I was tempted to call this a Class 47 in O gauge, after all it is a C-47 and at 1/48th it's not a million miles off 7mm, is it?

I started this over the holidays as a break and a change of pace, and to make inroads into the mounting of model aircraft kits I've acquired over the years ... this was a nice, inexpensive Revell kit which I picked up for under 20 Euros during a trip to Holland a few years ago. It's based on the old Monogram kit from the 70s, which proved to be a real blast from the past for me, as I built the huge Monogram Flying Fortress during my early teens, and there's a very similar feel to the mouldings, including some airmen which are all but identical those in the other kit. I bought the Dakota kit because they're one of my favorite aircraft, with a timeless style about them - a true design classic.

The Monogram kit isn't complicated, and despite having some internal detail (which is all but invisible once assembled), it doesn't take long to get the basic body and wings together. In common with many older kits, it has raised rather then recessed panel times but I've yet to tackle the process of re-engraving lines on a kit, and to be honest that would get away from the fun aspect of building a model in a relatively short time frame. The only dodgy moment - actually a dodgy fortnight - was when I mysteriously misplaced the cockpit glazing moulding. I even emptied the vacuum cleaner bag incase it had got sucked up when cleaning. I was all set to attempt to scratchbuild a replacement, when I vacuumed the hallway and while putting the vacuum cleaner away, something dropped onto the floor. It was the glazing, but where had it been? Stuck inside the vacuum cleaner, or somehow hanging off part of it on the outside? We'll never know, but there was much jubilation and the scratchbuilding tools were thankfully set aside.

I've yet to add fine details but the main body colour is on, and now I have to choose between two of the livery variants offered by the kit.

Back to normal service next, but I'll post progress on the Dakota as it nears completion. Cheers and thanks for reading.