This all began when a venerable box-scale (1/87 I think) Monogram AC-47 "Puff the Magic Dragon" gunship arrived in a care package (many thanks again, hamsterman!). Isn't that box art great? I can almost hear those Gatlings and smell the cordite...
Besides being fairly basic and perfect for "The Treatment", another thing I really liked about this kit was the unusual scale. While a 1/72 C-47 might be a bit large for me to work on comfortably, this smaller version is perfect for my limited hobby space. I like it so much, I tracked down another one for the princely sum of $12, postage paid.
Initially, I tossed around a few ideas, but then I discovered some 1/72 Me-262 jets were a pretty nice fit.
I was tempted to just chop out the part of the wing with the radial engines and make this a pure jet, but then I remembered many of you are fans of mixed propulsion, and this kit seemed an ideal candidate. So it was off to work on the various power plants.
...even if some of it was built more with an eye towards ease instead of accuracy...
However, the jets, even though they were uncomplicated in the extreme, went together like a charm.
They even attached to the wings without a fight. No putty was needed once I did a little trimming.
Next were the props...
and then the nose cone and radar blister which was swiped from a B-36.
Next I inserted the cabin windows (tinted in Feldgrau) and buttoned up the fuselage.
The last mod was leaving off the kit wing tips and adding resin 1/72 T-33 tip tanks courtesy of Quick Boost I got on sale a while back. I like to imagine they carry the kerosene and are piped directly to the jet engines.
One thing I almost forgot was that huge hole where a bunch of guns are supposed to go. I took the cave-man route and just slapped some card in back, braced with sprue. Little squares of card were used to cover some of the rear windows. This is the airborne mail sorting room/mail bride love nest.
While the Big Door Hole Fix sorta worked, I think next go-round, I'll try sticking the card over top to see if that's a better look. As to the plates covering the windows, I saw photos of this as a field modification for C-47s on duty at Ft. Benning from my dad's collection of war mementos.
After all this, it was off to the paint shop with the old hairy stick. Polly Scale Undercoat Gray acrylic was used overall with tail and nose detail done with Polly Scale Prussian Blue.
The front to the WXNR-IV radar pod was painted in Model masters Gloss Black. The intakes of the jets were done in Model Masters Aluminum and the rear ends in Jet Exhaust. Here's a detail shot showing off that critical weather and navigation radar pod.
The radial engines which you can almost see were finished in Model Masters Gunmetal and the prop blades in Dark Gray with tips tipped in Insignia Yellow. Exhaust pipes from those radial engines were painted in Deck Brown.
Decals were mostly from a sheet for a 1/144 Minicraft USPS 727, but the registration numbers are from a Boeing 314 flying boat.
Those Minicraft decals were quite challenging and I feel lucky I got them to work as well as they did. While the bold bald eagles on the tail went on with no trouble, the U.S. Postal Service lettering folded up on me many times and only careful application of warm water, patience and Kentucky bourbon saved the day.
I hope you don't mind a few more pictures. I got lucky and took these on the last day it might be 70 and sunny here for a while.
If you had to send a vital holiday parcel, I bet you wish this would be the aircraft called to deliver it.
I know I do, but despite numerous letters, the U.S. Postal Service continues to deny the existence of the DC-3MJ regardless of the overwhelming evidence on display at the Smithjonesian Postal Museum of Air Mail Flight.
I guess I shouldn't take it personally. Chaos would probably ensue if postal customers could choose their own mail delivery vehicle.
I had a blast building this model, which took about 10 days because work was getting in the way.
I hope you enjoyed the USPS DC-3MJ and reading a little more overlooked Air Mail aviation history.
Please remember to mail early for the holidays. Your Postal Route Carrier will thank you!
Brian da Basher
