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