PV-1 Ventura, 1/72 Academy: Veteran Display Build

[Bill L2]

Outstanding model Lee.

[ClydeM]

very nice lee.

[Ryan K]

Thanks for the info. If you happen to have any or find any info on the interior for the Marine version that flew with VMF(N)-531 I would be grateful.

[lgriffin]

Ryan,

Basic construction is no problem. Watch the wing alignment closely. Also be careful of the little flap actuator extension thingies: They're fragile, a little tricky to align, and they need some filling of the gaps with a little super glue.

Overall , the kit is simple but offers lots of opportunities for improvement. The cockpit is way over simplified and incorrect in layout: It's represented by two simple identical seats and bulkhead with a door opening in the middle. The real thing is a different configuration with a half bulkhead on the pilot side. The original Ventura as built for the British did not have a co-pilot seat, but all PV-1s in USN service had the co-pilot seat installed.

Below you'll see a photo of a Koster 1/48 cockpit illustrating the correct configuration.

The nacelles could use some work: The carb intake is oversized, and there should be a step behind the cowl flaps, not smooth as represented. Correcting this would be a good bit of work.

The tailwheel is simplified: The doors are represented by a block mounted to the fuselage.

There is only one fuselage door on the Ventura, that being on the port side. The kit has doors molded on both sides.

When time comes to cut sprue, the best place to start is Vic Scheurman's detailed build of an Academy kit at ARC. Pretty much everything you need to know is there. I suggest saving this file as soon as you can, as you never know when it might disappear from the InterWebs. Vic does a bang-up job of reviewing the kit in detail and building it to represent a Ventura G.R. V, a British equivalent based on the PV-1 standard.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/lofiversion/index.php?t149021.html

Aside from Vic's excellent build article, I have some general references and a lot of on-line resources bookmarked. The Ventura flew in several versions (when you count the British versions), and they were flown in Australian and New Zealand markings in addition to USN, RAF, and RCAF.

Also note that word on the street is that Revell is releasing a 1/48 injection molded Ventura this year. Definitely something to look forward to.

Cheers,

Lee G.

[Lee_K]

Like all of our Veteran's projects, you did a very kind thing for a deserving man.  Congratulations!

Revell AG has announced a 1/48 scale PV-1 for release sometime this year.

Lee K

[Ryan K]

That pretty cool Lee. I had just gotten that kit recently and it looked good in the plastic. Can you ask Tim, how was the build over all?

[lgriffin]

Here is a PV-1 Ventura built from the Academy gunship release of their 1/72 Ventura line. The main airframe was built by a co-worker whose father was a co-pilot with VB-135 flying from Alaska on long-range missions to Japan. Ralph Wayne Stevens and his crew were forced to make an emergency landing in Russia after sustaining damage from Japanse fighters on June 15, 1944. Another VB-135 plane was also forced down in Russia on this day. Stevens and a number of other American USN and USAAF personnel were interned by Russia and eventually found their way to freedom through Iran. Stevens spent nearly a year as a guest of the Russians.

My co-worker Tim assembled the main components of the model and I did the painting, detailing, and final assembly. The only mods are a Squadron canopy (the kit canopy went MIA), tape seatbelts with tiny wire buckles, and antenna rigging added. The turret guns are left off since Mr. Stevens said the guns were deleted to save weight: Their missions were primarily recon, so removing guns saved weight and they counted on speed to evade fighter opposition.

Paints are:

- Model Master Dark Sea Blue lightened with about 10% Model Master Intermediate Blue.
- Model Master Intermediate Blue.
- Floquil Reefer White.

Kit national insignia were used. Fuselage numbers on the nose are Woodland Scenics dry transfers. The numbers on the rear are from a Superscale generic sheet of 45 degree numbers. Note that the fuselage numbers are as the veteran recalls them, not necessarily as research would indicate.

Hamilton-Standard prop logos came from an old Microscale P-47 sheet.

The name "Marjorie" was handpainted on clear decal film.

The base is gray construction paper with pencil lines drawn to represent a tarmac.

The model was presented to Mr. Stevens this past summer at a family reunion.

All in all, a satisfying and fun build, and it's always a pleasure to express appreciation to our veterans.

Cheers,

Lee Griffin