After establishing his own aircraft-building company in 1932 Walter Beech decided to created a biplane with a completely enclosed cabin, luxury fittings for the passengers, and an unorthodox staggerwing biplane layout, which was used by several fighters during WWI but not very widely. Flight results were even better than the designers expected. During the next four years the plane was modified and improved several times and in 1937 appeared the D17, whose main new features were the removal of the ailerons to the upper wings, with flaps located on the lower wings, a modified fin and rudder, a new braking system for the undercarriage, and additional fuel tanks. After the D17A and the D17R came the D17S, which had a more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB Wasp Junior engine, and a new Hamilton Standard propeller. 53 of this version were built, all of them for private owners, but at the beginning of WWII some of them were requisitioned by the army, where they were known as the GB-2. The aircraft of the final series which appeared in 1946 became known as the G17S. The shape of the cowling and the windscreen of the plane were more streamlined than that of its predecessor, but only a small quantity of this model was built. After the end of WWII, requisitioned Staggerwings were returned to civilian owners, and many of the military machines, built for military contracts, were also sold to private traders. These elegant and unique planes are prominent participants of modern air shows, and highly popular. This unusually shaped aircraft, created almost 80 years ago, is today the embodiment of aesthetic and tasteful aircraft design.
Please see the paint guide below for the manufacturer’s recommended colors. Roden recommends Model Master paints for this kit, and you can find the full line by clicking here.
Is this your first time modeling, or your first time modeling in a while? Get all your basic tools in one convenient pack here.
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Product Details:
Scale: 1/48
Skill Level: 3
- Molded in high quality plastic
- Clear parts
- Illustrated instructions
- Includes decals for three versions:
- Beechcraft D17S, c/n 6880, USA private owner, Florida, 2001.
- Beechcraft D17S, c/n 3108, Australia private owner, 2010.
- Beechcraft D17S, N241K, UK private owner, 2010.
*Cement is recommended for polystyrene plastic*
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Paint Guide:
Aluminum Plate
Brass
Burnt Iron
Gloss Red
Gloss Blue
Chrome Yellow
Wood
Leather
Black
Steel
Chrome Silver
Classic White
Black Chrome Trim
Clear Red
Clear Green
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