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World War II
Discuss WWII and the era directly before and after the war from 1935-1949.
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1:48 P-61A Black Widow
AussieReg
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
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#007
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 02:24 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I don't see much more work needing to be done with these than the old Monogram kits.


The old monogram kits are great to put together, for their age the detail is really nice, but Gaston is right, they are horribly inaccurate and barely recognisable as a P-61. Check this photo


this is one I finished totally OOB a while back, and had a very enjoyable build, but if I didn't say anything you wouldn't even know it was a Widow !


Quoted Text

I think there's room in the market for both in 1/72

Hi Mike. Doesn't the Dragon kit in that scale fit the bill?

Cheers, D
eclarson
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Ohio, United States
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 03:27 PM UTC

Quoted Text


...
The old monogram kits are great to put together, for their age the detail is really nice, but Gaston is right, they are horribly inaccurate and barely recognisable as a P-61. Check this photo
...



Oh my goodness! What IS that thing? It looks vaguely familiar. Kind of like a Flying Boxcar mated with a B-25.

OK, I give up. I bet you just raided your spares box and glued together random parts then painted it black. Hah! ;-)

Seriously now, nice job on your Widow!

I still think it's a decent kit although recent releases are showing the molds are getting a bit long in the tooth. I build one years ago, when the kit was first released, and the only problems I remember were some gaps around the boom/wing joints which required some putty and sanding, and that mine was a tail sitter - because I forgot to put weights in the nose! Unfortunately, I no longer have my model as I lent it to a local hobby shop for display and then I moved to another state. The shop closed and that was the last I saw of my P-61. BUT, I have another in the stash, with a small fortune in aftermarket goodies, with which I hope to some day create my "ultimate" 1/48 P-61.

Cheers,
Eric
AussieReg
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
#007
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: June 09, 2009
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 03:54 PM UTC

Quoted Text

BUT, I have another in the stash, with a small fortune in aftermarket goodies, with which I hope to some day create my "ultimate" 1/48 P-61.

Cheers,
Eric


Thanks Eric, I appreciate the comments. I have another 6 (yes, 6) in the stash, along with a fair pile of AM paraphernalia, and I have a similar plan to yours. The classic old Shep Paine P-61 diorama has always inspired me and maybe one day when I grow up and get some real skills I will attempt something on that scale.

Until then, I will definitely buy whatever that GWH thing is, build it, paint it, and put a set of P-61 markings on it in a futile attempt to convince myself that it might possibly look something vaguely like an early prototype sketch of a Black Widow. In my humble opinion the sexiest aircraft ever !

Cheers, D
Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: July 28, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 05:45 PM UTC
Nice looking bird How much? And who stocks this brand?

As I don't understand the squiggly lines on the CAD drawings I don't really care if the thingamajigga doesn't line up with the wotzit.

However... Mr Gaston.... given all the time you spend on correcting your kits, you should consider creating masters for your corrections and producing them. Seriously, you should consider this. At least then you can recoup the time costs you spend on correcting kits. Turn the shortcoming of those kits into a windfall for yourself Isn't this how all AM manufacturers start out?
CMOT70
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 23, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 06:44 PM UTC
P-61: It's black and it's ugly. And i just don't do black and ugly.

Accurate...innacurate, who cares? It's black and ugly.
Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: July 28, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 06:49 PM UTC

Quoted Text

P-61: It's black and it's ugly. And i just don't do black and ugly.

Accurate...innacurate, who cares? It's black and ugly.


Black: it's the new black. Haven't you heard? Black is beautiful.

p.s. Andrew: totally off-topic, but have you posted pics of your JJ Model's "Sarah"?
AussieReg
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
#007
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 07:08 PM UTC

Quoted Text

P-61: It's black and it's ugly.


Andrew, I can't believe that those came from a fellow Victorian. Hang your head in shame. Big, Black (occasionally OD/NG) and SEXY. No further correspondence shall be entered into on this matter.
MikeMx
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England - North East, United Kingdom
Joined: May 22, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 09:25 PM UTC
Damien

I'm guessing the Dragon 1/72 P-61 is a reasonable kit but I'm sure GWH might do better and they'd throw in some mask and etch and it probably wont be any more expensive

thanks
Mike
CMOT70
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 23, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 09:26 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

P-61: It's black and it's ugly.


Andrew, I can't believe that those came from a fellow Victorian. Hang your head in shame. Big, Black (occasionally OD/NG) and SEXY. No further correspondence shall be entered into on this matter.


You are correct...they did, of course, come in OD/NG as well. OD/NG isn't so bad, so maybe i could one after all.
CMOT70
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: August 23, 2007
KitMaker: 629 posts
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Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 09:37 PM UTC

Quoted Text



p.s. Andrew: totally off-topic, but have you posted pics of your JJ Model's "Sarah"?


There's really not much to post of Sarah at this point, she's together, primed and has had the basic skin tone sprayed on and that's it. She's been put aside for a while as i've upped my ambitions on this one a bit. I intend to base her on a real life lady i know who resembles the figure to a remarkable degree- she models latex fetish wear after all. Currently she is having some very intricate and extensive tattoo work done on her back that i'm going to actually attempt to replicate to some degree. I'll be experimenting with photoshop and laser decal paper and possibly a type of decoupage technique- where you print a reverse image and then bond it to the surace with varnish and then wet the paper and rub it away...leaving just the ink (hopefully). Wish me luck!
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
Joined: August 14, 2007
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Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - 06:43 PM UTC
Dear Mr GWH.
Would it be possible for you to pantograph this one up to 1/32 scale? Pretty please with sugar on top? I am more than happy to ignore the non-existent total disaster...
Kindest Regards
Warren
Tailor
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Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
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Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - 06:57 PM UTC
Hi, Warren!
I dare say it is very unlikely. However it i still possible that WingSacle takes off one fine day and they had a Widow announced in superscale.
Keep hope alive!
Cheers,
Guidoi
AussieReg
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
#007
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: June 09, 2009
KitMaker: 8,156 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - 10:29 PM UTC
I've put in an "expression of interest" with WingXL (the new improved Wingscale) which is effectively a pre-order for the thirty-tooth Black Widow, reserving one (or 3 or 4 if the wife isn't watching too closely) for me when it is released.

PM me if you want the email address.

Cheers, D
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