Monogram Mafia Group Build

Hans von Hammer

The Monogram P-39 was definitely one of, if not the finest 1/48 single-seat/single-engine fighter kits ever made by Monogram, IMNSHO.  The P-38, P-39, P-40, P-51B (Original "Ding Hao!" version, not the recent release, which is  ProModler tooling; it doesn't count (It was a post-merger release...), Fw 190, & Mosquito all came out in the mid/late 60s and that's when Monogram decided that they were a model manufacturer and not a toy company, and got into concentrating on details, rather than "operating features"...    

You know, I've never been a big P-39 fan but... I have one 40% off coupon left good at my local "Michaels" store and they just happen to have that kit.  

You know, I've never been a big P-39 fan but... I have one 40% off coupon left good at my local "Michaels" store and they just happen to have that kit.

I'd be jumpin' on that, R-man...

CallSignOWL

well, whoops!  Thanks for pointing that out. The directions didn't show any of the nav light colors. I just went from memory.

Don't forget the three Recognition Lights (sometimes erronenously called "Formation Lights) under the wings..

Straight from my well-worn copy of the "P-51 Pilot's Operating Handbook":

Recognition Lights –Early airplanes are equipped with four recognition lights: A white lamp (AN3097-2) on top of the fuselage aft of the **enclosure, and a red (AN3096-5), a green (AN3096), and an amber (AN3096-4) lamp grouped together on the underside of the right wing near the tip. A bank of four B-9A control switches on the control panel above the right switch panel. The lamps can be set to burn continuously, or to flash off and on by means of Type 8586 keying switch mounted in a box just above the right switch panel. On the later airplanes, the upper recognition light, control switch, and the wiring are deleted.

 Being a late "D"-model,  yours would only need the three lights under the right wing... The colors, from the leading edge back, are: Red, Green, & Amber...

**Army-speak for Canopy

Here's a link to the Dual P-39 Build I did with the Monogram and Eduard kits:

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yeah, I knew the colors for the under wing lights....the sad thing was that my yellow jar decided to finally die and turned solid. So I had to make do with another color.

Hi All,

Here`s some progress pics of my SBD...tape belts with spare box PE bits for buckles

Used pedals from a P-38 and the floor boards are from the spares box...not sure what they were..lol..

Closed up the fuse...added the radio shelf and the rear .30 cal. from a destroyed TBD kit...

Put the wings on and got an unpleasant surprise....

Gaps and steps on both sides.......but..got out the trusty dremel tool and ground `em down.

Some filler and a lot of sanding should fix it up nicely. That`s all for now...thanks for looking!

Len

Len, I love that kit (the SBD), so much so that I picked it up again (due to being 40% off and I botched my first attempt at it).  Yeah, those wing roots are a bear on that one.  I seem to remember if you run tapefrom  the ends of the wings to pull up the dihedral it will lessen the gaps to be filled in, like the pit, good luck.

Reasoned

 I seem to remember if you run tapefrom  the ends of the wings to pull up the dihedral it will lessen the gaps to be filled in, like the pit, good luck.

Thanks for looking Reasoned,

Len

Trouble, I did the same thing for the gunner's turret. I took one off a derelict TBD for the same SBD kit I have had as a perennial WIP for years now. Yours is coming along well.

For my Mafia builds, some more progress today. I glued the fuselage together on the F-86 and cleaned up most of the seams on the fuselage of the F9F. Unfortunately I have one bear of a seam to fill and smooth right where I did not want one, right between the guns in the nose... I added some putty awhile ago and will let that dry overnight. Tomorrow it will be ready for progress pics. Same with the F-86 I believe. I am gonna go with using the Academy F-86 intake and exhaust covers since I dont feel like adding all the extra work to fix those area to my satisfaction on this kit.

stikpusher

Trouble, I did the same thing for the gunner's turret. I took one off a derelict TBD for the same SBD kit I have had as a perennial WIP for years now. Yours is coming along well.

I have an experiment in mind, to make the ring.  I picked up the enhanced Kingfisher kit, which includes the ring on its photo-etch fret.  I think I can make a template from that, that can be used to punch out the holes in a piece of thin styrene sheet with my punch and die set.  Or failing that, to use the photo-etch to make a plastic master, then cast it in resin.  I don't have a derelict TBD kit, they're all going to get built

hey baron, I think that kit comes with both the PE and plastic parts...

the Baron

stikpusher:

Trouble, I did the same thing for the gunner's turret. I took one off a derelict TBD for the same SBD kit I have had as a perennial WIP for years now. Yours is coming along well.

 

I have an experiment in mind, to make the ring.  I picked up the enhanced Kingfisher kit, which includes the ring on its photo-etch fret.  I think I can make a template from that, that can be used to punch out the holes in a piece of thin styrene sheet with my punch and die set.  Or failing that, to use the photo-etch to make a plastic master, then cast it in resin.  I don't have a derelict TBD kit, they're all going to get built

That`s a good idea with the Kingfisher PE...I have that kit too. I also have latex mold maker, resin and mold release agent. The only thing I don`t have is experience using the stuff...lol! The only thing with the Kingfisher part is there`s no seat attached and would have to be scratch built...have a derelict Kingfisher too...donated it to someone for the floats but kept the innards and was eye-ing it up for the SBD but thought the TBD part was a better fit.

