Uruguayan Air Force Fairchild FH-227D (LCD) - 571

On Friday, October 13, 1972, the Fairchild FH-227 of the Uruguayan Air Force operating a charter flight from Montevideo to Santiago de Chile crashed in the Andes. Of the 45 passengers and crew members, including a team of young rugby players, 32 people initially survived the crash in the mountains at an altitude of around 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Their limited food supplies were quickly used up. For days they waited in vain for rescue, until they learned from a small pocket radio that the search for them had been abandoned. In desperation, the group, reduced to just 16 survivors after an avalanche, undertook several expeditions. After a 10-day trek through the Andes, two survivors finally came across a drover. He rode eight hours to the nearest police station to get help. Ultimately, the odyssey ended after 72 days, during which the group was afflicted by unspeakable suffering and despair, but was also able to persevere thanks to their will and hope for survival. This limited edition 1/200 scale model was created in collaboration with the Museo Andes 1972 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Numerous publications and movies have already been made about this incredible story of survival. Find out more about the museum and its many tasks and events at www.mandes.uy.