Close, but no cigar; Republic P-43 Lancer, Dora Wings 1/48

[Maginot]

Prelude:

To keep the kit stash under control, or carefully curated collection (CCC), a more accurate term nicked from another contributor to these pages, not to mention the need to restrict the number of completed models due to limited storage/display space, I have very strict parameters that a kit must satisfy before I will purchase it. These include; a personal connection, a photo-reconnaissance type (there's something unadulterated and pleasing about a PR ship), a lesser-known type that saw RAAF service, especially early WW2 South-west Pacific theatre, in 1/48 scale. The Dora Wings Republic P-43 Lancer satisfies all of these criteria.

 

I plan to write separate posts on the subject of ii) a brief history of the aircraft in RAAF service and iii) my personal connection with it. But first, lets kick off the build log with i) the kit.

 

The kit:

If there is anything I have learned reading threads in these pages written by more learned and skilled modellers than I, it is that short run kits like this one require experience to assemble to a decent standard. There are traps and pitfalls peculiar to the genre. The overriding adage is; DRY FIT, trim/sand/modify, DRY FIT, trim/sand/modify, repeat until an acceptable result is achieved. I would not claim to be an experienced modeller and my skills are nascent, but with this kind of advice I feel able to have a first crack at a limited run kit.

 

I picked up the kit when it was on special with my favourite local supplier during lockdown earlier this year. Well, not literally picked up, we couldn't hang out at non-essential shops. Whatever that means! Modelling is non-essential? Get outa here! I had searched domestic suppliers on the web for the Aussie version of the Lancer to no avail, so I grabbed the discounted In China Skies version contemplating a straight-forward conversion. To this end, I got in a supply of RAAF roundels. Do you think I have enough RAAF roundels now? Fear not, budget-minded modelling folk, I have more conversions to RAAF types waiting in the CCC. But imagine my frustration when, lockdown restrictions lifted, I visited the supplying store mere weeks after my China Skies order only to find the Aussie version sitting on the shelf. Never mind and never trust online stocking info.

 

 

Quick quiz:

The RAAF roundels come in two versions; Type A on the right, Type B on the left. Do you know the reason for the different widths of the blue circles? Hint; one is early SW Pacific theatre, the other is late.

 

The first nasty issue I noted with the kit was the number of sprue attachment points to the larger parts. There are 40 to clip, trim and clean up on the wing halves, most of these being along the leading edge, making them exposed on the assembled model and careful trimming essential. This must all be done to a high standard even before top and bottom wing components can be brought together for an accurate dry fit.

   

 

 

 

The fuselage halves required 30 sprue attachments to be carefully attended to. This being achieved, the components were brought together and taped. Numerous fit issues were then identified and I am currently planning exactly how to tackle each. For inspiration, I am drawing particularly on @Ray_W's principals to; "avoid the need for putties and sanding."

 

In anticipation of preparing parts to a high standard of finish and fit, I purchased some fresh wet-and-dry across a range of grits to sand and polish components, not fillers %~)) The general quality of the kit is sound, the plastic of workable consistency and the fit could be worse. But there are fit issues and the engineering of some joins, predictable the wing-fuselage joins, are troublesome. There is also some flash and minor mould alignment issues. Considerable scraping, paring, filing and scribing are on the cards.

 

In light of the vast amount of accurate trimming required by this kit, I'm very glad I recently invested in a pair of Tamiya slim-jaw side cutters. They are excellent and made the task so much easier. My old pair of cutters are junk, fit only to tackle the thicker parts of sprue attachments if you employ the two-part cutting process (cut the thick bits to release the part from the sprue then trim the fine attachment point close to the part).

 

 

If I may finish on another of  @Ray_W's principles; "getting things right now can alleviate the pain later."

 

To be continued...

[gingerbob]

10 minutes ago, Maginot said:

I have very strict parameters that a kit must satisfy before I will purchase it.

 

Me too:

1) I want it

2) That's a good price!

3) I've already got a better kit of that, but I've always wanted to compare them to each other

 

Note that #2 trumps number 1, which is why I have multiples of some kits I "want", and some kits I really am not all that enthusiastic about.  Fortunately I don't have to invoke #3 very often...

 

As for the P-43, there was no question.  I agree that the number of sprue attachments was rather... unusual!