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Let the fossil build a fossil... Frog 1/72 P-61 Black Widow


Rob1970

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Long time lurker here, de-lurking by building this fossil. It's a project I'm doing on another forum for a Nightfighter sig, and I thought I'd share the fun.

Just a warning; First Long Post is Long!

Blimey... 1965... https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=162040

This thing is actually older then I am!

Without further ado;

Ye Olde Box!

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Savvy folks among you might have noticed the lack of top turret on this one. But I will probably scratchbuild that.

Ye Olde Plans!

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'Splodey-view FTW!

Ye Olde Pile'o'Parts!
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The kit was like that when I picked it up at a model show aaaages ago. Looks like several of the previous owners unpacked, examined and repacked it all. But I think it's complete.

Dryfit of the main hull with the clear parts, which are very nice considering the age of the kit.

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As you see; no top turret. But I am sure I can bash something together. The interior as provided is very sparse too, but my mate indeed still has the Airwaves PE set (for the Dragon kit) and I am going to use that to make something. But that will have to wait until after X-mas, since I won't be seeing my mate until then.

He also had some Black Widow decals left over from a Nightfighter set I could have to replace the sad little roll of decals that didn't survive all the years...

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But! I can crack on with the rest of the kit, starting with the wings...

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The raised detail is very fine, and I will try to save it whenever I can. But the cowling-flaps bother me...

So, first an undeep cut with the razor saw...
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...and some judicious filing, fettling and sanding later we have enough room to add new cowling flaps from 0.25mm styrene strip.

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Round One... FIGHT!
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Itty-bitty bits of 0.25mm styrene (About 2.25 by 4mm) all glued around the groove I made...

Round Two... FIGHT!
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Yeah... even tinnier bits of styrene... I think about 2.25 by 1mm) behind the main flaps...

KNOCK-OUT!!!
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One down, one to go... This one just needs a rub-down with a sanding sponge when all the glue has set.

If sanity was easy, everybody would be doing it... crazy.gif

Which means I will be compelled to do that myself, foooooool that I am...

But look what my mate dropped off friday night! (he forgot the decals...)

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It's for the Italeri kit. This kit -definitely- isn't the Italeri kit... But that's not going to stop me. I started with one of the fun bits; the rear hatch. Loads of tiny PE parts that need to be folded and made to fit a very different kit.

I annealed the hatch part and rolled it between a brush handle and a bit of tissue to get it to curve...

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...and used the PE part to mark where the hole is going to be.

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Ofcoure the curve of the fuselage on the Frog kit is totally different from the Italeri kit. So I need to replace some PE parts with thin styrene bits.

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But about two hours of soft-voiced blasphemy later we have a hatch...

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...and a hole to fit it in (with some Bluetack for now...)

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Some ribbing fitted. Just needed a little trimming to work. And you can see the PE bit to make a map case...

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The instructions tell you to fold a piece of PE into a map case, which ends up being about 1mm by 4mm...

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Well...

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How about we stick the flap and top bit to a piece of 1mm styrene?

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Close enough!

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Time to ransack the spares box for a couple of seats and see if we can make something resembling a cockpit...

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And then I did some research (and frankly, other people's builds of the 1/48 kit are more useful then pics of the actual airplane)...

...and found out I cut the hole for my hatch about 7 or 8 milimeter too far forward. So that needs fixing...

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But I didn't really feel like figuring out that job, so I focused on the front office. The kit itself only offers you a couple of shelves and a pair of pilots. So we build a floor, a bulkhead and an instrument panel from styrene card and the PE for the Italeri kit...

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Like a glove!

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A nice relaxed day of tinkering around and it is starting to look a lot like a cockpit worthy of the open hatch the Frog kit -does- have...

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Still a lot of fiddely bits to go, like the pilot seat, control stick and the sight for the gunner. But I like it sofar...

The frame I did for the gunner's chair. In the Black Widow it was on rails, and it could swivel...

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Uhm... yeah... the chair swivels... did you expect anything else? biggrin.gif

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Another afternoon of relaxing cockpit work... It's very Zen, puttering about with tiny bits of styrene and PE...

More sidewall goodness. It looks a bit rough between the ribs, but I am going to clean that up. Tamiya ET rrrrreally like 1960s Frog plastic...

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Looks very nice sofar...

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...and the huge hatch in the Frog canopy really does it justice.

