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AMT 1/48 Douglas P-70 Night Fighter

Started by Spiros Pendedekas · 140 ≡ · ↻ 1 year ago · 1/48, A-20, AMT, Douglas, Night Fighters, P-70

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Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Thanks my friends @lgardner and @tcinla!

Louis, it would be great to find more details about Mr Gridley's wartime diaries. Then, it might be possible to finish one of your A-20s as one belonging to his Squadron!

Tom, before tackling this kit, I thought it was a lesser kit. Well, it isn't; fit is not bad, cockpit is also definitely acceptable OOB, gunner's compartment not that busy, but, I believe there are a many enhancement AMs if you wish to beef it (and the cockpit) up. The wheels do have a heavy pattern: I sanded them down with 220 grit, with the pattern barely visible and looked good, they are nicely weighted, too. Of course, you may replace them, should you wish. LG is nicely appointed with brake lines, wells detailing is OK, the mains lack front and rear walls though...etc.

Moaning about the first (Mexico) plastic quality is exaggerated; and, anyway, the latest Italeri releases with Italeri plastic, thorough instructions and excellent Zanchetti decals, might I say that they are a solid representation if this beautiful, unsung hero of a plane.
Tom Bebout said 3 years ago:

Good god man talk about warp speed building, you'll have paint on this baby before sun down. She's looking good buddy, and did I see you may want to do a Russian A-20. If you do it should be the A-20B.

1/48 AMT A-20B Havoc
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Yep, that should be it!
And, of course, I will use your article as reference, my friend @tom-bebout!
Thanks!
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

First round of filling and sanding commenced

Not so bad! Now onto the cowlings restoration!
Thanks for stopping by!
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Second filler round

Needed qi=uite a bit at the inner wing/nacelle joints

Thanks for stopping by!
Louis Gardner said 3 years ago:

Spiros. @fiveten
The addition of your green putty means that you are nearing the point to where this will be painted. I like how it is shaping up. Well done !
Doug Humphrey said 3 years ago:

Just realized something, Spiros...After this is done, you could use the Aichi "Jake" build you did recently and re-create the boxart with a photo...Either way looking forward to seeing the end result.

Have always liked A-20's, and while they are overshadowed a bit by other medium bombers like the B-25 or B-26, thought that they were really modern looking birds for their day, and they give modelers a bunch of different choices as far as versions & paint schemes. Will definitely add one of these to the stash.
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Thanks, my friends @lgardner and @eydugstr!

Lois, yep, painting session is not that far away, have to de-modify the cowlings taht I erroneously "modified" (ie cut the rear exhaust fairings...

Doug, looks like the case with the A-20 was it to become an unsung hero, always being "there", doping its job, so the other more sung heroes could perform theirs.

It is truly a loveable plane and, might I say, in the Italeri later reboxings it is by all means a good, solid kit. The boxart idea is really great! Though I'm no expert in photoshop and the like, I might contact a couple of guys who are!
Erik Gjørup said 3 years ago:

Still able to squeeze a few drops of green from the tube I see - sadly I have not found any NOS for you yet here in DK - on the contrary stocks of a lot of modeling items are starting to run low in the LHS's!
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Yep, LOOOOOKS, like Green Stuff is slowly fading away...
Netting is not very clarifying, as it seems to be hanging around at some shops globally...
Good news is that I have found alternative, not green, but kind of a Mouse/Metallic gray (go figure, I have repeatedly warned you not to hang around with me... 🙂 )...anyway, it is nicely visible at almost every styrene (which, some modelers DO NOT like...)
Oh, my I will miss the green stuff...
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Cowlings reforming to initial shape

As I told you above, I was mislead by the instructions and erroneously removed the cowlings exhaust aft mini fairings, and then started to bring them back to original position, by gluing pieces of styrene at the fairing places. I first shaped them with my cutter pliers:

...then filed and sanded them to shape...

.
More work needs to be done, but they look better now.
Thanks for stopping by!
Louis Gardner said 3 years ago:
Spiros, @fiveten
This is really looking fantastic and the work you have done on the cowlings is a definite improvement.

Here’s a picture of the A-20’s and P-70’s that I have in the stash. Just above these are my US Navy twin engine planes.
1. A-20 kits.

2. P-70's
They’re parked alongside the other Army Air Force planes, which happen to be some Accurate Miniatures B-25 kits.
Eric Berg said 3 years ago:

Great save Spiros! Looking forward to seeing how your finishing touches turn out on these cowlings.
Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

Thanks my friends!

Louis @lgardner, what a stash section! I have only built one Monogram B-25, but I love the AM ones. They are considered very good kits and, well, I have spotted a last piece of the Academy reissue of the AM kit, the "Pacific Theatre" version, which comes with Cartograf decals, at a good price, which will be made even lower for me...

How long wiil I resist?

Eric @eb801, to my relief the cowlings start to look as they stood before yours truly butchered them...

Once the fairings will look homogeneous, I will carve their innards and try to affix sone kind of exhaust tubes there.
Erik Gjørup said 3 years ago:

One step back but then leaping forward two! Nice work with more PFP work to come, and extra detailing on the horizon..

Viewing 46 - 60 of 140 posts

Night Fighters

AMT 1/48 Douglas P-70 Night Fighter

First round of filling and sanding commenced

Second filler round

Cowlings reforming to initial shape