Peruvian NA 50, scratch conversion from Special Hobby/Academy Harvard 1/72

[JWM]

Hi 

After long consideration and some important discussion on problems regarding actual shapes of NA 50 ( here: )

 I would like to join GB with scratch conversion of 1/72 SH/Academy kit of Harvard into North American NA 50. fighter.

The conversion of Harvad/Texan into a single seat figter was done triple, twice in North American (NA 50 and NA 68) third time in Australia (Boomerang). 

All those efforts based on idea - make Harvard a bit smaller with stronger engine and we will have cheep fighter. The biggest success was only Boomerang,  due to urgent needs in WW2 Australia. Both NA 50 and NA 64 were produced in small numbers of less than ten machines and  sold to a single country only each  (Peru and Thailand, respectivly) and in the second case the machines did not manage to arrive to owner prior to Japan invasion, so they stayed in US and were known as P 64 used as advanced trainer. 

There are a lot of photos and two machines preserved however no good drawing, if you compare existing drawings with photos. So one have to come with caution to drawings, always looking at photos - this is a not said conclusion from the discussion. 

Here are nice take of preserved Peruvian machine (https://www.warbirds-eaa.org/eaa-chapter-1572-north-american-na-50-project/), one of the shots:

 

 

The Hravard model came few weeks ago:

BTW - it is a nice upgrade of original Academy kit with new WW-2 style longer canopy (the old one is there also as well) and few PUR parts. 

 

I started with surgery. The outer panels of wings were shortened in Na 50, but the ailerons seems to retain their span. This is well seen here

http://www.internetmodeler.com/awn/98-april/torito.htm (the drawings has in this link totally wrong shapes of wings, appropriate fro NA 68, not NA 50)

So I cut out ailerons using shape knife, cut wingtips, cut new place for ailerons closer to fuselage, glue back the very ends of wingtips and add some Humbrol body putty to extend wingtips. On the right removed pieces:

 

 

The fuselage needs even more heavy surgery, especialy on the rear part (with new rudder)

 

The back is a bit glued back, the front is also modified (shortened and surface changed

 

In my spare box I have found ideal three blade prop, some R 1820 engine and a bit larger in span cowling

The original one is the one above the other, which is from Academy B 17. It is not exactly what should be but a good staring point I think.

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by JWM

[Derek_B]

Hey this looks fantastic J-W, I've always wanted to see the NA-50 in model form. You're right about the scarcity and inconsistency of drawings. Very adventurous, I'm watching with great interest!

[JWM]

I  spent some time on it  today... 

The pieces of fuselage glued together

 

A instrument pannel

 

Making the single seater

 

From piece of plastic sheet 0.5 mm I made the the high fuselage aft the canopy

 

At the end of the day  I glued fuselage with wings

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

I made new rudder, fixed tail, added MG fairings  and started do canopy

 

It is very Boomerang-like shape, isn't?

 

I cut the pieces of canopy from original Academy canopy

 

It required some sanding. Meanwhile I was preparing also engine (the base for cowling is Academy B 17 with 0.5 mm enlarged diameter)

just to compare to goal 

I hope to glue it together tomorrow

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

[Wez]

Brilliant choice J-W and some brave modelling going on there!  You're certainly not shy with that razor saw of yours!

 

Welcome to the GB and good luck.

[RidgeRunner]

An excellent subject!!!! 

[John_W]

Amazing. Thus will be a beauty when it is done.

[JWM]

 

 

 

1 hour ago, John_W said:

Amazing. Thus will be a beauty when it is done.

thank you, I hope so but we will see...

 

 

With engine on position, on own legs:

Regards

J-W

 

[RidgeRunner]

A great idea for a subject, Jerzy :). Nice work 

[JWM]

Start of painting

 

Black on above is still wet....

 

And with alu dope coat (photos do not show any shining which might suggest NMF)

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[stevehnz]

I'm enjoying this J-W, I love a good conversion & you are a rich source of ideas in that respect. One of the Revell, ex Heller kits I have looks like a good candidate to me, maybe with the engine & cowl from an Airfix SBD? After this one, how about the P-64, I'd love to see how you'd tackle those forward swept wings on that.

Steve.

[JWM]

35 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

I'm enjoying this J-W, I love a good conversion & you are a rich source of ideas in that respect. One of the Revell, ex Heller kits I have looks like a good candidate to me, maybe with the engine & cowl from an Airfix SBD? After this one, how about the P-64, I'd love to see how you'd tackle those forward swept wings on that.

Steve.

Steve, thank you. I have Hasegawa (Hobby 2000 in fact) SBD in stash, but I decided to use a B 17 from Academy (that with open ventilation flaps) with wrapped a 0.25 mm thick plastic sheet. So it has a 0.5 mm larger diameter. I am  not sure that it was the most accurate but   after analyzed photos I decided that it is better option then SBD (for P 64 that would be best, I think there is a difference in cowlings between NA 50 and NA 68) . My other options were SH Bolo or resin copy of DC-2 (both have diameter nearly equal to that from Academy Texan - so apparently some inaccuracy is here or there), this SBD and early B 17 (Academy) - but that one was of too short chord, so I was considering gluing two cowls back to back and then cut for proper length. One more option was a piece of cowling from Broplan Dewoitine 338 (it has a French build licenced Wright engine). Therefore my choice was as I did, though I am still not sure if the short cowls from B17 (extended) woul dnot be the best one...

 

I think that the most important finding was this aileron stuff - that they are moved to fuselage with their normal span, though outer wings panels are shortened. This is spoiled in a 1/48 Planet kit of NA 50...  The Heller or Revell kit is also OK, but the rudder of NA 50 is of smaller chord that one from Wirraway, Boomerang or Yale.

 

Regards

J-W

 

[stevehnz]

I haven't yet done any measuring of my SBD pieces, I just know I have them. It is the P-64 in US markings I had fancied doing, but seeing this build, I am quite interested in the NA-50 too now.

When you shortened the fuselage, did you take out/insert any wedges or just use filler to give the shape?

Thanks,

Steve 

[JWM]

When I shorter fuselage I did mistake cutting the tailplane inserts pieces. I think I should leave them as they were, because in fact I reconstructed them . On the back side (inside) I used some plastic pieces to enforce join of tail section . The "hood" behind canopy I did from a plastic sheet 0.5 mm thick, just too avoid very thick filler. 

I hope  those drawings are good for Na 68

The cowling, especially the lower front part looks differently than in NA 50.

Today, so a bit late  I have found this drawings for NA 50

Which looks again a bit differently from others...

 

The decals for Planet 1/48 were printed in Peru, so maybe they are proper in details?

 

Cheers

J-W

[RidgeRunner]

THat is very nice, Jerzy

[JWM]

I had to break out the fin because the rudder leading edge was sloped, moving toward front on top. I corrected this but some work is still needed around with filler...

 

This explains some lack of progress...

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

 

Now time for decals...

Regards

 

J-W

 

[RidgeRunner]

She's a beauty, Jerzy

[JWM]

With decals

 

Barrels of MG made from injection needles, gun sight scratched

 

time for varinsh and some (really little) of dirt

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

hi, 

looks, that I finished it!

More photos in Gallery and RFI

Many thanks for watching and comments

Regrads

J-W

 

[Derek_B]

J-W, that's a fantastic effort for a very desirable but rare bird! Well done, it looks great!