The Official P-61 Group Build Thread

Go for it! I'd like to see you guys finish them up and maybe start a few others

I could be temped to join. Got 2 Monogram kits in the stash from the mid-eighties.

Freem

If nothing else guys, finish them up!

I have 3 of them on the shelf and would be interested. I had an uncle who flew one during WWII, he would never talk about it though.

I am in agreement about starting a new thread too.

Seeing that allot of the original Build have gone away, it might be better to start the Build all over again. Just an idea. The P-61 is a fascinating aircraft.

I wouldn't mind seeing this one start again.  I joined and never finished mine - it's become a bit of a shelf queen.  

Is anyone interested in starting this up again?  I've got several widows to build and would love to talk to other folks with the same interest.

Gigatron

where are the photos Fred  all I see is a message saying moved or deleted

And to comply with my own rules, here's some WIP pics

-Fred

 

That would be fine, Randy.  I'd really like to see an NMF Widow.

If another company ever does a decent 1/48 Widow (coughTamiyacough), I'd consider doing another one.

-Fred

Gigatron if this is gonna be an open ended kind of thing I have been planning a NMF P-61 using foil. General Barns had the only NMF P-61 he used for personal transport and to scout forward landing strips. I wont start that one till around the first of the year I dont think. I would like to put it here in this group if thats ok.

Dirk, feel free to add to the build.  So many people dropped out, we could use the extra.  I'm not big on timelines.  I wasn't running this one to be a race, but more of a place where people building the Widow, or wanting to build it, could share information and experiences.

With that said, Ross, feel free to jump back in whenever you're ready.

Randy, I don't know how I missed it, but damn, that turned out nice!

-Fred

vetteman42 wrote:

Maybe you could talk Gigatron into extending the build ???

At this point I have Too many other projects going on right now. An extension wouldn't be enough time. I would need something just (or about) to start. Maybe I'll catch the next one.

Triarius Sorry to hear you have to pull your build what a bummer.

Dirkpitt289 2 and a half months would be pushing a P-61 build I guess. I have 2 more in the closet love building the 61s but makes me think there is something very wrong with me LOL. The exhaust stains were fairly simple really I thinned some Tamiya smoke and brushed it on very lightly then thinned some tamiya medium grey like a wash very thin and misted it on with an airbrush, took 3 or 4 coats to get it right. Then after the final flat clear coat I dusted the exhaust staining with a dark grey pastel. Thank you for complement on my build.

Maybe you could talk Gigatron into extending the build ???

Hi guys

I just found this thread and read through the whole thing. I wish I had found it earlier because I would love to do one of these. I did the 1/48 Revell kit as a kid.

Hogan: I like the look of the P-61 in black because it looks so bad (_!_) but I can't help but like the Olive because it seems so rare these days. I'm sill up in the air with which color I would do if and when the time comes. Nicely done.

Jester75: Great job. I like to build in 1/72 scale so this gives me hope that I will find one in that scale

BostonBruins34: Looking good so far I can't wait to see the finished product.

Aggieman: I love the detail and weathering of your bird. SWEET!

Vetteman42: Another nice job. How did you do the exhaust streaks?

Sorry guys, but some things have come up, and it doesn't look like I'll be able to finish. *report me* shame, I was looking forward to it.

I'll be taking the group build icon off my profile shortly.

 Have fun!

I used a silver pencil for chipping the props, doesnt show up very well in the pictures, maybe the pastels would help bring that out a bit more. I will try that in the morning and post a picture. Thanks Hans. May even try some pastels on the exhaust stains also.

Kermit Thank you for your kind words. This kit is a true challange I think thats why I like building it so much. Hans von Hammer is much more an expert on the P-61s than I am, but logic tells me they didnt spend a whole lot of time in fighter mode like say a P-51 would have, so their fuel mixture would have been kept as lean as possiable to save fuel. Hence I used a lot more grey, there is some black smoke in there. I think as Hans sugested I will play with it a bit with some pastels, see if I can get it to pop out a bit more than it does now.

Wow, great kit Randy! Nice cockpit detail, landing gear foil looks magnificent and lifelike, good paintjob...love it!. All that glass on the cockpit looks like it was a pain to mask it all for painting. Came out wonderful if i may say so!

I am no expert on these matters at all but my personal taste says that the exhaust smoke trail could be augmented with black or brown accents. But then again, i am fond of "dirty" planes. Don't know if it would be accurate.

Nevertheless: Congrats on a fine build!

Richard

I havent been on the forums today been way too busy, but in a good way really. FINALLY FINISHED !!!!!!!!!!! I am calling the 1/48 Monogram P-61B finished. I am pleased with the way this one came out, feel I took lots of chances, and pushed for a much better model than I have done to date. I had a lot of help from a number of people here with the scratch building and weathering. So with out further adew I present "RUBY"S REVENGE"

A couple of side shots as you can see my photography hasnt improved much.

A couple from the top showing my weathering and exhaust stain attempt. I used burnt umber for the panel lines over preshading. The exhaust was done using Tamiya smoke with light grey misted over that with an airbrush. All the base colors were Tamiya acrylics.

This is my scratch building, the cowling was cut fron the kit boom just infront of the yuk, closed cowl flaps, then new open flaps were made from a bubble pack. Then made a new firewall and mount for the engine face, and the front of the boom was chamfered to accept the new cowl. I also opened up the induction ports on the wings and added ducting inside then added the verticals using you guessed it bubble back. I am quite proud of how they came out wish the picture did them justice.

Heres a shot of the radio, radar operators quarters, one of my better canopy jobs with clear, sharp frame lines. You can even see thru the crystal too ! And its the kit part.

