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Hi All In the eighty's when I was into flying R/C aircraft I had a regular sub to a couple of R/C mags one of which showed what was going on in the USA in all things R/C and large model aircraft. Once they showed a very large Black widow [around 6 foot wingspan] with two petrol engines and completely skinned in aluminium. Ever since seeing that picture I have had a desire to build my own widow. This kit from Hobby Boss has been out since around 2013 and is the largest widow available, one other thing I found out about Hobby Boss is that they have done a great deal of pre-production stuff for many Trumpeter kits so anything from Hobby Boss will be of the same quality. Although the kit has some faults that are easliy rectified there are also some very nice additions and a wealth of aftermarket stuff but more on that later. The kit arrives in a large and thick cardboard box that is crammed full of 19 well detailed grey plastic sprue's without flash but some parts have ejector marks that will need filling the main problem piece being the underneath of the cockpit floor which can be seen in the lower guns area. Next are the four sprue's of clear cockpit and radar operators position glazing all crystal and nicely detailed, also provided are frosted upper fuselage parts and engine cowls which can be painted or left frosted to show off the inside details they cover. Next there is a sprue of black vinyl parts and also the wheels in the same vinyl. Next two sets of etch and an added bonus that this kit being a nose sitter Hobby boss provide 5 metal weights to keep her sitting right along with metal undercariage parts to hold the weight of this beast. The decals provided have had some negative comments the main one being the wrong serial number for 'Lady in the dark' and being a little thin allowing bleed of the color underneath but to me they look ok and there are aftermarket sets available. The Engines are moulded with high detail and the cowls can be fitted with the cooling gills closed or open but here we have one of the problems as no exhausts are provide for the open gill position but the exhausts are available as an aftermarket item. Again another problem is the nose the kit says either the A or B version can be built but the nose privided is short for the B version along with the wheel covers they should be 3 piece for the B version all rectified parts are available from aftermarket suppliers. The vinyl tyres are nice but the the kit hubs lack detail like brake hoses so I replaced them with an aftermarket set. The kit is provided with two sets of props a thin set and a wide blade set the wide blade set is the one to use but will need a little work to get them right or you can buy an aftermarket set, I will rectify the kit set. Aftermarket stuff is good as its been out for a while, the Big Ed set contains etch for exterior,interior,engine,undercarriage, seatbelt's and masks for the greenhouse glazing. I also bought the placards set that has extra signs/instrument fronts for the cockpit and radar area's. The weighted wheel set is a nice addition due to the hub detail along with the brass gun barrels for upper and lower guns. The rectified resin upgrade's for the B version nose, wing wheel covers and exhaust were also obtained. lastly the radar operators upgrade set in resin was bought the kit one is good but this set is full of detail. All in all a very highly detailed kit that could easily be built from the box with some nice extra's like the shaped nose weights that fit in the nose area and the metal undercarriage set. The instructions are well set out and also provided is a two choice Europe or Pacific conflict color paint chart and finally what a model this kit will make. Andy arpurchase attached the following image(s): Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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 Rank: Elite      Groups: Registered
Joined: 13/02/2011 Posts: 2,239 Points: 6,837 Location: East Sussex
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Hi Andy, This P-61B certainly look's a challenge and demanding in some parts, but as you rightly say Hobby's have made an excellent job of this kit all 19 packs of it, this will keep you busy in-between your other builds. I would have liked to have seen that eighty's P-61B with the 6ft wingspan, and with all that Aluminium bet they had a few problems fitting that. I will look forward to seeing it all come together Andy. Good presentation Regards Trev. Work in progress: Tombstone (Scratch) - San Francisco 2. -The Mayflower ( scratch by plan).
OcCre- Santa-Maria (Kit).
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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Seems to have a lot of content and nice to see something unusual
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 Rank: Vice-Master   Groups: Registered
Joined: 07/01/2015 Posts: 856 Points: 2,479 Location: Sevenoaks, UK
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That's a lovely kit and a build I'll be following when you start it. Any images I post on my personal builds are free to be used and shared under Creative Commons Attribution license, which means you can do what you want with them, on the condition you mention I'm the author.
Happy building :-) http://www.model-space.com/gb/
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 Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
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Looks like a really nice kit Andy. With all the aftermarket items it should build into a stunner
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Hi everyone and thanks for your comments, that model all those years ago certainly made an impresion Just wish I had a pic of her still. There are still a couple left and one being restored after being dragged off the top of a mountain. Link below with the full story. http://www.maam.org/p61.html
also A modern large P61 in the USA:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owz8RHORnt4
Andy Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Some serious looking detail within this one Andy, know you'll do a fabulous with this one.....
Regards
Alan
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Hi Alan thanks for looking in and your comments just awaiting the arrival of the resin exhaust's. Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/08/2010 Posts: 2,771 Points: 8,344 Location: Brighton
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Hi Andy. Great looking kit. look forward to seeing your progress. Ian Current builds.Hachettes build the bismark,HMS Victory, HMS Hood.
Finished Builds Corel HMS Victory cross section.
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Hi Ian Thanks for looking in and your comments, still awaiting the exhausts seams they maybe a few weeks away. Andy Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Nice bit of kit there. I love lots of extra goodies on models. Brings the kits alive.mlook forward to seeing the build start up. Chris 😀 On the bench 1/350 Revell Tirpitz Platinum Edition (Pontos PE and Wooden deck) plus extra Eduard PE set and extra MK1 door sets.
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Rank: Vice-Master  Groups: Registered
Joined: 13/02/2012 Posts: 651 Points: 1,903 Location: croydon
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Hi Andy.
That will be a fantastic build.
I look forward to the start with baited breath.
Best regards.
Mark
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Thanks for looking in Cris and Mark and for your comments Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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 Hi all After a long wait the final set of parts for this kit arrived today namely the two resin exhaust's for the engines and there some very nice castings indeed. The resin castings for this kit are only available in one place and they sell out fast when they are in stock. Andy  arpurchase attached the following image(s): Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Neat castings, which guise are you planning to construct, European or Pacific?
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As I have connections with the Philippines I will be building P-61B 547th NFS 'Lady in the Dark' version flown by LT Arthur Bourque based at Lingayen,Philippines Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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That's cool to have such a link to a subject, makes it more special
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I have lived in that area of the Philippines aswell Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/07/2014 Posts: 4,269 Points: 12,713 Location: Scotland
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Wow lot`s of parts there Andy will follow  Phil COMING SOON =1/72 Italeri diorama`s Battle for the Reichstag and Stalingrad battle at the tractor factory 1/16 Trumpeter King Tiger with loads of extras ON THE GO= refurbishment of 1/25 Tamiya tiger 1 , amt Star trek kits and space 1999 models
So Much to Build,But What a Hobby!
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
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Found any archive pic's of one at Lingayen?
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US
