Scratch-built 1/72nd scale Bellanca Model K completed

 

 

 

The Flight That Never Was

Incredible as it may sound, there was an Argentinean Bellanca Model K.

At least for a little while. And it never left the US.

It was purchased from the Bellanca company to take it to Buenos Aires, Argentina (not Brazil, fellows, that's another country, get your Geography straight) to attempt a long-distance/duration flight to Seville, Spain, piloted by Claudio Mejía and Diego Arzeno. The flight never took place.

The plane was no other than the Bellanca Roma, that failed its own long-distance flight to...well, Rome of course. It had to turn back only after 15 minutes or so due to engine failure. That problem will persist and ultimately be the cause of the Argentineans returning the plane to Bellanca and demanding their down-payment back in no uncertain terms.

The K will still re-incarnate as the mount for African-American pilot Fauntleroy Hubert Julian in a flight that...did not happen, and yet again as the "#13" for another (guess what: failed) duration flight at the hands of Haldeman and Chadwick., and as the Enna Jettick into another (your are right: failed) flight to Oslo (Os-lo decimos por última vez).
Each time the machine changed owners, it also changed its color and decoration. So there are several nice schemes for the adventurous...

For more info, some little pearls, and the step-by-step building article, please go here:
http://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2015/04/scratchbuilt-172nd-scale-bellanca-k.html

(The model construction was mostly based on a preliminary version of the plan by George Kandylakis, see below for the Skyways magazine note)

I take the opportunity to reiterate here my thanks to Tom Polapink, editor of Skyways magazine, George Kandylakis -via a connection kindly made possible by Kees Kort-, Lars Opland of Khee-Kha Art Products and Dave W. Ostrowski.

To all my gratitude

The next issue (May) of Skyways magazine will feature extensive coverage on the Bellanca Airbus, Aircruiser and K, it will include never-seen-before material.

It is going to be available in a few weeks here:
http://www.ww1aeroinc.org/