I have a kit of the Carvair, a modified Douglas DC-4 used to ferry passengers across the channel in the early 60’s. I bought it off ebay because it is a unique and interesting subject. Little did I know when I got the kit that I would actually lay eyes on the one remaining airworthy example in Gainesville, TX. I don’t know when I’ll start the kit, but for now, here’s an interesting bit about the airplane. A google search will bring up a surprisingly large amount of info as well.
Would that be the Roden kit? Love to see it.
I’d forgotten about Freddie Laker, who was quite a character. Thanks for posting.
Bill
Didn’t the movie “Goldfinger” (1964) have a scene in it where Goldfinger’s 1937 Phantom III Rolls Royce was being loaded onto a Carvair at an English airport - with James Bond (Sean Connery) watching surreptitiously?
I think it was a British aircraft. I’ll look it up…
EDIT: you are correct!
GMorrison, it is indeed the Roden kit in 1:144 scale. I’m happy to oblige with pics!
I was familiar with the Car-vair, but sure didn’t realize it was a modified DC-4. Now that I look at it closely- sure!
Redesigned vertical fin.
Might that be a DC-7 vertical empanage? I guess the big bump in forward lateral area would require a bigger fin.
From the Wiki article, apparently the fin was a completely new design, although it needs a citation…
The conversion of the original aircraft entailed replacing the forward fuselage with one 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) longer, with a raised flightdeck in a bulbous “hump” (akin to the later Boeing 747) to allow a sideways hinged nose door. It also entailed more powerful wheel brakes and an enlarged tail, often thought to be a Douglas DC-7 unit, but actually a completely new design.[citation needed] The engines, four Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasps, were unchanged.