Northrop's P-61 Black Widow by Revell: WIP

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Here's the next update for the P-61.

I've permanently joined the wings and the booms together, there's no going back now  I also added some darker olive drab to the control surfaces on the tails, I'm not sure I'll keep it though. It's just a little too dark for what I had in mind. 

 

 

Of course, such a major milestone requires a mockup. That and I can no longer fit the plane on my Work-Shelf.  

 

 

I took an entire build session and dressed up the cardboard pad on which the plane will rest. Now it looks like a concrete airfield! I guess that having a tarmac to put the plane officially makes this a diorama.  Yay!

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

[James2]

I am enjoying the progress reports. I even got my Air Frames Curtis-P6E out to see about finishing it. 

[David G.]

On 10/26/2024 at 4:30 AM, James2 said:

I am enjoying the progress reports. I even got my Air Frames Curtis-P6E out to see about finishing it. 

Thank you most kindly James2. It's nice knowing that.

David G.

[mustang1989]

And the great work continues on!!! Looks like there's a light at the end of the tunnel now and it aint a train Dave. lol 

Will be watchin' for more buddy. 

[David G.]

Indeed there is Joe, thank you.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

The Northrop P-61 is starting to look more like an airplane!

The wings and wheels are now permanently attached. It's an airplane! Unfortunately it's a very tail-heavy airplane that needs some support to sit properly level. I'm just not going to display it with a large plastic clip under the tail. That would destroy the illusion!  

 

 

Playing around with some ideas, I check to see how the figures may figure in. They are "ground support" after all!

 

 

Jack Tailer standing on a crate checking the tail alignment, I think I can make this work!  

 

 

In addition to Jack, quite luckily, I was able to find a suitable spare part to extend the ladder on the rear access hatch. This suggestion was offered to me by a fellow builder @magicmustang. I think with Jack and the ladder both working together, they should be able to keep the plane level.

 

 

For those who may be curious, here's a bonus shot of my "photo studio"

 

That's all for this update. As always, please feel free to post any comments you may have.

Thanks for stopping by to have a look.

David G.

Edited November 1, 2024 by David G.

[mustang1989]

What a great idea on both the ladder and the fella on the stand at the tail area Dave. You're negotiating every single trouble area on this build in a VERY good fashion and you've got me sittin' on the edge of my seat for each update. 

[James2]

I like it!

[David G.]

35 minutes ago, mustang1989 said:

What a great idea on both the ladder and the fella on the stand at the tail area Dave. You're negotiating every single trouble area on this build in a VERY good fashion and you've got me sittin' on the edge of my seat for each update. 

Thank you Joe, I appreciate your following along and the support you offer.

Yeah, this is turning out to be quite an adventure story, isn't it? 

18 minutes ago, James2 said:

I like it!

Thank you kindly James.

=D-

[Straightliner59]

A grand solution to the weight distribution problem! It's coming along, very nicely!

[mustang1989]

14 hours ago, David G. said:

Thank you Joe, I appreciate your following along and the support you offer.

Yeah, this is turning out to be quite an adventure story, isn't it? 

Hey man.....we're birds of a feather (no pun intended) .....it's what we do bro. 

Most of these aircraft builds do have quite the adventure behind them in the building process. lol 

[David G.]

22 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

A grand solution to the weight distribution problem! It's coming along, very nicely!

Thank you Daniel, it's like I say: "Model builders, we're problem solvers who create our own problems to solve!"

 

8 hours ago, mustang1989 said:

Hey man.....we're birds of a feather (no pun intended) .....it's what we do bro. 

Most of these aircraft builds do have quite the adventure behind them in the building process. lol 

Yes indeed!

=D-

[rv1963]

Well done David that paint work is nice and smooth, should look great when the decals go on.

[David G.]

1 hour ago, rv1963 said:

Well done David that paint work is nice and smooth, should look great when the decals go on.

Thank you Robert. The paint is working out well for me, I just wish I could get a better fit for the wings.

=D-

[mustang1989]

16 minutes ago, David G. said:

Thank you Robert. The paint is working out well for me, I just wish I could get a better fit for the wings.

=D-

 That is ALWAYS a problem for me......except with Tamiya kits. lol 

[David G.]

On 11/3/2024 at 6:37 AM, mustang1989 said:

 That is ALWAYS a problem for me......except with Tamiya kits. lol 

I decided that I needed to at least try to fix the wings. It's supposed to be a fixed wing  after all.  (sorry)

Check out the update below.

