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Buffalo USS Saratoga


Franz75

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Hello every one.

From the "aftermarket department,' we have a PE set from Eduard and resin engine from Quickboost. 
Buffalo was a very particular plane, design by an inexperienced company. Design and build for the US Navy, it wasn't the answer to their preyers. It was too heavy and its center of gravity wasn't calculated correctly. RAF wasn't delighted by Buffalo's performance either. Only one nation was able to use Buffalo successfully,  the Finnish Air Force.  In the hands of Suomi warriors, it becomes a very deadly airplane.  
The kit I'm about to build will be done in a scheme from USS Saratoga just before the US has entered the WW2. I have chosen this scheme because I had enough of  Dark Green& Dark Earth. 
Enjoy.
  

 

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And famous picture of crashed Buffalo, as you can see it has white stabilizers. Not silver like shown on the decals manual. 

 

  K5P5nur.jpg

 

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Those prewar USNavy aircraft sure had the edge for bright colours & a Buffalo in that would look terrific. At risk though of being a party pooper, I'm not sure that you can do the Thatch machine from the decal sheet from this kit, the Thatch aircaft was a F2A-1, the kit aircraft are F2A-2s & are different around the engine cowel, note the exhaust position. I don't know how much would be involved in altering the kit parts to F2A-1 configuration, or even how possible that is, hopefully someone else can advise on that.

Steve.

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On 2/15/2020 at 9:02 AM, Franz75 said:

And famous picture of crashed Buffalo, as you can see it has white stabilizers. Not silver like shown on the decals manual. 

Given the other dodgy colour call outs for the RAF Airframes  hmn...........

49 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

the Thatch aircraft was a F2A-1, the kit aircraft are F2A-2s & are different around the engine cowel, note the exhaust position. I don't know how much would be involved in altering the kit parts to F2A-1 configuration, or even how possible that is, hopefully someone else can advise on that.

Steve is right, the F2A-2 had a 5 inch fuselage extension (2.6mm in 1/48) between the cowling and wing leading edge.

The F2A-1 had Carbon Monoxide vents further aft as well

 

Regards

 

Alan

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     Ok this is your build and I am not telling you what to do. However I found this photo a couple of years ago while researching Wildcats. The navy Brewsters don't have framing Over the rear canopy, they're individual pieces of canopy lapped over each other. wTBula9.jpg
Though everyone in the world shows this as framing it isn't. Again it is your model and you can do it as you want to. I thought maybe you’d at least like to know, better knowledge and all. 
 

Dennis

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39 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

 Ok this is your build and I am not telling you what to do. However I found this photo a couple of years ago while researching Wildcats. The navy Brewsters don't have framing Over the rear canopy, they're individual pieces of canopy lapped over each other. wTBula9.jpg
Though everyone in the world shows this as framing it isn't.

Hi Dennis,

 

The photo in your post is a USN F2A-3, where the sliding canopy was changed

 

 

The F2A-1/2 , RAF 339E had metal framing over the main canopy

and rear glass house section

See USN F2A-2 in this photo

USN Brewster F2A-2

 

US Navy Various F2A-1/2

US Navy Brewster F2A-1/2 with metal Canopy framing

 

Regards

 

Alan

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16 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Those prewar USNavy aircraft sure had the edge for bright colours & a Buffalo in that would look terrific. At risk though of being a party pooper, I'm not sure that you can do the Thatch machine from the decal sheet from this kit, the Thatch aircaft was a F2A-1, the kit aircraft are F2A-2s & are different around the engine cowel, note the exhaust position. I don't know how much would be involved in altering the kit parts to F2A-1 configuration, or even how possible that is, hopefully someone else can advise on that.

Steve.

Thanks, Stevehnz for pointing it out, I would miss that otherwise.  Well.. it supposed to be an easy build. After reviewing a Bufalo's blueprint,  I had to add on the top of cowling two gun housing and lower the exhaust pipes.  This will do the trick. 

