Revell P-61

[Lizard Racing]

This is the first aircraft I have built in a long while.  The kit has been on the shelf for a number of years.  The P-61 has always been an interesting design for me, which is why I finally bought the kit.

P-61 does not receive enough credit for its contribution to the war effort.  It was the first aircraft designed specifically for night fighting with radar assist. It was not deployed until 1944 and by that time there were not many enemy aircraft to shoot at. However, the radar proved useful in night interdiction missions.

The PSP base is from Verlinden, as are three of the figures.  The others came with the kit.

 

Look closely and you will see that I am not done with the display.  I need to scratch-build work stands for the engine man and the radar tech.

I built the kit with all options: 4 external tanks and all hatches and doors open.  This version was flown by Col. Carrol Smith, the top scoring P-61 ace of the war.

One of the Verlinden figures is wearing a flight jacket, so I placed him in the cockpit. Thanks for looking.

 

[shoopdog]

Very nicely detailed build!

[Mike999]

Nice work on an old kit that's not easy to build!  If you need another 1/48 scale P-61, Great Wall Hobby from China does several versions: glass nose, solid nose and a special edition of the P-61 that shot down the last Japanese plane in WWII.

[Lunajammer]

Beautiful work on a fussy kit and you exposed all the details that make this kit challenging as well as rewarding.

My brother is a writer and was in Indonesia doing an article for Islands Magazine about the recovery of this P-61 when this photo was taken around 1990. Ironically, it was restored in Pennsylvania, just a few miles from where he lives. (Just my personal connection to the Black Widow).

http://www.maam.org/p61/p61_recovery.htm

[Lizard Racing]

Thank you for the kind words. 

I have heard good things about the Great Wall kit. I bought my Revell kit about 10 years ago.

I followed the MAAM project doing my research for the build.  What a monumental project! Anyone interested in warbird restoration should check the link.