Heres a shot  of the main gear I have always had a dislike for my landing gear work, so when walking thru Wally World one day I ran across Illistraters Tape, hummmmm lets try this on my gear legs me thinks to myself. It came in a three roll package red, gold, and chrome. I painted the gear the usual silver and used a grey wash to tome it down some, added the chrome tape to the elo area, sealed it with 2 coats of future, and this is what came from that. Its getting better I think.

The nose art I made on the computer using Paintshop Pro and printed it on white decal paper from Microscale. Then I had to cut it out with my trusty hobby knife, to be honest I had to make a second decal as I slipped and ruined the first one. The lettering was done on clear decal paper. I still have trouble with the casnopy on this aircraft hopefully for the next one I can get my grubby mitts on a vacuformed one. Again thanks to all who had a hand in this build, wouldnt have come out this well without you and your encouragement.

Thanks for looking and as always any comments or critiques are welcomed.

Wow Vetteman! Just peeked inhere to see what you have done with that P61 you keep mentioning and must say i am very pleasantly surprised Think i may as well follow this one... Keep up the good work there!

Richard

Now for another update I am getting close be being finished with this build, but weathering just wasnt working out so well, at least not for this beginner. I posted in need of weathering help in the open aircraft forum and it was modelers to the rescue ! I think it is finally sinking in. I found that I was mixing my washes too thin, afraid of making my model ugly with that added colored mess I created. I used burnt umber as a wash brushed it on rather thick scaring me half sick, let it dry an hour or so then wipped it off with q-tips. Anyway heres what I ended up with on the wings.

Now to move on and get her finished up. And a huge thanks to all who helped me out.

Hans Von Hammer Mine had those same type of marks in the plastic, I used Krylon paint for plastic as a primer ( an off white color) and they were still there but not too bad. Figured what the heck and shot the Tamiya OD and the marks were gone. I did check my other 2 kits and they have those marks also. I am kind of stuck with acrylics here in the apartment dont wish to be spraying enamels inside.

Heres a WIP picture

Tried airbrushing some exhaust stains on her and the grey came out quite white, I am thinking I may try and mist a little darker grey on in the morning. As I like to do I am doing custom noseart for this build you can see what I came up with on the post-it pad on my TV trey aka building bench. Hopefully I will have it finished the first part of the week. Let me know what you think guys.

At least yours didn't have those goofy "color swirls" in it... Mine did, and they showed through the Tamiya OD... Never did that with enamels, but for some reason, Tamiya just accentuated them...

I was able to save it by sanding and shooting another coat of OD on it.. The Invasion Stripes hid what I couldn't get out... At any rate, I won't use Tamiya paints on any kits that have those swirls... Enamel covers them quite well (I prefer enamel anyway)...

Hey guys time for some WIP pictures told ya I am a slow builder.

All ready for some paint masked and everything

First order fo business painted the canopy frames interior green and the no walk stripes. I think painting them is much easier than messing with the long narrow decals.

Masking for the no walk stripes is all ready to go.

I dont know what got into me but I decided to try some preshading I see some of the guys doing here. Needs a steady hand which mine dont seem to be.

A bit of grey for the lower side of the Widow. Didnt like the way my attempt at preshading worked so painted 2 coats to hide another of my wanderful ideas.

I use Tamiya acrylic paints and the Olive Drab is just too dark, so I lightened it with Tamiya white quite a bit. I am planning to use a darker wash of OD in selected aeras to bring out some detail and make the base coat look faded. Figured I could control it better as a wash instead of the airbrush. It is clear coated with future and I hope to get some decals on her tonight. I think my scratch made cowl flaps and induction ports look better than the kit parts so that worked out well for being one of my famous (read infamous) ideas. Thanks for the encouragement Hans Von Hammer Thanks for looking and as always comments are welcomed

I must be one sick puppy I tell ya. While waiting for the glue on the canopys to dry on this P-61 I went and pulled out "ANOTHER P-61" and started scribing the panel lines on the wings for one with an NMF, and figuring out a tool to do the rivets. I am thinking there is something terribly wrong with me. Oh and this morning I started making a vacuform table, these crystals are just wrong sheesh. Heres a pic of my first attempt at scribing, I think its a bit on the heavy side, a bit too wide. Comments help ya know

Got the P-61 primed the other day and am doing the P-61 fill,sand,prime,fill,sand,>>>>>>>>>>> thing. The wing to boom joints are makin me crazy this time, I have got to think of a better way to handle them.  Hope to have some pictures soon.

A safe and happy 4th to all, especially to our service members, both past and present. Thank you for giving us this day for so many years. 

Thanks Triarius  In reality I think I spend too much time thinking about the build and not enough time building LOL. 

Hans Von Hammer Thanks it was a scary thing to do but it worked out well me thinks. Now for the .............

BPetty This build goes until December so jump in with your P-61 as I feel lonely here

Bondoman and Sf_plane_nut you guys are scarin me, I just won P-61 #4 off Ebay, 1 built 1 on the bench, and now 2 in the closet, all Revell Monogram 1/48s. I think that must have something to do with my lack of sanity ??

Well I got the booms on yesterday and got the lead glued into the nose today and the gear doors on. The dog wouldnt let me play with plastic too much topday she wanted to go to Doggis Disneyland, she won. Just a quick picture offered up for ya, still some filling to do though.

bondoman wrote:

My Father-in-law flew in -61s and is a contributor to the Mid Atlantic restoration. I just bought two Dragon 1/72s, an A and a B from a collector the other day, going to research my subjects and build them, maybe early next year.