PV-1 Ventura

 I'm working on the Fonderie Minatures PV-1. Replaced the Engines as well with a company called Engines and Things on Great Models web store. The quality isn't as good as Quickboost but not bad for $6 in 1/48. They should have them in 1/72 I would think.

Quickboost makes very nice engines, but they are designed to be drop-in fits for a specific kit. If they don't make an engine for the exact kit you're building, you may still be able to easily modify one of their engines to fit... they make R-2800 engines in 1/72 for some P-47 kits.

BTW, The B-24 used the R-1830 engine, it had 14 cylinders instead of 18.

Kevin

MIflyer wrote:

Quickboost makes very nice engines, but they are designed to be drop-in fits for a specific kit. If they don't make an engine for the exact kit you're building, you may still be able to easily modify one of their engines to fit... they make R-2800 engines in 1/72 for some P-47 kits. BTW, The B-24 used the R-1830 engine, it had 14 cylinders instead of 18. Kevin

I didn't really look at the Quickboost engines very closely, and what I know about Wright engines is virtually zero. The casting quality on the Quickboost engines looks to very nice. I think I'll just shoot Quickboost an email to see if they do offer something.

gary

qmiester wrote:

Sacrilege I say, Sacrilege! - It isn't a Wright but a Pratt & Whitney - the closest Wright to it is an R-2600 (TBM, A-20 etc)

I told you I know very little about aircraft engines, but if it's got valves 90 degrees apart and used sixteen sparkplugs (as in Dodge) I might have a clue<g>!! Anyway I can't find anything for the Ventura in 1/72 scale, but seen several 2800 engines for other aircraft. But you say it's closer to a 2600. That being the case I need to round up another pair of them for a P70 project that's been in the works for years.

let the hunt begin!

gary

Engine and Things ENT72147 1/72 ENT72147 P&W R-2800-103 Category: Aircraft Accessories 1/72 for Heller DC-6B - 4 engines Status: In Stock Retail Price: $17.30 Your Price: $15.55

http://www.greatmodels.com/

You can do a search for that company and see what they got. In 1/72 you can get pretty close if not exact. The 1st picture is of the actual engine that was in the PV-1 you can see they are pretty close in details.

sfcmac wrote:

Engine and Things ENT72147 1/72 ENT72147 P&W R-2800-103 Category: Aircraft Accessories 1/72 for Heller DC-6B - 4 engines Status: In Stock Retail Price: $17.30 Your Price: $15.55   http://www.greatmodels.com/ You can do a search for that company and see what they got. In 1/72 you can get pretty close if not exact. The 1st picture is of the actual engine that was in the PV-1 you can see they are pretty close in details.

I saw those awhile ago, but didn't know if they'd work.

gary

sfcmac wrote:

I'm working on the Fonderie Minatures PV-1. Replaced the Engines as well with a company called Engines and Things on Great Models web store. The quality isn't as good as Quickboost but not bad for $6 in 1/48. They should have them in 1/72 I would think.

You have my deepest condolences, sfcmac!   I built that monstrosity last year! To call any F.M. kit a challenge is being VERY kind, but I persevered and got her done.  Learned a lot and became a better modelere, but NEVER again!  

Brian 

  For sure Brian it is a real bear as are most of their kits. I did the Halifax  and it turned out very nice but was an incredible amount of work.

 Just was trying to eye up the Ventura engines for you. Those were in stock and look as though they could pass for them with minimal work. As far as the fit? hard to say until you try. It's always a gamble. There are so many versions of that P&W R-2800 engine and some look quite different. I enjoyed looking for you as that site has a listing of what Aircraft used what. Thought that was purdy neat.

cassibill wrote:

I've been keeping a close eye on this thread.  I picked up the Minicraft kit in 1/72, possibly to build up as the one on display at the first Dayton Air Show I made it to.   I got some great pics and a good lump on my head getting them.  I whacked it good coming down from the gun turret.

Believe it or not, but there's one setting at the Mt. Comfort airport 24/7 (where they have the big air show). Looks like somekind of Naval version as it's painted a light sea blue. For some odd reason I've always liked the way that plane looks, but when I do build the kit it will be in British markings (always been a fan of the early war years). Been slowly putting together a small stash of kits from that era, but still want a few more (as if I have a place to put them!!). Kinda like to do a B17C or a D in British markings (think it's caled a Mark I), and maybe a second Ventura with all the radar masts. Lysanders; anybody?

gary

sfcmac wrote:

Wow I wish I could get inside one. TheFM Kit has the Door that could be left open but zero interior detail. I bought the Squadron "In Action" book but no inside pics.

from what I can gather that aircraft is open and on disply when they have their airshows. That was about a month ago. They have one in Dayton on display. There are a couple posters on here that seem to have access to the planes in there. Maybe they can help us out.

gary

 I am kinda stuck on the insides where the door enters and the door itself. Just wondering what you see going in the door and if there are walls or you can see the turret. That kinda stuff. Also trying my hand on opening up the bomb bay. Not many pics of those doors open.

