Looking to add this to my collection what recommendations do you have perhaps 1/48 scale good detail good manufacturing spru detail? PBY 5 A ?? Perhaps
There is only one available in 1/48. Revell/Monogram did the PBY-5 and PBY-5A in 1/48 and thats it. I believe that Revell Germany has also issued the kit, but its been quite a few years since it was on teh market.
Thanks ill keep looking my german is a little rusty
Some text may be in German, but the instruction pictures are in English (or French, Spanish, Urdu, etc)
Actually the kit goes back to Monogram in the mid-90s. Then reboxed by Revell, Revell-Monogram, and Revell-AG (Germany).
As the others have noted, the Monogram kit is the only game in town for a PBY in 1/48 scale. Look on eBay-original Monogram boxings, and post-merger Revell/Monogram boxings, come up often enough. If you are patient, if you don’t need to build it immediately, you will find good deals amid the over-priced offerings. I don’t know about your tolerances for price, but mine is twenty bucks. If I can get a large 1/48 aircraft kit for around $20 (before shipping, but with shipping, even better), I’m happy.
It’s a nice kit. If you like crew figures, then look for the ProModeler release, which had an addition 5 USN flight crew figures added, which are very nice.
It’s a really nice kit. If you lok around, there is a lot of AM stuff available.
Bill
IIRC, the rivet-counters poo-poo the Revel/Monogram kit because the tail is not shaped exactly to the real bird, but unless you’re comparing the kit to a real plane, or someone else’s who’s added the resin ‘correction kit’ to it, 99.99% of those looking at it will know, or care.
There’s also a 1/32 scale version of it made by HpH, but it’s EXPENSIVE. It does have a full interior, though. They also make a cut-away version which is still expensive, but not as much as the full kit:
http://shop.hphmodels.cz/en/model-kits-in-scale-132/109-pby-5a-catalina-v-meritku-132.html
I’ve read good things about the 1/72 Academy kits - I may go that route. I’ve been wanted to build an RAF Catalina ever since I watched Greyhound
With these depth charges!
I have the Pro Modeler PBY-5A in my stash along with a set of Yellowhammer Decals to make Jack Reid’s Midway PBY. I’d love to find markings for Ady’s PBY, but no luck so far.
The latest Academy 1/72 kit is a ‘Midway’ release and has Reids markings as well as Probst. Funny, I looked up Reid and Ady and both said ‘they spotted the fleet’. Could have been a different times I suppose. Says Probst had the only succesful torpedo attack during the battle - lol
Reid was from VP-44 and found the invasion force on June 3rd, seinding off the first definintive report “Main Body”, followed by amplification reports of the number of ships, postions, course and speed.
Ady, from VP-23, found the carrier strike force on the next morning June 4, sending out “Enemy Carriers” and then follow up reports with numbers, location, course, and speed.
From what I’ve been able to find is that VP-44 flew PBY-5A amphibians, while VP-23 flew PBY-5 seaplanes during the Midway battle.
Probst, indeed was part of an overnight torpedo attack on the night of June 3/4 against the invasion force. They succeeded in torpedoeing one ship of the invasion force, an oiler. This was the only successful torpedo attack, aerial or submarine, by US forces during the entire battle. They all survived and made it back to Midway just as teh Japanese air raid arrived
This is all four pilots of the PBYs after the battle. Probst is on the right. Lt. Richards, second from right, is credited with the torpedo hit.
Reid’s crew after the battle. Reid is perched on the landing gear.
Wow its is a little pricey
That’s what happens when a kit is out of production for years and it’s a sellers market. It doesn’t help that Revell USA, who had the molds, was out of business for some time.
If you mean the Monogram kit, then like I said, if you don’t need the kit right now but can wait, you’ll eventually find one at a reasonable price. eBay, but also at a show, at a club, etc. Just need to look and be patient.