Monogram 1/48 SNJ

[jeaton01]

This is my second Texan completed, the first was the Aurora kit in about 1955. I do have an Academy 1/72 kit on the Shelf of Doom, or Woe, whatever. Every time my 5 year old grandson sees it he asks me when I'm going to finish it.

I painted it in the colors of VN-3 in early 1942. The kit has pretty good fit, and good detail. The engine moldings are a little soft which makes it harder to paint but it is a pretty accurate R-140 with nice exhaust detail. Alclad II polished aluminum was used, but I find it is not as durable as their ALC-101 Aluminum and doubt I will use it again. I recoated the fuselage ahead of the red band by rubbing SNJ aluminum powder in and then a coat of the ALC 101. A lot of Tamiya tape died on this model. The yellow is Gunze C329 and the red is Model Master Italian Red. The 73's were masked and painted while decals were made for instrument panels and the rest of the markings. The pitot tube was replaced with .032 music wire with a shark fin molded on. Unbelievably I never broke off the wing machine gun.

[LyleW]

What a great looking trio! I have two or three in the inventory. Oh, I prefer “Shelf of Someday”...

[Floki]

I see why you used a lot of Tamiya tape so much masking on this beauty.

[Stikpusher]

Beautiful SNJ build John! And a classic Monogram kit to boot! Not to mention the gorgeous reference photo. Very well done!

[jeaton01]

Thanks, guys!

[Cherrylock]

very nice yellow wing. with this aircraft you can paint and build the very long time in duty. You painted it very good and clean

[jeaton01]

Yeah, the post war ones at Barrin field come to mind. I don't usually do a lot of weathering, probably because in my flying career I had reason to distrust raggedy looking airplanes and I can't shed that skin too easily. By the look of the ones in the picture I posted, I suspect that they had not seen much service yet if any at all. Very clean and shiny.

[mustang1989]

Very nice paint work on that Texan John. These flashy colored Navy planes were something else. Defies the whole idea of camo.

[Stikpusher]

Camo was only experimental in that era on US aircraft. Applied with temporary paints for war game exercises. Otherwise visibility of the aircraft was the prime consideration. Especially for search and rescue purposes.

[midnightprowler]

Well done!