1:32 Douglas A-26 Invader from Trumpeter/Hobbyboss?

[Rick Griewski]

+1

[seiran01]

Is anyone out there already planning on producing an Counter Invader conversion (/correction) set? I could probably do one in CAD but I'd rather save my computer design time for other projects and support someone else's work on this one.

 

[LSP_Ray]

I thought some of the parts eluded to a future A-26K variant?

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, LSP_Ray said:

I thought some of the parts eluded to a future A-26K variant?

I suspect that any parts in there that are more applicable to the K than the B/C versions are there as a result of poor research than a specific plan to make a K version, since they appear to be using them for their initial B release.

[f8fanatic]

On 4/24/2020 at 2:55 PM, Jan_G said:

if smebody interest plastmodel has it already for decent price

https://www.plastmodel.pl/p/653/44952/hobby-boss-83213-a-26b-invader-1-32-.html

i just ordered one  

and 2 quickboost R-2800 as well 

 

I do not see a price listed there, it just says "promotion" and there's an option where they can notify you when it's available.  How much did you pay for itr?

 

[Jan_G]

2 hours ago, f8fanatic said:

 

I do not see a price listed there, it just says "promotion" and there's an option where they can notify you when it's available.  How much did you pay for itr?

 

105€ + postage, which is good price compared to other eshops

hth

jan

Edited April 26, 2020 by Jan_G

[John1]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:54 PM, LSP_Ray said:

I thought some of the parts eluded to a future A-26K variant?

For those that partake in 48th scale kits, Bobcat Models announced that they will be doing an A-26K.  Based on their previous kits, should be pretty decent.

[Jan_G]

mine copy arrived today

so was really curious if Quickboost R-2800 would fit and no problem there

definitelly improvement over the kit engines  but I'm not sure now about the cowlings 

 

 

jan

[Shawn M]

well thats great news there is an easy solution

[Out2gtcha]

Wow, you got an A-26 already Jan?!? That was super fast, didn't even think they were out yet.

Is the engine set far enough forward in the cowl?

Is the cowl shape good? Looks better/more knife edge than previous photos IMHO

[Learstang]

That cowling does look better than in previous photographs. Maybe having the (proper) engine in it helps with the looks. This kit is still definitely on my radar, but I'll wait and see what other people can do with it before I put down some not inconsiderable quid on it, even before spending on AM parts.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[Jan_G]

On 5/5/2020 at 7:44 PM, Out2gtcha said:

Wow, you got an A-26 already Jan?!? That was super fast, didn't even think they were out yet.

Is the engine set far enough forward in the cowl?

Is the cowl shape good? Looks better/more knife edge than previous photos IMHO

was lucky enough to find one at plastmodel.pl week ago Brian, so couldn't resist 

I cannot comment about cowling shape, just don't feel that I'm expert on it

regarding the resin engines, here are few shots to give you some idea

 

 

I didn't decide yet if I want to wait till AM producers will bring something for it or will try to correct some areas by myself.  It hink that we could expect resin or rubber wheels (Halberd), PE and maybe some brassin from Eduard (not sure if it will correct interior for B version), we have .50 cal barrels from Master model,  and hopefully we will get new canopy (early and late raised as well) and ventral turret with mounting

jan

 

[Out2gtcha]

Wow, I'm kind of pleasantly surprised......that cowl and engine combo look pretty good from here. Much better than they looked on the demo tables. 

Of course no one wants to have to buy two expensive AM engines, but I'm having a bit more hope for this kit.

[Lietsalmi]

This is my first posting to the forum so, please, treat me kindly if I don't know exactly how to behave in the beginning. All the puppies and newbies need a hug first. 

I got my Hobby Boss A-26B Invader yesterday and I quickly reviewed the instructions and all the sprues and compared them with actual A-26 blueprints and historical photos. And to my great relief, it seems that it is not that difficult to make the most needed corrections to make this kit replicate the actual A-26B really well. Of course, to make it 100% accurate you would need to change the cross-section of the fuselage, etc. but to my eye that drastic corrections are not needed to create a very accurate kit.

