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Brewster B-339E Buffalo Mk.I - Airfix


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Hello everyone!

 

Here is one of my first kits of the year, finished during this week. It's Airfix's 1:72 Brewster B-339E Buffalo Mk.I finished as AN185/TD-V of No 453 (RAAF) Sqn based at Sembawang, Singapore in December 1941.

 

Back in around 1979, after I had built my first three kits which had been gifts, the next kit I bought, and which definitely set me down the path of this hobby, was the Airfix Buffalo, one from the first boxed issue. Fast forward to 2008, and I saw the kit reissued with the old boxart recovered and bought it to have another go eventually and recover it in my collection (the old one having long since been scrapped). When I was coming up to my 400th kit, I decided to finally build it.

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

The parts were exactly the same albeit moulded in light blue rather than metallic grey and as before there were two options, a US F2A-2 and a British Buffalo Mk.I although this time in markings of an RAAF unit. My intention was to make a nostalgic OOB build with some minor improvements and finish it before the end of 2021 but it was not to be in any way!

 

For starters, the box states it as an F2A-1 but it's not. The parts are clearly for an F2A-2... and only an F2A-2. Although some alternative parts are supplied, you can't really make a B-339E Buffalo Mk.I OOB. The two major missing items are a new tailcone and an uncuffed Hamilton Standard propeller. I really wanted the B-339E so that meant extra work was going to be needed. Added to that, the kit is overall dimensionally correct BUT short in the nose. I had read comments about the cowling being short but when comparing with SAMI plans from an issue of 2005, I found that the fuselage was also short in front of the wings by 2mm, just like the cowling. I decided to fix that too. This really deserved a WIP but with my self-imposed deadline, it wasn't possible.

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

- I used Evergreen 2 x 1.5mm strip to extend the fuselage. The exhausts were carefully removed and relocated afterwards.
- Adding 4mm to the nose meant that the engine had to move forwards too so I used parts from old cassette tape wheels (exactly 4mm thick) to act as new supports for the engine.
- In the cockpit I added a roll bar and armoured headrest (not sure if all had this) as well as an instrument panel with the gunsight from scrap resin and plastic and stretched sprue. A lens was added from clear flash plastic.
- A new tailcone was made from scrap resin.
- I added the pilot as it was still a nostalgia build! I shortened his boots and thinned the legs as he was flying in shorts (no photos, sorry)!

 

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

- To extend the cowling, I actually used parts from the cowling of my first Buffalo cut down to 2mm as they had the right shape.
- I added the forward ring to the engine from stretched sprue.
- I sanded away the cuffs from the propeller blades and reshaped them.

 

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

- I filled the rear ends of the holes for the blades in the spinner with plastic strip.
- I added the short radio mast on the tailfin.

 

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

- I opened up holes and made the landing lights on the wing undersides (the B-339E had two).
- I also opened up the holes for the wing guns and their shell ejection chutes.
- A wing pitot was added from stretched sprue.

 

Apart from adding the radio wires from thin fishing line, there were one or two more things I did but not really noticeable. Fit of parts wasn't bad overall except for the canopy which was terrible. I did my best but at some point decided not to push my luck. Because I had to clean up all of the seams, I ended up removing all the rivets, which weren't accurate anyway. I didn't rescribe any panel lines as you really can't seem them on the real thing. I dry-brushed a dark grey to simulate several of them later.

The kit was fully painted and varnished by brush. The squadron code decals were far too dark so I replaced them with slightly larger ones from a Modeldecal sheet. I should have replaced the insignia too as the decals were awful, being somewhat translucent and not settling properly, not even with decal solutions. I ended up having to paint over the white, yellow and red and the surrounding areas where there was some silvering.

 

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

The difference between the Sky of the band and spinner and the underside was deliberate since they were clearly lighter.

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

Buffalo-Mk-I-453-Sqn.jpg

 

There are a couple of things I missed but I am very pleased with the end result and the solutions I came up with to improve or correct the kit. It was fun!

 

Thanks for looking and all comments are welcome.
Miguel

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14 hours ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Dear Miguel

Amazing how some modelling skills can improve an old Airfix kit, well done.

regards Toby

 

14 hours ago, Sky Keg said:

Outstanding Miguel!!!! I echo Toby`s thoughts on improved skills.  The Buffalo, to me, looks best in RAF livery and colors. :goodjob:

 

Mike

 

13 hours ago, Roberto said:

Ah, lovely 👍

 

13 hours ago, Blue Monday said:

Great to see old kits not being cast aside but getting built up nicely. A nice inspirational build.

 

BM.

 

Thank you very much to all!

Yes, I agree. Old kits deserve a shot and, as can be seen in this forum, some lovely results can be achieved with a bit of extra work. Besides, as I said, it can be fun!

 

Miguel

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The Airfix Buffalo was one of my early kits, so I was immediately interested: as I scrolled through it put a smile on my face as you went through the small but necessary mods and started thinking this is fun; then I arrived at the end where you come to exactly the same conclusion. Bingo! Colours and finish look just right to me and I like the way the decals are integrated with the overall finish.

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19 hours ago, Wulfman said:

Beautiful Buffalo, great build on the old kit !

 

Wulfman

 

18 hours ago, fittedkitchens said:

Great result, that's a lot of work you put in. 

 

17 hours ago, opus999 said:

That is simply lovely!  The paint work is very nice and realistic and your scratchbuilding is superb!

 

16 hours ago, chrisbob12 said:

The Airfix Buffalo was one of my early kits, so I was immediately interested: as I scrolled through it put a smile on my face as you went through the small but necessary mods and started thinking this is fun; then I arrived at the end where you come to exactly the same conclusion. Bingo! Colours and finish look just right to me and I like the way the decals are integrated with the overall finish.

 

6 hours ago, Jackson Duvalier said:

She's beautiful, Miguel!  I also remember this one from a long time ago, a gift from a beloved aunt.

 

I like the mini-WIP format.

 

Thanks a lot to everyone!

I still have a few golden oldies to make anew in my stash such as the Blenheim and the Whirlwind (fighter) which I built back when I was younger. In fact, the oldest kit in my stash is an Airfix Hampden which I am embarrased to say I have since the early 1980s and I never got round to building :blush:! I do intend to get round to them... one day!

 

Miguel

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