I just got a P-61 Black widow in 1/48. Anyone out there that has built one, and do you have any suggestions. Looks like a pretty detailed model, but i am disappointed…only pix in the instructions, and now written text. And sometimes a thousand pix does NOT equal one word. It is a Revell kit, and all the parts are black…dont know why they do that. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated
Thats a re-issue of a classic Monogram kit of I think late 1970s, Early 1980s vintage.
I’m sure you’ll find a ton of write ups one way and another about it on the net.
That kit is from the mid-70’s. I bought one right after first issue when I was a teenager. They originally came with a Shep Paine diorama pamplet (do they still?). I’m sorry I don’t remember much about its quality or fit, I was just a kid, and I was more worried with putting kits together as fast as possible and not about accuracy or finished results.
It’s a typical classic Monogram kit - all the parts fit. The instructions are perfectly explicit and easy enough to follow. The airplane is black, that’s why they molded it in black :D.
As an interesting side note - my dad once got into a spin the one time he flew a P-61 and pulled out so hard he vibrated all the paint off both tail booms. I have a photo to prove it.
I’ve built the kit twice in the last 20 years or so and the only major problem I ran into was aligning the booms. Other than that, fit was above average and the
possibility for extra detail is excellent. It’s also a “tail-sitter” and will require weight to sit properly on it’s gear. I put the weight where the weight is on the real
thing—in the engine nacelles. It will take a little more weight there but the main
gear can handle it better than the nose gear can.
BTW—The Mid America Air Museum recovered a crashed P-61 from New Guinea
some years back and is restoring it to flying condition. I don’t have the exact URL
to the museum here at work but any good search engine will find it under
“The Widow’s Web”
Ray
Ray, i am glad you mentioned “weighting it”…what did you use in the engine nacelles? I have some lead fishing weights in various weights. How much do you need?
Really appreciate all the info on the “Widow” i am going to air brush a model for the first time. It seems to have a lot of interior green…is it best to do all that one color at the same time rather than cleaning up…spraying and then cleaning up again.? If i sound stupid, there is a good reason (smile[:D]. Looks like a lot of canopy masking also…i have some left over stuff from EZ mask that i used on the Avenger, that i will probably cut up and use.
I was at the AMtech site recently, and it looks like they will be releasing a series of 1/4th P-61’s in the near future.
Go Here ====> http://www.amtechmodels.com/
Jim
I’ve built that kit a couple times over the last couple decades also, and probably will do more[:p].
My father was at an air show in MI. during or just after the war and saw one. A wing spar collapsed on a low pass and it went in inverted.[:(] He said the crowd first ran to it then away as the ammo cooked off.
Hi Huskerguy. For noseweights see if you can scrounge or buy some car wheel ballance weights used for alloy wheels they are in strips, are in 5 and 10 ounce increments and have a self adhesive back. they are ideal if you havn’t got much room in the kits nose. Gregers
Hey Huskerguy- I’ve built this kit in the past, it’s a fun one. In fact, I’m going to have to get another one someday soon.
I’d reccomend BBs (from a BB gun) for weighting the thing down. I use superglue to initially hold them in place and then drown them in Elmer’s White glue to really keep them in there.
Yup, the canopy masking can be a pain on this one. Since the are nice little squares, I did mine with Scotch clear tape and cut them to size with a very sharp Xacto knife.
Interior Green- Yeah, spray all your green stuff at once and then assemble. I’d reccomend Testors Model Master Interior Green for this- works well when airbrushing.
How did your Avenger turn out? I still havn’t started mine!
Toad
With the exception of the darned turret…the Avenger turned out pretty well for an amateur. Thanks for the info on the “Widow”…i thought it would probably be easier to do all the interior green…and i am using model master. By the way, how the heck do you “stack” BB’s, so the super glue holds?
The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum has been restoring that BW back to flying condition for going on 20 years now, I wish they’d hurry up and finish it! [:p]
Please, no comments on how difficult it is to get a warbird back into the air, especially such a rare bird like the P-61. It was a JOKE! (humor? whazzat?)
