Northrop N3 - New Zealand Imperial Air Corps. Finished Pics Page 2.

[Old Wombat]

Oh-Kay!? How'd I miss that?

Gunna have to go for a look-see!

[loupgarou]

You do your painting in a microwave oven?    I think I recognize the dish.

[zenrat]

Heh heh.
Well spotted.  If you throw out a microwave keep the plate and the turntable as it's likely to be dead flat and, well, can turn.

First coat of all upper colours in place.
N3 WIP 18-01-18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

 

[zenrat]

Decaled. New Zealand Imperial Air Corps.  South Island Home Defence Force July 1946.
N3 WIP 23-1-18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Canopy on next.  It's a vac form and has split in a couple of places while being trimmed.
Not happy Jan.
Then rudders,  paint the torpedo, stick it on and its done.

[NARSES2]

I like that

[zenrat]

So close...

The aircraft is finished apart from some clear colour on the wingtip lights and some licks of paint on the water rudders and rigging the antennae and attaching a pitot.

Vac form canopy, while a PitA to trim and fit looks great with painted tape framing.  So clear!

Torpedo is holding things up.  Primer revealed more cleaning up was required.

[zenrat]

Northrop N-3 PB.  New Zealand Imperial Air Corps.  South Island Home Defence Force July 1946

Northrop N-3 PB 21 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American floatplane of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier Northrop A-17 design.  A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until after the Fall of Norway during the Second World War. Exiled Norwegian forces used them from 1941, operating from Iceland, for convoy escort, anti-submarine patrols, and training purposes from "Little Norway" in Canada.  Within two years of delivery, the design was effectively obsolete in its combat role, and the remaining N-3PBs were replaced by larger aircraft in 1943.
Northrop N-3 PB 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
After the war the 13 surviving aircraft were sold by Norway to the New Zealand Imperial Air Corp who retained their blue Norwegian camouflage and posted them to the fjords of South Island to stand patrols against feared infiltration by Australian backed separatist guerrillas.  The fact that there were not, and never were going to be, any guerrillas arriving by sea* did not stop the Colonial Administration from announcing "mission accomplished" as they had "stopped the boats".
Northrop N-3 PB 10 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Northrops were popular with their crews but did suffer a high attrition rate through accidents and corrosion.  They remained in service until 1953 at which point the surviving three aircraft were withdrawn from service and mothballed.

The Model
Northrop N-3 PB 1 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
MPM Northrop N-3 PB built OOB.
Torpedo from Airfix Beaufighter TF X
Northrop N-3 PB 3 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

*they all arrived by air courtesy of zenrat industries.

[ericr]

 

[Dizzyfugu]

Very nice. The roundels are a little unlikely (but look great on the Nomad), but I like the colors - esp. that teal-ish tone.

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yeah, that Nomad's the BUSINESS! 

[Weaver]

Don't know exactly why, but I really like this plane - liked it as soon as I read the article in AMW. There's something a bit hot-roddish about the raised air intake and the way it sits on it's floats.

Good model Fred - nicely done! 

[NARSES2]

Come out very well 

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Another good-looker!

[TheChronicOne]

Cracking build, m8!!!!  I love it!!     Them there wires are something else! Very nice...