Hi everyone!
Just wanted to show that you can get good results with the Monogram kit I have one in progress that I started for the Devils in the dark campaign but did not finish in time and have one more to do before getting to my two GWH kits.

The fuse was together but got knocked over and split apart along with damaging the landing gear, here is where it's at now.

Cheers Rob.

Man down!!!!!!! now you have some where to finish it.

Havnt had much time lately.managed to start doing some detail work on the pit and control panel I will post some pics soon

Rob, Go for it. Not one but two Monogram P-61s. Who would have thought.

Justin, looking forward to some pictures of your front office.

Joel

OK, I need some calibration.
Things I think I know:
P-61s had 3 crewmen; pilot, gunner, radio / radio operator
Some P-61s had a top turret, some didn't
The gunner controlled the turret using a computing gun sight, attached to an analog computer.

Things I don't know:
Could the radio operator take control of the turret and with his own gun sight target objects behind the plane?
On P-61s without the top turret, would they have added the weight and expense of the computer and gun sights, and just used a simpler gun sight and aimed the whole plane at the target?

I'm planning on a plane with out the turret and I'm wondering if I need to install the gun sights.

The Monogram kit says to omit the gun sights when the top turret isn't installed.

Thanks, Airfix isn't nearly as helpful.

Col Morgan said that his plane didn't have a top turret and only he had the gun sight. The front gunner acted as a navigator/observer and the radio/radar operator just did his thing. Hope that helps.

Later

Ok so does the b model have a gunsight for the pilot I am majorly confused on the right instrument panel configuration now because I am finding no defined answer on line.and my kit didn't come with one or a place on the tree for it.but shows it in the instructions

Figured out sorry

Thats okay Justin we understand. Actually the pilot had a night site that folded up and to the side of his head, attached (If I remember correctly)to a canopy bow. If you still have the url to the UTube training film I posted awhile back you can see it as they go thru the cockpit controls.

Now, speaking of Lt. John Morgans P-61B, I found some pictures of the model that I built for him on the Nightfighters FB page, so with no further ado...Lt Morgans P-61B







I want to reo this one for this build, plus another one that was assigned to NAS Vero Beach in 1944

Later

Bruce, impressive finish. Just can't get use to seeing no top turret. I guess I just have certain preconceived notions, and at my age it's hard to change.

Joel

Joel,
I know what you mean. I always think that the Black Widow had to have the top turret, yet the 2 that I plan to build, neither had the turret!

Go figure

Later

I just double checked the GWH P-61A kit, and both decal versions have the top turret. After taking a closer look at their offering of the turret, I would be open to doing a version without one.

I've seen comparisons of the Monogram turret to the GWH turret, and the Monogram is actually much closer to the correct specs. It's going to be a major effort to make the corrections and modifications.

Joel

I just happen to have a spare Monogram turret...

Check your resources. IIRC, some number of P-61As were built with the turret. In response to buffeting issues ('compressibility stall"?), the remainder of the As were built without the turret. P-61B production started off without the turret, but it was later re-introduced (just for fun, a few only had 2 guns in the turret). All Cs had the 4 gun turret. Under-wing hard points seem to have varied from 2 (outboard?), to 4.

Jess, PM sent.

Joel

There was also a fixed, forward firing barbette which looked slightly different from the turret which was fitted to a number of airframes. Apparently the buffeting was caused by rotating the turret, and was first solved by locking it in the forward firing position. The barbette was an attempt to reduce weight by deleting the redundant rotation/elevation mechanisms. It could be identified by its straight trailing edge. Sadly I've misplaced the book that has the details so I can't expand on this.

I've also read accounts which explain the removal of the turrets by claiming that B-29 production had priority and the Bblack Widows had to do without. Which story you believe is up to you

Wiki "confirms" the B-29 story.

That's one place I read it, yes. Like many things it was probably a mixture of causes.

A box arrived this morning fresh from surviving the friendly attention of the Canada Post baggage gorillas

Happily, although the box has seen better days, the kit parts inside are all pristine within their bags

I ought to build it in parallel with the Monogram kit, just for fun

yes, you ought to...

Jessica, by all means do. Perhaps even some comparison pictures between the two kits throughout the build would be of great interest.

Joel

Interestingly, the instructions call for a "counterweight" behind the instrument panel, yet there doesn't appear to be one in the box. Does anyone have such a beast in their box, or is it merely an indication of where to put the weight?

Jessica, I've been through my box a few times, and there isn't any weight that I've found.

Joel

Riffing on a theme by Joel. The Monogram kit needs both front and rear bulkheads. I decorated them with channel and rod

The plastic is quite thick, which makes for nice deep voids behind the screens which will go into the bottoms of the booms later.