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Twin Piper PA24 Comanches (ie two of them) - 1/48 Scratchbuild


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A bit of modelling of 1960's civilian general aviation...

 

The Piper PA24 Comanche has it seems been ignored by kit manufacturers - but was (is) a far more svelte machine than the PA28 Comanche (which has seen a number of kit options). Rather than wait for another decade or two - I thought I'd tempt fate by pushing ahead with a scratchbuild.  But had TWO equally tasty schemes to choose from - both Australian. One was a PA24-180 (VH-RSX) operated by RAC NSW in the early 1960's (and flown/enjoyed by my father) and another PA24-250 (VH-SME) operated by the Snowy Mountains Authority in the mid 1960's for comms & VIP duties. So to avoid procrastinating, I decided to make twin Comanches!

 

(Pssst. VH-SME isn't 100% finished - I have some tip-tank decals to print/apply, thence nav lights, and some white VH-SME markings needed on the fuse side. But I'm calling it done anyway in the interests of having twin Comanches!)

 

The build started in Dec 2021 and has had slow and steady progress since. Here is the link to the work-in-progress thread if you wanted to back track on the methods employed: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235103075-piper-pa24-comanche-148-scratchbuild/ 

 

 

DSC04575 DSC04585 DSC04584 DSC04583 DSC04579

 

Below is one of my fathers pix of VH-RSX at Canberra (Australia) circa 1961 on an 'outing'

bbw

 

 

And here's a Greg Banfield shot (via Ed Coates collection) of VH-SME in 1963

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austmz/VH-SME2.jpg

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austmz/VH-SME.html

 

 

 

 

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What a refreshing gasp of fresh modellers' air after all those 109s, thundersomethings and F's! Beautiful and inspiring. Keep on making civilians, there are so many beauties among them!

 

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This is top work. I totally concur the Comanche is a fine looking aircraft (if a bit squat on its tiny undercarriage!) I've been recently working on a digital model of the PA24, so I've become very familiar with the details. Might you add the nosewheel door that hinges on the stb side? 

 

My version - still on its way to reality...

 

Screenshot_20220522-175233_Onshape

 

 

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6 hours ago, Bangseat said:

I've been recently working on a digital model of the PA24, so I've become very familiar with the details. Might you add the nosewheel door that hinges on the stb side? 

That nosedoor WAS there - but seems to have had an inflight incident whilst taking the photos. Luckily had a spare so that's fixed. There are a couple of omissions here and there in the detail department but my eyesight and mojo only go so far.   

 

Also checked out your https://vfrmodels.co.uk/shop/ website - great range! I'd like a few of those in 1/48! 

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very very nice, good to see these old civil types. in my wish list are Cessna 182, 206 and 402. the bravest conversion / part scratch I ever attempted was a 1/48 bonanza into a baron

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Great job. The Comanche was always an attractive aeroplane. You've done them justice. 

I remember a few years ago a flock of them flew flew into my local airport from the UK. A grand tour of some sort. They were accompanied by two interloper SF260s. Another attractive type. The same couldn't be said for the boxy Aussie GA8 Airvan I was flying at the time.

 

Nice one.

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16 hours ago, wellsprop said:

I'd love to do the same for the Pa28 (by no means an exceptional aeroplane, but the one in which I learnt to fly)

Keep an eye out for the 1/36 Marui kit of the PA28-140 Cherokee.  Not a bad build (I did a resto on a paintblobbed kit last year).

 

19 hours ago, wallyinoz said:

the bravest conversion / part scratch I ever attempted was a 1/48 bonanza into a baron

There's probably as much work in the Bonanza to Baron conversion as in an outright scratchbuild? A bit like house renovations - sometimes easier to start with a blank sheet - vs having to work around the inconveniences posed by existing structure. Did you finish it - I have a vague memory of seeing something like that? 

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