In 1936, feeling that Douglas was overcharging for its DC-3s, the head of Continental Air Lines approached Consolidated Aircraft asking them to design a new passenger liner with trans-continental capability.
Continental was thrilled at the incredibly modern, aerodynamic design Consolidated proposed and on March 13, 1938 the new airliner was rolled out for flight testing.
Named the Consolidated Continental in honor of the new partnership, the new transport seemed to be all that and a bag of chips and Continental announced the new airplane would inaugurate their profitable new Dallas to New York route.
There was great excitement and the media of the day were all on hand to film the flight for the newsreels.
The Continental revved its two Harmon Super Sixteen inline engines and shot skyward to much applause.
Unfortunately, those Harmon Super Sixteens
weren't all that and a bag of chips. They were more like a bag of busted parts and the new airliner was forced to an emergency landing outside of Texarkana, black smoke pouring from both engines.
When the board of Continental Air Lines found out what the debacle had cost, heads rolled and the President was ousted. He was later discovered working as a baggage handler at Love Field, constantly babbling on about how he was "once a contendah".
Fortunately for Consolidated, their Continental blunder was forgotten and nothing remains of it today as the worthless aircraft was scrapped in 1940.
Like most things, this project started off simply with a simple kit, the famous 1/72 Airfix Aichi Val.
I tossed around a few ideas, but once I discovered I had a spare Val fuselage in the spares box, it all seemed to come together almost by itself.
I noticed the fin and rudder from the spare fuselage would make nice streamlined horizontal stabilizers and added them.
Then I found an old nose I'd smash-formed and grafted it on.
Finally, I covered up the cockpit opening with blister-pack from AA batteries and added some engines scratched from spare drop tanks.
Then it was off to add paint and figure out decals. With airliners, the decals really make the project and I had some nice Continental livery that seemed a nice fit.
I had a blast putting this together and I hope you got a laugh out of the story of the failed Consolidated Continental.
Brian da Basher
