Author Topic: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61  (Read 16630 times)

Offline GregM

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1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« on: January 20, 2013, 05:09:47 AM »
While the B-29 is on hold I wanted to make sure I keep some projects going.  I've had this P-61 kit for quite a while and after staring at my stash, pulling a few out and putting them back, the P-61 was the one that kept calling to me. 

I most likely bought this on eBay and it looks complete but lacks instructions.  It's a pretty simple kit though and shouldn't be hard to figure out.  The overall quality is fairly poor by modern standards but hopefully I'll be able to turn it into something presentable.  I don't have a plan for markings yet but I'm leaning toward a black plane rather than olive drab over gray since I've already built one that way.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/P-61/002_zps1b36b61e.jpg
1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61




I got a start tonight on the very simple interior, and I got the wings and horizontal stabilizer together.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/P-61/003_zps4f4aeb8f.jpg
1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2013, 07:15:14 AM »
I have this kit long time ago :-ok

Offline Sall

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2013, 12:39:43 PM »
This will be nice mate! :-clap Go forward!! :-clap

Offline draken35

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2013, 02:34:54 PM »
Nice aircraft. I will follow your build ;)

Offline memitus

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2013, 10:10:47 PM »
Great!! One of my favorite twin-engine fighters form WWII

I follow you
Cheers from México
"You get what you give"

Offline Nico Braas

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2013, 11:48:33 PM »
Nice occasion for a photo upload!!

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2013, 11:53:30 PM »
Nice images Nico :))

Offline Sall

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2013, 12:03:56 AM »
Great images mate! :-clap

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2013, 05:34:12 AM »
Thanks for the photos! 

I got some cockpit painting done tonight and hope to have the center section together tomorrow.

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2013, 01:49:40 AM »
This looks like fun!

I have some of the small bits of one of these that I built in the late '60s. It was probably the third or fourth kit I fully assembled without help from my older cousin (who started me off in modeling).

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2013, 06:24:49 PM »
A day later than I hoped but I got the center section together last night.  The nose is on and booms are together, now I have to figure out how to get this mess together into something resembling a straight airplane!

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/P-61/004-1_zps40e1fe66.jpg
1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2013, 07:47:45 PM »
Now is mess but very soon... ;)

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2013, 04:10:30 AM »
That wasn't so bad!

I started by glueing the booms to the wings to let them tack up a bit.  After about ten minutes then I went ahead and assembled everything.  There were a few tense moments but overall it went pretty well.  It's not 100% perfect but it's pretty close!

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/P-61/008_zps9bab2f55.jpg
1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/P-61/003_zpsa7a5c9f4.jpg
1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61



I realized tonight that I should have put some lead in the nose before it went on.  Hopefully I'll be able to fit some in the cowls behind the engines but I don't know if I'll be able to get enough in there to keep the tail up.  I guess I could drill a small hole in the bottom of the nose, add some lead and fill the hole back up if I had to.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2013, 04:13:12 AM by GregM »

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2013, 08:23:05 AM »
Fast work :-ok

Offline Sall

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Re: 1/72 Airfix Northrop P-61
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2013, 03:37:28 PM »
And nice job! :-ok