Walthers 1/87 Douglas DC-3 (Ozark)

When airplane people are asked what is their favorite aircraft, a large number will pick the DC-3/C-47/Dakota.  And why not.  The Gooney Bird is an aircraft that many of the older generation has flown in and many of the youngsters out there have seen at air shows.  I find it amazing that an aircraft that is well over sixty years old is still giving sterling service with airlines, cargo operators, and even some air forces throughout the world.  It only goes to prove that when you build something right, it will last a lifetime. I only hope to be around when it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2033!!

Walthers did several boxings of the DC-3 in HO scale, each one with a different livery. This is the Ozark Airlines boxing. All of the boxes are identical in how they look with only a note on the side plate telling what airline is included. A cheap way of doing things, but there it is.

It is unknown if the kit came in a poly bag as the one I bought came from a collection and all the sprues and loose bits were rattling around in the box. The kit comes with a separate left side fuselage to make a C-47, though no markings for this option were provided.

The first thing I noticed is that there is no cockpit. No cabin I can understand, but some smaller scale DC-3s have a cockpit. The kit also came with two full sets of clear bits. Engine facings are molded onto the the forward nacelles with one-[iece cowlings being used to cover those. There are nicely done landing gear and thin blade props are included. Many post war DC-3s used the paddle bladed versions of later C-47s. There are different sized carb intakes included as well.

Instructions are quite basic and appear to be designed for whatever version (DC-3 or C-47) you are building. The drawings are large and clear as befits what is basically a pretty simple kit. There are two sets of instructions with one set including a Northwest Airlines markings guide. Decals for this option are also included. The Ozark Airlines markings are identical to those in a 1985 IPMS Nationals sheet and even the instructions are little more than a copy of those in the IPMS sheet. A bit of a disappointment to me as I was hoping for the earlier scheme, one of the down sides of a generic box. I already built this scheme in 1/48 (see above photo) so it is a bit redundant. The decals are nicely done but I'll err on the side of safety and put on a layer of clear coat before trying to use them in case they are not in the best shape.

I understand that these kits have been out of the Walthers catalogue for quite some time so it was nice to find this one on the LHS shelves. It is an odd scale, but no more odd than other DC-3s done in 1/100, 1/96 and other non-standard airliner scales. Worth the effort to locate if you are so inclined.

Thanks to me for sharing the preview kit.

January 2014

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