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Buffalo MK.I from SH F2A-3 in 1/48


Spit Fan

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I have the Tamiya kit that I started back in 1975 but it seems a bit on the small size. I also have both the SH F2A-1 and -3 kits and started thinking about converting their -3 to a Buffalo MK.I. Has anyone tried their hand at converting the 1/48th Special Hobby F2A-3 to a Buffalo MK.I ( B339E) ? Off hand I think removing a scale 10 inch section from the cowling in front of the leading edge of the wing would be the major requirement. Other than that the only other things I can think of would be replacing the carrier based tail wheel/tire and removing the arrestor hook.  All ideas and thoughts greatly appreciated.  

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11 minutes ago, Spit Fan said:

Off hand I think removing a scale 10 inch section from the cowling in front of the leading edge of the wing would be the major requirement. Other than that the only other things I can think of would be replacing the carrier based tail wheel/tire and removing the arrestor hook.  All ideas and thoughts greatly appreciated.  

The only real issues you would face apart from reducing the nose length,

would be the Windscreen/Main sliding portion of the canopy and rear

glasshouse, which were different to a F2A-2.

Cockpit differs also such as Instrument panel, quarter panels/gauges, would need

to scratch build the panel under the Inst panel for RAF type Contact Switch and

contact indicator.

Compass Port side on cockpit floor

TR9 Contactor/switch on Port Cockpit shelf

Heating tubing/distributor Starboard side under Inst panel

Pilots seat which is the squared top version such as this photo of a 488 NZ Squadron 339E

Brewster+seat+SupportI.jpg

The seat is attached to two tubular frames which curve at the top (as in photo above)

Behind pilots seat (starboard side) Mesh cage for Oxygen bottles, Starboard side

Mk VIII Oxygen regulator

On lower Starboard fuselage (outer) rear circular panel/hatch for Flare chute

Remove outer Formation lights on wing (both )upper

Hope that helps?

 

regards

 

Alan

 

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But on the other hand, the Special Hobby Buffalos have a landing light under EACH wing, which is incorrect for all those versions but IS correct for a 339E Buffalo I. So although Alan has set you some major tasks (also remember to use the ventral window, not used on the F2A-3. but I think included on the clear sprue) at least you don't have to add a new landing light.

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23 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Jim,

 

Nice to see you're still around! Think the announced Special Hobby B-10 is going to be an improvement over the old Williams Brothers kit? (Apology in advance for the topic shift!)

Mike

Yes, I hope it (they) will be.  SH certainly is doing good research if they are including that pug-nosed Argentine variant.  And also sorry for thread drift.

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14 hours ago, Spit Fan said:

I have the Tamiya kit that I started back in 1975 but it seems a bit on the small size.

You may want ask if this is the case?    I've not seen any major complaints about the Tamiya kit. 

Surprised that @jimmaas  has not pitched in on the pros and cons of the various kits?  I'd be interested to know myself.

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No significant problems with the size of of the Tamiya kit.  For the time of release (1974) it picked up an amazing number of aspects of the Buffalo.  The fuselage well, of course, is horribly vacant.  But the parts from the Special Hobby kits are adaptable to solve that problem; in addition, the SH  ventral window is much better than the Tamiya part, and with a little fretting will fit.  There are some unfixable issues that don't really destroy the model and are not noticeable unless you're a Brewster fanatic.  For those, build the 1/32 SH kits, which have many of those issues sorted.

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The phrase "removing the arrestor hook" doesn't quite capture the extent of the modification.  The RAF Buffalos replaced the rather blunt arrestor hook fairing with a much more streamlined version that had a light at the aft tip.  Not sure if the SH kit has the RAF fairing; it may since the Dutch B339-23 airframes, which had the longer fuselage of the F2A-3, had that same pointed rear fuselage fairing.  

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2 hours ago, jimmaas said:

  There are some unfixable issues that don't really destroy the model and are not noticeable unless you're a Brewster fanatic. 

On the Tamiya, or the 48th Special Hobby kits, or both?   Always useful to know details.

