Before building an RC model plane I typically like to research the pilot for Christian connections and build a 1/48 scale model of his or her plane. The smaller plastic models usually contain amazing detail. The build helps me catch nuances, too.
Eddie Rickenbacker frequently called upon the name of the Lord when flying and later in life when he was stranded for 21 days in a raft with a B-17 crew. An article that he wrote appeared in the first edition of Guidepost magazine.
This plastic model was a Christmas gift and built by DML Models. It is a 1/48 scale model, but the box had been opened and the bust was not included in this model kit. It also contained photoetched parts. I made a trip to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, for close-up research. Camoflage was a new challenge for me on this build.
The cockpit has a shelf around the front which made instrument placement interesting. I stayed pretty close to production standards, including making masks from green Frog painters tape. One glitch was the decals. They required soaking in water for at least 30 minutes. Most of the bigger decals, like roundels, shattered when trying to remove them. The final roundels were used from another kit. However, the nomenclature on the rudder and the hat-in-the-ring logo remained largely intact.
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll build an RC version one day. If you have any suggestions let me know.
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