Northrop Alpha - Dekno 1/72nd resin

 

 

Here is the snappy Northrop Alpha, the first in a family of the then newly-conceived, all-metal, single-engine, stressed-skin monoplanes of which the Gamma and Delta are arguably the most well-known. Fortunately for us Golden Age and civil plane lovers, Dekno kitted this iconic plane and also the technically-similar Boeing Monomail that I have also posted here.

For some notes and graphic material please visit the step-by-step building post:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2022/08/northop-alpha-dekno-172nd-resin.html

With its sort of chubby and stumpy charm, the Alpha can be seen on the tarmac with a proud stance, ready to carry passengers and mail from coast to coast like a gleaming arrow.

Different versions can be done starting with the Dekno kits, as they were released with naked LG legs or trousers, and the windows -and many other details- can be treated accordingly in respect to the specific plane one would like to represent. Provided you are willing to do some work and have a pinch of ingenuity, this kit has potential, but I think this would be better suited for the more experienced. I used the fantastic decal sheet + masks from Arctic Decals specifically designed for this kit.

 Fellow modelers may notice the uncommon lighting in some of the photos, very unusual for California, but there were special circumstances: