Short Skyliner - Conversion of Airfix 1/72nd Short Skyvan + Arctic Decals and IPMS Austria aftermarket set

 

That the Shorts Skyvan is a very popular kit -that is actually built in numbers instead of being attic insulation- is a testament to Airfix’s choice of subject, yet the kit is showing its age as it was released in 1975… fifty-one years ago. You can see many models online either in the kit’s decals or using the various aftermarket ones. The kit depicts one of the types, but other versions (and the cute prototype) used different power plants, multi-blade props, and had cabin doors on both sides associated with other window arrangements. The latter is called “Skyliner” and had other details that differ from the kit. Even “normal” Skyvans differ from each other, so some of the kit’s details may not apply, especially if you venture with aftermarket decals.

I selected the specific subject for my build attracted by the possibility of making some of those changes and representing a plane dedicated to SCIENCE and the ENVIRONMENT. This plane for many years served as a Laboratory of Space Technology for the Aalto University/Helsinki University of Technology (Alvar Aalto was a famous Finnish architect and designer). This plane went through some changes in equipment and appearance, depending on the mission.

The modifications to the kit and the step-by-step build can be seen here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2025/11/shorts-skyvan-laboratory-of-space.html

The decals are from Arctic Decals, a Finnish decal maker (same as the plane’s registration, as it happens 😊)

The Airfix kit, as mostly any other kit, has its quirks, some you may live with, some need to be addressed. Airfix is re-releasing it, unfortunately without bothering to improve it or add anything to it (just a downloadable file to 3D-print alternate props…instead of providing them). While some of the Airfix kits being re-released are really not good (some I personally consider abominable), this one with some work -and until other manufacturer can provide a modern version of it- will have to do. I only wish that aftermarket manufacturers offering 3D-printed articles or resin, could release sets with the different power plants, props, and maybe windows/doors conversion sets to represent other versions.

For this build I acquired a set from IPMS Austria (thanks Rainer, Sönke and Christos) containing photo-etched parts, masks, and pre-cut windows. Not all parts were used as some do not apply to this subject, but it’s a nice set. Pity the current completely absurd tariff situation perpetrated by president stupid and his obsequent zombies, that severely hinders or makes impossible international orders in many cases.

As I was building this model, LACI released landing flaps for the Skyvan. They are 3D-printed and designed to be posed deployed. They involve some surgery that is better performed by experienced modelers. The detail on the actuators is lacking. The flaps will no doubt lend the model additional interest, but I wish they would have done instead the different engines (maybe a detailed one to expose in the nacelle?), props and spinners the Skyvan used along its life. As the flaps need to be imported for US customers, the same inane, dumb tariff situation will affect their purchase.

My most relevant piece of advice for modelers building this plane or any other Skyvan subject with complex color separation/masking, would be, retrospectively, to sand down all those too-prominent rivets and re-do them with a riveting wheel, sunken, instead of popping. Or at the very least sand them down up to a point where they do not protrude the way they do. Otherwise, no matter how cautious you are doing the masking, those rivets will encourage seeping and over-spraying leading to tedious and not always totally effective touch-up sessions.AND DO NOT forget to add nose weight. I added as much as I could in the space between cockpit and floor (as I displayed the nose hinged up and could not get any weight there) and a breeze would still make the model sit on its tail. 

In spite of the absolutely well-deserved criticism, Airfix’s Skyvan with some TLC can be rendered into a credible model, and the changes needed to make this particular plane using the beautiful Arctic Decal set are not beyond the capacity of the everyday modeler, needing basically the addition of a couple windows and doors.

Most of the changes are listed here (you don’t need to do all of these; a simpler approach will render an equally interesting scientific research plane*)

Addition of two windows and opening two cabin doors (conversion to Skyliner)

Closing fuselage aft ramp and practicing a new opening following photos

Removing beacon from fuselage top and fabricating and install new one

Modifying beacon on belly

Installing small light on nose landing gear

Providing wing and tail nav lights

Opening right cockpit door

Modifying interior to reflect photos of the subject, providing new bulkhead and proper number of seats, adding photo-etched parts from the IPMS Austria set

Detailing aileron and flap hinges

Replacing kit’s Pitot probes for home-made ones

Replacing all antennas for the ones seen in the subject photos

Adding a resemblance of structure to the interior of the aft fuselage to be seen through the new opening

Fabricating and installing a resemblance of the scientific equipment on the aft fuselage bay

Replacing all cabin windows

Preparing the separate nose to be posed open, fabricating an adding the thimble radome

Discarding kit’s nose bulkhead and fabricating and install an accessories section to be seen at the fuselage front

Discarding kit’s engine exhausts and fabricate new ones from metal tube

Adding small angular blister seen in photos under the radome

*You can mark the new cabin doors as an outline, no need to open the cockpit door, the back fuselage is seen closed in some photos (i.e. no instrumentation or new bulkhead needed), the cabin interior can be painted black, you can keep the hinged nose closed, etc.)

My thanks go to the above-mentioned people for producing the necessary items that made possible this model.

In a world that seems to be suicidal, criminally disregarding science and environment, be this my minuscule homage to the people that still believe in them, care about them, and work for them.

A note about the decals: the Arctic Decals set provides very nice decals for the props, but mine were finished (with paint) before the decals arrived, so they were not used on the model. After photographing the model I realized I had forgotten to add some minute decals that were still on the sheet showing connecting ports and the fuel type placard. These were added after the photos were taken. Not visible in these photos is the registration under the left wing (can't do an "in flight" shot as all the doors are opened).