Spanner's Academy 1/72 Catalina PBY-5A, Maritime S.A.R.

[spanner570]

Here's my entry for Dave's G.B.
Although the kit depicts the famous WW2 'Black Cat', I will be 'scratching', omitting and generally ar***g about with it before painting the aircraft in Maritime S.A.R. colours.




When I opened the box this morning, I found a nice, well moulded, straight forward, yet nicely detailed kit. All coupled with easy to understand, no clutter instructions











Plenty of time, so I'll not be building it for a while yet, but I thought I'd get it ready on the starting blocks....

Oops! Just noticed I've missed out the A after the 5 in the title. Can admin. fill in the missing letter please? Thanks.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[yak face]

Edited the title for you mucker . Looks a good kit , a very graceful aircraft , saw one display at the Cosford airshow last year , lovely !

 

[Jim R]

An excellent choice Ron

 

[spanner570]

Thanks chaps.

Edited the title for you mucker .

Thanks owd lad...I well remember the aircraft at Cosford. As I recall, it was outside on some grass. I also remembered how rough the hull/ fuselage looked and wondered how it ever flew!

Ron

 

[spanner570]

Best make a start on this model, 'tis fast approaching camping time again.

The kit is for the famous all over matt black 'Black Cats' of WW2. Hence the black plastic!
However as I'm completely changing the colour scheme, the first thing I need to do is paint over the black plastic. I hate working in this colour anyway.

Not as bad as red. Jim, if you drop by, remember our tug kits?

I've brushed on some grey primer whilst everything is still on the sprues.


Cheers.
Ron

 

[langy71]

An ugly and yet beautiful looking aircraft, I often used to see the 'Duxford' one flying around the area when I was in Cambridge...(I must go to the Duxford air display again).

 

[scottie3158]

Ron,
Always liked the Catalina and will follow along.

 

[papa 695]

Nice one Ron I really like the Catalina.

 

[Jim R]

That primer has gone on awful smooth
Oh I still hate red plastic, it's immune to paint.

 

[Mickc1440]

Nice choice Ron, that's a great job with the primer

 

[Mini Me]

Good start 570.....try not to finish it in two days please....

 

[spanner570]

Thanks chaps.
Although there is plenty of nice detail moulded in, there are not many parts to the kit. So Rick's observation might not be too far off the mark......

On with the build.

One sparse cockpit. Precious little, if anything, will be seen so I'm not going to waste time adding 'bits' to liven it all up.



There is an instrument panel etc,, but they go in after the fuselage is joined.



Main wheel housing and struts.



Wheel housing and small windows fitted.





The blister. As this is a peacetime aircraft, I've omitted the guns. But I still had to put something in the hole, so I put summat wot looks like life rafts on both sides in place of the two .50cal.


A basic walkway.


That's it. Ready for buttoning up.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[rtfoe]

Beautiful kit Ron...got one.

Cheers,
Wabble

 

[Jim R]

Nice progress Ron. Good idea to put the life rafts in in place of the guns. Chucking out a life raft for some bloke floating about in the wet stuff is far more believable that machine gunning the poor sod.

 

[Geoffers]

Nice start Ron

Geoff.

 

[spanner570]

Thanks chaps.

All buttoned up.
The fit so far has been quite extraordinary. First time fit. You couldn't get a bee's wing in the joints!

High tech. clamping!











I did me a bit of scratchery and turned the front gun turret into an observation / lookout thingy.


Next up, some paint.

Cheers.
Ron

 

[Jim R]

Looking good. I do hope you have Mrs Ron's permission to use her pegs. If not she may withdraw her "model chucking".

 

[rtfoe]

Thanks chaps.

All buttoned up.
The fit so far has been quite extraordinary. First time fit. You couldn't get a bee's wing in the joints!

High tech. clamping!
View attachment 472220


View attachment 472222

View attachment 472223


View attachment 472225


I did me a bit of scratchery and turned the front gun turret into an observation thingy.
View attachment 472224

Next up, some paint.

Cheers.
Ron

The first photo reminds me of a Russian space station...especially the rubberbands...naughty me.

Cheers,
Wabble

 

[spanner570]

It all works and are far gentler than those brutish modelling clamps I see used for the same purpose.

....and pegs are free and plentiful. as long as the wife lets me use them, of course.

 

[Tim Marlow]

It all works and are far gentler than those brutish modelling clamps I see used for the same purpose.

....and pegs are free and plentiful. as long as the wife lets me use them, of course.

Clamping looks good, and the resultant joints are excellent Ron. Agree about clamping. I’ve found having clamps too tight can actually open the joints sometimes.