The
Ford Trimotor is a legendary aircraft from aviation's
Golden Age.
Far less remembered are those few foreign variants produced under license, such as this militarized example from the Chi-Korean Air Force.
Cozily nestled between China and Korea, the tiny republic of Chi-Korea was determined to become a modern, technologically advanced nation.
In 1930 they obtained a license to build Ford Trimotors and undertook production at a plant in Dim Sum not far from Chow Mein.
This Trimotor was initially conceived as a float plane, but that was changed as Chi-Korea is land-locked. The first (and only) Chi-Korean Trimotor entered service with the national airline in 1931.
Regular flights from the Chi-Korean capital of
Ban Chan had hardly begun when the small country began to suffer attacks by well-armed bandit gangs controlled by rogue Chinese war lords. After the aircraft factory was destroyed by one of these attacks, the commander of the Chi-Korean Air Force became determined to take action.
Air Generalissimo
"Chick" Korea commandeered the Trimotor and militarized it by adding a gun turret and an elctro-servo mechanism so the cargo holds in the wings could be automatically lowered for use as makeshift bomb bays.
Unfortunately there were many shortages in Chi-Korea, and paint stocks were practically non-existent. As it was impossible to completely remove the Trimotor's civil registration and airline logos by sanding, the aircraft was covered with the only paint available in quantity, Yellow Primer #6.
This made it hard to miss and the Trimotor was widely photographed as Air Generalissimo "Chick" Korea flew patrols in search of the bandits.
The aircraft's fuselage code 705 was added in hopes of deceiving the enemy into thinking there were over seven hundred of the things.
As 1931 was a slow news year, "Chick" Korea and his Trimotor became a bit of a media darling, if only briefly. The press dubbed the three engined, spatted bomber as the Yellow Peril and the name kind of stuck, at least to those few who can remember it.
While "Chick" Korea was successful in chasing off smaller bandit gangs by the sheer intimidation factor of the Yellow Perils' spatted landing gear alone, the largest, most heavily armed gang which destroyed the aircraft factory remained elusive.
Finally, after a couple of months, spies reported the bandit gang was preparing to raid the border town of
Nokdumuk. "Chick" Korea and the Yellow Peril would be ready for them.
The Yellow Peril flew over the raiders and unleashed its devastating payload on the unfortunate miscreants below. While no explosions were forthcoming, the munitions nevertheless worked and the enemy were completely incapacitated.
Chi-Korean militia quickly rounded up the hapless and helpless bandits. The tiny land of Chi-Korea now seemed on the verge of a bright and prosperous future.
However that would not last as Chi-Korea was subsumed by the Japanese juggernaut that would soon engulf Asia.
"Chick" Korea barely escaped with his life and ended out in the U.S. The multi-talented former Air Generalissimo eventually not-quite made a name for himself as a musician.
His greatest hit was a dual effort with Jazz bassoonist Herbie Handsox. 1961's
With a Splash of Yellow on the ABJ (Amigo Bad Jazz) label almost charted at #5001. One critic wrote that the 42 minute 3 second LP was far too long-play and would be vastly improved if shortened by 42 minutes.
No record of "Chick" Korea exists after that musical debacle which is rather fitting since nothing is left of the Yellow Peril either except this model kit which was sold only in Seoul hobby shops in 1979.
Brian da Basher