D8EiWaM.jpg

 

11 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

     Ok this is your build and I am not telling you what to do. However I found this photo a couple of years ago while researching Wildcats. The navy Brewsters don't have framing Over the rear canopy, they're individual pieces of canopy lapped over each other. wTBula9.jpg
Though everyone in the world shows this as framing it isn't. Again it is your model and you can do it as you want to. I thought maybe you’d at least like to know, better knowledge and all. 
 

Dennis

Thanks, but I will keep it closed. Cutting it on pieces will be too risky. But on that picture, you can see that the interior is painted by yellow-green. I'm planning to due mine in silver, I believe that how it was done. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone,  
Quick update form "battlefield". 
The kit is old, from 1974. Is has a combination of raised and recessed panel lines.  First, I sanded it down the entire kit and cut new panel lines instead.  

Now it looks much better. 

 

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Later on, I'm planning to add rivets. Just before the final painting and after the primer coat.  

 

Just before the final painting and after the primer coat.  
Also, I had been working on a cabin. PE set adding a nice touch to it, plus some extra wires from me.  It comes quite nicely.  The Interior will be painted in natural aluminum. 

 

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Finished

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Edited by Franz75
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Hello.

Working on the engine, I glued the metal valve's push-rods and spark cables. All were painted in silver Alclad from Mig, and shaft housing in blue. 

 

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Edited by Franz75
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Ok, every one. Another quick update. 

The wheel bay has no details, I have added plastic strips and rods and hand made bulkhead. Now it looks much better.

 

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After painting

NvK7hjPl.jpg

 

 

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Time to make some rivets. 
First, on the wing surface, it took me an entire evening. 

 

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And a coat of aluminium paint to keep it seal. 

 

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Time to close a cockpit. 
Original steel braces from the kit broke during removal, I had made it from scratch.  The canopy didn't fit the fuselage well, there are gaps between it.  

 

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For the version, I'm working on.  The front lower vent hast to be filled in, and panel lines were redrawn differently.  

 

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This way it will look like an early version of it. I have to rethink how to change cowling and upper gun housing. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Boring, applying putty and sanding, applying putty and sanding. 

 

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Inside cowling goes plastic strip, this helps me to extend it a little.  Early Buffalo was a bit longer.  

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Attached engine. 

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I used super glue to seal the gap, it makes the connection much stronger. For the final touch,  putty of course. The line around cowling was cut much closer to the nose. Early models had it much narrower.  I will have to add top gun housing and the conversion will be done. 

 

XcM0JSpl.jpg

 

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Old propeller has been transformed into a gun house on Buffalo's nose. It looks better than I thought. I might send it down a little. 
The cowling is a stubborn one. Every time I paint it after sending it, it shows new spats need to be corrected.  

 

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Almost there. 

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Hello, there. I just finished working on the fuselage.    It was a long process. But it was worthed. I had to correct any  imperfection. Metallic paint is not forgiving,  it much easier to prepare a surface for a regular camouflage scheme.  Anyway, the fuselage is ready and the cowling too.  It is time for top wings and stabilizers.  Top wings in yellow, stabilizers in white. 

 

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The painting of wings stabilizers is done. Now I had to pain narrow black stripes along with the green ones on the top wings. It could be difficult, I'm scratching my head how to do it right.    

 

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And the propeller

 

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Hello everyone. 
The painting is done. I just finish stripes on the wings. 
I'm very happy about how the whole thing comes out, all looks nice. Next will be decals and weathering. Landing gear will be attached last, it will be easier working on the plane that way. 

72Vtcgi.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Small update.

It is time to apply decals. Unfortunately, one decal was destroyed during the process. The Print Scale decals don't like decal fluid they are very thin. Lesson learned for next time use just water.  Right now  I'm waiting for a new one. To paint insignia I had used Montex masks, it came quite good. 

mVkTdc9.jpg

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