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2 hours ago, jimmaas said:

No significant problems with the size of of the Tamiya kit.  For the time of release (1974) it picked up an amazing number of aspects of the Buffalo.  The fuselage well, of course, is horribly vacant.  But the parts from the Special Hobby kits are adaptable to solve that problem; in addition, the SH  ventral window is much better than the Tamiya part, and with a little fretting will fit.  There are some unfixable issues that don't really destroy the model and are not noticeable unless you're a Brewster fanatic.  For those, build the 1/32 SH kits, which have many of those issues sorted.

Thinking maybe he might be referring to which version of Buffalo he wants to build from the Tamiya 1/48 kit? I bought a Tamiya kit a long while back and a Kendall resin conversion set to do a Finnish  Humu- IIRC it came with a resin fuselage extension and a shorter cowling to get the length right for an F2A-1, which I  think was the version transferred to the Finns?  I will be building all of my Buffalos in  1/72 scale- I just thought the Finnish ones were so darned pretty that a 1/48 example would be a killer entry for a contest. You being the Baron of Brewsters, I would think you could set the record straight.

Mike

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1 hour ago, mhaselden said:

The phrase "removing the arrestor hook" doesn't quite capture the extent of the modification.  The RAF Buffalos replaced the rather blunt arrestor hook fairing with a much more streamlined version that had a light at the aft tip.  Not sure if the SH kit has the RAF fairing; it may since the Dutch B339-23 airframes, which had the longer fuselage of the F2A-3, had that same pointed rear fuselage fairing.  

Hi Mark,

 

The 1/48 SH F2A-3 kit does have the "Pointed" type fairing which can be

used, along with what appears to be the HS 10' Propeller too, along with

prop cone

From a Cyber Hobby Kit review

Special Hobby F2A-3 Kit

 

Regards

 

Alan

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46 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

On the Tamiya, or the 48th Special Hobby kits, or both?   Always useful to know details.

Well, to give an example (both Tamiya and all SH/Classic Airframes) the bottom of the rear canopy follows the same line as the bottom of the sliding canopy.  In fact, the line should follow a noticeable curve downward following the adjacent panel line.  That is addressed in the 1/32 SH kits.  On the fuselage side, just above the wing, there are some very prominent bolt heads in the area of the box spar.  They are suggested in the Tamiya kit, not at all in the SH/CA kits.  I'd like to put an image here but I've never been able to with the 'Insert Image' function.   The Tamiya kit, for the fastidious, is a bit short; there was a discussion at 

 on fixing this.  There's a fuselage gun cartridge ejector slot just behind the port landing gear leg opening; the Tamiya kit needs this, the SH/CA kits have the ejector trough but needs the slot opened out.  On the  SH/CA kits the hinge lines of the elevators should match.  As provided, the horizontal tailplanes cant forward. Figure out where the horizontal tailplanes cover the fuselage, then scrape away, more at the rear than the front, until the pieces fit in and the hinge line is straight all the way across.  For the Classic Airframes 239 kit, the tail cone pieces (A6 and A7) aren’t quite deep enough top to bottom. One way to fix this is to insert a 10 thou shim after cutting each front to back.  This applies to all the other SH/CA kits with the blunt tail cone, I just don't recall the part numbers.  

Fuel access hatches need to be added on each wing.  These were six-by-six inch squares (forward corners rounded) with a hinge at the rear border. They were located forward of the box beam (the raised boundary on the wing top close to the fuselage) and the outer edge was about a foot inboard of the centerline of the strengthening plate over the landing gear hinge.  The SH/CA kits are all prone to dihedral problems.  Fitting the firewall into the fuselage can cause the fuselage to spread, which will decrease the wing's dihedral.  This is less a problem with the Tamiya kit, unless you cannibalize the wheel well parts from a SH kit to fill the gaping hole, in which case all bets are off.  I could blather on, but hey, it's a hobby!  Oh, the small bump next to the big bump on either wing top?  That's a cover for the wing gun round counter, with a glassed opening facing toward the cockpit.  Maybe this link will work: https://www.pienoismallit.net/galleria/referenssi_3090/kuva_29707/