So here are those points that I think need modifications and what I am planning to do with them:

• Engines: As it has been said many, many times before, there are a few cylinders missing.  But I think there is a quite simple and cost effective solution to that. The kit has cylinder rows molded in four parts (front row front and back sides, and back row front and back sides). All the other parts except these look good. So I will cast two resin parts (the two cylinder rows) that will match the other engine parts of the kit so they will be just easy replacements of the four kit parts. And then I will make those for both engines. With that there will not be a need to replace the whole engines, just the cylinder rows. Quite easy and very cost efficient compared to full resin engines.
• Engine cowlings: Now that I have seen the actual parts they look actually quite good to me. So I am planning to use them as they are.
• Missing lower turret: The lower turret is missing and the shape of that area of the fuselage is not as curved as it should be. And again, not that difficult of a solution: I will cut out that bottom fuselage area along the panel lines and with the cut out pieces I will create a new part out of resin that has a hole and a railing for the turret and is also more properly shaped. Then I will also copy the top turret with resin and use that for the lower turret as well (and maybe I will sand the kit top turret before that in order to improve the shape a bit). For the lower turret guns I will use spare nose guns (see below). I also need to create a cradle for the lower turret if I want to make it turn. That shouldn't be that difficult either: a couple of pieces of styrene and a resin copy of one of the top turret cradle parts. The gunner position aft bulkhead is vertical in the kit but it should be slanted like in the actual plane, to allow the lower turret to fit in. To correct that I will simply extend and modify the kit bulkhead part (and maybe cast that in resin as well). In the end I will have a replacement resin lower fuselage part with a turret and guns. This will be very similar to what ICM has done with their 1/48 A-26B-15 kit.
• Canopy: The canopy framing is for the later bubble shape canopy but the canopy shape is for the earlier flat canopy. Solution? I will go with the earlier flat-style canopy and simply sand away the misplaced frames and paint the frames correctly for the earlier style canopy. If I dare, I will very carefully place some rivets to the new frames. This will then make it easy for me to decide which sub-version of the A-26B I will make: this canopy solution will make me go with A-26B 'early' or A-26B-15.
• Nose guns and the nose shape: The kit comes with 8 nose guns that is correct for a later version of A-26B. But I need to have a nose for the earlier version because of the canopy. Most early A-26B's had 6 nose guns. So I will fill the existing nose gun holes and, once that is done, I might sand the nose part a bit to make it appear more square. Then I will drill new holes in proper places for the six nose guns. And now I will have two extra guns that I can use for the lower turret. Economical! Probably there is no need for a resin nose part because this is such a simple modification. 
  
• Cockpit: The kit cockpit is correct for the Korean War era or Vietnam War era Invaders but is not right for the early A-26B's. There should be only one pilot seat and control stick/wheel and the dashboard should be only on the pilot side. Also the middle console should extend all the way back to the cockpit bulkhead. And various bits and pieces are missing. Well, this will be anyone's taste how much effort they want to put in here. I will remove the right hand side seat and the stick, cut the dashboard and scratch build the middle console extension and add wires, radios, jump seat, etc. Update: I mistakenly had looked at only the separate cockpit parts and did not notice that the cockpit floor part actually has that middle console extension. So no need to scratch build that.
  
• Little bits: The kit doesn't have the top periscope, the pitot tube on the left side of the nose and the loop antenna, which is typical for the early version of the A-26B (the kit has the 'football' antenna, which some earlier versions and all of the later versions had). On the belly side there are a couple of antennas(?) that early versions did not have. Well, this is typical model building: check your references and decide which little bits and pieces you need and which you don't. I will (again) make a resin copy of the lower periscope and use that for the top periscope. The pitot tube is quite easy to scratch build. And the loop antenna is that typical 'Tamiya staple' treat. The plane that I will make did not have the belly antennas so I will not use them.
• Decals: All of the decals in the kit are for later demonstration/tanker planes. So I will laser print my own decals unless there will be some nice after-market decals coming soon.

So this is it for me! After all, not that difficult. At least a lot easier than the needed wing and turret modifications that I am planning in horror for my B-24J Liberator 42-99990 'Short Snorter'.

 

There will be quite a few resin parts that I will make so if anyone is interested I might cast a few extra ones.

 

By the way, the instructions say that there is 150 grams of nose weight needed. A lot! But fortunately not as much as is needed for the mighty B-24 Liberator.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Lietsalmi
Correct cockpit text.

[LSP_Ray]

Nice overview, Lietsalmi!