1/48 BREWSTER BUFFALO F2A-2 **FINISHED**

Started by gary sausmikat · 63 · 9 months ago · 1/48, buffalo, F2A-2, Jim Sullivan, Tamiya
  • Profile Photo
    gary sausmikat said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    How could I resist joining this group to honor Jim.

    I did not correspond with Jim personally but he was one of my many friends here on iModeler, read his Squadron Signal publications and admired his modeling talents displayed here.
    Jim, I hope this honors you and your family.

    I will be building the Tamiya 1/48 Brewster Buffalo F2A-2 as depicted in Jim's (co-written) book Golden Wings 1941-1945 book.



  • Profile Photo
    Spiros Pendedekas said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Another wonderful entry, my friend @gwskat! Looking forward to it!

  • Profile Photo
    John vd Biggelaar said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Excellent choice, Gary @gwskat

  • Profile Photo
    George R Blair Jr said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Great choice of model and subject, Gary @gwskat. The overall gray color will be cool.

  • Profile Photo
    gary sausmikat said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Thanks All!
    The "plan" (we all now how plans go) is an OTB build, a scratch built gun camera and mount and the overall gray scheme. I also plan to Cricut masks and paint the markings. We'll see...

  • Profile Photo
    Robert Knaack said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    I've had that book for years, and didn't realize Jim's name was on the front until I saw this article! It's been a very valuable reference. Looking forward to your gray Buffalo, Gary.

  • Profile Photo
    Eric Berg said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Nice choice Gary, @gwskat. It takes discipline to stick to an OTB build.

  • Profile Photo
    Tom Bebout said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Nice choice Gary, OTB huh. Those are usually known as famous last words. You'll like the kit it's typical Tamiya, no real issues to overcome.

  • Profile Photo
    gary sausmikat said 10 months, 4 weeks ago:

    Wellllll...technically I do have to take it out of the box to assemble it...although being a Tam kit I could shake it and it falls out all done, correct?

  • Profile Photo
    gary sausmikat said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    While waiting for my current project's clear coat to dry I decided to begin the Buffalo.
    Starting with a pic of the sprues.
    Showed the decals but I'm planning to create masks for the insignias (or raid the spare decals box) but I will be creating masks for the fuselage "09".

  • Profile Photo
    Spiros Pendedekas said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    The good old Tamiya Buffalo looks great, my friend @gwskat!

  • Profile Photo
    John vd Biggelaar said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Very nice content, Gary @gwskat

  • Profile Photo
    Louis Gardner said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    gary sausmikat (@gwskat)
    Thanks for joining the group, and even more so for these two projects, your Buffalo and the Piper.

    There's a lot of different aircraft covered in the various books that Jim wrote. Like George Blair stated, basically any WW2 era US Navy aircraft is likely something he wrote about.

    The Buffalo is a neat little plane. I have plans to someday build one up in marking from the NAS Miami unit.


    I found a pretty cool picture of the plane online shown here. At the same time I start building this one, chances are highly likely...

    that I will build up one in US Army markings too, as I found some cool choices and it's shown here.


    This is yet another one for my "someday list". This is reportedly Jimmy Thatch, who developed the "Thatch weave" or beam defensive maneuver, which is still taught today for mutual support. Going from memory here, (so please don't think my number designations or carrier name is credible / totally accurate), this picture shows a Brewster that Thatch nosed over while landing on the Saratoga while flying in VF-3.

    This one also has some really cool Yellow Wings era section leader markings with a white tail, lucky number 13, and Felix the Cat. It checks all the boxes.

  • Profile Photo
    gary sausmikat said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Got a good jump on the Buffalo today.

    Painted and weathered the powerplant.
    Painted the interiors; gear bays aluminum and the cockpit aluminum and black. Accented with an oil wash and highlighted with metal pastels.
    The canopy is a one piece and I will not be separating it. So the cockpit work is crude since it won't be very visible after she's buttoned up.
    Assembled the wings.
    Assembled the fuselage.
    Dry fitted wings and fuselage.

    Next up...seam work...Oh Boy...

    7 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  • Profile Photo
    John vd Biggelaar said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    A great start, Gary @gwskat
    The interior looks very nice.