C-160A Transall CICR/Balair HB-ILN

Alex K
Excellent idea - I've been meaning for some time to do this as well... (although in smaller scale) 👍 👍

Geoffrey Python
Yeah I fell in love with it when I bought the 1/200 model from Herpa along with the international red cross C-97 (I happen to have a 1/72 c97 lying around somewhere 😏).

I don't know if it's doable yet though, I'm soon gonna try making custom decals for some of my projects and but I'm not sure it's gonna look good, especially on alclad metallic paints since they're not varnished. The other option is to use custom laser cutted masks which I can get from someone I know, I'll try that too and we'll see!

Alex K
Hehe... I was gonna say it would then need a C-97 companion! These (and all the various old props used in the Biafra airlift) are terrific modelling subjects that should attract more attention. Good luck with your plans, mate!

Thomas Bischoff
I m in too! Wanted to do this myself but this requires converting to an early version

Geoffrey Python
I haven't really looked into it yet, do you know what would be the major differences between this aircraft (which was one of the 3 prototypes if I'm not mistaken) and later versions? Obviously there was no refuelling probe or antennas on top of the fuselage and no central fuel tanks between the wings but other than that I don't know, I'm not very familiar with Transalls... I'm gonna admit I was kinda planning on going "good enough" mode and not care about details but if it's within my skills then maybe not!

I agree red cross birds need more attention!

Thomas Bischoff
I am also not a Transall expert. The most obvious is I think the different Radar Radome. The C-160D is more pointed.
The HB-ILN was the 3rd pre-production aircraft and belonged to the Luftwaffe before being handed over to Balair.

Ekki
Watching too.

Michael Watzke
Interesting project.

Michael Watzke
I've written something about this aircraft some month ago and I like to share it with you.

The original is written in German language, the translation is simply done by Google.

Transall C-160A serial number A-03
NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS TRUE IS IN BOOKS.

Today I want to tell you a story that, the way it happened, is not in any book.
After the three prototypes V1 - V3, six pre-series machines of the Transall were built, A-01 to A-06, type designation C-160A.
Three were taken over by the Armée de l'Air and three by the Luftwaffe.
The C-160A MSN A-03 had its maiden flight on August 27, 1965. With the registration number YA+052, it was subjected to troop testing by the ErpSt-61 in Manching. It was primarily used for low-level flight testing in Mont-de-Marsan and Istres.
In 1968 she was the first Transall to go to the LTG 63 in Hohn, where she was given the number plate 50+04.
The first training flights were undertaken, and a first mission took them to Tehran.
In the spring of 1969, at the behest of the federal government, the A-03 was chartered to the International Red Cross for 4 months or 1200 flight hours to fly supply flights in what was then Biafra.
The flights were to be operated by the Swiss BALAIR.
At the time of this decision, the aircraft was being checked at NordAviation in Villaroche/France for a 600-hour check.
There it was prepared for use, including being painted and marked D-ABYG.
After the transfer flight, it was handed over to BALAIR on October 17, 1968, previously re-registered to HB-ILN.
She was stationed in Douala/Cameroon and flew around 200 supply flights in the following 4 months and was in the air for 650 hours.
During these missions, she was repeatedly shot at with grenade launchers and rockets, but always returned to her airport, albeit damaged. A wing was shot through during an operation.
During this time, she flew 2,270 tons of cod, powdered milk, salt and medicines to Biafra. Of the almost 200 missions, 25 had to be canceled for military reasons.
After 4 months, the A-03 returned slightly damaged to Lemwerder for the 1200-hour check-up.
Here the literature becomes somewhat incomplete or unclear, it is not entirely clear whether the Biafra missions were extended or not, it may be that the missions lasted almost two years.
At the end of the missions, after returning to Lemwerder, the A-03 was to be scrapped. The scrapping date is April 14, 1972 in the books.
This is the "official" part, which is what you find in the books, skimmed through and assembled.
That could have been the end of one of the first Transalls. But it wasn't.

The actual scrapping did not take place in Lemwerder.
The wings, the tail unit and parts of the landing gear were removed, and "important innards" were also removed.
Then, hard to believe, in 1971 the fuselage of the A-03 was shipped to Rendsburg by ship, then (if you know your way around) it was "rolled" along the B77 federal road and the "Panzerstraße" to the Hohn air base.
At first nobody wanted her there. The air base fire brigade was offered them for evacuation exercises, as were the flying crews. It was also discussed as a coffee shop for the Technical Group. Nobody wanted or could make friends with her, she was wheeled from one parking space to another.
Then, in 1974, the commander of the Technical Group decided to use the fuselage as a command post for the Technical Group staff.
The A-03, or rather the remains of it, was conserved and buried about 3 meters deep in the ground, covered with a thick layer of soil at the top.
It was used for the first time in 1975 at the TAC EVAL as a command post.
After 10 years, in the summer of 1985, the ravages of time had taken such a toll on the fuselage that it was decided to put the A-03 out of service forever.
To this end, pioneers moved in and salvaged the hull from 2,000 m3 of rubble and earth. The entire operation took four days and one night, and two days were needed just to uncover the fuselage.
She then fulfilled her last task with the air base fire brigade, on October 16, 1985 the sad remains of the Transall C-160A serial number A-03 were set on fire for training purposes.

If you want to read more or see more pictures:
brummel-ltg63.de/kosten/
Issues 08/85, 10/85 and 02/86

Michael Watzke
Sorry, take this link: brummel-ltg63.de/ausgaben/

Geoffrey Python
Well thanks for all the infos! The old lady sure has an interesting story!

I hadn't seen that the nose was different, though it's quite obvious now that you pointed it out. It also seems like the propellers are different. I'll try to see if it's something Ii can change or not!

Michael Watzke
Dear Geoffrey,

the three prototypes, the six pre-series machines and the first series machines had the smaller, round radome. The series machines were retrofitted with the large radome shortly after they went into service.
Unfortunately, the small radome is not available in 1:72, so do-it-yourself is the order of the day.
The propellers are all the same, only the French NG- and R-versions had composite propellers as an option.

Geoffrey Python
Thanks, I'll try to make a custom nose radome by modifying the existing one, I have 2-3 1/71 C-130 nose radomes I'll use as test subjects and we'll see how that goes! For the propellers I'll see what I can do but I'll probably just keep the same ones.