The Little World

I wonder what the US Navy might have nicknamed this Boeing fighter/bomber if it had ever proceeded into service?

There had been few Boeing fighters before this – I can only think of the P26 ” Peashooter ” that the Army flew. Not a very prestigious name but fairly apt considering the tiny size of it. If it comes to that, the Soviets named a small fighter the Rat, so there is little dignity there, either.

Well, this big plane would have struck from outside of Japanese naval air defence capabilities so perhaps a long-range bird name would have been appropriate. ” Frigate ” might have been considered or it might have had ” Seahawk ” before the British jet was in operation. ” Gooney Bird ” was already taken.

Maybe ” Sea Fortress ” in keeping with their regular production of strategic bombers.

In any case, the Valom model has come out very well in the end. For the stash sale price of a Hobby Boss clip-together, it has occupied a week of rewarding building. I have not been tempted to add or subtract from the actual product as it’s a unique plane. It will join my US Navy shelf, but can also be put out as a library display in the category of ” prototype ” along with a Boulton Paul Defiant, a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, and a Blackburn Buccaneer. They are all different from their eventual service forms and carry distinctive colour schemes.

This was not intentional with the Buccaneer – it was a rare old Airfix plane I received as a gift that had been moulded while the then-new Buccaneer was still in its infancy. I suspect Airfix took their design and markings from proposed plans. This has also been seen with some Japanese makers for later planes. So model builders make a great deal of fuss about it, but I like it as a unique snapshot of history.

The plane has spindly legs, that’s for sure. They attach firmly enough, but there is little cross-section in the gear legs. I shall be placing it carefully and not moving it much. This is one instance where I would have welcomed a metal after-market set of landing gear parts.

It has also encouraged me to look more favourably on the idea of an X-plane shelf. I’ve seen Bell X-1 models from Tamiya, and Douglas X-2 and X-3 models from a couple of the Czech makers. They have not proved wildly popular, so the prices may be low by now – just my sort of modelling.

Note that the reveal photos are taken to the new convention; a dark grey backdrop and three lights. Much better depiction of the deep blue paint.