Sikorsky S.39 Varney Air Ferries - CMR 1/72nd resin

 

Yet one more successful design from the prolific mind of Igor Sikorsky, the S.39 of 1930. A smaller, single-engine version of the S.38, it lent reliable service to a number of airlines and private owners. Visually intricate yet beautiful, performed very well in spite of the myriad of struts and the many rigging and control cables that were part of it.

For further comments and a step-by-step account of the build, please go here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2021/09/sikorsky-s39-cmr-172nd-resin.html

I built this model in parallel with another S.39, "Spirit of Africa":

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2021/12/spirit-of-africa-sikorsky-s39-cmr-172nd.html

and a Sikorsky S.38 from the same kit manufacturer, CMR. These resin kits were released a number of years ago:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2021/12/inter-island-airways-kauai-sikorsky-s38.html

The S.39 kit has great detail, and is (mainly) well-cast, but presents a number of challenges, not all of them minor, all detailed in the in-progress posts. This kit will give a run for their money to even moderately experienced modelers.

Still, we should be grateful that these two iconic machines, the S.39 and S.38, have been kitted at all by CMR, given their beauty, historical significance, and obvious complexity. The detail on the S.39 is exquisite, but no so much on the S.38 kit (to be posted soon). The modeler will have to fix some issues, modify some parts, replace others, and overall be skillful, creative and resourceful in order to achieve a safe landing. Besides, there is no such thing as an "all parts fit all" solution, and, depending on the plane you are building, details most likely will vary, therefore, and once again, study the specific plane you intend to replicate, and modify accordingly. A challenging little one this one is, as Master Yoda may have said.

The plane represented here flew with Varney Air Ferries in San Francisco, CA, circa 1931/32, and is part of the kit versions offered in the decal sheet, but it needs a few details corrected to be more accurate (again, detailed in the build post).