I was very pleased to see that despite its no doubt lucrative foray into the world of modern Airbus twins that Aeroclassics continues to also stay true to its roots and has pleased classic collectors everywhere with their new C-46 releases (Chinese Air Force and Pan Am).
I always think that the C-46 is a widely overlooked type, which I guess isn't a surprise when you shared the stage with the C-47/DC-3, but despite this over 3,000 were built. The type sufferred quite badly from mid-air explosions and poor serviceability during WW2 but a wing vent modification enable pooled gasoline to drain away seems to have solved the explosion issue at least!
The powerful engines, which helped to make it the largest twin engine aircraft of WW2, were not terribly efficient and meant it was up to 50% more expensive to operate than the DC-3, which killed its chances as a pax aeroplane.n However the same engines made it an excellent freight type especially in rough field areas like Alaska and South America.
Unsurprisingly there have been a wide variety of operators, mainly in the New World, which can lend themselves to some interesting 1:400 models. Personally I prefer the classic operators but there have been quite a few C-46s pottering around until fairly recently.
Below I list just a few civil operators which would look great.
USA
Alaska Airlines
Braniff International
Capitol Airways
Delta Air Lines
Everts Air Cargo
Flying Tigers
Modern Air Transport
Reeve Aleutian
Rich International
Seaboard World
Wien Alaska
Caribbean
Air Haiti
Bahamasair
Dominicana
South America
Austral
LASA
North East Bolivian
Taba
Varig
VASP
Canada
Air Manitoba
Buffalo Airways
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Richard
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Saw a few operational C-46s in the Philippines, but liveries that would sell on this mould would have to be carefully selected. Many operated by small-time and obscure operators and those models would just sit on dealers shelves if made. The Fred Olsen scheme is nice and that Seaboard World is a classic that surely would fly off the shelves, as would Lufthansa and Capitol Airlines.,
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Adrian
The missing B.707s still needed to be done in 1/400: Uganda Airlines, Luxair,
DC-8s still needed to be done in 1/400: UAT, Iberia ('80s scheme), Air Ceylon, Air Spain, Seaboard World (-63CF)
Aeroclassics Comets still missing- Dan Air (4 & 4C), United Arab Airlines/Misrair/Egyptair, Kuwait AW, Sudan AW, East African AW, Saudi Royal Flt.
Saw a few operational C-46s in the Philippines, but liveries that would sell on this mould would have to be carefully selected. Many operated by small-time and obscure operators and those models would just sit on dealers shelves if made. The Fred Olsen scheme is nice and that Seaboard World is a classic that surely would fly off the shelves, as would Lufthansa and Capitol Airlines.,
Agreed, I think the Delta, Braniff, Flying Tigers, Alaska, Reeve and Varig liveries would also sell well.
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Richard
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I was very pleased to see that despite its no doubt lucrative foray into the world of modern Airbus twins that Aeroclassics continues to also stay true to its roots and has pleased classic collectors everywhere with their new C-46 releases (Chinese Air Force and Pan Am).
I always think that the C-46 is a widely overlooked type, which I guess isn't a surprise when you shared the stage with the C-47/DC-3, but despite this over 3,000 were built.
I totally agree with you ! Let me add a few ones to your already nice list :
REAL
LANICA
CAT
APSA
Aerocondor
To start with.
There are others I'd like to see (Aigle Azur, LAB, Ecuatoriana, for example), but it's hard to find good pics of them.
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"Open your eyes, because the revolution won't be televised"
Still looking for following 1/400 models :
AIR FRANCE Concorde F-BVFC & F-BVFD
AIR FRANCE 747 delivery colors F-BPVH
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Age: 58
Posts: 8,018
Re: Going Commando: Curtiss C-46s
A Venerable Aircraft Indeed. I Prefer It To The DC-3. No It Was Not Effecient, But Let's Look At The Bright Side. It Could Carry Twice The Payload At Twice The Distance Than The DC-3.
It's The Same Arguement Propliners Vs Jetliners As A Whole. Jets Burned Much More Fuel Than Propliners, But The Were 3 Times Bigger, Carried Up To 5 Times The Payload And You Could Do 2 Trips In The Time A Propliner Could Do One.
