Im thinking about picking up a P-61 black widow kit from Revell or revell monogram(?).Can anyone give me any opinions on this kit?Thanks alot.
-Nick
I built the 1/48th scale version of the P-61 about 8-9 years ago and seem to recall that it was about typical of the Revell/Monogram kits of that period. I remember that it went together fairly decently and about the only difficulty I had was getting enough weight in the nose to prevent it from ending up as a “tail dragger”. It survived a move from up north 7 years ago and is still sitting in the display case.
Dick McC
I have alos been thinking about getting 1 of them also.
I built the kit not long ago.Not bad,plenty of scope to aftermarket.Open gun bays,posable canopy & open hatches.
One drwawback is the canopy plastic is very thin & very brittle.The main cockpit canopy was too small so a bit if jiggling & super glue was used.
Hope this helps,
Merv
oh,it also came with some gruondcrew & a oil drum!
Was it just me, or did the cockpit seem way out of proportion on this kit? The way mine came out, it looked as if the pilot would have had to have been Wilt Chamberlain to reach the pedals.
I have one, plus the Eduard frets, but haven’t built it- yet! [:-^] I would say the above comments are pretty on-the-nose (although I haven’t checked the Wilt-ness of the cockpit). It does have raised lines, and they’re pretty off in comparison to scale drawings. Oh, well, I’m going to scribe 'em anyway! [8D] A super subject, with so many cool schemes to choose from! Go on- give it a try- you won’t be out but fifteen bucks, a deal in today’s market!
Thank you all for your opinions,I will most likely go pick up the P-61 tomorrow.
-Nick
I am building this kit right now. The cockpit does seem to be off scale a little but it is not so noticeable. The problem I am having is that after some test fitting their seems to be a serious fit issue with the booms fitting to the wings. I am going to have to use quite a bit of filler there.
CAUTION!!!
A serious lesson I learned is be VERY careful if you prime the model before you paint it. Some of the detail is very shallow (not sure if this is the term i mean) I primed the interior before painting and quite a bit of the detailed was obscured due to the primer, which at the time I thought was a very light application.
I will post pics of thecockpit shortly, since that is what I have finished so far.
I’ve actually built two of them, the black one and the olive drab/gray one. Decent R/M kit, but the fit in some spots is poor. Also, the large amount of clear pieces makes some of it difficult. My second kits windows didn’t really fit properly. Just get a good piece of clear plastic to support the back end.
This was my first kit to try a couple years ago. It was very…“clunky” (for lack of better word) for a beginner. But if you have just a bit of building experience under your belt and can throw in some details she can make a gorgeous bird!! As of now mine is a target for adjusting my airbrush…she’s a rainbow…lol I was waiting for the 1/48 kit that was supposed to be released last year, but I never saw it make an appearance…hmmmmm
Nicely detailed kit. I recall a lot of fit problems with the wings and engien nelliecles.
A classic Monogram.
Mine had some fit problems around the nacelles also. There is a fair amount detail in the kit plus opportunity for scratch building more or AM stuff. This kit can be built into a very nice model. The clear plastic strut under the tail is the best way to keep the nose wheel “grounded”
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
There is a good amount of detail. But I had to put mine in a crash scene because Of some of the fit promblems. I’m not that good at fixing those compared to almost everybody here. But becareful of the wheels. Especially the front one. But other than that it’s a good kit. So knowing what I do about it now I think I’ll go at it again.
dude I had the front wheel break on me too…twice!!! lol
I built the kit 2-3 years ago, and most everyone’s comments are right on, especially about the need for lots of nose weight and the gaps on the nacelle/wing joint. However, with a little TLC it can be built into a very nice looking kit. Not to mention, it’s the only 1/48 P-61 available. AMtech has had a retooled one in the works for a couple of years, but they’ve had delays for a couple reasons. They’ll probably still come out with theirs, but I wouldn’t hold out hope that it’ll be released this year.
Mark
Ya I built one just recently. I could NOT get enough weight in the nose to keep it on the nosegear. I mean I had weight stuffed in every small space I could find.
Ya wanna see some pictures??
You have theoption of building either the A or B model
I guess I shouldn’t but I am taking this thread as a personal challenge to make my P-61 sit on all three wheels. Gonna be a chore but I can do it I think. Unfortunately Due to my wife being in a serious car accident this weekend I didn’t get any work done. But thankfully she is ok. which is amazing after seeing the car.
Check out Terry Dean’s nose weights - http://www.njipms.org/Reviews/Terry_Dean_Weights/noseweights.htm
His P-61 weights are $2.00 - no guess work - good guy to work with!
I agree with most of the comments above. THis is not a beginner’s model, as I found out with it, my third build. It’s a great plane with a lot of aftermarket stuff available (including some cool Pyn-up decals) and I had fun, but it was difficult. Expect to use modelling skills for fit, and in the case of my kit, a lot of flash. I learned from some forum members that this was due to the age of the kit and the technology at the time. Nonethless I enjoying looking at the finished item sitting proudly ion the shelf and someday I would like to build another.
Have fun and post pics!