Curtiss P.6E, Monogram, 1/72, W.I.P.

[Old Man]

This vintage kit is an excellent example of both the classic period of aviation and of model making.

It does need some interior work: here is basic side-wall and such,scratch-built:

[Old Man]

Since I want to do a blue and yellow example, the kit does need some modification to the late service style of spats, and provision of full wheels:

I also decided to improve the exhaust stubs.

[Old Man]

Fit is quite nice, even of the upper cowling and cowling front pieces.

Raised detail on the panels is appropriate for this model,as Curtiss panels in this period had raised edges. There is such a join at the seam of the cowling top with the fuselage,and I replicated this with .004" brass wire.

Here is a look in the cockpit:

I decided I was not satisfied with my first run at replacing the kit's exhaust stubs; here is the early portion of the second pass. They are made of .8mm rod, and set at a downward angle,as they were actually at right angles to the cylinders:

[Old Man]

Lower wing fit was very good,and so was that of the horizontal stabilizer. I have added control horns for the elevators:

The exhaust stubs have been sanded down to proper lengths,and opened up.

Here is a view of the underside: the area round the radiator is open on the kit;I filledit in.I am not sure this is correct,but the open gape into yellow plastic could not be proper either:

[Old Man]

Painting is underway:

Paints are PollyScale, cut with future,and applied over white Tamiya primer. Quartermaster blue and yellow were used; the blue was mixed with some Azure Blue,to grey it down a bit and make it a bit paler, and the Yellow with a bit of red,as the white undercoat was leaving it a bit too pale and washed-out. The red nose is from a 35th Pursuit scheme on a Starfighter Decal sheet.

Here is a picture with the the upper wing and vertical tail surface temporarily in place:

Edited September 3, 2011 by Old Man

[Pirata]

Well done. I especially like the cockpit. I never paid much attention to the box art on this model: I just realized that the black & white "camouflage" on the spats looks like a dairy cow.

[Old Man]

Well done. I especially like the cockpit. I never paid much attention to the box art on this model: I just realized that the black & white "camouflage" on the spats looks like a dairy cow.

Thank you, Sir.

Regarding the box art: that is a scheme employed by the 17th Pursuit Squadron, at Selfridge Field, in the early thirties. It was an attempt to lend the appearance of a snow owl to the entire machine, with the landing gear standing for its talons --- the snow owl was the emblem of the squadron. The scheme drew some national attention when the squadron made a well-reported endurance flight, and came for many to be emblematic of Army aviation in the period. Actually, the P-6E was a minor type, equipping only one squadron (the 17th Pursuit) entirely. When the 17th Pursuit was re-equipped with Boeing 'Pea-shooter' monoplanes, its P-6Es went in for depot overhaul (when the fuselages were painted blue) and passed on to other squadrons, many fetching up among the units of the 8th Pursuit Group at Langley. This model will be one of those, part of the 33rd Pursuit squadron.

[Aaronw]

Nice to see one of these getting built. I've done all three of the 1930s Monogram kits and am still impressed by how well they go together for kits tooled in the late 1960s. I wish Revell would bring these along with the P-36 and Revell P-26 back. They are not too hard to find on ebay, but I'd buy a stack of each if they were in the stores.

Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out, most that I've seen built were done in the "snow owl" markings.

[ross blackford]

:D, excellent work there again as usual Old Man. I'm another who has this kit and the Boeing F-4B. as Aaron says these are kits that need to be re-released. I'm watching this build with interest. Thank you for sharing your great work with us.

,

Ross.

[Juergen Klueser]

What a nice plane, I like the P-6!! And you do an excellent job!!

Regards

Juergen

[ChippyWho]

Interesting set of parts there, Sir -looks like there's an AWACS option in the box! Just love the colour; reminds me of a defiantly yellow Airfix Tiger Moth I had as a kid (when it was all fields around here, and we had to boil our own glues...etc.)

I swear I'm gonna do a 'proper' kit like this sometime soon!

[Old Man]

Nice to see one of these getting built. I've done all three of the 1930s Monogram kits and am still impressed by how well they go together for kits tooled in the late 1960s. I wish Revell would bring these along with the P-36 and Revell P-26 back. They are not too hard to find on ebay, but I'd buy a stack of each if they were in the stores.

Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out, most that I've seen built were done in the "snow owl" markings.

Thank you, Sir. I agree, these are very well-made kits, and it must be said, the older the pressing, the better. This one was sealed in original cellophane, with a price tag reading $1.09 on it, so I expect it actually does date back to the early seventies. The trailing edges are like a razor, and what ejection marks there were on the wings pretty well disappeared just in smoothing down the 'fabric' texture. It would be nice if Revell re-did the P-36 and P-26 kits; I have a couple of each in stash. The Revell P-26 does need some work on the wing shape and elevator trailing edges, though, and has an unfortunate 'wasp-waist' to the fuselage under the wing. Still, it does get the dihedral right, which the Pavla kit did not, and that counts for a great deal. I gather the Starfighter people have an interior for the Revell P-26, but I have not seen it.

I shied away from the 'snow owl' scheme because it is so frequently done, and in any case I wanted to do a blue and yellow subject; it is a very striking combination....

