1/48 "Songbird" from Sky King

[ghodges]

This is the Czech Model 1/48 Cessna T-50 twin engine trainer, built as Sky King's "Songbird", which markings come in the kit. It's a typical Czech Model kit with no locating pins, resin detail parts, and a nice fret of colored PE to enhance the interior detailing. It has the option of building 2 differently marked trainers, or the colorful civilian Songbird.

The kit has two different colored kit PE main panels; one military and one civilian. The only addition I made was to sandwich a piece of cigarette pack cellophane between the front and back pieces. You have to cut off the molded on plastic rudder pedals to place the PE pedals.

After building the panel and checking its fit to the cabin, I found the kit plastic floor was too thick to allow the depth needed for the panel and the pedals. So, I built a new one from thin sheet plastic that solved the problem.

The Songbird cockpit built up quickly after that, as most of the PE parts are the military versions.

The only other "kink" in the build it that the landing gear have to be built before assembling the bottom nacelles around them. That means some care is needed in handling the model the rest of the way to avoid breaking them. As the plastic is soft, and I was afraid of the bottom gear legs bending during handling, I put a coat of superglue over the gear oleo area to stiffen each leg. The oleos were later redefined by wrapping them with a strip of Bare Metal Chrome.

On to the finished pics!

The kit decal sheet is very nice, with most of the Songbird markings in red and black, leaving you to interpret the black and white TV pics to determine which markings you think are right. The decals worked well, with the only problems being due to operator error. The kit gives you the red trim for the nacelles and the nose, but I chose to paint them instead. I then cut each small, white diamond from the kit decal flashing and slid them onto the painted scallops.

This was just a quick build in order to participate with my local model club's build theme of Movie/TV subjects. It was one of the easier Czech Model kits I've built, though it does help if you have experience with low-pressure injection kits that are without locating pins and need some drilling and pinning by yourself. Critiques, comments, and questions welcome as always!

 

Gil 

[nmertes]

Beautifully done, Gil.

[Roktman]

Looks terrific. I love those "you don't see that everyday" aircraft.

[Jmarc]

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLooking great and well done also , way to go SIR and thank you for sharing it with us, it's quite appreciated !

[SniffyHuffnsnuff]

Gil, I saw this post several months ago but am only now responding as i'm also currently building this kit and have just finished the construction phase and will soon move on to painting.  

 

Yours looks very nicely assembled, and I see no evidence of gaps and poorly joined surfaces the likes of which  I'm facing with mine but it's likely due to my own inability to  deal with a short-run kits like this. Well done! 

 

I found it intriguing that you painted the bottom of the aircraft gray;  I will be going with a total white exterior.

Also, thanks for the tip with the landing gear and housing assembly;  I will be aware of this situation going forward on my own.  

[SkyKing]

On 10/29/2023 at 4:04 PM, SniffyHuffnsnuff said:

I found it intriguing that you painted the bottom of the aircraft gray;  I will be going with a total white exterior.

The bottom WAS gray. I have the FAA file on the airplane, which includes a maintenance report form that mentions it. It is also clearly visible in the TV show  episodes. 

I assisted Squadron with the proper colors and markings of the airplane after they posted a preliminary box art showing incorrect colors. There is an acknowledgment to that effect in the instructions.

Gil’s model is well done, but the N-numbers on the wings and tail should be black, in accordance with the CAA regulations of the day.

Edited November 6, 2023 by SkyKing

[Nick Filippone]

Gil, That looks great and a nice way to recall one of my favorite childhood TV shows. Do you know if anyone does those markings in 1/72 scale? I would like to do the the KP kit in that scheme. Nick

[ghodges]

I really don't know if those markings are available in 1/72, but you'd think they would be as you can't be the only one who'd like them. I know Draw Decals does a lot of civilian schemes, but I've never perused their 1/72 selections, only their 1/48 and larger. However, I think they do offer many in any scale, the only caveat being you may need to wait to have them printed in your scale if they're not already in stock delaying shipment.

 

Gil 

[Ron Bell]

Any chance of getting the 1/48 decals and then scanning them and scaling them down to 1/72 and printing them? I couldn't do it as I am a computer Luddite, but I'm pretty sure it can be done. 

[ghodges]

Ron's idea could possibly work. All you'd need is someone who still has an unbuilt Czech Model kit with the decals so they could be scanned in, reduced in scale, and then printed on decal paper.... providing you have those capabilities or know someone who does. There would be no "legal" problems as long as the decals were only for personal use and not sold to anyone.

As to the color of the numbers on the wing..... Czech Model provides the numbers in Red and Black so you can do your own interpretation of which to use based on period black and white pics from the TV show (there are no color pics evidently). Regulation or not, that tells me there IS some discrepancy as to what the wing number colors actually were for filming the show. Based on the image shown, and comparing the wing numbers to the black wing walk, I chose RED, which more closely matches the cowl trim color too. I did, however, go with the regulation black numbers on the tail and underside.

And if it's wrong? Turns out my lackadaisical model shelf police don't care!  😉 

 

 

Gil 

Edited November 3, 2023 by ghodges