Hobby Boss P-61A

[TimW]

I'm still wondering about the armor configuration for the forward gunner/scanner. Guess I'll just go with the side plates. I can't find pictures anywhere of a P-61A with the armored; hard to tell from available pix if "The Virgin Widow" even had that. Assuming it didn't have a turret at one point, I'm probably safe with just the side panels and the seat gunsight.

 

Working on the radar system. Shortened the nose to do an "A," so I'm going to have to do some trimming to get that all to fight right. HB...is it too much to ask to give some BASIC painting instructions for some of this interior stuff?

Sheesh.

Tim W.

[TimW]

So a question--to have the wing spoilers closed, should one simply lay them flat along the top of the wing?

 

I'm finding it difficult to get a good picture of how that should look as my understanding is that the spoilers were almost never open while on the ground.

 

Sort of ruins the lines of the a/c anyway and since I'm not doing a Shep Paine style maintenance diorama, I was curious how others have tackled this?

 

Regards,

 

Tim W.

[Derek B]

Hi Tim,

 

Im truth, with the control column in the neutral position, there really is little to see. What you do see on the wings is a narrow slot that the spoiler lives inside. So to represent this you would only need a narrow stepped depression with an indication of the top edge of the spoiler. Below is a preserved P-61C aircraft which will give you some idea of what is actually visible.

 

 

 

 

 

Derek

[TimW]

Derek--thanks, that helps quite a bit!

 

Hmm. Looks like I'll have to fill the indentations on the wings with plastic card or something--the perforated flaps do not appear to be visible at all! Yet another one of those mysterious modeling design decisions made for reasons known only to HB!

 

Tim W.

[Derek B]

Derek--thanks, that helps quite a bit!

 

Hmm. Looks like I'll have to fill the indentations on the wings with plastic card or something--the perforated flaps do not appear to be visible at all! Yet another one of those mysterious modeling design decisions made for reasons known only to HB!

 

Tim W.

 

Hi Tim,

 

You can see the upper edge of the perforated spoilers on the last two photographs of the P-61C, but that is probably only because the lighting is right to see them (On black painted Black Widow aircraft, the inside of the spoiler housing within the wing structure and spoileron are also painted black, so you generally see very little or nothing at all when you look at them directly from above other than black slots).

 

Derek

[TimW]

Just read thru this epic kinda build..great stuff Tim .

Thanks! Been distracted, what with HK working their sorcery with the 1/32 B-17, but this one is still on the bench...

 

I hope to get back to it soon. I admit, I get frustrated having to fix basic stuff that the manufacturer should have gotten right in the first place, but that's modeling--there are always challenges!

 

Regards,

 

Tim W.

[TimW]

Haha...yes, finally doing some work on this one again.  Am in the process of removing the hard points from the underwing and have assembled the starboard wing and nacelle.  Filled the spoiler gaps in the top of the wing with putty and will do some creative sculpting once it is fully dry and sanded.

 

Still trying to figure out what Trumpeter was thinking giving only the open spoiler option.  Wierd.

 

Anyway.  Pictures will follow shortly.  For painting, I plan to spray the entire aircraft silver (or aluminium, depending on what's on hand) and will then will probably use the rubber cement method to mask off the areas of wear and chipping.  Then the black overspray, followed by lots of weathering and fading for that Saipan look.

 

One of the bigger hold ups to recent projects has been the need to redo the shelving in my display dungeon.  I always manage to fill 'em up faster than I expected....

 

More to come!

 

Tim W.