This kit was built for the Prtotype GB. It’s a Czech Model 1/48 styrene/resin kit. And for all intents and purposes, it is the last czech model kit I’ll ever do. The instructions are vague and backwards. Considering that photo reference of this bird is scarce, Czech’s pitiful directions only made the assembly that much harder. Plus, the kit has no guide pins or mounting tabs. Parts are all butt-joined, which does not make for a very stable assembly. The materials are cheap and brittle. Half the resin parts are broken in the box and most of the styrene parts snap, just cutting them from the sprue. The ones that don’t break on the srprue, break during assembly.
The one color picture I found of the bird showed an extemely worn and faded paintjob. And it showed it black over light grey. Why Czech models and everyone who’s built it in the past paints it OD over grey is beyond me. It is called the BLACK bullet afterall.
But despite Czech model’s best efforts to design an unbuildable kit, here she is;
As always, constructive comments and questions are welcomed.
First of all, let me say really nice job. I’ve got the first prototype in my collection, as the 1/72 MPM kit. If you don’t mind me showing off…
Your weathering is simply top notch. On another note however, while I’m not one to nit-pick exact colors, this is the reason most people paint theirs OD over NG.
This is probably the same photo you saw. However, to me it clearly shows and OD upper surface, especially when compared to the black of the prop blades.
Disregarding all that, though, really that’s an extremely nice model. It’s always a joy to see the lesser-built subjects.
(Edit: There is one thing that bugs me about a LOT of XP-56 kits, mine and your included. All photos of the real thing show a nose-up stance with the rear fin nearly brushing the ground. However, all models I’ve seen have a nose-down attitude. Not sure if a lenghtening of the front strut or a shortening of the rears is in order, but… whatever. I’m nit-picking again. I’ll shut up now.)
Well done Fred! Sounds like a real PITA kit, but you finished her up nicely. Just think how much fun that Tamiya Corsair will be after a build like this. [swg]
That came out really nice Gigatron. It’s tough to build prototype aircraft anyway, with little reference to go on, and you certainly seem to have gotten the best of a tough kit on top of that.
Certainly a model to be proud of, even if it wasn’t for all that.
Frank, after this, anything will be easier. I could probably design and build my own lifesize aircraft with less trouble [(-D]. But, the next kit on deck is a big bird - the 1/48 visible B-17G, loaded with every PE set Eduard makes. Between the PE and scratchbuilding, she’ll be as loaded as the real deal.
Lucien, that’s the first kit I’ve seen of the original prototype. Every kit I’ve come across was of the second version. But on to the color scheme…do you really think that the top color is OD (and that is the picture I used)?. To me, it looks like a really grungey, faded black. But here’s why - I chalked up the darkness of the props to two things; 1)half the blades are in shade due to their angle and 2) they’re not as sun-faded as the top because of their pitch angle and because it might not be that the same blade end up exposed to the sun, each time.
Plus, if you look at the interior cooling flaps around the prop hub, you can see a hint of what looks to be, chromate green. I figure if I can see green there, I should at least get a hint of green in the top coat. I think the OD color comes from the one picture of the plane disassembled in storage where it seems to have a green tint - and I think that may be the primer color. I mean, really, why would Northrop call a plane the Black Bullet and paint it green?
It’s too bad there’s not more available reference on this bird. It may have sucked as fighter, but it was an interesting design.
The things on the wingtips, just appear to be air pass-throughs. Doesn’t make much sense to me, but what few pictures I’ve found, they just seem to be open on either end.
I thought I was missing a piece to the kit or something, but nothing goes there and the limited reference just shows the same thing I have [%-)].
Interesting. Maybe they had some kind of venturi effect for something. Perhaps a cooling system. It is an experimental aircraft after all. Some of these prototypes had some real out-of-the-box thinking.
The pods on the end of the wings actually contained a set of baffles which openned and closed to aid in the turning of the craft while in flight.
My assumption is that the plane would have been painted the color standards at the time which was olive drab over neutral grey. The first prototype was pretty much left in its natural magnesium finish (or perhaps a protective metallic top coat). Even the Northrop P-61 BLACK Widow was painted O.D. over neutral grey for the first half of its production life.
I built this same XP-56 kit perhaps two years ago. Did it have the Tamiya fit to which we’ve become so lazy and accustomed? No. But the fit really is no different than any other kit. Heck I’ve had kits with worse fit than this one. There are no locating tabs nor alignment pins but that’s to be expected of limited run mixed media kits.
Yes I wish the instructions could have been more clear especially when it came to cockpit assembly. I also had one or two small resin bits which were broken but they were not major pieces. I also didn’t have a single plastic piece snap. Maybe you got a flawed part. But all in all, it was still a good kit that, for me, was a joy to build. I’d pick up another one in a heartbeat and I look forward to building more of their kits.
Actually, only a few of the early P-61As were od/grey. Later production As and all Bs were black.
Besides, did color standards apply to prototypes, especially so late in the war? And what would standard be? mustangs were bare metal, corsairs were overall blue…there really didn’t seem to be much of a standard.
Nicely done. I concur with the consensus that the Black Bullet was indeed OD on the upper surfaces but your weathering job is first rate. I built the Me-309 from Czech Models a year or two ago and can report the same problems with the kit engineering and instructions but it’s the only game in town for some of these rare planes so what’s a guy to do. I’ll build another one but will have my head prepped for a workout.
Also, don’t forget that the Mustang was a USAAF bird while the Corsair, being under the Navy and Marine designation, abided by a more stringent doctrine when it came to color schemes and even nose art. It seemed the USAAF had a bit less stringent enforcement when it came to colors and camoflage. Take a look at all the flamboyant artwork like on the “Tarheel Hal” P-47 or the “Big Ass Bird” P-47. Compare that to the (in the latter half of the war) dark sea blues of the Corsairs, the Hellcats, the Wildcats, the Avengers, the Helldivers, etc, with very little to no artwork. It seems like the Navy established and strictly enforced their own set of standards.
very nicely done Fred… i also appreciate taking the time to point out the problems and flaws… i have a handful of Czech models in the stash, from the monthly Squadron sales… they still pop out on sale on occassion, if anyone is interested. Great job on the build, saving for future reference!
I try and I try, but I can’t see that top color as OD. I don’t care if I’m wrong about the color, because the kit’s done - it is what it is. But for future modeler’s who get suckered into this czech kit, it would be nice if they had accurate information.
I guess the only way to find out would be to talk to some historian at Northrop…