Let me know how you make out with the experiment!

Len

the Baron

stikpusher:

Trouble, I did the same thing for the gunner's turret. I took one off a derelict TBD for the same SBD kit I have had as a perennial WIP for years now. Yours is coming along well.

 

I have an experiment in mind, to make the ring.  I picked up the enhanced Kingfisher kit, which includes the ring on its photo-etch fret.  I think I can make a template from that, that can be used to punch out the holes in a piece of thin styrene sheet with my punch and die set.  Or failing that, to use the photo-etch to make a plastic master, then cast it in resin.  I don't have a derelict TBD kit, they're all going to get built

Tom's Modelworks makes a nice affordable PE set for USN WII aircraft. The set includes a few of the preforated gun mounts, but not the turret mount you need from another source.

Today photographic proof of progress...

F9F fuselage together, seams cleaned up, and lost lines scribed in.

and F-86 fuselage together with seam clean up begun. I ran out of the little rubber bands to use to hold the fuselage together when the glue was drying so I have a slight seam to fill along part of the spine. Superglue has been applied and is drying now...

Got some pics of the Hellcat cockpit.  I took an old KMC F6F detail set and a F6F-3 night fighter conversion for this project.  It will be a late -3n.

Photos aren't the best, a product of an auto focus camera with a small subject and no background.

Wow, I finanlly was able to get my photos loaded on Photobucket (site problems I guess). Here are the pics of the F-105 and F-4 (1/72). This is the first time I have done a side by side and simaltaneous build, but I must make the 2 month time line!!!! One cool thing about this GB is that I had forgot how fun the Monogram kits are!!! I started on them and have several in the stash because I always remembered them having decent detail (even if it is raised!) I got the pit tubs done before I went on Vacation at the beginning of the month. More pics to come!

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Thanks, Travis

Weel, the Tres Amigos are moving along fine. It's been fun going all-brush with the basic Testor's bottles. Mixed my own olive, trainer yellow, insignia red and blue and Navy gray.

The 'Rod rests out back.

So I picked up the next kit today at Riverside Hobbies. I never built this, unlike everybody else seems to have. But of course 3 million people say they were at Woodstock, too.

Because I live in another end of the State every weekend now while I get Don's act put away, I'm going super OOB- no paint. Oh maybe the prop tips, but it'll have to be summpin I find down at his hootch like yellow glue.

Bill,

I forgot how small those bipes really are.  They are looking sweet!  Just a couple of questions though 1.  Is the Phantom Mustang being repopped again, or is that an older rerelease?  (I haven't built one either.)  2.  Since the original Rommel's Rod used the 250 for it's tracks, how come you went with the 251?

Out of respect for the Godfather, footage of Sentimental Journey over the Superstition Mountains.  Be sure to watch it in full screen mode.

http://vimeo.com/18135369

That was some awesome footage.  I wonder if anyone makes markings for that bird.  That has to be one of the nicest restorations of a G I have ever seen.  The 25 was sweet as well, but for me, the 17 is my all time favorite WWII Bomber.

lewbud

Bill,

I forgot how small those bipes really are.  They are looking sweet!  Just a couple of questions though 1.  Is the Phantom Mustang being repopped again, or is that an older rerelease?  (I haven't built one either.)  2.  Since the original Rommel's Rod used the 250 for it's tracks, how come you went with the 251?

Out of respect for the Godfather, footage of Sentimental Journey over the Superstition Mountains.  Be sure to watch it in full screen mode.

http://vimeo.com/18135369

wow. gorgeous video!! 

Fantastic progress, everybody!  I have to get crackin' on my Zero and A-24, they've been cooling while I work on the Red Baron.

Regarding the SBD kit, and the wing root gaps, may I recommend, too, the technique of applying the upper wing halves to the fuselage first, then applying the bottom piece?  I'm going to do mine that way, well, on the starboard side.  My kit is an eBay pickup from a couple of years ago, and someone had started the kit by gluing the port upper piece to the lower wing.  I decided not to separate the parts.  In any case, I've used that method on other low-wing aircraft models, and it works really well to eliminate the seamage on the more visible upper side.

Best regards,

Brad

wow.. sweet footage.. I flew in the at same plane a few years ago here in Maine.. It flew out of Bar Harbor Regional Airport and flew circuits around Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain.. When we landed, I was in the bombardier's seat...

Got the wings and stabilators attached on my Panther and Saber. Almost ready for initial external painting now...

Some kits just don't want to be built.  I have put together some kits that practically put themselves together with no problems.  Then there are the kits that are cursed.  Perhaps it is the subject.  I had a Kinetic F-86 that was just a disaster that eventually saw the hammer. 

