DC-3 East African

**PacificWind** · #1 03-28-2018, 05:50 AM

The most iconic airliner is on now on my desk. S&P, resized to 1/160.

**MichaelS** · #2 03-28-2018, 07:01 AM

**Richschindler** · #3 03-28-2018, 08:00 AM

Looks great, can’t wait to see it finished.

**PacificWind** · #4 03-28-2018, 08:49 AM

Fuselage completed.

**Vinalssergio155** · #5 03-28-2018, 09:48 AM

Great I also want to see it finished, a greeting

**PacificWind** · #6 03-28-2018, 10:08 AM

Little more progress.

**Kevin WS** · #7 03-28-2018, 10:16 AM

Coming along nicely. The round thing just behind the cockpit on the top is the astrodome - used by the navigator when doing sightings.

I have flown on that plane - the actual one!

It ended up in South Africa eventually and then went to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it flew for the military - up to the mid/late 2000's. It now believed to be derelict there - in which case it is now likely history.

The following may interest you.

Photo 1 - 5Y-AAE in all its glory, early 1970's. Was built in 1945.

Photo 2 - Interior shot. Contraption on the left for extra bags, hand luggage, and mail.

Seating was 3 abreast - 2 on the left, one on the right. Very comfy, lots of leg room.

No sign of the necessary Sick Bags - but it was customary for the air hostesses to dish them out before take off, demonstrating how to fold them after use. Important, because after use passengers then called the air hostess who took the full one away and gave them another!

It was hot, and the plane reeked of fuel mixed with a feeble mint, canvas and antiseptic smell, and inevitably more then half the passengers used the bags and sat weakly thereafter.....

Photo 3 - In later years in South Africa, before it went to the DRC. Photo by Thomas Ingedorn. It was named Delamere. Presumably after Lord Delamere in Kenya.

Photo 4 - A ticket folder, showing the current aircraft types in the fleet back then.

Anti-clockwise from the top - Twin Otter, Dakota, Fokker Friendship (all vomit comets), Comet and Super VC10 - the latter two were wonderful comfy planes - both had the seats staggered so passengers had a gap between the two in front for their legs. Endless leg room!

VC10's for international flights. The Comets as well initially, then these were also used in local short-haul flights - some less than an hour. Nairobi to Mombasa - a rough 5-hour drive at least, was 45 minutes. The plane took off, climbed a bit, and then went straight into the descent pattern!

The cockpits for the Fokker and Comet were all decent - state of the art then, lots of leather. The Comet still had oxygen masks and roof mounted fans. The VC10 - my word - state of the art cockpit, modern by today's standards, very little leather, modern seats etc.

On the Comet and VC10 - 4 crew (two pilots, flight engineer, and radio operator/navigator). 3 air hostesses, sometimes 2 on the Comet.

Fokker - 3 crew (two pilots, radio operator/navigator). 2 air hostesses.

Others 2 crew and air hostesses.

**MichaelS** · #8 03-28-2018, 10:21 AM

Wow! That makes PW's build all the more interesting.

**Falco** · #9 03-28-2018, 11:58 AM

NO WAY!!! How cool is that to have actually flown on the actual plane... I am jealous, my only interactions with DC-3 were on the ground (DC-3 of the small Air Museum in Marathon FL, and the American Airlines DC-3 being restored in Tulsa by American Airlines). I whish I could experience flying in a DC-3 someday. for now flying it in FSX will have to suffice.

**MichaelS** · #10 03-28-2018, 12:18 PM

In about 1965 the USAF flew me to Colorado Springs to test for the Air Force Academy in the ANG version of the DC-3. Sure had a great view of the country unfolding so low and at such a slow speed. There was some sort of mechanical problem after I got there and I had to stay a few extra days. Obviously I didn't mind.