GMC 2.5 tone Truck/Piper L-4 Grasshopper Combo.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Coming along really well !

[lancfan]

Having finished my USAF builds it is time to return to this model. The canopy was fitted and a rain cover was made up from crushed paper, this was applied wet and left to dry when it was then trimmed to fit, glued down and painted, the engine cover was too complicated to make in the same manner so I simply covered the nose in filler and sanded it to shape.



Here is the truck with the wings in position


A view of the truck bed showing the rudder, elevators, struts and propeller.

[iggie]

Excellent work David that's going to make a really unusual and good display piece

[TeeELL]

David, that is progressing very well and a very unusual combination of models.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Looking very good !!!

Is the (real world) plan for the rudder, elevators, prop to be put in after the fuselage is in & tied down ? Seems difficult and those components are still vulnerable to little GI feet & all. I have seen pix there the rudder & elevator are each standing up in small frames more toward the front of the cargo bed, one on each side. Not sure about the prop - it may be on the engine. I know there are a lot of pix of different things.

It's your model - carry on - I'll still be here to applaud at the finish.

[lancfan]

I haven't seen those tail group images John and only have online searches to guide me, as a result I have guessed my through some of this as this is a fictional representative subject, it is now too late as the model is now finished. pictures to follow shortly.

[lancfan]

I built this without any real references. There is a little info. online but nothing of any substance, a lot of the details were guessed and I do now know I have made mistakes which cannot now be corrected. It will do as a representation of these combos but unless I get all the information this will not be revisited although I will buy another pair of kits for the stash just in case.

[PaulBradley]

Looks terrific, David, and would make a lovely addition to an airbase diorama.

[JohnRatzenberger]

You’ve done a fine job, David, with little info to go on — and less help from me. It would be neat to make the parts for 2-3 of these so you could show how the plane is disassembled, loaded, unloaded, and reassembled - but I guess I ought to quit suggesting work for you and get busy myself
Again, Well Done !!!
Your surgeon avatar is well-deserved.

[iggie]

That's a great little build

[lancfan]

You’ve done a fine job, David, with little info to go on — and less help from me. It would be neat to make the parts for 2-3 of these so you could show how the plane is disassembled, loaded, unloaded, and reassembled - but I guess I ought to quit suggesting work for you and get busy myself
Again, Well Done !!!
Your surgeon avatar is well-deserved.

Your input has been very helpful John and will come in handy when I eventually try again with this subject but this is an unknown aspect of WW2 amphibious operation, the best picture I found was of an official record shot (from a loading manual perhaps ?) but shows nothing, the wings and fuselage hide everything inside. there are other pictures that show different ways of crudely stowing the aircraft on the truck but these seem to be when in active service when stowage jigs may have been left behind after a hurried move or even burnt for firewood in winter. I was hoping for a US Army training film online (there is a brilliant one for loading a jeep into a Waco CG-4 Hadrian) but nothing could be found for this.

[JohnRatzenberger]

I am going to keep looking, it is now a quest

[Bissyboat]

Really nice job.

[Dirkpitt289]

That looks fantastic

[Stuart]

That is a fabulous little build David and, from what I remember from my days as a light aircraft engineer, not too far off how we used to transport actual aircraft in trucks etc.

I didn't know you could get a 1/72 L-4. It's a cracking little aircraft and it's nice to see it represented in the scale.