Well.....that makes two of us! Finished my PPL last August.

Congrats!

Check your PM

There is a deHavilland Dash-8 from Hobbycraft. Not a lot of livery options, but a decent model.

Hobbycraft's Dash 8 may be decent*, but it's nowhere near an accurate Dash 8. It's also an airliner, not a general aviation subject which puts it outside the realm of our discussion.


*for certain values of "decent" approximating "piece of junk". I've tried to build it three times and given up in frustration all 3 times.

Sounds like an interesting kit. Yeah, it's not technically GA, but interesting nonetheless. Welcome to the site, btw!

Jessie (and anyone else who wants to chime in) what GA aircraft would you like to see? I think I've already said that I'd like to see a Mooney 205, Cirrus SR22, MXS, and Extra 300, all in 1/48 or 1/32.

So what about everybody else? What GA aircraft would you set aside the warplanes on your workbench to build?

Fred: PM sent.

Jessie, would John Travolta's B-707 count as a GA?
Travolta's house

I'd like to see a high quality injection Cessna 195, but most of all I'd love a large scale 'pointy' Pietenpol!

You're too funny Fred! I guess that would be GA!

Interesting plane, the Pietenpol. Never heard of that one before. Nice picture, too.

I do wonder how one gets into the front seat....

I have a dim recollection of a Lear Jet, unknown scale from IHC? back in the 70's. I had one in the stash as a teenager but it got sold off after I left for college. I've seen it in someone else's box since then but I can't recall who it was.

I remember building some GA subjects from Aurora back in the 79 cent days. Definately the Cessna 310 and maybe even a Bonanza.

Oh, there are so many to choose from. Aeronca Champion, Citabria, Decathalon, Rockwell Commander 112/114, Fleet Canuck, Ercoupe, SF260, Beech Musketeer, Luscombe Silvaire, Maule Rockets, Stinson 105.

Getting a little heavier, the Fairchild Husky, Fleet Freighter, Fairchild 71/FC2W2.

In light twins the Beech Baron, Piper Seneca, Cessna 310 and my favourtie all-time sexy, slippery airplane the Ted Smith Aerostar. Then there are all the British aeroplanes: Auster, Miles, Percival, Beagle.

Verging into light airliners/Corporate transportation the Gulfstream 1, Lears of many model numbers, Canadair Challenger, HS 125 (yes, I know of the Airfix and Matchbox kits), Hansa Jet, Lockheed Jetstar, North American Sabreliner (I know of the Airmodel vacs for all of these, too), McDonnel 220 even though there was only one of it, Mitsubishi Mu-2.

I could go on...

A Cessna 195 would be great to see Fred! Also a 310 would be nice. How about the Piper Aztec or Aerostar. Russell

What would we like? I assume from Jessie's list we aren't limited to post '75, there are lots of early GA that should be interesting. Rearwin Speedster, anyone? Travelair 2000? Great Lakes? Ryan M1, M2, Brougham (already have the Spirit of St Louis)? Spartan Executive? Kinner Canary? Pitcairn Mailwing? Buhl Pup? Wacos and Monocoupes?

Yes, I know that was somewhat US centric. Bring on the other countries too! I would love a Piaggio 136! Percival Gulls? Caudron C-270? Caproni Stipa? Okay, that one is ugly, but it will fit right in with your WWI German Floh.

Anyway, the lack of GA models isn't for lack of GA aircraft. There, I've gone and done it, I've stated the obvious! You're Welcome!

I agree, Jessica. In my limited understanding, it would be pretty easy to do a Decathlon/Citabria kit—just add a second set of wings (or just the bottom half) to recreate the Decathlon's symetrical airfoil. The other differences are pretty much all internal, IIRC.

Some of the most recent bizjets are pretty cool. The Cessna Citation X and the Sovereign look amazing.


Matthew.....that's quite a list of early "GA" planes you've got there! Must admit I'd forgotten about pre-WWI stuff. I love those old WACOs, particularly the UPF-7.