I’m not greatly involved in restoring warbirds, but I am most appreciative of what it takes to get these things flying again. I remember seeing MAAM’s B-25, “Briefing Time” at many an airshow when in my early and mid teens, and talking to the guys about the P-61. Here, I’m now 30 freakin’ years old and that thing is still “gonna be flyin’ in a year or two”. LOL I just love the warbird scene…
Here’s a shot of the MAAM P-61.
Here’s a link to Mid Atlantic’s website:
For more shots of the P-61 project, click on “the Widow’s Web”.
Fade to Black…
Here’s that Widow that Dad got into a “graveyard spiral.” Margie, squadron uncertain, Ie Shima, 1945. I’ve been going to use the Monogram kit to model her for years now, but now i think I’ll wait for the AMtech kit.
At least I don’t have to worry about not knowing her serial number for the markings (apart from the “4” at the end :D)
My experience with the old Monogram kit (which I hear is now re-issued as a Revell kit) has been good … I enjoyed building this kit and am happy with the results. I will look forward to the Amtech kit mentioned above. The 1/1 scale a/c was/is a really cool looking plane. [:)]
i have had some problems getting this thing together. I couldnt get the booms to glue to the wing section first time around, and in the process knocked off the nose wheel and the left main gear. Dont tell me how clumsy i am. But, why dont they make the gear stronger. To me, that is the real wink link in most kits. And once you break one, they are a bitchkitty to glue back on again. Any suggestions???
For some reason I cant really place it but I seen this same pic in a book once before(it will come to me,just give me time. I think I saw it in an Air Power book).
I remember seeing the section of the boom w/out the paint and thinking how did the insignia stay on(must have used a lot of solvaset[:p])
Flaps up, Mike
Butz,
You may have seen several photos similar to that one. P-61’s shedding paint en masse was a common occurrence, especially in the PTO & CBI.
There were several contributing factors to paint peeling off of P-61’s almost in sheets, but it comes down to weather, operational conditions and maintenance, all of which were aided by poor paint adhesion. Given these conditions, any violent maneuvering might, indeed, have been enough to shed a bunch of paint all at once. And I do seem to recall reading a similar story somewhere in a book or a rag.
I ran across a shot (which I can’t find at the moment) of a Black Widow in France that had just been prepared for action at a depot after coming over on a ship. The sealing tape used to protect the aircraft had peeled the paint off in neat strips along the panel lines. Really neat lookin’ photo.
Anyhoo, here’s some more shots of PTO & CBI P-61’s sporting a similar look.
By the way, John P, if that shot was taken on Ie Shima in '45, 'tis most likely a P-61 of the 548th NFS.
Here’s the 548th’s emblem. Kind of a coincidence, I just finished making a hand-painted replica on leather. Feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone… doo-doo-doo-doo…
Can’t wait for the AmTech kit!
Fade to Black…
Huskerguy, I don’t remember how the instructions go on this kit, but I always put the landing gear on very last if possible, that way it doesn’t get knocked off during so much handling that goes on. The same goes for other small details (arials, guns, etc.)
As for the BBs. It’s really pretty simple. I think on this kit I put he weight in the nose (and sealed the nose off /glued it shut instead of having it removable to show the radar). Turn the thing upside down (opening up) Drop a few BB’s in the nose, add just a little superglue, enough to freeze them in place. Repeat by adding more, and more and more until your happy. No need to overdo it with the superglue. Let this all dry in place for about a good hour. Now come back and pour in the Elmer’s glue to fill up all the cracks. Ths can take a few days to dry completely but now you’ve got a rock solid and heavy nose to weight ths puppy down.
Whaz up Blackwolf,
Yes good ol “mother nature”. She sure can be mean cant she…LOL[:p]
Cool pics too. Its still gonna bother me about that pic John P posted. I know I’ve seen it.
Guess I’m going hunting very soon…[:p][:p] I’m soo looking forward to the AMtech Widow Maybe I’ll be giving the ol Monogram kits to good ol Dan[;)] unless he changes scales again.
Flaps up, Mike
Butz,
Haven’t you heard? Dan’s already into 32nd again. Get 'em while you can! (Before I clean him out, that is! [:p])
Fade to Black…