1/48 Monogram P-61 Black Widow

Gallery Article by Angelo M Picardo on Oct 13 2011

 

I got this model second hand. There was one complete kit in the box plus about 2/3rds of another in it also. 
 
The P-61 was a very advanced aircraft. It was the first Allied fighter built to carry radar and had a lot more advanced features. Though mainly associated with the Pacific theatre it did serve in Europe as well.
 
The kit is typical of Monogram's products. bursting with detail and options. It does have raised panel lines, so I engraved the panel lines. I also added Eduard's etched set to the interior which improved the look of the instrument panels and provided seat belts. The set also included perforated jackets for the dorsal turret's .50s which I annealed and wrapped around fine gauge steel tubing. I also replaced the 20mm cannon barrels with steel tubing.

 

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The colour scheme was simple enough with the decals being the ones that came in the kit. I weathered the model to show the heavy exhaust staining that appeared on these aircraft.

The base is from Eduard. It represents the Pierced Steel Planking used to form improvised airfields by the Allies in all their theatres of operations. I made the palm trees by wrapping paper around a wire core. The leaves were made by folding over some thin paper and gluing together with some thin wire in the middle. Once the leaves were cut to shape, the wire allowed them to be bent into shape.

The figures were from Monogram and Verlinden and the tractor came from a Revell set. I had a spare engine in the kit and modelled it as a battle damaged one dumped on the edge of the diorama.

Angelo M Picardo

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Photos and text © by Angelo M Picardo