1/72 Northrop Iota Torpedo Plane

[Brian da Basher]

After the experience gained in developing the Northrop Gamma, Jack Northrop & Co. sought to parlay this into a lucrative defense contract by refining their design for use as a light attack bomber in late 1938. The original Gamma design was modified by eliminating the single engine and replacing it with two wing-mounted inlines and using the nose for a bombardier's station. The Northrop design team also added a flexible .50 caliber machine gun in the nose and two 37 m.m. and two 20 m.m. cannons near the wing root.

While the U.S. Army Air Corps was not interested, having A-20 and B-25 bombers coming online, the U.S. Navy ordered a prototype machine. The new twin-engined Northrop was not really suited for Navy missions, but as the U.S. Marine Corps had begun forming land-based attack torpedo squadrons, the Northrop prototype was seen as a natural replacement for the Vindicators which intially equipped these units.

The new attack torpedo plane was ordered into mass-production under the designation RTA-14, but it was soon christened the Iota (a play on the former Gamma and also because it was "more than an Iota better" than the Marines previous aircraft).

The RTA-14 went on to give sterling service during the early days of W.W. II. The example shown here, 71333 of VMAT-20 based at Midway Island was famous for leading a flight of U.S.M.C. Iotas that caught the Japanese carrier force the day after they attacked Pearl Harbor and managed to sink three enemy carriers and damage another before the foe could first strike at Midway. With their carrier force now on a parity with the U.S. Navy, the Japanese were forced to put their plans for Pacific expansion on the back burner. 71333 is currently on display at the U.S.M.C. Air Museum at Quantico, Virginia.

1st of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

The basis for this project was a 1/72 Williams Bros. Northrop Gamma that I built over 15 years ago and found in a box of old, busted up models in the basement a couple summers ago. I knew at some point I was going to rehabilitate this old model but how? Unfortunately, this Gamma was missing the engine and I had long ago consigned the spats for use on another project. I toyed around with a few ideas and then noticed I could scratch-build some inline, wing-mounted engines from left-over vacform drop-tanks.

Now to figure out the rest...

2nd of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

I had a torpedo in the spares box and I decided this bird was going to be a torpedo-bomber! I next smash-formed a clearnose for this project and found a spare piece of semi-ciruclar section that mated it nicely with the rest of the fuselage. I added chin intakes to the engines and cut a spare wheel in half for the semi-retracted landing gear. I added some guns made from left-over landing gear struts and added a DF loop antenna. The exhausts were spare struts and I found a couple of propellor blades that seemed a good fit. Here's an underside shot that shows off the wing guns and the torpedo.

3rd of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher  

[Brian da Basher]

Did you ever have a project that fought you all the way? Well this one felt like it was locked in hand-to-hand combat with me for the last week! First it took me two separate tries to get the nose glazing to work. I had three smash-formed blsiters of different sizes and the first one just didn't look right, so I had to rip apart the nose and rebuild it. Then I managed to cut my right index finger while razor-sawing the wheel in half. I had half of the nose gun glued on the inside of the glazing, but that promptly fell off while I was at the decal stage. Oh and those decals were a bear too. I went throught three different code numbers because the decals either tore or splintered. Still, I wasn't going to give up.

4th of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Maverick]

Sweet stuff Brian,

I've built the Gamma myself, but stock, and always thought it was just a cherry piece of kit.

Nice cammies, looks just the part.

Regards,

Mav

[Brian da Basher]

The entire model was brush-painted by hand with acrylics. I used Tamiya "Light" Gray overall and Liquitex Artists' acrylics Ivory black on the wingwalks, props and tires. The prop tips were painted with Cadmium Yellow and the exhausts and wheel hubs were finished in Model Masters Steel. I dry-brushed some Model Masters  Rust on the ends of the exhausts for that worn look and the guns were painted with Tamiya Gunmetal. I used Model Masters Steel and Polly Scale Red on the topredo. The decals were from my decal stash, the star-and-meatball markings from a sheet by Eagle Strike. You can't see it in these shots, but there's a very cool VMAT-20 code on the rear of the fuse behind the roundel.

5th of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Brian da Basher]

Even though this model was a tough slog, I'm glad to see it finished. I really like the idea of the U.S. being able to hit back at the Japanese carrier fleet right after the Pearl Harbor attack and placing this Iota in that timeframe allowed me to use some of those star-and-meatball markings I like so much.

Last of 6 pics.

Brian da Basher

[Sisko]

So ugly it's cool

Super stuff Brian

[Eddie M.]

Such a fertile imagination. B) Your work is so refreshing to me. Great work.  Thanks for sharing your work!  :salute:
   Eddie  

[elmayerle]

Gorgeous, BdB!!  

[Dork the kit slayer]

Brian,you are a very sick person.......you just lightens my day. Thank you :salute:
More power to your elbow mate!!!  

[lancer]

Brilliant, and not a spat in sight.  

[cthulhu77]

Glad you toughed it out, it certainly was worth it. What a great plane!

[B777LR]

WHAT!?!? No spats?