 Don't want to put you to any trouble but if you got some pics handy I surely bet the Ventura guys here would enjoy them. I know I could surely use the look.   This is about as close as I caqn get to one here in Texas.

sfcmac wrote:

I am kinda stuck on the insides where the door enters and the door itself. Just wondering what you see going in the door and if there are walls or you can see the turret. That kinda stuff. Also trying my hand on opening up the bomb bay. Not many pics of those doors open.  Don't want to put you to any trouble but if you got some pics handy I surely bet the Ventura guys here would enjoy them. I know I could surely use the look.   This is about as close as I caqn get to one here in Texas.

I'm gonna give my old boss a call next week to see if he happens to know the owner. He flies into that airport all the time, and I bet he does. I might also have a couple pics of the one in Dayton Ohio, but they're not real good as I took the wrong camera with me.

    Is the plane in the photos a PV-1 or a PV-2? Where's it at in Texas? Anyway I'll be over in Dayton sometime in the next six weeks or so.

gary

 This aircraft is at the Galveston Flight Museum. Right next to Schillerbahn Water park, Great place to visit while the family waterslides as I know I bore mine to death looking at these old birds. There are many Aircraft there and most are kept in Flying condition. The collection includes a B-17G, a PBY Catalina, Dauntless, Hellcat, Thunderbolt, Spitfire even a B-58 Hustler to name a couple. They have turrets and engines out to see along with period vehicles and motorbikes. Really cool place only about 30 minutes away from me.  Great inside displays from the pilots as well.

It is no trouble for me to get better pics of the outside stuff. Maybe I should follow squeakie's lead and try to befriend some of those fellows down there.  Museums usually need volunteers and most people don't mind taking a few pics.

sfcmac wrote:

I am kinda stuck on the insides where the door enters and the door itself. Just wondering what you see going in the door and if there are walls or you can see the turret. That kinda stuff. Also trying my hand on opening up the bomb bay. Not many pics of those doors open.  Don't want to put you to any trouble but if you got some pics handy I surely bet the Ventura guys here would enjoy them. I know I could surely use the look.   This is about as close as I caqn get to one here in Texas.

Here are a couple of pics of the scartch built interior I di don my 1:48 PV-1 last year.  I am not a rivet counter, I just kind of made up the detail to give some visual interestt.

I know it ain't the greatest looking job, but when viewed through that little tiny door, it's kina convincing.  I have a Pavla  1:72 interior detail set for a Minicraft kit that served as a basisi for this....hope these are of help!

Brian 

you know this is turning out to be a great thread! Pics are begining to pop up here and there, and I just found another museum to vist that's not all that far from where I like to redfish (just east of the Sabine Pass). Funny thing about Venturas is that I figured I was about the only guy interested in them! After Monogram came out with the B-25 and B-26 the was a strong rumor floating around that they were tooling up a Ventura and an Invader in 1/48th (back in the late seventies and early eighties before there ever was an FSM). Must have fell the way Dragon's Ontos went.

    I plan on doing a lot of searches this week on the internet, and like I said give the boss a ring (gotta go out to his place anyway to look at a fuel injection unit setting under his work bench).

gary

 Thank you Brian, That is a huge help as I had near to nothing to go on. Actually knowing that kit as I now do , that is a pretty well done interior. The fuselage is so thick and uneven inside and that plastic tends more to crumble than sand.  I was shocked at how much of the resin pieces I had to grind and butcher. You got the pit together and it looks great which is a major achievement getting the fuselage to dry fit together. The wing fit looks to be equally as terrible.

That,s about as far as I've gotten with mine. Getting the two halfs to fit.  Took forever to get some engines. Did you use the kit ones?  They looked like too much work to me.

