A-26B Invader Racer - '76'/N3328G ***Completed***

[Courageous]

Evening all. With my Hurricane racer nearing its end game, I hopefully will have time to get this build across the finish line, this being an A-26B Invader Racer in 1/72 using the Revell kit boxed by Classic Plane with custom decals to include Race 76/N3328G in the 1968 Reno Races. It will be built OOB but will be demilitarised. Fist the compulsories:

The box.

 

Large bag of plastic.

 

Instructions and decals.

 

Stuart

[modelling minion]

Welcome to the GB Stuart and with a superb choice. The Invader has long been a favourite of mine (one was very nearly my choice for the GB) and is such a fantastic aircraft and has had a very long time in service in a variety of roles both military and civilian and the fact that they were used for air racing shows how strong an airframe they are. I am very keen to see how this comes together.

[Vultures1]

Great choice of subject and an interesting set of markings! Following along 🙂

[Terry1954]

Nice choice of subject, Stuart. I quite enjoy seeing your racers come off the production line, so I'll follow along.

 

Must look for the Hurricane now!

 

T.

[Courageous]

10 hours ago, modelling minion said:

I am very keen to see how this comes together.

Thanks for the welcome MM and so I am I. Scalemates indicates that this was originally an Italeri molding and some investigation of the kit and its parts give it average marks.

 

5 hours ago, Vultures1 said:

Following along

Follow away friend, I hope that I don't disappoint.

 

5 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

enjoy seeing your racers

Cheers Terry, much appreciated and follow away.

 

Stuart

[81-er]

Nice to have you joining us, Stuart, and with an Invader  

 

I'll keep an eye out for you at Brampton tomorrow

 

James

[Courageous]

On 04/10/2025 at 22:33, 81-er said:

Brampton

Briefly saw you at your club stand and had disappeared before I got there, see you at Telford maybe.

 

Parts that require interior colours were removed from sprue and cleaned up.

 

And primed.

 

Stuart

[modelling minion]

Great to see your build underway Stuart. Hopefully a few of us can meet up at Telford again this year. 

[81-er]

A nice start there, Stuart  Shame I missed you, but I'll be at Telford with Southend. I believe there's a meetup planned by the Birmingham stand on Saturday, either 12pm or 1pm, I can't recall which at the moment

 

James

[Courageous]

Fuselage innards painted with US Interior Yellow Green by AK, German Grey by AK for boxes and stuff. The kit decals were not supplied with the kit but replaced with racer decals, unfortunately there was no decal for the i/p, so I cobbled something together using the decal bank. Cushions and belts were also added. Everything given a semi gloss before weathering.

 

Stuart

[modelling minion]

Nice work on the interior Stuart, though the green looks closer to the one used by British aircraft in WWII than US interior green, it could always be the result of the photograph.

[Courageous]

18 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

one used by British aircraft in WWII than US interior green

Thanks MM, I'm not unduly worried about it, by changing the colour temperature I can make it have 50 shades of green and considering that parts of these aircraft were built and painted in factories all over the US, they could've been.

 

Stuart

[modelling minion]

 

4 hours ago, Courageous said:

Thanks MM, I'm not unduly worried about it, by changing the colour temperature I can make it have 50 shades of green and considering that parts of these aircraft were built and painted in factories all over the US, they could've been.

 

Stuart

Absolutely, different manufacturers used their own versions of the "proper" colours. 

[Courageous]

And everything is in and fuselage closed.

 

Stuart

[modelling minion]

You really are motoring with the build Stuart and it looks to be going together nicely. 

[81-er]

You're proceeding apace with this one, Stuart  There's loads of detail in that cockpit and you've made fine work of painting it all

 

James

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, modelling minion said:

You really are motoring with the build Stuart and it looks to be going together nicely. 

Cheers MM. Motoring, benefits of retirement with little demand on my time...for the moment. As for 'going together', surprisingly well. For a 20 year old kit I was expecting a few issues, that's done it...

 

1 hour ago, 81-er said:

You're proceeding apace with this one, Stuart  There's loads of detail in that cockpit and you've made fine work of painting it all

Thanks James. Most of the detail is already there, just added seat cushions, belts, a handle and some panels on the sides.

 

While the fuselage is put aside for the moment, I decided to paint the other 'inner' stuff Zinc Chromate Yellow from AK.

 

And painted other bits with Aluminium from Alclad.

 

Stuart

[modelling minion]

Really pleased she is going together well Stuart, at this rate you will have a complete airframe by the end of tomorrow!

[81-er]

I suspect Craig is correct with his prediction at the rate you're churning through this one

 

James

[k5054nz]

I'm a big fan of Unlimiteds and have a major soft spot for Invaders (sadly none competing, or even on the field, when I finally got to Reno) so I'm excited to see this one in play. Terrific work so far! I'd not considered the Revell kit before but I like what I'm seeing.

[Courageous]

On 08/10/2025 at 16:53, modelling minion said:

complete airframe by the end of tomorrow!

 

On 08/10/2025 at 17:08, 81-er said:

Craig is correct with his prediction

Very optimistic I think guys, we know that things can trip you up in this game.

 

On 09/10/2025 at 22:41, k5054nz said:

Terrific work so far! I'd not considered the Revell kit before but I like what I'm seeing.

Cheers mate, glad you like it so far.

 

Undercarriage fitted into their housings and fitted to wings. Couldn't fit the recommended weight into the now 'solid' nose, so extra has be fitted into the engine mounts. And as can be seen, the fuselage joins and the fitting of various panels created an arena ripe for filling and sanding. With the majority of the sanding hopefully out of the way, I think it's time to fit the remaining glazing although I'm unsure of the tail window, the few photos around show something there but it's not clear if it's the window or a fairing?

 

Stuart

 

[81-er]

Hopefully that's the end of the filling & sanding now, Stuart, and that there's enough weight in there to keep her on her wheels rather than her backside.

 

James

[Terry1954]

Your build rate and quality, astounds me Stuart, but let's face it, it's not difficult to out pace my rate! 😁

 

Really liking the look of this one. As you say, for such an old kit, it still looks pretty good. I've found many Italeri kits in this scale in that class.

 

Great stuff!

 

T.

 

 

[modelling minion]

Nice work Stuart, she may not have a completed airframe but she is well on her way, and I am sure you will sort the filling and sanding out. 

[Courageous]

On 13/10/2025 at 11:18, 81-er said:

Hopefully that's the end of the filling & sanding now, Stuart, and that there's enough weight in there to keep her on her wheels rather than her backside.

Hopefully so but we haven't primed her yet. I should image there is as its quite weighty but again can't tell until it's sitting on its legs.

On 13/10/2025 at 13:09, Terry1954 said:

Your build rate and quality, astounds me Stuart, but let's face it, it's not difficult to out pace my rate! 😁

 

Cheers Terry but I would say that I have an average build rate when it comes to aircraft, goes up a bit when I include AFV builds, they're less fussy. And yes, you're build rate has tailed off a bit, are you bringing anything new to Telford?

On 13/10/2025 at 13:54, modelling minion said:

Nice work Stuart, she may not have a completed airframe but she is well on her way, and I am sure you will sort the filling and sanding out. 

Thanks Craig, we're getting there.

 

Glazing on, masked and joints made good, hopefully. I decided to fix one wing at a time, starting with the port wing. The wing joins are a little bit 'sloppy', so I've used 'gloop', a sprue and liquid cement mix. I had to tape her down as the weight with one wing was pulling her over, not good when you've got to make the dihedral equal. There are little gaps in the wing joints that will need sorting but nothing major.

 

Stuart