1/32 P-36A Pearl Harbor Defender

[Morris]

Been fiddling with this one off and on - Using a Eduard P-40B interior set...which is close - but still need mods here and there....Intend doing Lt Rasmussen's plane (he shot down a Zero in his pajamas...)

[steve131]

Looking good so far .

[casper]

You learn something new everyday and today I read about this very courageous man called Lt Rasmussen.
Interesting build Morris and a great start watching closely

[Morris]

Hi Casp - Yeah, it's definitely an interesting subject - especially; as you say, after you read further into it. He was flying in his pajamas, a pistol belt and a radio head set. Pretty cool story...!
This pic was after he landed back at Pearl (No. 36 plane full of holes! He had changed into uniform by then,,,

This is the Air Force Museum display -


Anyway; back to the model kit....I am going to attempt to find/modify a pilot figure into Lt Ramussen in pajamas ....

[Morris]

WOW, this kit (Special Hobby) is a bear to put it mildly -
Started on the fuselage work - the engine cowling is a set of separate halves - (actually 2 - the kit has parts in it for later mark P-36's/Hawk 75's.....

Lots of seams and flash to deal with - note there are NO locater pins....I guess you use the bulkheads for alignment which is a pain for me - Some folk don't like the locater pins and cut them off - I use them though...

Mounted the engine I built earlier and closed up the forward halves- seam work to do - instructions say glue the engine cowls halves to the fuselage halves and then close it all up together but that's too much for me - intend to piecemeal it where poss...

Closed up most of the seams and re-sanded trying to save as much surface detail as I could - Couple of spots still to do...then a problem cropped up - I broke the engine assy. loose from it's bulkhead

So I drilled a hole - held the engine in place and centred it the best I could by eyesight - And super glued it with a long thin brush.....

There are some surface details to remove and close up from later mark models - First one was the forward panel in front of the cockpit - the upper fuselage half hasn't been done yet - lower has...

The P-40 B detail set from Eduard really helped on the P-36's cockpit...

The two machine guns in the nose are all the armament the plane had no wing guns (more holes to close down the road!)

[Morris]

As mentioned no locater pins so as you add each bulkhead and I had to offer up the other fuselage half to ensure alignment - Yes, it will be seam work city on the back fuselage half too...

I started adding other Eduard / kit cockpit pieces to the RH fuselage - Again the P-40 B upgrade parts selectively used really helped


I have found what I think will work as a pilot figure in his pajamas - Will work that next

[steve131]

As ever great work ,can't say heard of manufacturer ,Snapdragons prob knows more . Got a couple of kits with no locating pins certainly ups the ante, would you recommend them ?

[Morris]

Hi Steve131;

Some modelling folk don't like locator pins - I personally like them but without them you just have to be careful on alignment of parts - so I would say being without them is a pain but not a show stopper...

[casper]

Hi Morris excellent cockpit detail shame the engine came loose but all good now matey, nice fix.
Amazing that he only had two machine guns in the nose of the aircraft that fires through the propeller arc

[snapdragon]

I like locator pins too. They are there for a reason and can be easily hidden or worked into detail.

Never done a special hobby kit, but it looks like they have much to learn yet.

ZM kits have locator pins and alignment marks etc, but once everything is in place and painted you don't see them. Same with the other brands I build.

Take a look at the new AH one I am building. There's plenty of alignment marks and placing marks, but once the parts are in place and painted up they are not noticeable!

Morris is doing a superb job as usual in what looks like trying circumstances.

Time to come over to the dark side, Morris and try some armour!

[Mark]

As ever great work ,can't say heard of manufacturer ,Snapdragons prob knows more . Got a couple of kits with no locating pins certainly ups the ante, would you recommend them ?

Missing locator pins on large parts is no biggie. Just tape the parts together with masking tape, then run Tamiya Extra-thin into the join, avoiding the taped areas. The glue may wick underneath the tape and spoil the surface of the part. Then remove the tape and glue those areas. Of course, this trick doesn't work when you've got gaps like Morris's kit....... In such cases, Blue Circle is your friend

I had a Dragon kit where the locator pins weren't aligned properly. They had to be cut off. Not a fan of Dragon anyway, although they do (did?) a nice range of Apollo kits.

[Morris]

He he, James - maybe one day....

[Morris]

Pilot Lt. Rasmussen in his jammies -


And now the filling and sanding begins - with some re-scribe work...

[royjess]

Amazing paint work as usual Morris

[casper]

Brilliant I love the Pilot Lt. Rasmussen in his jim jams Morris, don't like those gaps though
great build

[Morris]

Finally finished the filling, sanding and polishing ordeal/journey - Now sprayed the Tamiya rattle can gloss black and set it aside to air dry - (this black is the best in the business to me..)
Whilst the main frame dried, I worked on the wheels and prop - The back of the prop on this era of P-36 was painted maroon - not sure why unless it was a spinning prop vision thing...

[Morris]

Lt. Rasmussen's Pearl Harbour based P-36 completed - been a bit of a slog, this one....lot's of seam filling and polishing - still didn't get the full sheen I wanted,,,,

[number1]

Excellent work again Morris, wish I could get my model making mojo back

[steve131]

Great work ,think the Man himself would approve.

[royjess]

Fantastic modelling as usual, a great tribute to Lt Rasmussen