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Steve Hawley
3 articles

Revell 1/48 pv-1 ventura

July 23, 2020 · in Aviation · · 19 · 2.4K

Quick review here. My father trained bomber pilots during WWII in Beaufort, S.C. I asked him why the noses on his PV-1s looked different. He explained the radar units were in short supply and couldn't be wasted on training aircraft. So the bulbous noses were replaced with sheet metal cones. My father passed away in 1968 so unfortunately I have few stories to share.

Great kit with amazing fit on par with in most areas except for the bomb bay doors and main landing gear doors(lacking in attachment areas) Getting the gear doors at the correct angles can be trying.

Just a few tips on how I built my . I hope you find them helpful.

  1. Glue the nose sections on the fuselage before putting the fuselage halves together. This will eliminate awkward filling/sanding. Install the tail wheel doors closed at this time also.

  2. Sand off 'eyebrows' off the left crew door.

  3. Cut and reposition the right side mini window. has this too high.

Aftermarket parts used:

  1. Vector cowls

  2. masks

  3. Quick Boost props(I bought a Vector set but they were horribly warped).

  4. Ultra Cast covered wheels and exhausts.

A very enjoyable build with very few challenges. Just the way I like it.

Reader reactions:
19  Awesome

11 additional images. Click to enlarge.


19 responses

  1. Love it! Great job, the personal connection brings the build alive.

  2. Nice build Steve.
    Great pictures about the Venture in a low pass.

  3. That is a nice kit and you have done a really distinctive model.

  4. 🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
    Great work Steve. Your weathering is just fine.

  5. Very nice! The worn blue is very realistic as is the soft demarcation line between upper and lower colours. The build looks very solid

  6. Great work on that subtly faded paint. The personal connection also adds depth to the build.

  7. Beautiful model indeed, Steve. An imposing bird, with great painting and weathering!

  8. Nice job. It's so great to see unusual subjects.

  9. Like all twin tailed Lockheeds this a another beauty. This is not a small model either.

    Two thumbs up Steve.

  10. Looks awesome, Steve (@pb4yhawley). The Ventura is an elegant looking airplane, and you have done a great job capturing the weathered paint. My Dad was stationed in the Aleutians at the start of WW2 and he had some very blurry photos of Venturas on Adak Island. I have the same kit in the garage to build someday, which I hope comes out as good as yours.

  11. I'll join the chorus, especially on the paint. Excellent job Steve, this model would look great in any collection.

  12. As usual, the camera seems to amplify some of my errors. But with this unbiased eye, we learn how to build better in the future.
    Thanks for all the wonderful comments. They mean a lot to me.

  13. Beautiful weathering and interesting mix of markings.

  14. Well done Steve, she looks great in the faded blue paint scheme . I like it.

  15. Hello Steve,
    Great paint job on this reliable workhorse.
    Always interesting to see the real pictures mixed with the model.
    Short, but interesting info regarding the nose section.
    Regards, Dirk

  16. Very nice! Love the paintwork on this. Well done.

  17. Nice job here Steve. Having been around one of these birds, you have finished a fitting example of the real thing. Well done!

  18. Build turned out great. Finish is spot on.

  19. Steve, Very nice work on this, I really like the attractive paint scheme !

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