 Well squeakie I think you may have started a monster thread. Thanks!

sfcmac wrote:

Thank you Brian, That is a huge help as I had near to nothing to go on. Actually knowing that kit as I now do , that is a pretty well done interior. The fuselage is so thick and uneven inside and that plastic tends more to crumble than sand.  I was shocked at how much of the resin pieces I had to grind and butcher. You got the pit together and it looks great which is a major achievement getting the fuselage to dry fit together. The wing fit looks to be equally as terrible. That,s about as far as I've gotten with mine. Getting the two halfs to fit.  Took forever to get some engines. Did you use the kit ones?  They looked like too much work to me.  Well squeakie I think you may have started a monster thread. Thanks!

I got good news (well what little of it there is so far!!!) I found a picture of the dash and controlls. Plus some photos of the engines uncovered. I'm going to send them into Photoshop to see if I can make them better tonight.

THE HUNT IS ON!

gary

 Hey Gary I do have the Squadron  Pv-1 Ventura in Action book.  If anyone would like any refs from that.

Looking in said book I can Identify the Aircraft at the Galveston Museum as a PV-2 D Harpoon.

 Main differences are the missing lip on the bombay doors, A redisigned tail with out the Flat Stabilizers going through the Verticle fins.  Payload, Fuel and Armament changes which resulted in a slower speed.

sfcmac wrote:

Hey Gary I do have the Squadron  Pv-1 Ventura in Action book.  If anyone would like any refs from that. Looking in said book I can Identify the Aircraft at the Galveston Museum as a PV-2 D Harpoon.  Main differences are the missing lip on the bombay doors, A redisigned tail with out the Flat Stabilizers going through the Verticle fins.  Payload, Fuel and Armament changes which resulted in a slower speed.

I didn't know Squadron ever did one. I have two books that have extensive cutaway drawings in them for just about everything but a Ventura! Yet they did a few pages on the Ventura / Hudson. The Hudson was a little different in the turret (s). But from what I can glean most of the Canadian ones that flew the northeast coast used the U.S. style turrets, and even the Brits went with the U.S. style later. They have one British plane in there with radar hanging from the wings and nose that would be interesting.

    Apparently most all the British planes were camoed while the U.S. planes were in the blue colors. There were some British planes that were painted a light grey color as well. And I've now noticed that some planes had two styles of glass in the nose while others had a solid nose.  I think now I gotta build two of them! I'm heading over to Hobbytown in a few minutes, and will see if they have that book in stock. I did find one on Amazon that I'm going get. I like the idea of sharing data, and as I said "I really like the way this thread is going."

gary

Aaron,

Buy LOTS of Squadron White (or whichever putty you like best), you are gonna need it!  I have to say that this is the biggest challenge I have ever had in a kit, and I took nearly 4 months to complete it (a LOT of cooling off time ), but I am proud to say that I managed to beat it into submission!  One caveat, the styrene is very soft and easily damaged.  I did use the kit engines, which didn't dome out too badly, but were a LOT of fiddly work.  The fitting of the resin office into the fuselage is probably the worst part, lots of stock removal on the fuselage and the resin both.  Also, the wheel wells were too deep on my kit, i nearly ruptured the upper wing before I realized that....check the dry fit carefully......

I learned a lot and it is one of my showpiece kits (and one of my fav a/c - I have 7 1:72 kits in the stash!) I'll be watching for progress pics, keep up the good work, looks great so far!

Brian 

brain44 wrote:

Aaron, Buy LOTS of Squadron White (or whichever putty you like best), you are gonna need it!  I have to say that this is the biggest challenge I have ever had in a kit, and I took nearly 4 months to complete it (a LOT of cooling off time ), but I am proud to say that I managed to beat it into submission!  One caveat, the styrene is very soft and easily damaged.  I did use the kit engines, which didn't dome out too badly, but were a LOT of fiddly work.  The fitting of the resin office into the fuselage is probably the worst part, lots of stock removal on the fuselage and the resin both.  Also, the wheel wells were too deep on my kit, i nearly ruptured the upper wing before I realized that....check the dry fit carefully...... I learned a lot and it is one of my showpiece kits (and one of my fav a/c - I have 7 1:72 kits in the stash!) I'll be watching for progress pics, keep up the good work, looks great so far! Brian

at first I thought you were speaking of the FM kit, but now I gather it's the one from Minicraft. Not a good sine, but I'll make do. I probably won't be starting mine for a couple months as I have a couple projects in the works right now. Also where did you get the Pavla interior?

gary

Eduard makes a canopy mask for the Ventura; for those who want a set.

gary

Squeakie,

 I have a 1/72nd Academy/Minicraft PV-1 in the stash that I keep dragging out to ogle and threaten to build! I love this plane and will be following your efforts with great anticipation! Good luck with it all!