P-3P Orion

[Pete]

Since the Atlantic is back into the stash, I needed a new subject. So I have chosen another southern European country, with a low viz paintjob again. I'm gonna try to build a Portuguese P-3P Orion, using the Hasegawa kit and Colorado decals.

Portugal got their P-3's from Australia back in the 1980's, when Australia was getting new P-3C's. Their old P-3B's were then refurbished in the US and in Portuguese service got the P-3P designation. There are some differences between the P-3C as it is in the kit, and the P-3B/P. Most notably is the lack of the sonobuoy launchers in the rear fuselage, and there is a big radome added to the belly in that area.

Here's how they looked in their last color scheme before being replaced by former Dutch P-3C's: Click me. Quite a cool scheme, in my opinion.

[Sebastijan]

Nice, though I prefer Iranian colour scheme... :D shame for the Atlantic thought - such a cool looking machine

[Pete]

Alright, just about ready to close up the fuselage. I didn't do anything extra to the cockpit other than just paint and use the kit decals. It will be mostly hidden in the end anyway. I did add two tubes filled with chunks of lead on each fuselage half to keep it on the frontwheel. If this is not enough, I can still add more in the nosecone.

The P-3P is a bit different than what comes in the kit. I need to fill some of the windows on the right fuselage half, for instance, and add a small rectangular one just below the stabilizer. The red circles windows will have to be filled:

[Trojan Thunder]

Nice start Pete. You are right about how much you see in the cockpit after it is buttoned up. I have started a couple of these and after adding an Eduard etch set you don't see much of it!

That is a nice scheme you are doing, I had not heard of the decal company that makes this scheme. Do they have a website?

Edited November 29, 2013 by Trojan Thunder

[Pete]

The instruction sheet says http://www.coloradodecals.com/, but that seems to be under construction at the moment. You can find them at various online shops, though.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Pete

[Pete]

Fuselage has been closed up and the wings are glued on:

[Trojan Thunder]

I have found that attaching the engines to the wings before the wings go on the fuselage makes things a little easier seam wise.

Don;t worry I have built a fair share the way you are doing it and got annoyed when i see the instructions actually tell you to put the engines on first!

Progress is good BTW Pete!

[Trojan Thunder]

Done any more Pete?

[Pete]

Yes, yes I have...

Not a lot though. I added the engines, added an extra window, and now I'm working on the extra radome on the underside. I got a radome from an old Matchbox/Revell H.P. Halifax as a starting base, and put some milliput over it. The idea was to sand this to shape. But, this is the first time I'm using milliput and I was a bit surprised how tough this stuff is. I'm using some very rough sandpaper on it, and it's time consuming. But I'll get there in the end.

[Trojan Thunder]

Thanks for the update Pete.

When it comes to Milliput I use a very course file to knock it down to shape, then tidy up with sandpaper. If I take too much off then I use a softer putty to fix up the problem areas.

[cpoud117]

So far, so good, Pjotr ;)