Fairchild C-82A Packet - From the ‘The Flight of the Phoenix’

From the 1965 film directed by Robert Aldrich - ‘The Flight of the Phoenix’, from the book by Elleston Trevor

The first Fairchild C-82A Packet flew in 1944 and was used by the USAirforce with limited success fro the next 10 years.

‘The Flight of the Phoenix’ is a thrilling film detailing a fight for physical and mental survival in the Sahara desert. The plane crash lands amid a fierce sand storm and is damaged beyond repair. What follows is a fascinating story, played by well known actors headed by James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch and Hardy Kruger, all at the top of their game.

This aircraft and its role in the film surely appeals to all model-makers. It certainly struck a chord with me whenI I fisrt saw it as a youngster on TV one Saturday night. This what-if box top imagines an Airfoix kit of the doomed aircraft,,It would probably be in the same Series as the Short Sunderland and Stirling.

This film is availabe on DVD and Streaming Services and is well worth a watch. (Avoid the 2004 remake, it is inferior in every way!).

Designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft