Twin Otter in UN markings

**dhanners** · #1 06-05-2020, 10:26 AM

When I posted photos of my build of Murph’s Twin Otter in U.S. Forest Service colors, I expressed how cool it would be to have a DHC-6 in a United Nations livery. Well, our own YukonJohn was working on a repaint of one and a couple of emails later, I was cutting paper. (I resized the model to 1/48th scale from Murph's peculiar 1/41st scale.)

YukonJohn’s model is an RCAF CC-138 which served in Pakistan with the UN. This particular aircraft, 13808, was destroyed on the ground; fortunately, there were no injuries.

One of the things that’s cool about the Twin Otter is it's STOL performance, and key to that is its full-span double-slotted flaps. So I decided, “Hey, why don’t I model it with the flaps down?” It took some planning and scratchbuilding and it isn’t 100-percent perfect, but it is mostly correct and it looks like a plane with its flaps down. As they say, illusion is a big part of modeling.

There are numerous bits scratchbuilding and detail improvements throughout. Some of it is internal, like the former I fashioned to keep the main wheel sponsons level and aligned. I feel that is one of the weaknesses of the original model — there’s nothing to determine the proper angle of the landing gear and to hold it in place, particularly if you stick some weight in the nose to keep it from sitting on its tail.

(Had to take a break. I’m out on our balcony in Nicosia and we’ve been having forest fires in Cyprus and three Air Tractor AT-802s just flew over our apartment. Now THAT is a model I’d love to build.)

Back to the DHC-6…. I figured that since I was dropping the flaps, I might as well model the elevators and rudder as separate pieces, too. I cut apart the kit parts and used them to fashion new horizontal stabilizers and elevators. While I was at it, I also scratchbuilt a spar to pass through the vertical stabilizer to keep the horizontal stabilizers level. The elevators were glued back on deflected slightly.

The rudder was cut off the vertical stabilizer and made into a separate piece (again, using paper popsicle sticks to make the rounded front part) and then glued back on.

I scratchbuilt the main and forward tires, as well as the forward landing gear fork. I added various antennas and aerials, crew steps, door hinges, position lights and other humps and bumps seen on the real aircraft.

The flaps were dropped by cutting out the kit flaps, blanking off the section of the wing, and using the cut flap parts and paper popsicle sticks to create the rounded leading edge of of the flaps. The center flap sections were scratchbuilt out of plain paper and popsicle sticks. I had to build new hinge mechanisms, and they are kind of flimsy but they do the job. (One accuracy note here: Murph includes four flap hinges per wing, and there should be six.)

All in all, it was a fun build and living in a country with a strong UN presence, it is nice to add the Twin Otter in UN markings to the collection. I’d like to thank YukonJohn for doing a great repaint and being open to my suggestions about a couple of things.

**SCEtoAUX** · #2 06-05-2020, 10:31 AM

That looks real good. Nice mods to make it like that.

**Butelczynski** · #3 06-05-2020, 10:59 AM

Wow.That's really good looking recolor and extensive modifications.Those control surfaces add a lot.Good work.

Aaron has Caribou in UN markings as well.It will make a good companion.

**dhanners** · #4 06-05-2020, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butelczynski

Wow.That's really good looking recolor and extensive modifications.Those control surfaces add a lot.Good work.

Aaron has Caribou in UN markings as well.It will make a good companion.

Thanks for the kind words. I've thought about the Caribou, but I'm wondering if it can be enlarged 135 percent to 1/48th to match the Twin Otter....

**MacSongLi** · #5 06-05-2020, 01:12 PM

Beautiful build, a very nice looking model. John did a great re-paint too.

Gary

**Kevin WS** · #6 06-05-2020, 01:49 PM

Great model and a great build.

I have always liked the UN colour schemes.

**Don Boose** · #7 06-05-2020, 03:28 PM

Excellent!

Don

**wireandpaper** · #8 06-05-2020, 09:34 PM

Thanks to the designer, the recolorist and the modeler.
UN planes are one of my soft spots.
Thank you for sharing.

PS Tony did Bruno's Dash-7 in UN markings. Only an elargement of 625 percent!

**yukonjohn** · #9 06-05-2020, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Thanks for the kind words. I've thought about the Caribou, but I'm wondering if it can be enlarged 135 percent to 1/48th to match the Twin Otter....

Oh, wow. A Caribou in 1/48 with flaps all hung out and dirty would be quite the model.

John

**dhanners** · #10 06-06-2020, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yukonjohn

Oh, wow. A Caribou in 1/48 with flaps all hung out and dirty would be quite the model.

John

If you design it, they will come. Give it UN markings and I'm in.....

(That said, I'd still love a Twin Otter with the 36-inch tires, AKA "Intermediate Floatation Gear.")