Lockheed PV-1 Ventura, 34741, LT Bill Scarborough, VB-144, Tarawa/Roi-Namur, Jan-Sep 1944
I’ve always like the lines of the Lockheed twins and this was no exception. Since the kit decals were unusable, I decided to search online for a replacement set and when I found the Print Scale set (72-081) it had a few very interesting schemes.
The Subject
VB-144 was formed on PV-1 Venturas in mid-1943 at NAS Alameda, CA in June 1943. It immediately deployed to Hawaii where LT Scarborough took a detachment of 6 aircraft to Midway Island for patrols.
In January 1944 the squadron transferred to forward areas at Tarawa, Gilberts, and the Marshalls, operating there until September 1944. The squadron returned to the US and was reformed as VPB-144 operating the newer PV-2 Harpoon at NAS Whidbey Island, WA. This occurred in April 1945. By the time VPB-144 returned to the war zone they were able to make a few strikes against Wake Island in August 1945, then the war ended.
LT Bill Scarborough was the operations officer during the first tour from October 1943 to September 1944. He flew 75 combat missions, consisting of 17 strikes and 58 patrols.
The Model
This is the Academy PV-1 Ventura kit, my kit was an older original, however the fuselage was short shot, the area around the ventral gun/observer station and a portion of the bomb bay was mostly not there. I knew going into this kit that I was going to need some corrections.
Using the kit clear part and some scrap plastic I created a basic shape that then needed to be filled in. Once the initial plastic was fully cured, I then mixed up some milliput and squeezed this into the cavities sufficient to create the final shape. I compared the outlines to 3 views online and using my eye and plenty of sanding I got the Milliput shaped such that the model looked right.
Once fully cured I rescribed to match other panel lines in the kit. At this point, the model was ready for primer and paint.
Since the finished model would have the USN tri-color scheme, I decided to use Mr Surfacer 1500 white as my primer, mixed 1:1 with Mr Color Leveling Thinner. A few corrections here and there and a final coat of white primer and I was ready to make an attempt at Intermediate Blue and Glossy Sea Blue.
I then mixed up the blues and sprayed them using my airbrush. No masking, other than the clear bits, and working with low pressures and thin paints I was able to get a decent feathered edge.
Once painting was completed I applied decals from Print Scale’s sheet 72-081 PV-1 Venturas. The decals were thin but went on with no trouble.
Unusual for me, I decided to apply some weathering and see how much of a difference it would make. The PV-1s in the Pacific operated from rough fields usually made of coral that gave the finishes a run for their money. Every photo I could find online showed some rough looking aircraft. So, I started with a heavy wash to make the panel lines more pronounced, and added browns in the bottom and grays on the top to give the aircraft a rough look. For the exhausts I sprayed some Tamiya Smoke and generally darkened up anything aft of that.
After the weathering was done, I added the aerials. Photos showed the two whip antennas on top were of different lengths and they were at varying angles. This means the modeler does not have to keep them symmetric— but competitor beware — note this in your entry sheet or the judges might ding you for it.
My favorite method of adding antenna wires is to use Uschi fine elastic thread. I prefer 0.001mm for antennas as they are almost invisible, just like in the real thing! I like to apply some thin cyanoacrylate (aka superglue) to the model, then dip the end of the thread in accelerator. Carefully touch the wet thread to the CA and it’s stuck. I add insulators from PVA that can be painted white if they dry clear.
Summary
This was challenging and took me most of a year to finish. I’m glad I stuck with it and on a lark decided to enter it into a competition where it won a 2nd place. Considering what I started with, I’m quite happy with the results.
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