Jackie Cochran's Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing
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Modeling the Beechcraft D17 that Cochran used to set the women's speed record in 1937. According to this website (thisdayinaviation.com/tag/beechcraft-d17w/), Beechcraft loaned her NX17081, which she used to set the record. It was re-engined and registered as NC17081, as in the picture. (According to Robert Smith's book, she used the one she later bought and used for racing and in which she set an altitude record. I like the color scheme of NC17081, so I'm modeling that one, but perhaps I'll build another at some point to model her green racer).
The kit I've got is for the floatplane, but the floats are wrong anyway, and the main sprue is identical to the Sword version with regular landing gear, which is what I'll be building. I have a copy of the instructions for the other version, but Sword instructions aren't super clear at any rate, so I'm not sure how much that will help me!
Decals are based on the Red Pegasus Decals sheet of factory graphics, but I'm making my own to change the color of the stripes and lettering to Stearman Vermillion.
