I purchased
this kit quite a few years ago and of course it was sitting in my closet
collecting dust. I decided I needed to build something big and for a 1/48 scale
twin engine this is about as big as they come, the wingspan is 26 inches while
the fuselage is 24 inches long.
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image on below on right to see larger image
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This
is the cockpit, gunner’s compartment and rear bulkhead after assembly,
painting and weathering.
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The
fuselage after assembly and preshading.
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I was looking
for a different paint scheme and found a picture of this aircraft the book
titled, “ The Mighty Eighth in Color ” by Roger Freeman. This is the USAAF
version of the PBY-5A flown by the 5th Emergency rescue Squadron out
of Halesworth England.
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images below to see larger images
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This
is the Nose Art and forward fuselage.
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Side
beauty profile. |
I used the 1/48
Monogram Pro Modeler kit and also the True Detail wheels and cockpit, other than
that the model is pretty much out of box.
I
did have to do a little modification to fill in the gap in the gunner’s
compartment. I glued a 5/32 x 1/16 strip of plastic to the curved edges either
side of the floor so the 1/16 edge was flush with the top of the floor and the
rest hangs down. I did this along the gun platform and the small aft
end where it steps’s down and this cured that gap. I had to add a considerable
amount of weight to the forward fuselage and since there is not much room in the
nose most of the weight behind the cockpit bulk head and in the engine nacelles.
I did add a set of long-range tanks on the wing, which I took from the P-61
kit.
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images below to see larger images
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Tail
and gunners compartment.
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Another
Side profile beauty shot.
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The
aircraft was first preshaded with Flat Black along all panel lines and control
surfaces, and then I painted the topcoat of Flat White. After letting this dry
for a few days I then applied a coat of Clear gloss. The decals were then
applied and then they were sealed with a coat of clear flat.
Since
this is such a large plane the fuselage and wings were painted separate and then
assembled after everything was dry. The weathering was accomplished with a
mixture of Heavenly Hues brown and black. This kit took about six months to
assemble during my convalescent leave from the USMC.
Mike
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images below to see larger images
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OA-10A
in action.
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