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Thanks to all who replied to my O.P. After reading all the replies I think I will dig my Tamiya Buffalo MK.I out of the bottom of my unbuild kits pile and finish it rather than try and back date the SH -3. I am afraid at this stage of my life doing all that would be required to get a near perfect Buffalo is more than I wait to attempt so will do it more or less out of the box but add those easier fixes as suggested. I have to say that I was rather surprised that SH didn’t also release a B339E Buffalo MK.I when they did their series. To my mind it was far more important an aircraft that the F2A-3 given its operational history. Would  it be too much to hope that possibly Airfix might consider releasing a new tool kit in the not too distance future, 1/48th of course.

 

By chance has anyone used the Squadron True Details cockpit set for the Tamiya kit? I have this set and am thinking of using it in my build.

 

I have the Ginter book on the Buffalo and have to say that I was a bit disappointed with it. I had  to really dig to get the  information on the B339E I was searching for and a number of images were extremely muddy.  I was quite at this surprise as I have seen the same images much cleaner in other publications. That having been said it is still worth having if you have an interest in the Buffalo. Once again all the information is greatly appreciated. 

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6 hours ago, Spit Fan said:

By chance has anyone used the Squadron True Details cockpit set for the Tamiya kit? I have this set and am thinking of using it in my build.

Haven't used the True Detail set, but it's more for a USN F2A-2/Belgian 339B, than an RAF 339E

 

The floor section/rear sub bulkhead you can use, the seat and tube frames are wrong for

an RAF 339E, in that the seat is square topped and has curved seat

frames as in this 488 Squadron Buffalo, Kallang, Singapore

Brewster+seat+SupportI.jpg

 

This is from my RAF 339E Build (Special Hobby Kit), note the Instrument panel is flush with the coaming

Oxygen Cage lower left

 

Gun+Heater+pipes++Copy+1.jpg

 

The mid panel section (scratch built) shows the Contact switch/indicator

339E+Buffalo+Remote+contactor.jpg

All this is taken from the 339E Buffalo Pilots notes

 

Depending on how accurate you want to be? Note the Tamiya kit

has you mount the Starboard side panel (with gun selector switches etc)

wrong way around.

If you want accuracy you will need to add in the upper gun spent shell chute

339E+Buffalo+Forward+shell+chute.jpg

Note the Tamiya kit is missing the structure/equipment between the engine

and cockpit as in this Life Photo

Brewster+Buffalo+assembly.jpg

SH provided this

Z+Frames+and+gun+support+1.jpg

 

But you can scratch build it (from my USN F2A-2 build in "In the Navy" GB)

USN+F2A-2+Build+1e.jpg

 

Hope that helps you?

 

Regards

 

Alan

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Many thanks for those points. At least a few pieces from the True Details set can be used so it isn’t a total waste. As I mention my Tamiya kit is sitting buried in my pile of unbuild kits and I haven’t looked at it for quite a few years so I can’t remember if the kit seat is the correct one for the B339E. From the image of the 488 Sqdn cockpit close up it is clear that the RAF Sutton harness was used which I am sure will need to be sourced. I have been taking notes on all that is needed for this build but it most likely won’t be restarted until very late this year as I have a number of projects that need to be completed first. 

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Thanks for that information Fernando. I think that is the boxing that I have. Hopefully my son will be completely moved out into his new house by the end of the month and I can finally get to my stash and get my Tamiya Buffalo out and see where I left off back in 1975 🙀. What we need is a new tool state of the art Buffalo MK.I! Oh wait I think I already said that.  
 

Some ground crew in tropical kit to go with it would be icing on the cake. Please no 5’10” 190 pound scale figures.  Lately those few RAF/USAAF figures all seem to overly large. At least that’s my view. 

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If you left off in 1975, then it is for sure the multi-version original release.  That came out in 1974.  Both seats, both props, both Navy and export tailcone.

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