Jump to content

Craftworks/Planes with Pants A5m2b Early


LSP_Ray

Recommended Posts

OK, we need more entries in this group, so I am pulling this off the Shelf of Doom. It is a bad sign, but I swear no matter the group build subject, I have a shelved build that fits it. In this case, I have two: this A5m2 Claude, and a Silver Wings He51 from the Spanish Civil War. I am choosing this one, although if by some freak chance I finish this up quickly, I may do both.

Anyhoo, here is the kit:

post-39-0-09739600-1466575136_thumb.jpg

For those of you who haven't been around as long as I have, this is the old Craftworks kit, which originally was mastered by Dave Thompson for his Planes with Pants line. He then sold the masters and/or molds to Craftworks who cleaned them up a bit and re-released the kit.

You will notice the kit is for the A5m4. I am doing the A5m2b (early). As it happens, I corresponded with Dave through LSP and helped him out with a couple of requests for parts from some relatively rare kits. I also supported his efforts by buying nearly all the 1/32nd stuff he put out. So every once in a while he would send me some cool stuff. A couple of those items included parts to convert either his kit or the Craftworks kit to the A5m2b Early, and also the A5m4-K two seat trainer. He also sent some different gear legs with all or part of the fairings removed (although I haven't found them in my stash yet!)

So anyway I hope to build this as kind of a salute to Dave's work, plus the A5m2b early was produced the summer of 1938 so just makes it in the GB time frame. The A5m2b late started production in Sept of Sept 1938.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is the aircraft I hope to replicate:

post-39-0-28464000-1466575930_thumb.jpg

post-39-0-99993600-1466575941_thumb.jpg

This pics are from Famous Aircraft of the World #27 and are posted for discussion purposes only.

Will have to make a few scratch changes, but most differences between the A5m4 and A5m2b are internal so shouldn't be too bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And here is as far as I got before shelving the kit last time. The engine:

post-39-0-37142400-1466576141_thumb.jpg

I had attached it to the back half of the cowling and realized after the glue dried I had the engine off about 45 degrees! Also, the Special Hobby kit came out and I wasn't sure it was worth the effort to do this resin version.

However, once this GB started, I pulled it out and was able to pop the engine off easier than expected and figured doing the -2b early would fit and be a bit different than the SH kit.

 

The engine for this kit, BTW, is a Williams Brothers offering, I think the Wright Cyclone? Anyway, it was provided with the kit. I replaced the push rods, and added the wiring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great ! Now this is really something unusual !

I love this kind of exotic version of an exotic aircraft. :)

 

I dont know how this resin kit builds up, but if it can reassures you, the SH kit also asks for a bit of work. Nice and cute, but not shake-n-bake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Ray, just checking over this kit's entry in the database:

 

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/kitdb/details.php?kit=1072

 

Any chance you know what year it was released? Any chance of uploading some photos of the contents?

 

Kev

Hi, Kev. I will throw some more pics on there. Hmmm...I think that was my entry in the first place! The only date anywhere on the kit is the copyright on the boxtop which was 1999. So I would estimate either 1999 or 2000. Which would you prefer?

Also, looking at the database, there is no A5M2b Early entry at all, so will add that one, too. Don't know how many of those Dave made, but I guess it is worth telling everyone it did exist.

I will also add more to the A5M4-K entry as I have that entire kit. I don't know if these were formally sold as kits (there was no instructions, for instance) but you could probably get one while Dave was alive.

 

Great project !

 

As for the engine, it is a P&W Wasp from Williams, not the Wright Cyclone.

 

:popcorn:

 

Hubert

You are correct, sir! I found my A5M4-K kit and it includes the Williams Wasp motor. I will add a pic of what you get later.

 

Great ! Now this is really something unusual !

I love this kind of exotic version of an exotic aircraft. :)

 

I dont know how this resin kit builds up, but if it can reassures you, the SH kit also asks for a bit of work. Nice and cute, but not shake-n-bake.

Yup, I have one of the S&H kits, too, and it is definitely short run! I am using it for additional reference where possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am jumping for joy to see this build, Ray! :yahoo:

 

I had one of Dave's 2b early kits, as well as a K trainer, but ended up selling/trading them. One of the big issues with the kit that I had was that there were no canopy parts for it. I wasn't even aware that one was ever mastered! If I recall, Dave told me that there was something like a dozen of these kits made. Maybe less.

 

CAN'T WAIT to see more!

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only date anywhere on the kit is the copyright on the boxtop which was 1999. So I would estimate either 1999 or 2000. Which would you prefer?

 

Thanks, Ray. Go with what's on the box.

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, I have updated the kit database.

To see the details of the Craftworks' A5M4 kit, including parts, instructions, and decals, go here: http://www.largescaleplanes.com/kitdb/details.php?kit=1072

I also added the UMI Resin A5M2b Early entry, here: http://www.largescaleplanes.com/kitdb/details.php?kit=2425

So you can see what I am dealing with.

And here is the engine the kit provides, which Hubert correctly identified, the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp:

post-39-0-83409500-1466648823_thumb.jpg

You can see how it turned out in my post earlier. Note, the gear reduction housing is different, a Japanese version included in the kit.

 

OK, just discovered it isn't supposed to be a twin Wasp either (14 cylinders), but truly a Wasp with 9 cylinders. Strange, there was a Twin wasp in my second kit...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...