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1/35 Scale 'Flying Control' Dodge WC51


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A friend did the original set of waterslides, but not all of them were reduced to the correct size. I applied the good ones and ordered some paper for myself to have a go and making my own decals.

 

dodge51.jpg

 

dodge52.jpg

Edited by Army_Air_Force
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  • 2 weeks later...

The internal decals were removed from the backing paper on the end of a brush and then placed inside the vehicle, which had already been wetted out in the correct location. This helped drag the decal off the brush, after which it was pushed around with the bristles to the correct position and left to dry.

With this project pretty much completed, I've moved onto a diorama which is a joint RAF/USAAF forced landing recovery operation. An A-26 Invader has force landed in the UK, and is in the process of being dismantled and loaded onto RAF Queen Mary trailers. The American crew are dismantling the aircraft while the RAF liasion unit ( usually one unit per USAAF base ) supervise the loading.

For those who haven't already found it, the new diorama can be found here - Joint RAF/USAAF Crash Recovery Diorama

Edited by Army_Air_Force
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After I'd had my real Jeep for three years, I decided I wanted something to stand out from all the other green Jeeps. Around this time my mate with the Dodge had just painted it checkered, though it still had the canvas back. Shortly after seeing the truck for the first time in its new checkered scheme I was chatting to Rupert about a Flying Control Caravan. He said he would love one, but didn't have the space to keep one. So I suggested converting the back of the truck and filling it with radios etc, as I'd seen many photos of vehicles converted 'in the field'.

dodge1.jpg

So a couple of months later, we had a building weekend, and put the wooden body on the back of the truck. The dome is an astro dome from an Avro Anson which Rupert got from a local aviation museum as a swap for some manuals.

dodge4.jpg

When I converted my Jeep to a 'Follow Me' vehicle, I wanted to be able to easily swap it back to all green should the need arise, and it wasn't long before I found a photo of a real airfield Jeep where only the canvas was checkered. So I did the canvas and the wooden 'field mod' side checks, and added the light box, radio, aerials etc. The canvas and sides can quickly be removed, and I still have a spare green canvas to look normal again!

 

Going checkered has opened up several great photo opportunities starting with leading two P-51's along and airfield peri track at Breighton and a photoshoot with the BBMF Lancaster. In 2010, I had probably the most famous Spitfire, MH434 flown by Paul Bonhomme, follow me at Rougham. There have been others.

 

fc26.jpg

 

p51b5.jpg

 

p51c6.jpg

 

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waw1.jpg

 

fc29.jpg

 

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elv1.jpg

 

fishburn_fri16.jpg

 

fishburn_fri15.jpg

 

bgn1.jpg

 

croft21.jpg

 

Next Project - Joint RAF/USAAF Crash Recovery Diorama Thread

Edited by Army_Air_Force
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  • 3 months later...
  • 3 months later...
Update - I now own the real Dodge Flying Control truck. My friend just sold it to me.

wood_top.jpg

and here's a copy of the original Dodge build card, showing it was completed on August 11th 1944.

build_card.jpg

Hi Stephen,

that has to be the ultimate, having the 1/1 scale original, along with the model!

Well done that man.

Regards

Reggie

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