[Old Man]

:D, excellent work there again as usual Old Man. I'm another who has this kit and the Boeing F-4B. as Aaron says these are kits that need to be re-released. I'm watching this build with interest. Thank you for sharing your great work with us.

,

Ross.

Thank you,my friend. Glad you like it.

the Starfighter people have a new decal sheet out for this one, with a wide range of possible finishes. I think the Time On Target people have a sheet with a couple of P-6E options, too. Accurate Miniatures did re-issue this, in a combination boxing with the F4B-4, but it is pretty well sold out by now. Which I suppose indicates a re-issue would sell....

[Old Man]

What a nice plane, I like the P-6!! And you do an excellent job!!

Regards

Juergen

Thank you, Sir.

You do some excellent work yourself; that is quite a collection to browse on your link. Excellent finish on the Matchbox Boeing P-12E. The Boeing was the real workhorse of the Army fighter squadrons in those days; Curtiss got most of the press (and the export market), but Boeing equipped the U.S. fighter forces....

[HOLMES]

Old Man,

WOW !!! What a BEAUTIFUL aircraft and it looks super...

Nice work and the Cockpit does look impressive..

GOOD WORK

[Old Man]

Interesting set of parts there, Sir -looks like there's an AWACS option in the box! Just love the colour; reminds me of a defiantly yellow Airfix Tiger Moth I had as a kid (when it was all fields around here, and we had to boil our own glues...etc.)

I swear I'm gonna do a 'proper' kit like this sometime soon!

Thank you, Sir!

I presume by the AWACS option you mean the stand? Surely you must remember the ancient custom of elevated display?

Odd that you should mention the Tiger Moth; this blue and yellow scheme originated as the Army finish for trainers, as the most conspicuous combination they tested, the aim being to cut down on mid-air collisions over training fields. It was then standardized for all Army planes as a cost-cutting measure.

[Old Man]

Old Man,

WOW !!! What a BEAUTIFUL aircraft and it looks super...

Nice work and the Cockpit does look impressive..

GOOD WORK

Thank you very much, Sir! Glad you like it.

Curtiss cockpits are a little easier than most, as Curtiss lined them with sheet aluminum concealing all but the major structural elements, so there are no stringers and such to do. The sealed cockpit and the pilot comfort it provided was a selling point for the company.

[Juergen Klueser]

Thank you, Sir.

You do some excellent work yourself; that is quite a collection to browse on your link. Excellent finish on the Matchbox Boeing P-12E. The Boeing was the real workhorse of the Army fighter squadrons in those days; Curtiss got most of the press (and the export market), but Boeing equipped the U.S. fighter forces....

Thank you, Old Man! I am happy that a great modeller like you likes it.

Best regards

Juergen

[Old Man]

Well, Gentlemen, decals have been applied, some small bits added, and a bit of detail painting done, too....

Here is the underside, with all decals in place:

The white bits on the blue field of national marking are fairings for the bell-cranks that move the aileron struts. This is a standard feature of Curtiss biplanes at this time; some kits, including this one, and many drawings, leave them off, but photographs show then clearly, and in this position relative top the stars. They are made from small rectangular bits, tacked down with CA gel to a thick piece of plastic sheet, and shaped with knives and emery sticks. Once shaped,they are popped off the sheet with a knife edge.To get the correct position, I opened the locating holes for the aileron actuating struts clear through the wing; this was visible through the decal. They will be painted Insignia Blue to match the marking's field.

Here is a profile shot (more or less):

The talon design is the unit emblem of the 33rd Pursuit Squadron. The rudder stripe decals were a trifle over-size, the bottom strip took most of the trim. In assembling the wheels, the hubs fit the tires close enough that no glue was needed.

Here is an over-head look, with a cockpit view:

Here is a view with the upper wing resting (temporarily) on the cabane struts:

Next will be making the wind screen, some preliminary rigging, and attachment of the gun-sight and upper wing....

[HOLMES]

WHOA !!! Even at this stage it looks SO PRETTY!

[Old Man]

A good deal of progress on this, Gentlemen. The build had been stuck for a while at the stage I like to call 'putting off doing the ####### windscreen!' But it is done now....

It is pieced together on the model from three separate pieces of .005" clear sheet (a maddening material to work with), glued down initial with very sparing applications of CA gel, then with Future and more CA gel and clear epoxy. The frame is painted decal flim, cut to strips.

Cabane rigging wires were set before the upper wing was attached; Curtiss cabane rigging is pretty nigh impossible to do with the upper wing on.

Here is the upper wing attached. The interplane strut ends need some filling (they do not really mate very well with their locator holes, though the joins are very solid). It was a bother,but not too difficult.

Upper ends of the landing wires, and the rear set of flight wires (all doubled) were attached prior to putting the upper wing on. Fairings for the turnbuckles were employed, and as they were a strikingly different color,and show pretty prominently on most photographs, I have cut bits of .01" strip to represent them.

Next steps will be completing the rigging, then with actuator rods for the ailerons and a propeller, the thing will be done....

[ross blackford]

:D, Great progress there Old Man. Good to see another of your classic aircraft builds nearing completion. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result of this one. Thank you for sharing with us.

,

Ross.

[DonSS3]

Nicely done, Sir. Looking forward to seeing that rigging finished.

[imatt88]

Sweet!