Curtiss P-36 Mohawk

NARSES2 · August 23, 2018, 06:08:43 AM

This is the AZModel P-36, of which I have two boxing's. Interesting kit. Goes together quite well in the main and some of the detail is quite nice. On the other hand some of the detail is soft, as is the plastic, and some area's like the wings are best described as a little clunky and take a lot of thinning.

The AZModel Me 109's are really, really good kits whereas this together with the MB5's and MB6's don't come up to those standards. I have the distinct impression they have two distinct teams producing their kits ? Still it's going together relatively quickly.

The box

The innards

Assembled

I've now got it all together and am quite near the point where I need to approach it with a paintbrush

PR19_Kit · August 23, 2018, 08:25:58 AM

I remember building the old Revell version of the P-36, one in RAF camo with French roundels on the underside, and I'm pretty sure it didn't have those gun blisters on the top of the cowling.

Were they special add-ons or what?

jcf · August 23, 2018, 12:01:03 PM

Pratt & Whitney R-1830: cowling gun barrel fairings (H75A-1/2/3 = Mohawk I - III).

Wright Cyclone: no gun barrel fairings (H75A-4 = Mohawk IV).

While the fairings changed in size and shape over time, none looked like the things
in box art.

The Monogram P-36A kit has the fairings as the P-36A was R-1830 powered.

The reason is that the Cyclone was a larger diameter engine and the cowling size
was increased accordingly, which meant the barrels were now inside for almost
their entire length, thus no fairings required.

NARSES2 · August 24, 2018, 06:09:04 AM

I to remember the Monogram kit

Quote from: joncarrfarrelly on August 23, 2018, 12:01:03 PM

While the fairings changed in size and shape over time, none looked like the things
in box art.

They look nothing like that on the kit either. However the kit's do look a lot more like the actual aircraft's

I'm getting on with this, but it is a little odd in parts ? The plastic seems to be a lot harder then previous AZ kits I've built, and I've built a few. It also seems to be "two tone" (loved the music

). Sanding it and you reveal small areas of darker plastic which appears to be harder ?

Probably just me and the mood I'm in at the moment which is a very, very odd one.

TheChronicOne · August 24, 2018, 11:35:25 AM

Yeah buddy!!! I do love a good Hawk.

PR19_Kit · August 24, 2018, 02:45:58 PM

Quote from: NARSES2 on August 24, 2018, 06:09:04 AM

It also seems to be "two tone" (loved the music ).

YEAH! 'Mirror in the bathroom' by The Beat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6g2y4aRCHU

NARSES2 · August 25, 2018, 02:03:47 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 24, 2018, 02:45:58 PM
Quote from: NARSES2 on August 24, 2018, 06:09:04 AM

It also seems to be "two tone" (loved the music ).

YEAH! 'Mirror in the bathroom' by The Beat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6g2y4aRCHU

Yup. I go back even earlier to the late 60's when it was bands playing in the back rooms of Brixton or East London pubs

And then Trojan Records came along and it started to go legit

NARSES2 · August 27, 2018, 07:55:40 AM

Having spent an hour or so with the rather complicated undercarriage doors arrangement she is now ready for paint.

NARSES2 · September 02, 2018, 07:56:05 AM

Underside and first of the upper colour's done, start on t'other tomorrow.

zenrat · September 03, 2018, 04:34:03 AM

Do you attach the UC doors before painting?
I paint first or I tend to knock them off.

NARSES2 · September 03, 2018, 07:32:43 AM

Quote from: zenrat on September 03, 2018, 04:34:03 AM
Do you attach the UC doors before painting?
I paint first or I tend to knock them off.

Totally depends on how complicated they are. With this one being complicated I thought they stood a better chance of staying attached with the use of Tamiya glue rather than attaching them with super glue afterwards. It also helps that they are the same colour as the underside of the aircraft and the legs apart from the oleos.

With the SAI 207 I'm working on however they are nice simple doors plus a different colour from the legs so I attached them with super glue post painting. Guess what ? I've knocked one off already. I find super glue joints are very prone to the merest tap at times.

PR19_Kit · September 03, 2018, 09:51:28 AM

There's one of the medium strength, slower setting superglues that has some elastomers in its mix, and I've used that for a while now. It's not so brittle as the usual, quick setting stuff, but it's a pain having to hold it in position while it goes off.

Old Wombat · September 03, 2018, 08:17:28 PM

I think you'll find that on pre-painted parts it's not usually the glue that gives way but, rather, the paint - I've noticed that on my builds, where I've been too lazy or the parts have been too small to clear off an effective area of paint so the glue can grip the plastic.

zenrat · September 04, 2018, 02:28:49 AM

Quote from: Old Wombat on September 03, 2018, 08:17:28 PM
I think you'll find that on pre-painted parts it's not usually the glue that gives way but, rather, the paint - I've noticed that on my builds, where I've been too lazy or the parts have been too small to clear off an effective area of paint so the glue can grip the plastic.

True. When I dropped my Chad Su-25 Grach and the weapons pylons came off (glued on with gel superglue) they took big chunks of paint with them.
Which was irritating.

TheChronicOne · September 04, 2018, 02:58:08 AM

If I glue onto paint, I always clear coat it first. Solved that problem! And, the CA works better on clear-coated to plastic or clear-coated to clear-coated adhesion. Used to have the same problem..... part would come off and the acrylic paint did, too, in a patch that looks like a frogs foot. See how I tied that in there. . . . lol..