Douglas Gremlin aka Cab Callaway

[McColm]

The Royal Air Force mainly used the Douglas C-47 Skytrain in the transport and flew twelve Li-2NB built under license by the Russians to serve as ground attack bombers using British parts mostly used on the Avro Lancaster. The Gremlins had a upper gun turret,guns in the nose and along the fuselage with a bomb rack underneath between the two Rolls-Royce Griffon engines. They were used for reconnaissance and supply missions, sometimes ferrying wounded airmen or agents to safety.

I have a 1/72 A model Li-2NB with extra parts plus a raid in the spares box.

[McColm]

The A model kit is a bit rough and I will be salvaging parts from the former Gremlin Glider for this build.

[McColm]

SJMcColm Engineering Limited was given the job of converting the Lisunov Li-2 back into something that resembled the C-47 Skytrain , aka Cab Callaway. Rather than making the thousand or so changes that the Russians had undertaken when they got the license SJMc stuck to the basics. Wings, engines and guns. Relabelling the flight controls and signage.
The crew consisted of the pilot copilot and a jump seat for the flight engineer, navigator, radio officer plus five gunners. One of which was an armourer and the other maintenance engineer.
 The 'Cab' was also used as a freighter, dropping supplies by parachute or agents and carrying wounded airmen ( up to seven stretchers), skis or floats could be fitted wheels carried internally.
If the aircraft was damaged but still able to use the controlled surfaces their engines were taken out and turned into assault gliders. Packed with explosives and towed by another Gremlin or another transport aircraft.

[McColm]

The build so far has used the front end of the Li-2NB on the fuselage of the C-47 Skytrain aka Gremlin Glider, a pair of Rolls-Royce Griffons has been used from the Frog Avro Shackleton. The nose guns have been upcyclded from the Airfix Avro Lancaster B.2.
Side view

https://flic.kr/p/2s9mnPZ

Head on view

https://flic.kr/p/2s9t7fg

[McColm]

The first PSR session and it's taking shape.

The underside .


https://flic.kr/p/2s9FurR


Side profile

https://flic.kr/p/2s9GinW