Completed 10/27/17 Monogram P-61 Black Widow

Toshi, phenomenal work as always.  I'm amazed at how quickly your builds go with the degree of detail and skill you put into them.  www.maam.org is the site for the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, where they're doing that P-61 rehab.  They actually founded the museum as a way to get funding to continue the project, IIRC. The other amazing thing about that project is that they're restoring her to airworthy status, which is a whole other level from museum grade. 

Anyway, sorry if I hijacked your thread a little, just thought people who were following this one would be interested in that site as well. Keep up the incredible work!

Greatmaker

Hey Toshi

Have you tried perfect plastic putty? I really like that stuff.  It cleans off very easily so it saves a ton of time on sanding.

 

Toshi

Hey Toshi

Have you tried perfect plastic putty? I really like that stuff.  It cleans off very easily so it saves a ton of time on sanding.

Here is the Black widow with the seams puttied up and readied to be sanded down upon drying.  I also have lead weights ready to be installed in the nose of the P-61 Due to it‘s being a “Tail Sitter”.  

Toshi

 P.S. I utilize Tamiya white Lacquer base putty.

Model Maniac

The cockpit, seat and belts look awesome, Toshi. Can't wait to see you finish this kit.

 

Toshi

blackdog62

speaking of there b-24 I wished k picked 1 up because it looks like it's not being molded anymore?

 

The cockpit, seat and belts look awesome, Toshi. Can't wait to see you finish this kit.

speaking of there b-24 I wished k picked 1 up because it looks like it's not being molded anymore?

Here is the two halves of the fueselauge assembled together.

Toshi

 Here is the complete left fueselage of the Black Widow.  If you noticed, I went with the OOB Gun Turret instead of the Quickboost Gun Turret.  In my humble opinion, DO NOT BY THE QUICKBOOST GUN TURRET!  The AM Gun Turret not only does not fit, it looks completely historically and visually incorrect.  Now it’s some adjusting to make the right side fueselage assembly glue together.  Please view the photo below.

Toshi

blackdog62

hi toshi man you are really moving along on this 1. there is someone here in the states I can't remember there site but there rebuilding a p-61 that crashed on and island in 44/45 . they most of it together now and all there interior parts  are painter in yellow chromate and cockpits are green chromate. its a easy site to find and they have posted all the pics from the beginning. lots of info.

jerry

 

 

Thank you for everything!  I saw the site.  It is very informational.  Isn’t it incredible in how they can take a crashed Black Widow from an island jungle forest and bring it back to the states to rebuild it!  I’m amazed.

Toshi

shamoo

Looking good so far!  I have yet to try any of the aftermarket add-ons, though I've got a few waiting for me.

Dave

 

Toshi

hi toshi man you are really moving along on this 1. there is someone here in the states I can't remember there site but there rebuilding a p-61 that crashed on and island in 44/45 . they most of it together now and all there interior parts  are painter in yellow chromate and cockpits are green chromate. its a easy site to find and they have posted all the pics from the beginning. lots of info.

jerry

Looking good so far!  I have yet to try any of the aftermarket add-ons, though I've got a few waiting for me.

Dave

Eagle90

Hey Toshi.  I have a few of those in my stash so I was really interested when you started this kit.  As always, I look forward to seeing your posts!

Toshi, the cockpit is spectacular!  Super job!  Your attention to detail is awesome!

 

 

 

You’ve got quite the collection sir.  I want to thank you for your interest in the start of my P-61 build.  I greatly appreciate it.  Also thank you for following my posts.

Your kind words about my cockpit and attention to detail is very humbling.  I learned these things from Forum members like you.

Toshi

Hey Toshi.  I have a few of those in my stash so I was really interested when you started this kit.  As always, I look forward to seeing your posts!

Toshi, the cockpit is spectacular!  Super job!  Your attention to detail is awesome!

Here is the left side of the cockpit all done.  Now it’s the right side of the cockpit to complete then I’ll almost be ready to join the fueselauge together.

Toshi

Cockpit left side instrument panel.

Toshi

goldhammer

Toshi-  Have been away a few days.  Nice progress and work on the pit, guns and wheel well.  The belts seem to have been a chore, but you did a beautiful job with them.

As usual, you find a way to make something dificult and tedious look fantastic when in place.

 

The guns were knew to me.  I’ve never utilized the Quickboost gun turret before.  I did the wheel wells with a different Zinc Chromate color then the interior as I’m following as an example Bill Plunk’s GWH 1/48 P-61 Black Widow in the October issue of FSM.  So far, everything has been hand painted, I have yet to use the AB.  I’m using the AB when painting the exterior of the Black Widow.  

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read and reply on my Black Widow thread.  I so enjoy our conversations as well as the read and reply!

Toshi

littletimmy

She's comeing along nicely , Toshi!

About half of my paint supply is Testor's square bottle's

I do have a question. The interior is a green zinc Chromate or some like color ( Tamaya interior green) Are the wheel wells suppose to be the same color or are they Zinc Chromate Yellow like you have?

I have always built  the P-61 with Zinc Cromate Green in the wheel wells.

Have I been doing it wrong all these year's? ( Why didn't someone smack me?)

 

As for the question in regards to the Green Zinc Chromate or Yellow Zinc Chromte, I decided to follow Bill Plunk’s build.  October issue of FSM.  His is a GWH 1/48 P-61, he paints his with Green Zinc Chromate interior while the wheel wells are Yellow Zinc Chromate.  I thought it looked cool plus I just wanted to follow his build as an example.  

I don’t think you were wrong at all.  I’ve read and seen various Zinc Chromate (Green and Yellow) used on WWII aircraft.  All it was was a anti-corrosion protection measure.  The Corsair had even a Salmon pink rear interior Chromate type of paint in it.

The two examples I’ve seen was a Corsair pulled out of one of the Great Lakes and Tamiya’s 1/32 Corsair build book.  Again, I’m just following and using as my example, Bill Plunk‘s Black Widow build. 

Toshi

Toshi-  Have been away a few days.  Nice progress and work on the pit, guns and wheel well.  The belts seem to have been a chore, but you did a beautiful job with them.

As usual, you find a way to make something dificult and tedious look fantastic when in place.

She's comeing along nicely , Toshi!

About half of my paint supply is Testor's square bottle's

I do have a question. The interior is a green zinc Chromate or some like color ( Tamaya interior green) Are the wheel wells suppose to be the same color or are they Zinc Chromate Yellow like you have?

I have always built  the P-61 with Zinc Cromate Green in the wheel wells.

Have I been doing it wrong all these year's? ( Why didn't someone smack me?)

This time around, I didn’t CA the front tricycle landing gear.  It’s fully functional and ready to go.  Just like Monogram designed this some forty plus years ago.    This way I can’t do the stupid thing and glue it on with CA backwards!  lol!  

Toshi

Painted by hand the front tricycle landing gear bay with the old school square bottle of Testors Yellow Zinc Chromate #1184.

Forum Members, do you remember painting building and painting your kits with the Testors square bottles?  I just had to have one, especially the enamel paint.  lol!

Toshi

Here is the Quickboost QB 48 643 P-61A Black Widow Guns Turret 1/48 Scale assembled.

The OOB guns turret

bstarr3

Toshi, very nice work on the cockpit. I love detailing cockpits, and it's nice that this plane at least has enough glass to show some of that great work of yours

 

Toshi

Toshi, very nice work on the cockpit. I love detailing cockpits, and it's nice that this plane at least has enough glass to show some of that great work of yours

PE Lamp

 PE Lamp painted

 Completed and painted bulkheads

 Bulkhead installed

Pre-prep

 Setting up the PE

 Getting ready to paint