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Scale Model Shop

C-47 on D-Day question

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Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds

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I'm making progress on my C-47 dio but I was wondering if there are any pics out there on how it would be parked up? I'm wondering rather than just putting grass every where, would it have been parked up just off the runway?

This would allow me to make a base with the grass diagonally across it and the runway showing also.

Adrian
 
Most WWII D-day piccies, that I have seen, seem to show embarkation of troops with the C-47's on grassed areas just off the tarmac. Have also seen some parked up on tarmac showing D-day markings, hopefully someone more into aircraft and operations will be able to offer definitive advice.

Si:)
 
They would have had them organised in lines, all over the place wherever they would fit. http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ae167944_GGDDay05.jpg
 
Thread owner
Oh that pic is virtually what I had in mind, I've planned to have the plane with the following around it,,,,2 jeeps, one American staff car with Eisenhower and staff around it chatting to GI's along with an American truck off loading crates of supplies oh and a little Tilly as well. I have everything ready to go and have started the 20 plus figures and the Tilly so far :)

Adrian
 
sorry no help hear, but sounds very interesting and will look forward to seeing it :rolleyes:
 
Hi Adrian

This diorama sounds very impressive. It is in 1/72 isn't it and not 1/48?!!!

Looking forward to seeing the progress.

Cheers

P
 
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I'm still finishing off my 1:48th Ju-52, but in between I've made a small start on what I hope will be my centre piece. I plan to base it on a two piece base for transporting :)

Adrian
 
Interesting question on the weather front. As at that time there were low pressure areas with gales and lashing rain for a good time (remember it well !). So would the C47's have been parked on grass or hard standing. Do not know but there is some weight on the main wheels. Just a thought.

Laurie
 
The weather was indeed not too clever around the time. The invasion was of course postponed as a result. Nonetheless, of all the photos I have seen of transport aircraft which I am sure were taken during the correct period, the aircraft are parked both on grass fields and hard standings. There are many mis-captioned photographs in cyber-space :) I assume that if they got stuck the aircraft were just dug or dragged out.

I think for a D-Day diorama you are quite safe going with whatever groundwork you feel will look best.

Cheers

Steve
 
You have got my attention. 1/48 scale, that's going to need a big board..

Ian M
 
When I looked up the weather for the days before D Day came across this. Just wonder how this was laughed at at that time.

May 31st, 1944.

The officer in medical charge reports that a minor outbreak of infectious disease (German Measles 6 cases, Chicken Pox 2 cases) occurred but which now appears to have subsided.

Do not think it affected or is it infected any Dakotas.

First aircraft I ever flew in it was called a Dakmaster(Dakota) at that time. Flew from London to Jersey March 2nd 1962. Captain came on. The noise you here (big clumping banging noise) is lumps of ice falling off the wings and hitting the fuselage. Great entrance to flying. You walked up hill to your seat and were given glacier mints by the bucket loads to combat pressure on the ears and what pressure.

Laurie
 
Thread owner
\ said:
You have got my attention. 1/48 scale, that's going to need a big board..Ian M
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I plan to combine two boards with dowels so I can break it down for shows. The way I am building bigger stuff it will mean I take just a few models to shows rather than the 5-6 boxes of single aircraft I've built, its that or buy a van :)

Adrian
 
Buy yourself a second hand Dakota Adrian. Pile the stuff in and make a special delivery and make the show. Show the C47 model against the real thing.

A winner I think. No- oh well down to earth so to speak.

Laurie
 
\ said:
They would have had them organised in lines, all over the place wherever they would fit. http://www.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ae167944_GGDDay05.jpg
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This picture alone shows the truly massive operation that was D-day.
 
\ said:
This picture alone shows the truly massive operation that was D-day.
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Except that none of those aircraft have 'Distinctive Markings' a.k.a. invasion stripes. The markings were to be applied as late as possible. The operational memorandum contains the following.

'Army, Navy and Air Commanders will disseminate complete information concerning these distinctive markings to all troops under their commands no earlier before the day of the assault than will insure [sic] the complete distribution of the information'

Underlined in the original.

For most units this was 48-24 hours before the original date for D-Day.

That photo was taken well before D-Day or well after. The markings were not entirely removed until much later.

Cheers

Steve
 
I wonder were Steve's (Kir) picture of the C47 was taken ? That is a big flat area to find in Britain. Have you any idea Steve (Kir) ?

Another thing I found is that the Americans called the transporter the C47 the Dakota was an RAF term for the aircraft. It was taken apparently from the first letters of Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft.

I have always thought the looks of the Vickers Viscount had some of the Dakota in it.

Laurie
 
\ said:
I wonder were Steve's (Kir) picture of the C47 was taken ? That is a big flat area to find in Britain.Laurie
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There were a lot of US bases in East Anglia and that's flat as a pan cake :)

Might that picture be from 'Varsity'? I think that the lower portion of the stripes was still in place at the time of 'Market Garden' (but I haven't checked.) I can't tell if they are there or not in the photo.

Steve
 
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