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I've been mostly working with shots of a 1/48 GWH P-61 build I found online here; http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/p-61b-black-widow-last-shoot-down-1945

as a reference. Beats having to decipher 1940s black and white photos...

Then I made a start with the rear cockpit, making a new bulkhead and floor...

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Built up a plug to close the bit of hatch I cut out in error...

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It fits, and it just needs sanding into shape...

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It's costing me some panel lines, but they need to go anyway. When Airfix had their Mad Rivetter, his brother the Crazed Linesman worked at the Frog factory...

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Nicely blended in, with a bit of PE added...

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And it fits well, making a nice blank canvas...

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The example I have to copy, and the size of my part...

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I'm starting to go cross-eyed, but I'm getting there...

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Ta-daah!

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Really curious how it will look with some paint slapped on...

Someone on the Dutch forum I haunt asked me for a picture to get a sense of scale...

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(You know, I'm pretty chuffed with how that large-scale wooden slide caliper came out. Only little nag I have is having to wait until 22 past 3 in the afternoon until I could take my picture so my alarm clock would show the right "size". But that oversized 1 Eurocent piece = Best Investment Ever!)

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Did some work on the front bulkhead this afternoon. Some ribbing, greeblies and oxygen/compressed air bottle...

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Uhm, yes... that's going to be a 1/72 scale fire extinguisher... why do you ask?

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In other news; someone on anopther forum offered me the turret from the 1/72 Airfix/MPC Black Widow, which means I don't have to scratchbuild it. Score!

Now what should I build with the time that frees up..?

Maybe...

Nah, that would be silly...

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After New Year's eve, my turret parts turned up...

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...and got turned into this. Had to add a little shim to the rear of the guns, because the gap was rather big.

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It looks the part tho...

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Also replaced the dimples that were supposed to be the guns into something that actually looks like guns...

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All that work on the main fuselage pretty much obliterated most of the raised detail (which there was way too much of anyway... Frog really had a Looney Linesman...) so I did some rescribing.

Before and after...

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Main fuselage and tops of the wings done.

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I found a 4-way view and used it to do most of the panel-lines. I didn't do -all- they indicated on those plans, just enough to look busy (and not as busy as the original patchwork this old kit had.)

Rescribing is a long, slightly maddening proces. But it gets you results! :banghead:
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Just the tailbooms to do. But some preparations first. The landing gear kinda needs to be installed as you close them up. But to prevent them from snapping off while I work on the booms, I decided to take a notch out of the bushings so I can install the legs later.

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Minor surgery was a success!

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Booms glued together, ready for rescribing...

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Now ya'll are up to speed on this build. More soooon!

Rob

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I know about the Frog P-61, which was also boxed under the old AMT label, and the slightly later Airfix P-61, which has also had a Heller incarnation. And I know about the Dragon P-61s. But whenever did Italeri release a 1/72 P-61, and is it a new tool???!!!

What did I miss???!!!

Byron

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Brilliant work. Exceeds my abilities or patience! Yes, the first job you have to do with a Frog is build an interior... interesting how olde Frog instructions look like olde Airfix ones, even down to the preamble about practising assembly before cementing, although unlike Airfix they had colour call-outs, which Airfix should have had... and there were Frog paints?? Crikey. Excuse the nostalgic ruminations.

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What do you mean 'fossil', you're three years older than I am!... Oh.

I'm in awe of your work. Isn't it great when the product of hours of labour and love is finally painted, finished and weathered and everybody gives it a passing glance because they assume it's from some new-generation mould?

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This wa the second kit I ever built, in around 1967, when I was 7 (the first having been a Hurricane, I think). Let's just say that you're making a hell of a lot better job of it than I did! I seem to recall that the decals (or "transfers", as I would no doubt have called them) were pretty hideous even when new, but that might just be my memory playing tricks.

Looking forward to seeing it progress

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Incredible!! Looks nice with all that excess detail removed doesn't it? Good fettling of the horrible FROG black plastic too - I found that a real pain when working on the 1/72 Hurricane! Hard and not very malleable...

Really looking forward to seeing the end result too! Weirdly enough I had a glut of the Soviet era bagged repops of this kit until recently!! Obviously like buses.

Shame about the decals too... normally FROG ones are pretty good!

Amazing work... Good luck and keep on updating!!

Chris

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I remember that one from years ago. Good luck with the fight, looks like you're winning. Oh, you have the same clothes pegs as I do

Same for me ... but at least his are blue and olive drab. Mine are pink and pale yellow. :confused:

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