I just finished the build of this vintage Monogram OS2U-3 Kingfisher this morning. I built this kit when it was first release way back when. This time I built the kit to depict something it’s not. If you all have seen the movie “They Were Expendable” with Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, there is a scene where Wayne’s boat gets strafed by Japanese float planes. The stand ins for the Japanese A6M2N “Rufe” were two OS2U Kingfishers. That scene inspired this build.
I took some artistic license with this build to make the airplane look more “Japanese”. Along with the red Hinomaru, I added a tail number, a black cowling. The bottoms of the floats are also tire black. The kit provided two small bombs painted brown. The interior is typical U.S. Navy with pilot and gunner. The exterior is J.N. Gray. Hinomaru is Mr Color Russet. I still need to finish the base though.
Diggin this build! I’ve watched that movie a million times as it’s one of my dad favorite movies.
Next time I watch it, I’m to have to pay close attention!
Happy Modeling,
Mike
I think that it turned out great and I really like it in those markings. That’s such a classic Monogram kit. Was it the “High Tech” Edition? I really wish that some manufacturer would redo this kit since it’s such a historically important aircraft. I’m always on the lookout for the KittyHawk 1/32 kit of this plane.
I really love this idea, and I dig the in-flight base.
Very clever.
Something done back when this kit still kinda new was omitting the propeller and fitting a round hub in its place…not a plastic disc, just the hub as it “blurs” in flight.
What happens is the viewers mind “fills in the prop” it knows is there. Its a neat trick really, and thatvway the model doesnt look like a plane out of gas!
And it would be easy to try it…if you dont like it put the prop back.
I may have paid $5 for the kit, or maybe I got it for free, I don’t remember. I thought about removing the prop blades but after I painted them, I thought no just glue the prop on as it is.
Glad I read the text before I looked at the pictures as it would have thrown me off. An excellent build of this aircraft and your canopy masking is dead on with no blemishes. She’s lookin’ good Frank.