Oh yeah, and then there are two old AHM planes:

SK-5 1 Ryan 'The Spirit of Saint Louis' 1/110
SK-6 1 Lockheed Vega 'Winnie Mae' 1/100

I can't say why there aren't more kits of civilian aircraft, at least in 1/48 scale. I've never considered building any civilian planes, although I'll build unarmed military aircraft. I can't say why. Just not appealing to me.
Interestingly, among radio controlled model fliers, the opposite is true: civilian planes are much more common, and military types the exception. My nephew flies RC planes, and at the field I see a lot more civilian planes than warbirds. I have no idea why this is. It's just what they prefer.

In rc the civi planes are alot easier to fly than the warbirds and alot less expensive

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have a site for you, if you are into scratch built models.
Cleveland Model & Supply Co. founded in 1919.
www.clevelandairline.com

These people have 62 GA plans from the 1920s to 1960s amongst over 200 plans of all eras to the early 1970s. It is a great source of golden age plans.

I have used their 1/32 plans as source data on several projects in the WWI era. It is strictly scratch built though, they nolonger make model kits, but as a pattern... Oh My! I reduced mine to the scale I needed.

Captn Tommy

Interesting thought on RC modelers. I hadn't noticed that before.

Great site, Tom. Thanks for sharing.

Cool!

http://www.flyingmag.com/photo-gallery/photos/pipistrel-panthera-0

This is a great thread! I am also build civilian/GA aircraft as one of my modeling themes. As many have pointed out, there are quite a few kits available once you get past the many Mustangs and Zeros out there. One series that has not been mentioned (as far as I recall)are the repops by Platz of the excellent LS/ARII Pitts acrobatic aircraft. They released this kit with a variety of different airshow decals over the years. Here's one that I finished up a few years ago.







And to a comment made by Jessica earlier in this thread on a kit being borderline, I am now working on the Airfix Skyvan in the markings of an Arizona Skydiving company.
Have fun modeling!
Mike

Skydiving Skyvan? Like this one?

I'd like to see someone do this decal...

That's not a plane it's a clown car with wings

Jessica
Wow!!! now THAT would be something that I would attempt if there was a decal. Alas, my Skyvan will be much more plain ( er...plane?) in a mostly white scheme with fuselage stripes and tail markings. With not a lot of time to build, I am going with what is available as decals!
Have fun modeling!
Mike

I would like to see some well done after market Cessna wheels without the wheel pants on the landing gear. Very little of my short PPL experience saw A/C with the pants as inspecting the tire tread and brakes was easier without. Wishing the clear parts from all the GA 1/48 scale kits had replacements that would fit the airframe. Anyone want to share their work arounds for gear and glass?

hi, Gang!

As some of you may already know, I model my aircraft in 1/48 scale, strictly. So, I will be brief, in that I'm not going to repeat every aircraft which you've all so ably already mentioned in 1/72, 1/144, etc. In my mind's eye, 1/48 is the "perfect" scale- Not too small, yet not too big, either. It's just my opinion, so please let's not get into a long argument about it...

I'm a big fan of pre-WWII aircraft, so I'd like to mention that I'd LOVE to see these few airplanes in 1/48:

Lockheed Model 9C Orion, the prototype XP-38, YP-38 and P-38D and E Lightnings- The latter four aircraft are military-types, but still, they'd make for some pretty models. Yes, I know, MINICRAFT did a P-38E some years back, but I'd purely LOVE to see the "early" P-38-types brought up into the 21st Century-class of plastic injection molding. Ditto for the Lockheed Vega. The Lockheed Model 10 Electra and Model 14 Super Electra have never been done in 1/48, either. There are lots of other 1930s civilian types, and a plethora of military types out there, and there are also the Stinsons, Stearmans, Boeings, Severskys, and scores of others. The list is too long, and the 1920s-late 1930s were truly the "Golden Age" of aircraft-development. I'm sure that all of you can name dozens of pre-war airplanes that just don't come to my mind at the moment. But as I said above, I'm going to keep this short...

Comments..?

VR- Dennis