1/144 PBY-5A ASW scheme

[jayveedee]

I decided to start my Catalina project. I am using the Minicraft
1/144 kit and going to do a bit of scratch building to make it a
bit more accurate. I don't at all like the rescue scheme so I am
going to go with an Atlantic scheme from WWII. I am going to find
a machine in Atlantic Scheme II, dark gull gray over white. I am
also going to try and do the correct exhaust as Minicraft's is not
100% correct. I am not going to fix the cockpit boo boos. I know the
yokes are wrong but it will never be seen. I am more concerned about
the details that are out in the open and can be easily seen. Here's the start.---John

[Graeme H]

I have one of these in the stash, so following along

[jayveedee]

The fuselage is pretty much done, I added lead sinkers to
the nose to keep it from tail sitting.---John

[jayveedee]

I have seen quite a few pictures of the exhaust. Some show just two exhaust stubs
per engine and others have what appears to be a muffler/ flame dampener on the
outside and a stub with the end flattened out as to direct the exhaust to the muffler?
I am guessing at why it's that way but I have cut two pieces of sprue to make the stubs
and fashioned a triangular piece of card stock to represent the flattened stub end. I
used this picture of a plane being salvaged as it shows the exhaust in great detail.---John

[jayveedee]

Here's what I am trying to do. It needs a bit more sanding
and shaping.---John

[jayveedee]

I made a fixture from card stock to set the "hull" in and get
accurate measurements to the stabilizers and wings. This helps
keep the wings and stabilizers on the same plane. I noticed though
the Minicraft kit seems to have the tail molded slightly crooked and
not running true to the aircraft's center line, at least to my eye.---John

[DesTROYer]

Nice work so far.

[jayveedee]

I have some more work done. I am modelling a plane from VP-45 that was stationed
in the south Atlantic on an island near Brazil. It had the "eyeball" turret on the nose.
Minicraft makes 3 turrets, unfortunately two of the turrets are very anemic and don't
fit well in the nose. Items C11 and C13 are very anemic and C4 fits the nose good. The
"eyeball" turret is C13. So I am taking the "eyeball" adding the gun barrels and gluing it
to the proper sized turret C4 then I am building a humped area behind the "eyeball" with
clear Elmer's glue. Here's some pictures showing the turrets and my progress.---John

[RayS]

looks good John, I like the way you have modified the turret.

Are theVP-45 decals included in the kit or are you sourcing them elsewhere?

[jayveedee]

Thanks Ray. No decals whatsoever in the kit.I will find some stars and bars then
get a sheet of black USN WWII letters and numbers. If this turns out OK I have another
one, Minicraft's 1/144 Black Cat.---John