1/48 Monogram Do335 Arrow
Once in awhile I need to build something other than a P-40 and in a short amount of time. This old Monogram kit fit the bill for me. The printed instructions carry a 1974 Copyright so it's old by any standard. Officially called the Arrow, most pilots named her Ant Eater, either way it's kind of an ugly plane. She featured two DB 603 engines with one in the front driving a conventional propeller, and one mid-way driving a pusher propeller. Other features included a closed but jettison-able canopy with an ejection seat. Which when actuated the vertical tail surface and propeller were jettison as well. Wonder if that really work?
She was big, heavy and fast, capable of 481 MPH while the two seat night fighter version was capable of 427 MPH. That's the version you see here dressed in training mode camouflage. I use Model Master enamels in the cockpit then added some additional IP decals to dress her up a bit. You can build her with both engine bays exposed or closed but I chose to do only the read engine bay open. Camo colors are Tamiya AS-5 Lt Blue, AS-23 Lt Green and XF-27 Black Green. I had no issues with the overall fit of the parts and was impressed with the clear canopy parts. Just a lot to mask, not my favorite job to do, The decals are a combination of the original and some spares because of the age of what was in the box.
When I stated she's big I placed a 1/48 FW-190 next to her for representation. All in all this old boy can still be fun to build and can be found at model shows for rather cheap prices.
Great work on this, Tom @tom-bebout ! Looks great!
I’ve got one of these I’ve been wanting to get built.. yours will be good inspiration for me.
Man, I love this. My big brother got me this kit when it was first out, I buggered it up as a kid will do. Yours turned out great! I have a first release in the stash, it may need to move to the top of the "to do list"! very nicely done man!
Looks really good, Tom. Nice paint job and overall execution on this old kit.
This is fantastic! I built it as a kid, and that was better than my two unfinished adult attempts lol.
Fantastic tesult of the good old Monogram kit, Tom! The size comparison with the Wurger is equally amazing!
An excellent job on a kit that's easy to "bugger up" as they say.
Really great result on this "Pfeil", Tom @tom-bebout
Was it required to add some weight in the nose to prevent it from becoming a tail sitter?
John (@johnb) yes there are several fishing line weights in the nose to keep her on her legs. I just keep adding weight until the center of gravity shifts. It's what I call a SWAG method.
Turned out very nice! Did not realize it was that big compared to a FW190.
Great paiting!
Nice work, Tom. The detail is awesome on that model especially considering it’s 49 years old.
Great result from an “aged” kit.
Very nice Tom. Don't too many twin seaters being modelled.
Tom this is a very nice looking Pfeil. You can't fault Monogram. They gave us very nice models that still holds up well even against more modern kits. With the necessay TLC they build into awesome replicas as your model clearly indicates. Well done Tom.
Nice work, Tom.
Great work on an elderly kit, Tom @tom-bebout. These old kits still have a lot of life in them, especially when skilled hands like yours work on them. I am working on a Monogram B-25, which is just a couple of years newer than this one.
Tom Bebout (@tom-bebout)
Excellent work Tom ! I can remember building this one as a kid, when it first came out. I was in the category of those who "buggered " it up. I built mine using Tetsors tube glue, (as the two seat night fighter), and sloppily brush painted on a night fighter scheme using Pactra paints. It hung from my bedroom ceiling for many years following that.
From what I remember reading about this one, they used "explosive bolts" that sheared off when the pilot's ejected / bailed out, causing the prop (and possibly the vertical fin) to fall off the tail of the plane. This plane was light years ahead of everything else, with advanced features for the time like tricycle landing gear... plus it had incredible performance and could easily run away from any fighter the Allies had at the time.
You did a wonderful job with this old boy... I definitely clicked on the "like" button. Thanks for sharing it with us, and the trip down memory lane.
Great build Tom, @tom-bebout, it turned out great. It really is a decent kit even after all these years. I have built a few over the years, great fun. Yours looks great and even in this vintage, the kit offers a nice level of detail in the cockpit that I can see you made shine.
Love to see the old kits handled so nicely! Looks great!
Spot on Pfeil, Tom.
Does this old gem have raised features?
The Arrow really is ugly compared to the single seat 335. Like a Pfeil that has some sort of nasty looking bulbous growth on its back.
Eric (@eb801) yep she has those famous raised panel lines.