=D-

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Here's the next update on the Northrop P-61.

It's time for the obligatory mockup. This is the curio cabinet that will be the plane's permanent home when it's completed.

 

 

I decided that I just can't live with the gaps between the wings and fuselage.

 

 

Luckily, disassembly wasn't too bad.

 

 

After almost two hours of filing, fitting, fussing and cussing, here's the result.

 

 

It looks like it was worth the effort.

 

 

Except that now our little friend Jack Tailer is pointing out another problem. It seems that with the wings more properly aligned with the fuselage, the rear stabilizer is now out of alignment with the tail. There must be some warping or fit and assembly issues somewhere else. Once the wings cure in place, it shouldn't be too difficult to straighten out.

 

(Thanks Jack!)  ? 

Oh well, on to the next adventure!

As always, thanks for following along and please feel free to share any comments you ay have.

David G.

 

[Straightliner59]

The wing roots look much better! You're right. The tail alignment should be a simple fix. Good call, fixing them. It's always frustrating, when something you thought was worked out, shows up again, late in assembly. It'll usually cause me to lay off for a couple of days, because I'm afraid of what might happen, during disassembly.? Agreed too, that there are some things we just can't live with! Nice display cabinet!

[David G.]

Thank you Daniel. What the photo doesn't show very well is the 3/4" elevation difference between the locator on the stabilizer and the slot it goes into on the tail. It seems that one or both of the booms is twisted due to either a casting issue or a builder issue. I already have the stabilizer dry-fitted into the slot and I'm going to let it rest there for a while. It looks like I'll be able to cement it in without causing any harmful stress on the other joints in the structure. Just having the styrene under partial load like that for a few days can be enough to help straighten it. Though I may still run some hot tap water on the left boom help it. 

Thanks again.

=D-

[BK9300]

Building planes hasn’t been done since my youth, but I have enjoyed watching your build and how you overcome issues that show up! 

[David G.]

18 hours ago, BK9300 said:

Building planes hasn’t been done since my youth, but I have enjoyed watching your build and how you overcome issues that show up! 

It's the same with me Brian. This is the first airplane kit I've built since I was a teenager. As I recollect, it was this very kit in fact.

I'm glad to know that you're enjoying the build thread. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.

=D-

[mustang1989]

On 11/8/2024 at 6:34 AM, David G. said:

I decided that I needed to at least try to fix the wings. It's supposed to be a fixed wing  after all.  (sorry)

Check out the update below.

=D-

Given all of the hard work that you've put into this build, it was a good move to make the wings fit a bit better. That looks A LOT better brutha Dave. 

[David G.]

21 hours ago, mustang1989 said:

Given all of the hard work that you've put into this build, it was a good move to make the wings fit a bit better. That looks A LOT better brutha Dave. 

Thanks Joe. I'm just glad that it worked out that way. Sometimes it doesn't, as I think you may know.

=D-

[mustang1989]

3 hours ago, David G. said:

Thanks Joe. I'm just glad that it worked out that way. Sometimes it doesn't, as I think you may know.

=D-

Man I hear you there Dave. I had an Fw190D-9 that I was building about 10 years ago and I cut the nose off and replaced it with an entire engine/ nose assembly from an Aires detail set. I can't tell you HOW many times I test fit that whole nose assembly into place.....it must've been fifty times. Then, when the day of reckoning came, and it was time to adhere the whole nose module onto the completed airframe......nothing wanted to fit! What tha hay??!! I wrestled with that for around 2 hours and then all of a sudden.....everything just clicked right into place. 

[David G.]

19 hours ago, mustang1989 said:

Man I hear you there Dave. I had an Fw190D-9 that I was building about 10 years ago and I cut the nose off and replaced it with an entire engine/ nose assembly from an Aires detail set. I can't tell you HOW many times I test fit that whole nose assembly into place.....it must've been fifty times. Then, when the day of reckoning came, and it was time to adhere the whole nose module onto the completed airframe......nothing wanted to fit! What tha hay??!! I wrestled with that for around 2 hours and then all of a sudden.....everything just clicked right into place. 

I think sometimes we get in the way of what we're trying to do Joe, I know I do! 

It's like I say: "Model builders, we're problem solvers who create our own problems to solve!"

But oh that feeling when it does finally click into place!

=D-