Author Topic: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread  (Read 10558 times)

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« on: December 30, 2012, 03:58:05 PM »
Well, there's no good reason why I shouldn't finish this one for the GB, so I may as well make a build thread for it.  My earliest profiles are from no later than February 2010, so this one's been in progress for about 3 years.  The images in this post will show the history of the profiles progress BEFORE the GB started.  They're overall.  Since they are images collected from a variety of forums over a period of time, there's no standardization in them and for that I apologize in advance.



















Just look at the image names if you want to know what date they're from.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2012, 04:00:17 PM »
Couple of pre-GB detail shots of the nose...





Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2012, 04:05:44 PM »
And some pre-GB detail shots of the engine area.

















And that's the last of the pre-GB shots.  This is where I had left it, knowing I had a swamp of detail left.  Ugh...

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2012, 04:07:55 PM »
And here is the progression of the aircraft after the GB was announced.  I'll be saving the overall for after the final one is finished:























Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2012, 09:41:37 AM »
Alright, here's the full WIPs after the GB started.

































Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2012, 10:04:58 AM »
Alright, I think I'm ready to call it done!  As per usual, click on it to view it at 100%!



Ordered in parallel with the P-82 Twin Mustang, the P-61F long range escort fighter was intended as a lower risk option should the radical Twin Mustang encounter development issues.  This would prove to be a wise decision when the war ended and Rolls Royce began requiring a royalty to be paid for each Packard V-1650 Merlin produced.  The uprated Allison V-1710 that was offered as an alternative powerplant for the P-82 Twin Mustang had so many reliability issues that it was referred to as the “Allison Time Bomb”!  In contrast, the turbo supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-2800s that powered the P-61F were reliable and affordable.  A P-61C (43-8338) was pulled from the Hawthorne production line and completed as the XP-61F prototype.  The XP-61F was accepted by the Army Air Force and first flew in September of 1945.  Having no need for additional P-61Cs, the USAAF converted the last 450 aircraft of the original order for 500 P-61Cs into day escort fighters.  This order for 450 production fighters would continue to be revised into a final order for 150 escort fighters, 200 night fighters, and 100 photo-reconnaissance aircraft (designated F-15A Reporters).

I hope you all like it!

Cheers,

Logan
« Last Edit: December 31, 2012, 11:22:14 AM by Logan Hartke »

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2012, 10:23:58 AM »
One last comparison:



First preview: February 22, 2010





Finished profile: December 30, 2012


Cheers,

Logan

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2012, 11:18:21 AM »
Alright, I think I'm ready to call it done!  As per usual, click on it to view it at 100%!



Ordered in parallel with the P-82 Twin Mustang, the P-61F long range escort fighter was intended as a lower risk option should the radical Twin Mustang encounter development issues.  This would prove to be a wise decision when the war ended and Rolls Royce began requiring a royalty to be paid for each Packard V-1650 Merlin produced.  The uprated Allison V-1710 that was offered as an alternative powerplant for the P-82 Twin Mustang had so many reliability issues that it was referred to as the “Allison Time Bomb”!  In contrast, the turbo supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-2800s that powered the P-61F were reliable and affordable.  A P-61C (43-8338) was pulled from the Hawthorne production line and completed as the XP-61F prototype.  The XP-61F was accepted by the Army Air Force and first flew in September of 1945.  Having no need for additional P-61Cs, the USAAF converted the last 450 aircraft of the original order for 500 P-61Cs into day escort fighters.  This order for 450 production fighters would continue to be revised into a final order for 150 escort fighters, 200 night fighters, and 100 photo-reconnaissance aircraft (designated F-15A Reporters).

I hope you all like it!

Cheers,

Logan


When scrolling down quickly I had to do a double take as the fuselage detail below the main image looked for a second like a float, now that would be something a P-61 Floatplane fighter.  On a serious note I am in awe of your work, the skill, the level of detail, well just wow!

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2012, 11:27:49 AM »
When scrolling down quickly I had to do a double take as the fuselage detail below the main image looked for a second like a float, now that would be something a P-61 Floatplane fighter.  On a serious note I am in awe of your work, the skill, the level of detail, well just wow!


Thanks, Volkodav!  I just noticed my 100% link was broken, so I just fixed it and will re-paste it below:



Cheers,

Logan

Offline arkon

  • Paper Building Maestro
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2012, 03:09:24 PM »
WOW!!! HOLY CRAP!
i have to say logan that your entry here has given me a whole new respect for profilers. i have recolored a few paper models with a lot of dirty words being said during the process,but to see a more or less step by step of how you created such a work of art,again i say wow!
 thank you sir for your work in thiis medium.
the paper gods demand sacrifice

Offline kitnut617

  • Measures the actual aircraft before modelling it...we have the photographic evidence.
  • Holding Pattern
  • *
  • I'd rather be dirtbike riding...
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2012, 10:57:58 PM »
Very nice Logan, some time ago I picked up a couple of Reporter conversions, I found with a mix up of the parts I could make all the various versions of the P-61

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2013, 04:25:16 AM »
Great build.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline sotoolslinger

  • A World Champion Blackbelt in Putty-Foo…the man means business (just look at his photo!)
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Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2013, 08:01:51 AM »
Very nice Logan :-* I may have to put that in plastic.  :)

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2013, 08:27:10 AM »
Your attention to detail is a wonder to behold!

Brian da Basher

Offline Doom!

  • Slayer of pixels and plastic!
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    • Doom Island 2
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2013, 11:03:14 AM »
Your attention to detail is a wonder to behold!

Brian da Basher
You said it Brian!
Doom!
Jeff G.

Offline taiidantomcat

  • Plastic Origamist...and not too shabby with the painting either!
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Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2013, 03:18:43 AM »
Sometimes I don't know how you profilers ever uncross your eyes!  :-\
"They know you can do anything, So the question is, what don't you do?"

-David Fincher

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Northrop XP-61F Escort Fighter Prototype - Build Thread
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2013, 07:08:31 AM »
Thanks for the kind words, everyone!  I'm just glad to have finally finished this one!  I can't wait to start doing some "production" versions of it.

Cheers,

Logan