Crash Recovery Diorama
Completed May 2010

Airfix - 1/72 GMC CCKW 353
Airfix - 1/72 Douglas A-26B Invader
Airfix - 1/72 Willys Jeep & Trailer
Airfix - 1/76 Queen Mary Trailer ( x 2 )
Airfix - 1/76 Thorneycroft/Coles Crane
The diorama is a joint recovery by the RAF and USAAF, of a force landed A-26B Invader. USAAF Recovery crews who arrived on the scene by GMC and Jeep, have stripped the airframe into sub-assemblies. With the assistance of the RAF, they are loading the pieces on to RAF Queen Mary trailers using the Thorneycroft/Coles crane.
All of the kits have been modified in some way. The A-26 Invader was cut into sections with each break detailed with aircraft structure. The engines were also detailed with copper wire exhausts which took 4 hours per engine. Both of the Queen Mary trailers were modified to more correctly represent the fullsize. Airfix botched their research, and combined details of the 3 ton and 5 ton versions into one model.

I converted my trailers to represent one of each type which involved replacing much of the cross bracing, making new towing hitches and moving wheels. The Bedford trucks were also enlarged slightly as they are too small out of the box.

The Jeep and its trailer were built out of the box, but the GMC truck had a scratch built No 7 set crane added to the back.

The Thorneycroft Amazon truck had the doors opened and glazing added, while the crane was corrected due to another of Airfix's research errors, again combining two fullsize designs into one model.

Back