1/72 Airfix Skyvan, SoAF

Gallery Article by Drakendk on Apr 22 2011

 

This is my Airfix Skyvan in the markings of the Sultan of Oman's Air Force (SoAF) from the early 70s.

For some unknown reason I really like to build these old molded models, maybe because I have to struggle a bit with them along the way, and also because there is so much room for improvement as well.

Click on images below to see larger images

First I did a lot of scratch building in the cockpit and cargo space, but not a lot is visible on the finished model. After the model was put together, I went on to the painting, decaling and weathering, and that was the biggest challenge of this build. I wanted the bird to look sun bleached and dusty, the way I have seen on pictures of the real thing.

I brush painted the bird with Xtracrylics, mixed with retarder, flow improver and future. After that went on the really old decals, that almost fell apart and had yellowed a great deal over the years. I weathered the whole thing with coats of future mixed with tiny amounts of sand color and after that I went to work with lots pastels.

The last steps was fitting of the antennas made from plastic card and stretched sprue, the making of a rough air strip for display stand and a quick build 1/76 Land Rover.

All in all a far from perfect, but very enjoyable build, and that's what it's all about to me.

Happy modeling.

Drakendk

Photos and text © by Drakendk