NORD N2501D ‘UII’ D107 (52-189)
A LITTLE HISTORY...
I chose to finish my model in the colours and markings of the
aeroplanes in service with the Hellenic Air Force in the mid-
seventies. As referred to earlier in this article, 57 Noratlases were
supplied to the Hellenic Air Force as a part of a program to
compensate for the damage inflicted to Greece during the
German occupation of the country in WWII. One of these planes
was 52-189, which was acquired by the German Air Force on 21
June 1960. Its construction number was D107 and its delivery
code was KA+118. The aeroplane was delivered to 1.LTG 61 and
was coded as GA+105. She operated exclusively with 1.LTG 61
and when the German Air Force aircraft coding system was
revised in 1968, she was repainted as 52+89. On 11 November
1970 she was transferred to the Hellenic Air Force (repainted as
52-189). The German insignia and the squadron emblem were
painted over, even though the spinner colours (white in the case of
1.LTG 61) and Day-Glo painted areas were retained. She was
allotted to 354 Tactical Transport Squadron, 112 Combat Wing,
HAF, and was permanently based in Eleusis Air Force Base. In
mid-1974 the tension existing between Greece and Turkey over
Cyprus escalated to war, and the Turkish Army landings on the
island caused the immediate response of the Greek side. Thus 52-
189 took part in operation ‘Niki’ (the Greek word for ‘Victory’)
during the night of 20/21 July 1974, airlifting 30 rangers of the 1st
Greek Rangers Squadron from Souda AFB, Crete, to Nicosia. She
was captained by Squadron Leader George Mitsainas and crewed
by Squadron Leader Chris Kyriakopoulos (second pilot), Chief
Master Sergeant Alexander Foutsis (navigator) and Warrant Officer
Constantinos Simos (flight mechanic) – officers’ ranks are at the
time of the operation. Almost a full year after the Cyprus war, in
May 1975, 52-189 is seen in her grey-green camouflage colouring,
the Day-Glo areas have nevertheless, been repainted in dark grey.
She ended her days painted in the three-tone TAC (Vietnam)
scheme, and was struck off-charge in Eleusis, seen there as a
derelict airframe in 1992. She was eventually recorded as
scrapped, in April 1996.As referred to earlier in this article, and in
order to show the models’ interior more
easily, some form of lighting had to be
incorporated in the construction. I used JS
Miniatures’ Small Scale Lights
(www.smallscalelights.co.uk) products,
namely the 3V Ultra Nano SMD Chip LEDs
with 16cm insulated wires. I opted for scale
lighting but as the light intensity emitted by
the LEDs precluded this, I blocked the
LEDs with a piece of thin white plasticard;
thus the light was reduced to acceptable
levels. As the firm offers a full range of
products, a set of Micro Plug Connectors,
a 3V battery holder and an on/off switch
were also purchased. The latter were
assembled as an external power source to
be plugged in, as and when needed.
As can be seen in the drawing, four lights were used for the cargo compartment, one for the
entrance/electronics compartment and one for the cockpit. All lights were installed in the same places
where some of the actual aircraft floodlights were located.The female plug is seen in place just before I sealed it with Milliput White
epoxy putty. The holes were plugged with thin wire during the filling work.On the finished model, two small dots barely visible are the only exterior marks
of the work done with the lighting.