Airbus A320, Cactus 1549

Airbus A320, N106US, US Airways “Cactus 1549” c. January 2009
Revell A320 in 1/144 scale, kit #04240, “Condor” boxing c. 2004 (née kit #04201 c. 2003)

US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled flight from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) to Charlotte Douglas International (KCLT) in North Carolina. On January 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 serving the flight struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia, losing all engine power. Given their position in relation to the available airports and their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles chose to glide the plane to ditching on the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan. Although the plane was awash within minutes in 41F water (5C), all 155 people on board were rescued by nearby ferries and small boats, with no deaths and few serious injuries. The time from the bird strike to the ditching was less than four minutes.

The incident quickly became known as "the Miracle on the Hudson" and a National Transportation Safety Board official described it as "the most successful ditching in aviation history". Flight simulations showed that the airplane could have returned to LaGuardia, had it turned toward the airport immediately after the bird strike. However, the Board found that scenario did not account for real-world considerations, and affirmed the ditching as providing the highest probability of survival, given the circumstances.

The pilots and flight attendants were awarded the Master's Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in recognition of their "heroic and unique aviation achievement".

The kit by revel was very good, with good fit and nice features, although with soft surface detailing. I installed a brass wing spar to help set the wind dihedral because I was concerned with the relatively soft plastic. I used mostly rattlecan spray paint (grey primer and gloss white) and Tamiya acrylics. Decals came from Pas Decals in Russia (before the sanctions!). The decals were fairly complete but pixelated and soft on detail when seen up close. They do stand up to 12-inch build noise threshold, and the airliner looks the part.

The kit is a tribute to the crew of Cactus 1539 and to their excellent airmanship.