1/18-ish C-47/DC-3 found

Post by **aferguson** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:58 am

A company named Great Planes makes an ARF flying model kit of a DC-3. The fuselage is molded in fiberglass and the wings are balsa that have been covered, so the plane is mostly built. The whole thing is painted silver, as this is intended to be a civilian version but is easily repaintable to a military version with some effort.

Now, it's not quite 1/18. The wingspan works out to 1/19 scale and the length works out to 1/20.9 scale. I assume they made it a bit spannier to aid its flight characteristics. Actual dimensions are 59 inch span and 37 inches long.

So, it's fairly usable in a 1/18 collecton. When i spoke to Roy Sutherland a couple of months ago he said 'it ain't gonna happen' when i asked about the possibility of an XD C-47. Now, this could be disinformation he was feeding me....but i doubt it. A five foot span, 3 1/2 foot long model airplane would not probably sell too well in the mass market.

Anyway, there it is for those interested. I think i'm going to get one (still collating). It's a bit small but still an impressive size and with so many possibilites (US C-47 for my paras, British C-47 for my dusty trail british paras and also a Vietnam era AC-47 gunship using New Ray miniguns) it's hard to resist.

Retail is $160. You'll need to find appropriate sized 3 bladed props and make/get your hands on some appropriate decals but otherwise it's pretty complete.

here are a couple of links:

http://www.electrifly.com/gpma1155.html

http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4505

gunslinger · Post by **gunslinger** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:29 am

I may look into that, sure wish I could find a CG-4 glider to go with it.
Maybe there's one out there some where. That would be sweet, a C-47 towing a CG-4.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:41 am

Icognito purchases.......

Like the 1:6 "Littlebird" I just received and it's now sitting on my dining room table. Receiving a big box wasn't noticed, an assembled "Littlebird" attracted attention. "What is this?" from my wife...."What is what?" I says. Didn't work. I should have wipped up a cammo paint job to hide it.

Next time.

Very nice find, Andrew. If a DC-3 is out there, why not a B-25, B-26?

TTT

Website · Post by **Teamski** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:46 am

Threetoughtrucks wrote:Icognito purchases.......

Like the 1:6 "Littlebird" I just received and it's now sitting on my dining room table. Receiving a big box wasn't noticed, an assembled "Littlebird" attracted attention. "What is this?" from my wife...."What is what?" I says. Didn't work. I should have wipped up a cammo paint job to hide it.

TTT

LOL! That is funny!

As far as the C-47, it's a bit small at 59" wingspan (63 for true 1:18), but it would definately do the job!

-Ski

Coreyeagle48 · Post by **Coreyeagle48** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 4:19 pm

Andy,

This is a great airplane at the R/C field. I know two people in my club that fly these machines. They are great airplanes and fly really nice.

They are wonderfully detailed and fairly easy to build (compared to other R/C ers). Three blade props and other accessories are available at online and retail hobby shops, probably through special order.

I'll try to talk to the two guys that fly these at the next club meeting and see if they can give me some help for ya.

By the way, I spent $500 on Christmas, but for the future Mrs, so it was all ok!

LOL

Corey

Post by **aferguson** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 5:29 pm

Thanks Corey...any help you can give me would be great. I'd like to do it up as a WWII US D-Day bird, i think. It looks good in the pictures and reasonably easy to put together. I don't plan to fly it at all so that should make putting it together a lot easier.

Coreyeagle48 · Post by **Coreyeagle48** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 5:45 pm

Andrew,

I will defintely look into it for you.

I can tell you one problem that is going to be a problem for you is that you are going to have to make some kind of drive shaft so you can attach the props. Normally the props hook to the drive shafts that are part of your normal airfcraft engines. That will be a problem. You are likely going to have to build some kind of false motor mount with a shaft that comes out that is the size of the prop hole. It should not be a problem, but it will take some effort to make it. The good thing is that the engines will be hidden, so it isn't like you will see it.

Interestingly enough, GWS (the park flier people that make the A-10 we've looked at) do have a DC-3/C-47 in USAAF colors that was put out a few years ago. If I remember, the wingspand was about 50" which is a little underscaled but close. I saw one on ebay not too long ago, and it might be bigger than what I said. So you might want to look at some hobby shops online and on ebay, you may find one. I believe it has been discontinued!

Corey

Post by **aferguson** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 5:58 pm

Corey....yes i saw the GWS C-47. It works out to be 1/25 scale and i decided that it was just too small. This one is close enough to 1/18 make me happy i think. I can repaint it easy enough and i'll just have to figure out how do get some decals made up for it.

Then i load it up with some xd paras and head to Normandy.

Rogue · Post by **Rogue** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:05 pm

gunslinger wrote:I may look into that, sure wish I could find a CG-4 glider to go with it.

There is a 1:1 in Terrell, Texas!

Silent Wings Museum

Neat!

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:35 pm

I've got too little time, display space or money, but that DC-3 looks cool and assembly doesn't seem difficult at all! Assuming I met the above requirements, I would deffinitely build one as a C-47, cut out a side door and get a two or three of the XD Private Rupert figures (maybe switch heads to add variation) and set up a "Jump into Normandy" dio on my ceiling!

Small Scale Military Headquarters

1/18-ish C-47/DC-3 found

1/18-ish C-47/DC-3 found

Nice

DC-3