S-26 Maritime Patrol Bomber

[Dizzyfugu]

I post this even though it is a VERY old kit of mine, I guess it is the first kit I ever bought OOB in order to build a (fantasy) conversion from it. Must be 20 years old! And I still keep it on display - nostalgia!


1:72 S-26 Maritime Patrol Bomber (whif/kit conversion) - Nose detail by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I had the idea to this project together with a friend, who's build the same basic kit (a B-26 Martin Marauder from Matchbox) with the same theme: a land-based, martime patrol bomber and submarine hunter like the P-2 Neptune or P-3 Orion. The idea was to get a vintage feel of an old airframe, but with some modern features.


1:72 S-26 Maritime Patrol Bomber (whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 S-26 Maritime Patrol Bomber (whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

To the B-26 base many details were added or changed, like...

● Twin fins from a Matchbox A-10 (they fit perfectly on the clipped horizontal stabilizers)

● The big belly radome is the nose from the transport version of Matchbox' Privateer kit

● The MAD tail was carved from wood, primed and then painted.

● Engines come from a Matchbox A-20 Havoc, the propellers are B-26, but with spinners.

● Weapon bay opened and with interios (I guess with parts from an Airfix B-26)

● Many additional antenna blisters and the like

● Scratch-built AGMs, actually modifies Phoenix AAMs from an Italeri F-14

● Modified landing gear; the twin front wheel, for instance, is the main landing wheel from a 1:144 scale DC-9 airliner from Revell...

● The in-flight refuelling probe is a modified ACMI pod.

● Air brakes/chaff dispensers are parts from a Revell F-16.

● Sonobuoys compartment behind the weapon bay, plus a camera station.

● Wing tip tanks come from an ESCI A-7


1:72 S-26 Maritime Patrol Bomber (whif/kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 S-26 Maritime Patrol Bomber (whif/kit conversion) - Weapon station detail by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

As a modern contrast, the machine was painted in a low-viz paint scheme which was all the rage in the 90ies - inspired by US Navy planes, in FS 36375 below, FS 36320 for the sides and upper surfaces and FS 35237 for anti-glare areas. On purpose, tjhe aircraft did not receive any national insignia, even though an English "Navy" was applied.
As a colorful contrast, and inspired by the Academy Lockheed Ventura kit, a hand-painted squid (kind of?) was added around the gun turret on the back, plus the nose art title "The Kraken", partly obscured by gun soot.

Certainly not a masterpiece of whiffery, but a nice souvenir - and my friend's version turned out to look very different, including the 4-seat cockpit from an EA-6B Prowler and a mottled three-grey-tone cammo scheme. 

[PR19_Kit]

Now that is INSPIRED Thomas! 

Looks great and it all goes together well.

[NARSES2]

Love it 

[sandiego89]

Very nice, especially like what you did with the belly with the chutes, blisters and bulges.  Well done.

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you all. Blast from the past... all the holes for the sonarbuoys were drilled by hand, with a manual/mechanical drill! Pre-electric age 

[jsport]

cool so much cool. 

[kerick]

I have some laying around the display cabinet older than that! Nostalgia as you say!
This whif looks like the real deal. Very believable.

[pyro-manic]

Excellent!

[Joe C-P]

Hey, that's quite imaginative! 

[James]

How did I miss this? Wonderful! 

[McColm]

Wow,
I really must practice my airbrush skills and I hope to get a finish like yours.

[marco]

Great Job!!

[Doc Yo]

 Indeed, very nicely done-the twin tail really seems to 'slim' the Marauder fuselage. Love the 'starfish' around
the turret, too.

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot to everyone. Actually, this was painted by hand (no air bruch or even rattle can involved), and the finish is certainly not the best when you take a close look - it's 20 years old, though. The slightly dirty/cloudy finish comes through a treatment with rubbed, finely grinded pencil mine.

[McColm]

I'm not familiar with an air bruch, should that read air brush?