This is a Tamiya Douglas A-1 or AD 1/48 scale model kit I built in 2003. Shortly before that I read a book titled "Crimson Sky" by John Bruning in Japanese translated edition and I was strongly urged to build a model of the Douglas Skyraider mentioned in the book as "The Dam Busters," in navy blue paint scheme and carrying a Mk 37 torpedo fitted with special fairings. The model actually is almost oob only with the torpedo being build from scratch.
In December 2005 I got a free ANA air ticket to Seoul, Korea for three days when I visited the Hwacheon Dam, the Skyraiders from VA-195 had attacked during the Koean Conflict in May 1951. Initially I had a trouble of finding how to get there since the dam is in the north east of Seoul and in the area of border still under alert (DMZ) which was almost out of foreigh sightseer's reach. I took a local bus to Hwacheon from Seoul East Bus Terminal next to GangByun subway station which is totally for the local people with all signs in Korean hangul letters. There were several young army soldiers in the aft seats of the bus appearently back from liverty in Seoul. It took almost three hours to get to Hwacheon, a very rural and nice town. It took another fifteen minutes from the bus station to the dam in the taxi. On the way there we crossed the liver down the dam, at a check point guarded by an army squad with a real tank (M-60?) which looked like just a well painted model.
It was almost in the evening and the dam office which normally accepts sightseers in the daytime was about to close. But my able taxi driver succeded in negociating with the office manager that a visitor from Japan could be there for some minutes.
The dam seemed to me just a vast mass of concrete in totally dark grey, as can be compared with what Guy Gibson wrote about his target in the "Enemy Coast Ahead." I have never seen such a gigantic solid creature at that close range in my life. Also the water gates at one time destroyed by the torpedos, stood on top of the dam itself only by the height of few meters. As can be seen from the famous photographs taken from one of the AD Skyraiders on the attack, the water level was only few feet down from the top of the gates. Therefore the running depth set on the torpedos must have been at very shallow one; probably only 2-3 feet. Added to this the length of the approach of the attack seemed not enough since the planform of the dam lake is in complete and tight U-shape which is surrounded by steep hillsides.
I was there for little less than ten minutes in approaching darkness on a very cold evening of December but I could visualize airplanes passing over the crest of that dam, in my mind. Of course I carried my Skyraider model along on the visit but regrettably the area was totally banned from photographing therefore there are no proofs exist.
I am proud of my Douglas AD Skyraider in 1/48 had been at the very place the modeled aircraft had actually been. The photos were taken in a hotel room I stayed at in Seoul.
In December 2005 I got a free ANA air ticket to Seoul, Korea for three days when I visited the Hwacheon Dam, the Skyraiders from VA-195 had attacked during the Koean Conflict in May 1951. Initially I had a trouble of finding how to get there since the dam is in the north east of Seoul and in the area of border still under alert (DMZ) which was almost out of foreigh sightseer's reach. I took a local bus to Hwacheon from Seoul East Bus Terminal next to GangByun subway station which is totally for the local people with all signs in Korean hangul letters. There were several young army soldiers in the aft seats of the bus appearently back from liverty in Seoul. It took almost three hours to get to Hwacheon, a very rural and nice town. It took another fifteen minutes from the bus station to the dam in the taxi. On the way there we crossed the liver down the dam, at a check point guarded by an army squad with a real tank (M-60?) which looked like just a well painted model.
It was almost in the evening and the dam office which normally accepts sightseers in the daytime was about to close. But my able taxi driver succeded in negociating with the office manager that a visitor from Japan could be there for some minutes.
The dam seemed to me just a vast mass of concrete in totally dark grey, as can be compared with what Guy Gibson wrote about his target in the "Enemy Coast Ahead." I have never seen such a gigantic solid creature at that close range in my life. Also the water gates at one time destroyed by the torpedos, stood on top of the dam itself only by the height of few meters. As can be seen from the famous photographs taken from one of the AD Skyraiders on the attack, the water level was only few feet down from the top of the gates. Therefore the running depth set on the torpedos must have been at very shallow one; probably only 2-3 feet. Added to this the length of the approach of the attack seemed not enough since the planform of the dam lake is in complete and tight U-shape which is surrounded by steep hillsides.
I was there for little less than ten minutes in approaching darkness on a very cold evening of December but I could visualize airplanes passing over the crest of that dam, in my mind. Of course I carried my Skyraider model along on the visit but regrettably the area was totally banned from photographing therefore there are no proofs exist.
I am proud of my Douglas AD Skyraider in 1/48 had been at the very place the modeled aircraft had actually been. The photos were taken in a hotel room I stayed at in Seoul.
Attachments
Last edited:
