GB-41 1/72 P-61 Black Widow - PTO from 1937

[Wurger]

Do you mean a kit of yourself, when did you want to arm it? I imagine you have made an excellent interior improvisation.

Yes Luis. It was the kit I bought many years ago at a flea market. I paid a 1$ or so at that time. The figures of the crew were made as the busts. I binned them. The model is about 40 years old now and I wasn't so skilled. Therefore I would make the model in different way if I started the one today.
Anyway, I had to make the entire cockpits from scratch although not to much info on that could be found here at that time. Also made from scratch the dorsal gun turret as there wasn't the part there too. The landing gear can be retracted and all legs were made from scratch. Both crew compartments had opened hatches for getting on. The ladder of the front compartment can be folded allowing to close the hatch. All antennas were made from scratch too. Additionally I made my decal for the plane name with the art of the spider and the red lines on tops.

And a couple more if you are interested...

 

[Wurger]

Oh we criss-crossed posts ... Great work on the interior Pal.

 

[SANCER]

Good work W., considering how long you did it! =D>
What scale she is?

I'll start painting the interiors.

Gracias y saludos

 

[Wurger]

THX. It's 1/72 scale. The model was painted with a brush.
And you are right , these 40 years are a long time for getting the experience. You may learn a lot during that period of time.

 

[fubar57]

Very impressive Wojtek. Incredible micro work Luis

 

[Jock Tamson]

Excellent progress Luis,

I like all the improvements you are making, great work mate

Cheers Greg

 

[SANCER]

Thanks George and Greg, I appreciate your kind words. Great week for everyone.
Saludos

 

[le_steph40]

A great improvement so far

I second that !!! Great work

 

[SANCER]

Thanks Steph, greetings !!

I must confess that to start painting with green FS 34151, my mistake was to put a little thinner and do it in light layers, ... but the black plastic kit was going to occupy many, many layers, ... so before continuing wasting paint, I used the light gray as primer, and then everything went back to normal ... and apply the green

... then gave me the insanity of painting in detail, ... as time went by and my eyes continued to protest, I thought of the poor visibility of my transparent pieces, but I ignored myself and I followed ...

... that's how the pieces were left ...

... is it crazy, is not it like that?

But as a saying goes here: "but what I danced, nobody takes it away"

Saludos

 

[fubar57]

 

[Wurger]

Well done LC.

 

[Jock Tamson]

Now that is good work! The paint makes all the details come alive.

Great update Luis.

Cheers Greg

 

[SANCER]

Thanks a lot mates!
Today I'll be out of town and I'll be back tomorrow morning. Keep in touch.

 

[T Bolt]

Some great improvements there Luis

 

[SANCER]

Muchas gracias mi estimado Glenn

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[newst]

Luis,

Great choice. I have never heard of this model manufacturer before but the molds and part look very similar to those of the Airfix kit which was originally made in the 1960/70's. Typically Airfix of this age would have over scale raised rivets and panel lines like this kit, and very little internal details. However overall good in terms of the shapes and outline of the real thing. The transparent/clear parts are usually very thick, and have poor fit.

I am sure you will over come these short comings and enjoy detailing all the missing features.

All the best and good luck

Cheers Greg

In the mid 1980s General Mills was marketing Airfix molds in the US under the MPC label.

 

[himart]

Username: SANCER
First name: Luis Carlos
Category: Advanced
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer / Model: Profile Series / P-61 Black Widow
Extras: Everything seems to be OOB. This kit has its history, so I will see it coming up.

The art box:

View attachment 530325

A bit of history...
(I start to learn and know about the famous Black Widow) Courtesy of Wikipedia.

"... The Northrop P-61 Black Widow, named for the American spider, was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed to use radar.
The P-61 had a crew of three: pilot, gunner, and radar operator. It was armed with four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano M2 forward-firing cannon mounted in the lower fuselage, and four .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns mounted in a remote-controlled dorsal gun turret.

It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II. The first test flight was made on May 26, 1942, with the first production aircraft rolling off the assembly line in October 1943. The last aircraft was retired from government service in 1954.

Although not produced in the large numbers of its contemporaries, the Black Widow was effectively operated as a night-fighter by United States Army Air Forces squadrons in the European Theater, Pacific Theater, China Burma India Theater, and Mediterranean Theater during World War II. It replaced earlier British-designed night-fighter aircraft that had been updated to incorporate radar when it became available. After the war, the P-61—redesignated the F-61—served in the United States Air Force as a long-range, all-weather, day/night interceptor for Air Defense Command until 1948, and Fifth Air Force until 1950.

On the night of 14 August 1945, a P-61B of the 548th Night Fight Squadron named Lady in the Dark was unofficially credited with the last Allied air victory before VJ Day.

The P-61 was also modified to create the F-15 Reporter photo-reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces and subsequently used by the United States Air Force. ..."

That mention in Wikipedia (which I underlined and put in bold letters), called a lot My Attention, because in the kit´s old instruction sheet appears the same mention in that regard.
... ...

I'm just going to start investigating the "Lady in the Dark", it makes me feel her as a memorable aircraft (although it is said to be unofficial merit), the fact of mentioning it, knowing its crew and features of that version. Will be intresting.

The box in this kit has its history, because I bought it in the IPMS México of 2017, to give it to my father (he really likes the P-61).
I bought it in one of the guest business stands that all they sold were old kits, many of them previously open or started to assemble and I understood that some of the original content might be missing. Highly recommend by the owner of the stand, as a good kit and in very good conditions. We could see the inside of the box and I decided to buy it.

Upon learning that the box was kept intact on a shelf in my father´s study room, I offered to build his black widow so he could show it in his bookcase. Yesterday, I went to visit him and check the interior again regarding the instructions and "is very likely" to be complete!
What the kit does not have is the sheet decals, ... but as the version I intend to make of the "Lady in the Dark", I'll see how the lack of decals is resolved.

I share the instructions sheet:

View attachment 530334View attachment 530335View attachment 530336

In the green box is what motivated me to make this version.

View attachment 530337

I will begin gradually to investigate about my "L.D."

The bag that contains the pieces; the branches that still keep "some" pieces in them; the big pieces and all the loose pieces.

View attachment 530338View attachment 530339View attachment 530340View attachment 530341
We found that the pilot had already been painted!

It will be my second model in 1/72 and I think the detail of the pieces is acceptable ...

View attachment 530342View attachment 530343View attachment 530344View attachment 530345

I will have an opportunity to go looking for photos, plans, documenting me ... and start joining pieces!

Does anyone have any reference to this kit and brand?

All information is well received.

I hope you like our "Lady in the Dark"

Saludos
Luis Carlos

There is a P-61 being restored by the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading Airport, PA. They have a lot of history, books tee shirt featuring P-61. Great fighter. I did a CAPC summer camp at Mitchel Field during WW2. There were several P-61s stationed there. Lots of luck in making your model.

 

[Wayne Little]

Nice...!

 

[SANCER]

There is a P-61 being restored by the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading Airport, PA. They have a lot of history, books tee shirt featuring P-61. Great fighter. I did a CAPC summer camp at Mitchel Field during WW2. There were several P-61s stationed there. Lots of luck in making your model.

Now that I've been researching and documenting it for my P-61B-2, ... somewhere around I had read about that restoration, I think I could even saw part in a video.
What an interesting story and great memories you must have Himart of that summer camp and have seen several P-61 parked. Wow !, you have to have interesting anecdotes to tell.
Thanks for your comment and wishes.

Saludos amigo