1/72 Airfix Dakota - Royal Australian Navy

[SteveMc]

Good afternoon

This is my build of the 1/72 Douglas Dakota from Airfix as used by the Royal Australian Navy. I completed this earlier in the year.

In the 1950's this particular aircraft, N2-43, was fitted with a Sea Venom nose and radar and a Gannet radar under the rear fuselage and served as a flying classroom for Observers (Navigators) for those front line aircraft. When the Sea Venoms and Gannets were replaced with Skyhawks and Trackers in the late 1960's the radars were stripped out and N2-43 was returned to general duties but retained the modified nose.
Built as a C47A, it's original USAAF serial was 42-92711 and it flew with the RAAF as A65-43 until being delivered to the RAN in 1949 as N2-43.
It flew with 851 Squadron which became VC851 when the RAN flew mostly American aircraft.
I used decals from Hawkeye Models and a resin nose from Southern Sky Models in WA to modify the kit.
This Dakota is currently on display at the Australian Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra NSW.

Paints used were:
Tamiya X-2 Gloss White
Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green
Vallejo Metal Color Aluminium
various Tamiya blacks 

Minimal weathering, as these aircraft were kept in very good condition.
Flory grey wash to highlight panel lines and Abteilung oils for exhaust and hatch stains.
The kit went together quite well except for gaps on the upper wing roots which required some attention. Also some of the smaller parts were a bit brittle and snapped. This seems to be common with some of Airfix's new plastic or it could just be my not so small fingers.
Just behind the wings on the fuselage underside I have scribed a square panel which is a patch on the real aircraft covering the hole where the Gannet radar used to drop down. The underwing serial '800' was not included in the decals so I made a stencil and air brushed it on.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the aircraft on display at the RAN FAA museum at Nowra, NSW. These photos were taken by me in March this year in between covid lockdowns.

 

 

 

 

[arfa1983]

Looks awesome! I have never seen a pointy nose Dakota like that before.

[ForestFan]

Very nicely done

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Beautiful conversion!  I had no idea the RAN used these.  You did a great job with the Airfix kit.

[BerndM]

Very nice and different.

[F-32]

That looks superb, great job!

[Meatbox8]

Beautiful.  A very interesting take on the Dakota.  I really like these second-line and support types for some reason. 

[Swamp Donkey]

That’s a bit different. Lovely job

 

SD

[Wulfman]

Lovely looking Dak, great build and conversion !

 

Wulfman

[bigbadbadge]

This looks absolutely lovely,  the scheme looks fantastic and an unusual looking machine with the conversion.  Great work. 

Chris

[Terry1954]

What a fantastic looking model of a C-47. I love the finish and the specific subject is very unusual but very interesting.

 

You should be well proud of that one!

 

Terry

[Ruskin Air Services]

Very nice indeed, never new the Aussie Navy flew Daks

[tonyot]

Very nice indeed Steve,.... I do like the RAN Dak`s and fancy doing a blue ad white one some day,..... that said,.... it looks brilliant in silver and white too. 

Cheers

          Tony

[Jay Gee]

That is some fantastic work there Steve. Been wanting to do a RAAF Dak for a while but you may have changed my mind.

[SteveMc]

On 10/16/2021 at 4:10 PM, arfa1983 said:

Looks awesome! I have never seen a pointy nose Dakota like that before.

Thanks for looking in.

The Canadians fitted a F104 nose to a Dakota to train Starfighter pilots in navigation. I would imagine that getting from A to B would be significantly quicker in a Starfighter.

[Homer]

Congratulations on a fine model well done 👏.