Ah, thank you for clarifying that nose cane issue. I agree that the stock engines are decent, but once I saw the after market resin engines, I was hooked! What makes the engine purchase valuable is the fact that the copwlings are both in the open designation. Thank you for the read and reply.
Good moves!
Thank you, your support is greatly appreciated!
I’ve built the Revell offering and have the Grand Wing kit in the stash.
The GWH kit is leaps and bounds better in all respects of buildability.
If you opt to go for it, the Tamiya P-51s are awesome. You won’t be spending a lot of time puttying and sanding. I’m also a fan of the Tamiya weathering kits. If you find you’ve overdone it, just use a water-dampened makeup applicator (ask Mrs. Toshi to grab you a small package of 20-40 the next time she goes to get makeup, they work great) to remove what you’ve applied and try again.
You mentioned using the salt weathering technique with your clear coat. I don’t know that you’d see any difference after removing the salt as the clear coats have no pigment unless you are going for small shinier spots and other flatter spots? If you are looking for color variation you might base coat in flat black, apply salt, and then go over with black with a few drops of grey mixed in to lighten it. When you remove the salt, you’ll have a mostly lightened black coat with some darker splotches where the salt was. If you prefer mostly darker with some light splotches, reverse the order and do lightened black, salt, then flat black.
It looks good thus far!
Groot
Wow, thank you for your insight, I will definately apply what you’ve mentioned. For the first time in my
Iife, I’m going to utilize a airbrush for this particular model. Since I’m a novice at this, I purchased the very inexpensive Testor all in one airbrush kits. This should be fun at best. If I do well with the airbrush, I’ll probably get a Iwata airbrush and a piston style air compressor with a tank. I can use the Iwata airbrush and compressor for the Tamiya P-51. Thank you for reading and the reply as well as the information you’ve given me in regards to weathering the P-61.
Toshi
Now you’ve got me excited in obtaining a GWH aircraft kit. Thank you for the read and reply!
Toshi
I built one of these many moons ago. You may need some lead for the nose…I did.
To Sarge USMC,
Yes, I recollect that I utilized led fishing sinkers when I also made this kit many moons ago as well. With this build, I’m going to utilize the clear plastic crutch that is inserted in the radar mans rear cockpit that came with this scale model kit. Thank you sir for the read and reply, your input is greatly appreciated.
Here is an update of the P-61 status.
These are some of the aftermarket products I have included for this build.
I’m still awaiting the propellers, metal landing gears, and the aftermarket decals.
Aftermarket decals? What is the BU number?
This is my pay pal purchase information in regards to the “Aftermarket Decals”. I hope this helps? Thank you for the read and reply.
This build brought me back to memory lane. As I build the “Black Widow”, I recall my boyhood growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a adult, I only miss one thing, the salt air. I’m sure forum members recall their childhood rompings, growing up else where. I remember always being outside riding my bike and playing with my friends. Nowadays, this simple thought is unheard of. Either we are too busy or it’s the lurking predator just around the corner. Many a times, kids are either playing with computer games or texting your best friend. What memorable times we lived back in those days. I will admit, technology has brought us into a new wave of things, yet we must be mindful never to forget who we are and what it took to bring you thus far.
Here I am sanding and priming my model aircraft, I’ve also placed minute objects made of brass into places that no one will ever see, nor I since it was so small, I needed a magnifying glass to see. I’m in the process of placing little pieces of pre-cut tape onto the canopy of my P-61. These things were unimaginable during my youth.
I recall just trying to glue the two halves of the P-61 with glue oozing out of the seems. I have not forgotten how I used to own a no. 1 brush trying or attempting to paint in the canopy. That no. 1 brush made me feel like a professional model builder. That was then, this is now. I went in 100% into buying everything possible in regards to my “Black Widow” construction that was available as a aftermarket product. I also purchased so many different types of equipment that is available to builders like us or at a Walmart in the odd ends of an isle. So many different choices and with so much items to choose from. This was most exciting to me, my wife supports my new hobby in as much, she mentioned she will allow me in purchasing a compressor and an air brush.
I went on line, traveled to our local “Michaels and Hobby Lobby” and found that a good compressor and a good airbrush would be a wise investment. I did see a compressor and airbrush also at our local “Harbor Frieght and Tools” for a lot less than the other stores mentioned above. Mrs. Toshi pointed out that you pay for what you get. My initial experience with a all in one airbrush kit from Testors (Which came to a $20.00 purchase) was not the answer, at least for me. I’ve stuck to my cans of Testors paint, I can only deduce my up coming build and how or what will be utilized as far as spray can or airbrush is concerned, I know the airbrush is the answer but not at these prices. What you see here is my most current build.
An airbrush is a nice thing. But you can do pretty well with rattle cans because so much paint is available now. It just adds up pretty quickly.
I find that is a great advantage with an airbrush- really minimal paint consumption, and acrylics of course.
If you pick up a British model air[lane magazine, take a look at what a tradition of brush painting can do. The results are different, but they are good.
Ms. Toshi is correct, and nice of you to recognize she’s part of the decision.
A Badger can be had for $ 80 or so if you look around. I would stay away from Aztek, although that’s not a universal opinion. The problem with those is that the spring is in the paint path and they are difficult to clean.
Definitely Michael’s is helpful. HL, well I can say I don’t even have the chance in my area to decide not to patronize them.
This one looks a lot like a Klingon WarBird!
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More progress!
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To GMorisson,
Thank you for the wise words in regards to a airbrush. I did not realize that in England there is such a following like the one you mentioned.
To the mongoose,
Good eye!
I have been in love with the Monogram P-61 ever since I built my first one when I was 14. That was 30 years ago. I’ve built about eight more of them since those days. It’s definitely not one for the first time builder. I’d say it’s the perfect kit, however, for one who has good modeling skills who knows how to massage a kit into a stunning work. It’ll separate the kit builders from the kit assemblers.
I will admit that, as a P-61 nutcase, I am curious about the GWH and the Hobby Boss kits. It makes me cringe when I think of how much each one costs in comparison to a Revell-Monogram P-61. However, I am curious about trying out one from a different manufacturer. So between the GWH kit and the HB kit, which one would be considered the better of the two? I mean not only in fit, but in accuracy as well. Is one kit “over-engineered” compared to the others?
Eric