During the Battle of the Philippines, in 1941, the FEAF (Far East Air Force) of the USAAC, suffered enormous losses, during the retreat to Bataan and Corregidor, the fighting in the jungle was desperate, the surrounded and isolated troops had to be supplied and to be able to evacuate their wounded, to do so, there were no longer military aircraft, so the available civil aircraft were introduced into service, forming what was known as the Bamboo Fleet.
This was the "Old Number Nine", a Bellanca Peacemaker, which flew at night, over the battlefield, without weapons and without escort, landing on improvised runways, opened with machete, received by the Japanese anti-aircraft artillery, with urgent loads of medicines and ammunition, taking off under fire and flying hundreds of kilometers at night, as fast as possible so that daylight would not surprise them in a dangerous area, infested with enemy fighters, All this, in an old plane, repaired a thousand times, slow and with very basic instruments.
Model used an old Lindberg Piper in 1/48, added with pieces made with scratch, to represent a Bellanca in 1/72, paint El Viejo Marino, all with a brush.
