In about 2011, I joined the Facebook forum, Indian Scale Modelers, through Mr. Jagan Pillaraishetti. This forum introduced me to a whole array of aircraft scale modelers. I was able to finally find aircraft scale modelling kits in Bangalore, and I made my first model, a P-51. I made a lot of mistakes in the build, and learnt from them. This is the time when I met Retd. Lt. Col. Narendra Divekar, who advised me to try making a wooden scale model from Pine wood, a very cheap wood, and gave me inputs of how to make it. Later, asking guidance from him and Mr. Vinayak Dutt Shukla, I started a long saga of building the HAL HT-2 Scale model, even though I built a from a few kits alongside initially. This aircraft was the first Powered aircraft that India built, after its independence. It was designed by Late. Dr. V.M Ghatge, and test flown, by Capt. J.K. Munshi. The design was based on the British trainer De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk. The aircraft made its first flight on August 5, 1951 with Capt. Munshi at the controls, and a Gypsy Moth engine powering the aircraft. The aircraft entered the Indian Air force, as a primary trainer and stayed in service till around 1990. Another version, with a Lycoming engine (against the Cirrus Major III on the older types, which were in service) also entered service, but even it had its shortcomings. Even with the shortcomings of the aircraft, including with the braking and fuel systems, the aircraft served the purpose of a primary flight trainer for the IAF for around four decades and many great IAF officers were trained in these aircraft. There was also a saying in IAF that “If one can fly a HT-2, they can fly any other aircraft in the world”. The aircraft also was the first Indian made aircraft to be exported, for use in the Ghana Air force, where around 12 aircraft saw service as a trainer, and an early retirement, in Singapore flying club, and also two aircraft participated in airshows in Australia. Despite its Legacy, it is a sad fact, very few, out of the aviation circles and enthusiasts know about this aircraft. I fell in love with the aircraft, when I saw it on display in Dharmastala, Karnataka and my search on the internet for more information about this aircraft led me to aviation forums, and aircraft scale modelling!. The number of Kits available for modelling IAF aircraft, specifically those made in India, were very less, and that includes the HT-2 too. When Mr. Narendra advised me to do a wooden aircraft scale model, my choice was the HT-2.

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I started the process on 18 September 2011 with scaling few drawings that I could get online to a scale of 1:72, and took printouts. Also I used images sent to me by Mr. Mike Edwards, of Indian Vintage Flight, which has the best preserved HT-2, which would be brought to flying soon. I started by sticking the images on wood and cut it to shape roughly by my new wood working tools. This was my first job on wood. First issue that arose was that I selected the wrong part of wood, which had a knot. I had to use metal paste, to fill it up. I had to file it and sand it to shape. The fuselage was of one piece, and the canopy and the tail fin was from a different piece (As I couldn’t do it of the same piece). The wing, horizontal fins, rudders, elevators, were from a different piece. It was not only that I had selected the wrong piece of wood, but was also wrong time, since my 11ths exams were nearing. It was followed by my 12th classes, exams, entrance tests to Engineering, Admissions, a long process!, and the work I did in this period was very minimal. I was able to work again after a gap of nearly three years, and I made the undercarriage, Pitot tube and the engine exhausts out of toothpicks. The shocks of the undercarriage were cut out of ice-cream sticks. The engine air-vents, the tail wheel fork cover made of pine wood. The ADF antenna, and the tail wheel fork where made of LED leads. The prop was made of a small piece of the same wood, cut, filed and sanded into shape. For the spinner, I fixed a small block of wood in hand drill, which I secured in a bench vice, spun it in one hand and shaped it in the other with progressive sand papers. I then cut it out of it, made a slot, stuck the propeller in there and filled the gaps with metal paste and sanded it. I made a hole near where the prop is to be placed and stuck a small pin in there, and made a hole behind the prop, so that it can be placed in any orientation on the model. The main wheels were made out of the buttons that my mother would use with her earrings, flattening one part, like a tire under weight and increased its hole’s size to fit to the undercarriage. The rear wheel where made from a cut piece of electrical wire, removing the copper wire, and inserted a toothpick in its place. Gripping from the toothpick, I later sanded the insulation to shape and size, cut of the excess toothpick and sanded it to shape. I made a frame structure from pieces of masking tape on the canopy, which later showed up like the frame, embossed from the surface. I later scribed the wood from an old, empty ball point pen. I had another hiccup, as there were issues with scribing on the areas of metal paste. My work halted again due to college work, and whatever the work I did, it was mainly sanding, filling places with acrylic putty and scribing. I sanded it out with progressive grits, and finally did wet sanding. Here again, due to excess of water, the wood started to swell. I had to redo scribing at parts again. When everything looked OK, I sprayed a coat of Bosny grey primer. I later sprayed Bosny silver, in few coats. The other colors were the camel acrylic colors, with medical spirit as thinner. Here again, there were issues, with paint coming off with the masking tape, so I had to do few things freehand, and to top it all, I was always bad with painting! After many editing and redoing, I finalized the paint job. Delicate numbering such as those under the wing and near the tail, was done with a black OHP marker. The decals used, were from Daman and those sent to me by Mr. Alexander Fernandez. I sprayed a coat of Bosny clear. The horizontal stab, tail wheel fork and the undercarriage came off after the clear. I had to stick and repair it again. I later did two coats of clear, and called the model done on 16 December 2016. The whole job took whole five years to finish, though I had probably work for a total of a few months!

I made a base of ivory sheet, painting the taxiway surface, boxes and the taxiing lines. I stuck it on thermocol board, and took photos with my mobile. I plan to make a special base for the model, because this holds a special place for me, being my companion in these five years!. At least now, I won’t have to look at my table and feel bad I have not finished it, or stop myself from any kit builds, as I had vowed not to do any till this is complete.

Ullas U

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