1/48 RNZAF PV-1 Ventura decals

[Dave Homewood]

Kerry (focke wulf) mentioned the other day to me when he was visiting that a company called Zotz makes 1/48th Ventura decals. So I looked them up and sure enough, see here

www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/decals/ztz/decal_ztz48009.shtml

There are three options for RNZAF PV-1's. They are:
PV-1, NZ4613, Whenuapai, April 1944
PV-1, NZ4525, 2 (BR) Sqn, Ohakea AB, September 1943
and
PV-1, NZ4540, 2 (BR) Sqn, Guadalcanal, March 1944

Two have the famous Disney Donald Duck artworks. The third has the artwork of two guys on a Pacific Island deserted island with the legend "I feel we should pay a cover charge". All three schemes come from Malcolm Laird's book 'Pacific Twins'. Malcolm has also released a set of 1/48th scale RNZAF Ventura decals

His decals cover the aircraft:
PV-1 NZ4511 - "Slippery Sam" Henderson Field, Nov 1943
PV-1 NZ4509 - based in New Zealand, late June 1943

These two also feature in 'Pacific Twins' and '09 both have artwork that was applied too.

So there are certainly a few great options out there now for anyone wanting to make a Koster or Fonderie 1/48th Ventura. I'd really love to one day, and I'd be tempted to make Slippery Sam because I have interviewed one of the crew members who flew on the aircraft.

Has anyone here made a model RNZAF Ventura in 1/48th yet?

[silverfox]

Like you I have not started mine and have the same decals all lined up. I want to do 09 as she was the machine that fought of the A6M3s.

Trouble is every time I open the box of my Fondiere Miniature Ventura I close it really quickly. It is a beast of a kit. I've built the Classic Airrframe Hudson( which took me three and a half years of swearing and at least two test flights into the bin) and in comparison it is a walk in the park.

I've yet to see one complete in any markings. I thought I'd spotted one at last years UK Nationals but it turned out to be the Kloster vacform.

I actually think that if you can build vacforms the Kloster kit is a better starting point.

Maybe when I've finished the Anson??

[Dave Homewood]

I don't have the kit yet. I am hoping Tamiya or Hasegawa come to their senses and do one. Yeah, right.

I have seen this guy's review though
kits.kitreview.com/venturareviewme_1.htm

hsfeatures.com/features04/pv1venturame_1.htm

Looks nice built up. But's I'd make mine a lot more weathered. The RNZAF ones were washed down with petrol after every flight to remove the coral dust, that can't have been good for the paintwork.