P-61 Build Continued Starts Model

Well, I've put it off long enough, it's time to open the box to start the P-61 Build.

It contains six sprues of parts. The detail looks good and the only flash of any consequence is on the engine, but I'm going with after market anyways.

Okay, they all go into a bath of mild, soapy water for a few shakes and a towel pat-dry. Let them air dry while I read through the instructions.

I also took the time to review pictures of Shep Paine's diorama which I intended to emulate. I like a scene that shows the subject model in an active setting.

The diorama Shep Paine originally built for Revell

My goal is to build my own version of the above diorama and fit it onto a triangular shelf and include the major features of this one Mr. Paine built.

This time I decided to follow the steps laid out in the instructions so I began with the cockpit floor, sidewalls, fronts and rears. This is nicely detailed and provides separate "offices" for the three-man crew.

I apologize for the crude photo, but I was unable to re-shoot before the area was covered.

The forward chair is for the pilot and the gunner sits behind him with the yellow-colored sight post.

The radar operator sits still further back facing the tail of th crew compartment.

I made up the brown seat cushions from masking tape painted, wait for it, leather-like brown.

I moved quickly on to the next sub-assembly, the front wheel, I was eager to apply my magnet theory of weight control. I easily got three washers in the front wheel cavity. As I suspected it was eagerly attracted to the magnet.

The question, will the pull be strong enough. We need to get more of the model done to test that.

I moved on to assembling the crew compartment fuselage which went together rather nicely, leaving only a couple of spots needing filling. I attached the wings, again with moderate fill material and set the main body aside to dry over night.

Here I took some time to produce other elements of the diorama, the simple, but effective engine hoist and the oversized workbench.

The engine hoist was built from 3/32 Evergreen tubing. For the diamond shape, I bent a pair of tubes over a candle. The rest was from straight pieces using styrene cutouts for joints.

Being incomplete, the hoist is rather ugly and doesn't look like it will do much, but look at it in the diorama picture.

I'm still developing the wheels and chain hoist from the scrap box. The table was easy. I used individually stained 1X4 boards (i broke the end of one for realism) on cross members supported by home-made saw horses.

I carefully clipped the barrel from one of the cannons for a workman to be getting ready to assemble.

I should have more done on the Black Widow for next week's build report. Stay tuned.