Monogram PBY Catalina – Final assembly

Day 232…

I am still counting the days since February 24, 2022. And the more I think, I will be counting until February 24, 2023…

Friday October 14, 2022

In the late 50s and the early 60s I would be playing with my model kits like any young modelers would. I remember playing with my Monogram SB2C Helldiver and dropping its bomb.

That’s probably at that time I got more interested in the Pacific War.

That’s why I built another one 50 years later and it’s now gathering dust.

I would probably buy another one and reminisce about the good old days.

I don’t think I ever shot at my model airplanes with a BB gun nor setting them on fire. Rather I would display them around the house. My mother had no problem with it nor did my father. They had other problems…

Since December 2013 I have been virtually playing with them on My Forgotten Hobby. I have cleaned them when my wife would pass a subtle remark that they were gathering dust or fixed them when my cats would be inspected them too closely. You know how curious cats are don’t you?

But mostly I would look at them and moving them around like I move around my collection of unbuilt model kits from the storage room to my workplace.

A few years ago I started displaying my completed model kits on picture frames bought at Michael’s when they were on sale.

I still have one picture frame left…

It’s now obvious how I should be using it.

Monogram PBY Catalina – Tamiya A6M2

Day 231…

I don’t know how long I will keep up counting the days since February 24, 2022…

Thursday October 13, 2022

I was thinking how I could display the PBY Catalina like what I did with the Hawker Hurricane.

The Catalina could be glued on a picture frame and Saburo Sakai’s Zero would zoom over it like the Hurricane did over the CF-18.

Monogram PBY Catalina is so BIG and I have to find a way to display it to preserve the past.

Looking at what I had built last year…

I noticed something strange with the Zero’s landing gear.

Obviously the landing gear stance was bizarre.

The more I thought about how bizarre it was, I couldn’t help thinking of a way to correct the landing gear.

Cut the struts and reglue them? I forced them backwards and lo and behold they didn’t break off.

I smothered them with Clear Gorilla Glue and let everything set aside for 24 hours.

Then I tried my idea holding the Zeke over the PBY Catalina.

I will probably stick with that idea although in the story the Zero’s landing gear wasn’t be down and Saburo Sakai wasn’t the pilot in the cockpit.

Monogram PBY Catalina – Mating the wings

Day 230…

Wednesday October 12, 2022

I never thought I would be getting here on Monday.

Decals had been added last Sunday. Looking at what parts I had left Monday morning, I had problems with positioning the wing struts. I figured I had to mate first the wings to the fuselage.

I removed the paint on the parts to be glued together to have a solid bond.

Tamiya cement (with the white cap) was used on both parts and pressure was applied until I was sure the fuselage and the wings were joined.

Everything was then set aside for 24 hours with a sigh of relief.

Next time?

Clear Parts – Part 2

Day 221…

3 October 2022

I did some workbench cleaning Sunday morning and displayed which parts are left for completing the PBY Catalina.

That was done after I had glued the wings landing lights with Contacta clear glue.

I now know what lays ahead to complete my long waited memorial project. Some more decals will be added later keeping in mind when that happens to read the instructions that were provided.

Then I got thinking about what my new follower was saying…

I don’t want to say I am back again, but..

I also started work on a Messerschmitt BF-109 E3, but that one isn’t finished.

Do you remember this build I started I can’t remember when?

Stay tuned…

Clear Parts

Day 220, and now it’s Day 3…

2 October 2022

The PBY Catalina is progressing well with the side blisters having been installed.

Last Friday I had started working with the clear parts. Glueing the side blisters necessitated some dry fitting before using Contacta clear glue.

After my trip to JacHobby yesterday I tried out Tamiya cotton swabs and I added a dab of silver for the wings landing lights.

The landing lights are different on this photo.

As you might have noticed my collection has grown with this unexpected addition…

When I saw it at JacHobby, I googled Academy TBF-1C on my cellphone and decided to buy it since the price was quite reasonable.

This is how it could look from photos taken on this forum.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235034269-tbm3-e-avenger-148-academy/

On that forum, members talked about the instructions sheet being somewhat minimal and one member directed others to Wayback Machine to find the original Accurate Miniatures instructions.

TBM_1C_0120

TBM-3D_0121

I probably won’t build this one in the very foreseeable future, but at least I know what I am up against.

Aftermarket Decals

Day 219 and now Day 2

I had started adding decals on Thursday but my thoughts were elsewhere on Day 218.

Nothing I could do about it but work on a project I had started last year remembering the crew of a RCAF PBY Catalina who had changed the course of the war in the Pacific.

The Savior of Ceylon

Working with aftermarket decals for the first time I had decided to read the instructions carefully.

Messing up with the decals would certainly put a damper on this project.

Soaking the decals for 30 to 60 seconds in a room temperature lukewarm water with a very small droplet of dish soap had seemed a bit curious especially when the Tempest decals quickly had released after just a few seconds without adding any dish soap.

Anyway I had gone ahead and in fact the decals did release much much slower than I had expected and appeared quite thick.

I didn’t mind thick decals at least they didn’t explode…

I had let everything dry and then added some decal softener hoping I would not mess up everything.

It didn’t.

Going back…

Day 217

This is where I was in July 2021 on My Forgotten Hobby V.

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I am always a few steps ahead on My Forgotten Hobby III. Of course I will be painting the cockpit assembly before glueing it. In fact I did it yesterday with homemade interior green.

Step 2 is already completed and glued, but you already know that if you are following this blog.

Step 3 is also done. I had to be careful because windows are not all identical.

I then glued these two parts.

 

The wings were glued after checking the alignment several times.

 

Then came the engines, the tires and the pontoons.

 

Step 5 will have to wait.

 

The stabilizers were glued, but the wings will have to wait before I glue them onto the fuselage.

 

Next time I hope to complete painting the cockpit.

 

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Fast forward

This is where I am right now. I never thought I would be here…

Displaying the Hurricane…

Saturday 17 September 2022

On Day 206 of a special military operation…

I had this idea.

Mounting the Hurricane on a piece of wooden dowel I had used before in 2018 on my Monogram P-38 Lightning.

P-38 Update

Fond memories…

Reliving the past is what this blog is all about.

Speaking of reliving the past does my rendition of my Monogram CF-18 pique your curiosity?

 

Taking pictures…

Friday 16 September 2022

On Day 205 of a special military operation and Day 4 of troops still regrouping…?

I know I take a lot of pictures on My Forgotten V.

This is Thursday morning shot.

Taking pictures serves a purpose…

Checking what I have missed and what needs to be corrected. This way I don’t go back and forth like I have been doing constantly.

A case in point is the Tempest interior which hasn’t been completed yet.

Same for my massive PBY Catalina which begs to have its Davis wing attached to the fuselage.

This will have to wait. There are still a few touch-ups to be done, decals and lots of weathering…

It’s not time to mate the wings permanently.

The Hurricane now has all its decals.

It’s waiting for an idea on how to be displayed.
I think I have a bright one.

Stay tuned…

Testing… And the fear of messing up everything – Part 4

Thursday 15 September 2022

On Day 204 and on Day 3 of some troops regrouping somewhere…

On Wednesday morning I had used Blue Tack to alleviate my fear of losing the Tempest canopy parts.

My massive PBY Catalina finally got its final clear coat after.

There are still a few touch-ups to be done and lots of weathering.

The Hurricane is now complete and it’s waiting for more decals.

Stay tuned…