Carvair Electra- finished

[sandiego89]

After seeing some success with the original Carvair, Aviation Traders Ltd. saw a potential with doing some conversions of turboprop aircraft.  With jets putting some Lockheed Elctras on the market Aviation Traders undertook a similar conversion of the Electra.  Marketing focussed heavily on the modern turboprop design and by promising to take passengers and their vehicle across the channel faster, and deeper, into mainland Europe.  

1/144 Scale

The Kits:
Roden 1/144 scale Kit #305, Aviation traders Carvair

Minicraft 1/144 scale kit #14661 Electra 188

The kits and main parts



Overhead,  Electra in white at bottom.  Pleased that the fuselages are almost identical in cross section



Side view

[PR19_Kit]

I do like that idea, good thinking, worthy of Sir Freddie himself.      

Amazing that there's so much similarity in the fuselages.

[Tophe]

This is promising, go on!

[sandiego89]

Surgery has begun.  

Carvair front end being grafted onto the Electra.  Now where's my putty???




Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or something like that....

[kitnut617]

Nice Work !   

My immediate thoughts for a scheme would be Buffalo Air out of Yellowknife, NWT.  They have just started to operate a pair of freighter Electras because of the shortage of Av-Gas up in the north (unfortunately, one of them had an u/c hang-up and had to do a two leg landing which didn't do the rest of it a lot of good)

[rickshaw]

Looking at that, I wonder why it was never considered as an AEW candidate?  Looks just right for the Air Ministry's preference for Forward and Aft radomes.

[martinbayer]

Can't help but think that the leftovers from both kits could make another whif in themselves...

Martin

[sandiego89]

Can't help but think that the leftovers from both kits could make another whif in themselves...

Martin

Indeed... a reciprocating Electra/Orion... or a few other ideas.  

Rickshaw- interesting, you could fit quite a radome in the nose, hmmm......

Primer on

[Tophe]

Nicely taking shape

[Father Ennis]

That is soooooooooo ugly ... !!!  It's just CUTE !!!  I like the look ...

[sandiego89]

Complete.  Carvair Electra of British Air Ferries, 1964

1/144 combination of the Roden Carvair and the Minicraft Electra.  The Roden kit is OK, but a must for any Carvair fans- I know you are out there!  I saw my first Carvair in Hawaii @1991 and after doing a double take- I had no idea such a beast existed- and ever since I have had a strange affection for the Carvair.  

Is there an ugly prize? Although I think she looks rather purposeful with the turbo-props

------------

Quite small, the whole aircraft measures @9 inches long, span @8 inches. Fought me the whole way, the Electra kit, cockpit and the Carvair decals especially.  Roden kit is only OK, good panel lines, fair fit, very poor cockpit glass/fuselage fit, very soft plastic.  Minicraft Electra is fair.  Very hard plastic, no panel lines, so/so fit, although the wing/fuselage joint is very good.  I hate white paint, looked much better in primer.  Was tempted to go for a major strip down when about 90% complete, but I lost the motivation and just wanted to get to the finish line.  Perhaps a resurrection in a different scheme after she sits for a bit, or with more modifications....  

[JayBee]

That has a WOW factor that goes right offfffffffff the scale. Superb work. 

[sandiego89]

Thanks JayBee!

I had to clear the camera card for a few more pictures:

[PR19_Kit]

You just have to ask yourself why EVER didn't they do that for real?

That looks SO possible, and a neat idea of yours altogether. 

[NARSES2]

You just have to ask yourself why EVER didn't they do that for real?

Absolutely - love it