1/48 Grumman Goose Mk III, Czech Models kit finished as an RCAF Goose .

[Colin L]

This is Czech Models 1/48 limited edition Grumman Goose JRF kit finished as an RCAF Goose Mk III.
Grumman Goose 941 was flown by No. 13 Operational Training Squadron based at RCAF Station Sea Island, British Columbia. Prior to military service the aircraft was on the Canadian civil aircraft registry as CF-BQE.

It was built with a full interior (which can't be seen), Vector resin engines, and my resin copies of highly modified kit props (11 brass, aluminum, and plastic parts in each prop!). Trailing edges thinned a lot, many details, panel lines, extra vents rescribed or added, trim tab and aileron actuators added, nav lights carved from colored bingo chips, and stretched sprue. Float rigging with .010" Phosphor-Bronze wire into predrilled holes.
Painted with Tamiya acrylics, weather with oils and pastels. Some kit decals used, wing roundels, and tail flash masked and painted.
All and all, a fun kit. hope you like.
Colin

 

[Wurger]

 

[MIflyer]

Nice! I got one of the old Lindberg Goose kits I have not built.

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work!

 

[SaparotRob]

This is Czech Models 1/48 limited edition Grumman Goose JRF kit finished as an RCAF Goose Mk III.
Grumman Goose 941 was flown by No. 13 Operational Training Squadron based at RCAF Station Sea Island, British Columbia. Prior to military service the aircraft was on the Canadian civil aircraft registry as CF-BQE.

It was built with a full interior (which can't be seen), Vector resin engines, and my resin copies of highly modified kit props (11 brass, aluminum, and plastic parts in each prop!). Trailing edges thinned a lot, many details, panel lines, extra vents rescribed or added, trim tab and aileron actuators added, nav lights carved from colored bingo chips, and stretched sprue. Float rigging with .010" Phosphor-Bronze wire into predrilled holes.
Painted with Tamiya acrylics, weather with oils and pastels. Some kit decals used, wing roundels, and tail flash masked and painted.
All and all, a fun kit. hope you like.
Colin

That's just beautiful. Well done, Sir.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Brilliant build and that internal detail is just magic and a crying shame it cannot be seen.

 

[Airframes]

Very nice indeed - well done !

 

[Snautzer01]

Very nice.

 

[T Bolt]

Very nice work there. It's a shame that interior can't be seen.
I built the Lindberg kit for group build 22 and that Czeck Models kit looks like it's about 20 steps above it!

 

[Crimea_River]

Beautiful!

 

[hal bregg]

Nice model of unusual plane. Congrats!

 

[rochie]

that is a great build !

 

[Bernhart]

Have also built the lindburg kit ver simple kit. Mine is done up inRCMP livery

 

[J4F-2]

Beautifully done, but like I said, doing the interior was a waste of time. N.B., The interior was a darker green, I could have told if you'd asked. (I just noticed you added the spray rails to the bow, very nicely done, but those a post war addition. I know it seems I'm nit picking here, I'm not. I'm just pointing out things that the NEXT guy to build one needs to look out for. You did a beautiful job a tough kit, I give it a 9.9 and a BZ !)
As for c/n 1061, it was originally sold to John Bickell of Toronto, Canada as CF-BQE who then donated it to the RCAF. After being released from the RCAF in Jan., 1945, it was sold to Charles H. Babb in the US as NC48550. That changed in 1947/48 to just N48550. It was briefly sold to an owner in Alaska before going to Alaska Coastal Airlines out of Juneau, Alaska later in 1945, where it was flown for many years, part of the time as a straight flying boat without landing gear. Later it became part of the combined fleet of Alaska Coastal-Ellis then to Alaska Airlines. It then went to Antilles Air Boats in the US Virgin Island until the early 1980s. Finally it was sold to a private owner in Oregon who flew it from 1988 until selling it to one Parrothead named Buffet in 1996. It than went into the shop for a much needed major restoration/rebuild and that's where the trouble started .... it sat for years and was never finished while they squabbled about who was supposed to do what and how much it was supposed to cost. Finally it was donated to the USS Alabama Museum a little less than a year ago and just rolled into the main display hangar after a pretty complete cosmetic rebuild earlier this month (4-23) as 941 complete in it's original RCAF colors (that I provided).

 

[SaparotRob]

That's a really nice airplane. A shame it wasn't fully restored but it's great that it was saved.

 

[Colin L]

Beautiful restoration!
It seems to be following the colors and markings provided by Czech Models.
I'm not sure where Czech Models got the red 'B' code, 941 sported a black 'N' code, black wheel wells, and the camo scalloped lower on the nacelles.

 

[J4F-2]

That's a really nice airplane. A shame it wasn't fully restored but it's great that it was saved.

It had a LOT (a WHOLE LOT) of rot in it and some of the "repairs" that had been done by the previous shop needed to be undone. Mr Parrothead was done wasting money on it. At the time it was retired it was the oldest Goose still flying.

 

[SaparotRob]

That's what I meant. If only the repairs been done in a timely fashion by competent restorers.

 

[J4F-2]

Beautiful restoration!
It seems to be following the colors and markings provided by Czech Models.
I'm not sure where Czech Models got the red 'B' code, 941 sported a black 'N' code, black wheel wells, and the camo scalloped lower on the nacelles.

941 served in 3 diff. Squadrons, I can confirm it had at least 2 codes, Black N and before that it was AN-J, so Red B is possible. I worked with the owner of Classic Airframes in the past and I know for a fact he was a stickler for accuracy in markings. I provided almost all the information for the CA J4F-1/2 Widgeon kit inc. markings, I still have the folder with all the drawings, photos etc.. I know he was tinkering with the Goose idea when he closed the company, we had talked about it, he was waiting for a return on the investment on the Widgeon first. I have a hunch he turned over all he had on it to the mold makers we had been dealing with in the Czech Republic when he closed shop.

 

[Colin L]

Good to know, I was only able to find 2 photos of 941, and that's what I based my finish on. It's crazy to think that she has had 80+ years to evolve and has had many different looks. She sure looks good, now!
What you said about Classic Airframes possibly being the genesis for the Czech kit explains a lot. It had the look and feel of a Classic Airframes kit.
I have a couple of Widgeon kits on the 'to do' pile, and will be using the CA markings on one.