MAC Forum

Picked up another Dubena kit. This time it's their DC-7 model



One of the last piston-engined airliners intended for mainline service...



...the DC-7 was plagued by engine reliability 'issues' and were the first to be sold off by airlines when jets joined their fleet.

Left - my Dubena Convair CV-880 - Right - My Dubena Douglas DC-7

Nice kits! I just got some decals made for my Dubena Electra and during assembly I was impressed by the castings! The undercarriage and props leave a bit to be desired; it scaled out at 1/239. Pictures when I have results.
(PS: Speaking of pictures, I have been scanning in lots of old film pictures of late and part of those were shots for TPN and MAQ! All I can say is: God Bless the Digital Camera! That was an expensive group of crappy pictures! Now each one is a winner! ...and no waiting!)

I love DC-7Cs, I wish I could've had a flight in one when they were new, but that was about nine years before I was born. I do make up for that loss with my little collection of them, of which the Dubena is not among them! (Probably because it is a plastic model kit and not a toy - though I do have some kits).

My last big propliner flight was in a Delta DC-7B from Atlanta to DC in the summer of 1968. I sat in the lounge forward of the engines, facing backwards. At the time I remember remarking to myself "Wow...a prop plane..haven't seen one in a long time". National Airport in DC was too short to accommodate the new jetliners, so service by the last propliners and Electras continued a bit longer. After that summer Delta would retire it's last piston airplanes and use the new DC-9 on the route.
Beyond that I also flew in Braniff and EAL Electras, EAL DC-7Bs and Constellations, and Braniff DC-6s and everybody's Convairs! Some memories are vivid, others are only wisps...
However...my past is coming back to me...click on the link and read the comments...
http://blogs.chron.com/bayoucityhistory ... rpo_1.html

MichaelB wrote:Nice kits! I just got some decals made for my Dubena Electra and during assembly I was impressed by the castings! The undercarriage and props leave a bit to be desired; it scaled out at 1/239. Pictures when I have results.

Another post on the topic mentioned that the Dubena kits were reissues of the Siku line of toy aeroplanes in kit form - hence the toy-like landing gear.

The 1/239 scale mates up nicely with my collection of AeroMini jets...



...and my Gemini Jets DC-8-61