trimming of the ignition leads to do later tonight.

 

 

[alt-92]

All black primer coat and exhaust brackets made from scrap PE bits, and the extended exhaust (thick piece of sprue from the ESCI A-4) painted in stained metal.

 

 

 

 

For the glass framework, a quick layer of internal green to match the cockpit.

 

 

 

[Derek_B]

Moving along nicely! Great work detailing the engine!

[exdraken]

great work and progress!

 

wonder if your Monogram molds and my Occidental/ Italeri are somehow related! some parts/ assemblies look nearly identical, others not so much

 

 

[alt-92]

5 hours ago, exdraken said:

wonder if your Monogram molds and my Occidental/ Italeri are somehow related! some parts/ assemblies look nearly identical, others not so much

 

Honestly, no idea. Of course, a Texan is a relatively straightforward kit so there's not much to do different with the outside. 
Does the Italeri have the internal framework separately? 

--

Combo-Bugbear for some, I guess: silver and yellow

 

 

There are some small spots that will need a touch-up, but overall the Mr.Colour Metal Chrome Silver works well. It does not pull off, but some of the pigments will stick to the masking tape. Careful handling therefore. 

Yellow is Vallejo RLM04, sprayed over a white basecoat. 

Just the flaps to do and the elevators - there were several permutations during its life (silver dope control surfaces all over, yellow rudder only, and elevators yellow as well).

 

 

 

The walkways are pre-masked. Saves a lot of trouble I think later on.  Only the green anti-glare panel to do, which means rummaging amongst the greens. 

 

 

 

[alt-92]

Green anti-glare, engine cowling, landing gear and gloss klear coat on. 
Flaps down.

Antenna is painted white and drying, prop tips as well.

 

 

 

Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 😛

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the tricky part - the home made decals:

(yes I had some extra stuff done in white for future projects)

 

 

[alt-92]

Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And some more on location.

 

 

 

 

 

[exdraken]

Great setting of course!!

[Derek_B]

That's a beautifully sharp build, very nice!