Miniwing 1/144 DeHavilland D.H.C.3 Otter
By David Haas
Parts and assembly diagram
The latest release from the prolific crew at Miniwing just arrived and immediately muscled its way to the top of the to-do pile: it is DeHavilland of Canada’s D.H.C.3 “Otter” bushplane. I applaud Miniwing’s subject choice, as it fits into numerous collection categories—Canadian aviation, U.S. Army aviation, Vietnam War veterans, cargo props, to name only the most obvious—and is an important, if often overlooked, aircraft. More historical info will follow during the build review.
THE PACKAGE
The kit arrived in a sturdy box with a pleasing color photograph label attached to the top of said box. To quote Garfield, “Nice touch.” The contents were confined within sealed plastic bags, and all parts survived shipment without damage.
THE KIT HARDWARE
Colors and markings guide
The kit consists of 19 cream-colored resin parts, 3 clear resin parts, and 6 pieces of photo-etched metal. I am particularly pleased that the propeller comes as a resin hub with photo-etch blades. Yes, it is a bit more work; but it will avoid that overscale club-like appearance of so many props in 1/144 scale, and a full-size template is thoughtfully provided in the instructions. The resin parts are smooth, well-cast, and bubble-free. Surface detail is restrained and clean, as is appropriate to the scale. The photo of the kit’s parts shows how nicely the aileron and flap hinge brackets are cast on the underside of the wing. If things fit together as well as I expect, this will be a straightforward build indeed. Accuracy and size evaluations will be included in the build review, but I must say that the shapes all look good for now.
THEN KIT “SOFTWARE”
Decal options
Miniwing has again used color coding on the exploded view assembly diagram: nothing fancy, but easily comprehensible. The decal sheet offers two choices of markings: U.S. Army Vietnam (1960’s) and Canadian Armed Forces (1980’s). The American markings’ colors are grainy, but the Canadian markings are clean and very crisp, not to mention attractive. No points for guessing which ones I will use.
SUMMARY
Well done, Miniwing! Thanks for another great addition to the ever-growing selection of excellent models available to the world’s community of 1/144 builders and collectors. I look forward to building this little jewel ASAP. Thanks very much to Miniwing for the review sample.