SPH72385 1:72 Special Hobby C-41A 'US Transport Plane'

In the late 1960s, the Spanish Air Force, or Ej??rcito del Aire, was seeking a new transport aircraft. In order to meet the air force's needs, Spanish company CASA proposed a twin-engined, turboprop-powered, high-wing, non-retractable undercarriage cargo aircraft with STOL capabilities. The project known as the CASA C-212 Aviocar was eventually accepted and a pair of prototype machines took off for the first time in 1971. The Spanish Military assessed the suitability of the C-212 while using a small pre-production batch of eight aircraft. The type received military designation the T.12. Large scale production was commenced based on huge number of orders from almost all around the world and the type was also licence-built in Indonesia. Several consequent versions were also designed and built, differing by the type of engines used, elongated front fuselage section, larger tailplanes or added winglets.The original C-212-100 was equipped with TPE331-5-251C engines, the follow-up subversions were the C-212-200 with more powerful TPE331-10-501C power units, the C-212-300 with longer nose, winglets and fitted with even more powerful TPE331-10R-513C units and different style of propellers. Since 1984, the C-212-400 has been produced, having TPE331-12JR-701C powerplants, modernised avionic systems and increased payload.

The great number of customers and the wide variety of their requirements is the story behind why so many versions have been in production so far, which differ by the the powerplants, the styles of side fuselage sections and the entrance doors. The Ej??rcito del Aire itself, besides the pre-production batch T-12B airframes which would be later converted for photo-reconnaissance missions and known as the TR-12A, saw service of several other C-212 versions, ranging from the VIP transport type C-212 AV/T.12C through to maritime patrol airframes with large radomes and /or sensors in the front fuselage and on top of the tail fin (T.12D). It is obvious that the C-212 has been in service throughout the world and over all continents and the number of all civil sector users seems to be undefinite. In North America, the C-212 was used with the military of the United States (C-41 type), in Central and South America, air forces of Mexico, Panama, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina. The Casa is also still flying in Europe, with air forces of Sweden, Spain, Portugal, France and Malta. In Africa, the Casa can be seen from the very north down to the southernmost territories, the users were or still are for instance Chad, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and other countries. Down under, the Australian Army use their C-212s for training of the Red Beret Parachute Display Team, and the Australian Department of the Enviroment use their C-212s as a part of the Australian Antarctic Division over Antarctica. In Asia, the type is operated of course by Indonesia, but among other users there might be mentioned also Thailand, Vietnam or the Philippines.

The C-41A kit comes on five grey injection moulded sprues and two made of clear plastic. The Scheme A option, a US Army machine was fitted with a different type of side door dome window and we have correctly portrayed this feature and designed a new sprue with this alternative style of the side door. Along this white overall SOAC-operated machine with red and blue trim on the tail and a nice sword-emblem on the entrance door, the kit is going to offer the modeller also a pair of machines that flew with private military companies AWS and XeS (both emerged from the infamous Blackwater security company). The first one of these is also white overall with cheatline in two blues, the other is in dark grey and black. The final machine of our selection is a white C-41A of Evergreen International Airlines which was operated by CIA.