This brings me to the Monogram F-86 for this group build.  Started out nicely.  But after a while, I began experiencing problems at every turn.  My first clue was I began to have problems with my airbrush.  When I used it on my other kits...no problem.  But for some reason I had clogging problems every time I applied it to the F-86.  I just blew it off because I never have problems with my airbrush. 

Then I was at the stage decal application...I purchased Aeromaster decals....on application, they were thick and fell apart sliding them off the paper....sigh.  So, I decided, no problem, I will paint the yellow bands on the wings and fuselage.  I like the Tamiya camel yellow in the rattle can and it went on nicely.  I then taped off the edges with reliable Tamiya tape for the black stripes.  On tape removal, I saw in horror that the black bled under the tape all over the yellow and onto my Alcad finish....sigh, I've done this countless times on other kits with no problem.  Furthermore, the tape lifted some of the Alclad...again, a first time.

It doesn't stop there.  While removing other tape I inadvertantely broke off a few pieces to include the wings separating from the fuselage.  I thought I was going to cry. 

A Murphy's law kit!!!!

My frustration level is at its limit, so I decided to focus my attention on other subject matters for a while.

My Saber is coming along well. So is the Panther. Just need to do some seam cleanup and filling on both and they will be ready for initial painting.

Sorry to hear about the Sabre, Hutch.  Sounds like it turned into a real nightmare.  I have had a few issues on my efforts on my P38 and P39.  Better luck with the next project!

Tal Afar Dave

Sorry to hear about the Sabre, Hutch.  Sounds like it turned into a real nightmare.  I have had a few issues on my efforts on my P38 and P39.  Better luck with the next project!

Thanks, Tal, I have another one mostly built and ready for paint.  It was supposed to be a joint build with my son, but he seems to have other distractions these days.  One of those situations to best walk-away from it for a bit and then hit it again.

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It’s fun working with your kid.  My Daughter has almost completed her first early jet fighter.  I gave her a 1/72 F-89 Scorpion I had kicking around since I was able to do the 1/72 kits.  All she needs to do now is landing gear doors and paint.  It came out really well, especially for a 1^st effort on her own.  I worked on my 1/48 ME262 while I was supervising her.  I’m also working on a weekender Monogram 1/48 F86F that she helped me detail the cockpit of.  Maybe I’ll put up some images when she is done.  I’m pretty proud of her :) .  She just helped me out in exchange for a kit of her choosing, and she found a great combo kit on eBay with a MIG21 and an F4J in a double kit in 1/48.  She might enter the F4J herself in the Phantom GB. Lol…  I’m sure your Son will come around.  I find subtle hints and some good guilt usually work. LOL…

Rich

hutchdh

 

 

 

Thanks, Tal, I have another one mostly built and ready for paint.  It was supposed to be a joint build with my son, but he seems to have other distractions these days.  One of those situations to best walk-away from it for a bit and then hit it again.

Sparrowhyperion

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It’s fun working with your kid.  My Daughter has almost completed her first early jet fighter.  I gave her a 1/72 F-89 Scorpion I had kicking around since I was able to do the 1/72 kits.  All she needs to do now is landing gear doors and paint.  It came out really well, especially for a 1^st effort on her own.  I worked on my 1/48 ME262 while I was supervising her.  I’m also working on a weekender Monogram 1/48 F86F that she helped me detail the cockpit of.  Maybe I’ll put up some images when she is done.  I’m pretty proud of her :) .  She just helped me out in exchange for a kit of her choosing, and she found a great combo kit on eBay with a MIG21 and an F4J in a double kit in 1/48.  She might enter the F4J herself in the Phantom GB. Lol…  I’m sure your Son will come around.  I find subtle hints and some good guilt usually work. LOL…

Rich

 

hutchdh:

 

 

 

Thanks, Tal, I have another one mostly built and ready for paint.  It was supposed to be a joint build with my son, but he seems to have other distractions these days.  One of those situations to best walk-away from it for a bit and then hit it again.

 

 

I hear ya...I am up against that cursed X-Box.  The wife and I are going to clamp down and limit time spent on that thing.  Too much of that and the brain goes to mush.  Need to get both boys back on the model bench.  Both have half build kits, but I am sure they will be back.

I look forward to seeing your daughter's work.

Yeh.  We don't have an X-Box, but we do have a PS3.  To cut down on game time, we keep in in our room which is basically where I live nowadays.  So in order to have time on it, she needs to do her chores and help me out if needed. :)  Fortunately she is more into art and now models than she ever was with the game.  She has her own PC in the living room, but only uses that for school and one game she likes.

hutchdh

 

 

 

I hear ya...I am up against that cursed X-Box.  The wife and I are going to clamp down and limit time spent on that thing.  Too much of that and the brain goes to mush.  Need to get both boys back on the model bench.  Both have half build kits, but I am sure they will be back.

I look forward to seeing your daughter's work.

Keep the kids involved and at that bench! I agree, the video games suck the life out of kids and impair their ability to communicate with other humanoids (ie. family).  I miss my time with my son, painting figures....

Not much progress today; a working weekend in thunderstorms.  Hope everyone's projects are moving along on schedule.......