Modelsvit 1/48 Curtiss XP-55 “Assender” (oops - misspelled)
Designed and built by Curtiss-Wright in St Louis (probably in the same building where I worked for MacAir). Three were built, two crashed. The remaining survived and is on display at the Kalamazoo “Air Zoo”.
The box includes a small PE fret, Masks for clear parts (inside and outside) and wheels, and decals. No aftermarket parts are available, nor are they needed.
Being a limited run kit, parts have no locating pins, and almost every prt has flash. Lots of flash – sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s flash and what’s part. Surface detail is very nice and construction is straightforward. Control surfaces (ailerons, flaps, rudders) are molded with the flying surfaces which further simplifies construction. The aft end engine cooling flaps are provided as PE. They fit, although I would rather have plastic.
The only glitch I found is that the canopy is about a millimeter narrower than the fuselage where they mate, creating a noticeable step.
Other than dry-fitting every part before committing to glue, construction was drama-free. Decals are wonderful, the carrier film disappearing nicely after application. Markings are provided for two aircraft: the second prototype (the surviving aircraft) and the third, which I modeled.
I made a mistake installing the main landing gear – they aren’t fully extended. I interpreted the instructions incorrectly.
The resemblance to Rutan’s “Varieze” is amazing: pusher prop, highly swept wings, vertical fins near the wingtips and canard control surfaces.
Started May 5, 2025
Completed June 16, 2025
Paints:
MMP-091 OD41 USAAC
MMP-094 RAF Medium Sea Grey
Final Coat: Liquitex Satin Varnish thinned to 20% with Mission Models thinner.