Buffalo Airways Swears By Them.
Speaking Of Buffalo, A Fleet Of Buffalo In 1/400 Would Likely Get Me Back In To Collecting. That Is If They Are Not Exaggerated Like That Draw Decal Example.
On Another Note That Seaboard World Is Sexy As Is The Varig. Some Primo Examples Of Them Would Prolly Bend My Rubber Arm.
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"In The Absence Of Excellence, There Is Only Mediocrity."
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Re: Going Commando: Curtiss C-46s
Andy is being Andy... The Provocateur!!
He is a nice bloke by the way!
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Enjoying aviation from a "TSA-free Zone"!!
Take the money-grab & deceit out of our hobby, and bring back ethics and quality!!
Just say NO to Apollo400/Black Box/Panda Models/Junk-X/First Choice/C&C/IF400/AV400/Witty400/Magic/AV200/AK200/Flightline/Flightline200/Flightline400/Pegasus/Blue Angle/5stars & any BigBirds (real or fake)
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Age: 58
Posts: 8,018
Re: Going Commando: Curtiss C-46s
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrian
...and not so keen on the grey windows either. Would be better darker!
I've Been Fighting For Black Windows Forever. A Waste Of Breath It Seems. The Manufacturers Seem To Think Most Collectors Prefer The Grey. I Don't. It Looks Highly Unrealistic.
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"In The Absence Of Excellence, There Is Only Mediocrity."
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To my knowledge, Air France didn't operate the C-46. But ALITALIA did. In the absence of an Alitalia Viscount, I'd settle for a C-46 anytime,
No, never happened to see a picture of an Air France C-46. But have solid reasons to think they never operated the type, because they were relying on plenty of DC-3s, DC-4s and Deux Ponts as cargo haulers at the time.
I am quite surprised that no one had mentioned Alitalia as an operator so far. Alitalia bought two C-46 around 1962. They were later transferred to the subsidiary SAM (Società Aerea Mediterranea), and their livery was updated before being disposed of upon delivery of the DC-9F at the end of the decade. Curious is that, despite they entered into service when the tricolor tail had been the official livery for a couple of years, they were both painted in the older, pre-jet age scheme with the white tail and the small Italian flag.
No, never happened to see a picture of an Air France C-46. But have solid reasons to think they never operated the type, because they were relying on plenty of DC-3s, DC-4s and Deux Ponts as cargo haulers at the time.
I am quite surprised that no one had mentioned Alitalia as an operator so far. Alitalia bought two C-46 around 1962. They were later transferred to the subsidiary SAM (Società Aerea Mediterranea), and their livery was updated before being disposed of upon delivery of the DC-9F at the end of the decade. Curious is that, despite they entered into service when the tricolor tail had been the official livery for a couple of years, they were both painted in the older, pre-jet age scheme with the white tail and the small Italian flag.
Quote:
Originally Posted by L-1011-Heavy
Air France May Or May Not Have, I Don't know, But Varig And SATA Of Brasil (Later Absorbed By Varig) Each Did. Close Enough To Air France To Me.
Air France ALMOST operated a C-46 ... was to be leased from MM Landy ... but the deal was CXLD (would have been N2074A msn 30333 (C-46A-CU))
As for Alitalia
I-SILV C-46A-CK msn 392
I-SILA C-46A-CU msn 30271
Last edited by Alaska Fan; 09-20-2013 at 10:56 PM.
With the release of another selection of C-46s from Aeroclassics in 1/400, after five years since the first batch, perhaps time to revive this thread for the next wave? I would buy any of these:
Alitalia
Societa Aerea Mediterranea _SAM
Capitol Airways
Transair Sweden
Fred Olsen Lines
Slick Airways
BOAC
__________________
Adrian
The missing B.707s still needed to be done in 1/400: Uganda Airlines, Luxair,
DC-8s still needed to be done in 1/400: UAT, Iberia ('80s scheme), Air Ceylon, Air Spain, Seaboard World (-63CF)
Aeroclassics Comets still missing- Dan Air (4 & 4C), United Arab Airlines/Misrair/Egyptair, Kuwait AW, Sudan AW, East African AW, Saudi Royal Flt.