1:48 PBY-5/5A/OA-10A Catalina corrected rear part of engine nacelles for Revell/Monogram/Eduard kit

Catalina nacelles in 1:48 scale

An accessory set with a corrected shape of the rear part of the engine nacelles for models of the Consolidated Catalina flying boat in the PBY-5, PBY-5A and OA-10A versions, in 1:48 scale. The set is cut for the Revell, Monogram and Eduard kits and deals with the place where the shape of the part from the kit does not match the real aircraft.

The real subject

The Catalina is a twin-engine high-wing aircraft with the wing carried above the fuselage on a pylon, a machine known above all from patrol and rescue flights over the ocean. The PBY-5A version is the amphibian one and has retractable landing gear, while the designation OA-10A belongs to machines in US Army Air Forces service. The engine nacelles sit on the wing high above the fuselage, so they are clearly visible from every view of the model and their outline has nowhere to hide.

Building and painting tips

• The parts are not polystyrene, so use cyanoacrylate glue to fit them.
• The extent of the work on the part from the kit and the way it seats are given in the manufacturer's instructions.
• Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the rest away.
• Wash and degrease the parts before painting, otherwise the paint will not hold on the edge of the joint.
• Level the transition between the part and the wing with filler and sand it smooth before painting.

What to watch out for

A new shape only makes sense when the surrounding surface follows it. It therefore pays to seat the part dry, to draw the outline round with a pencil and only then to sand. Panel lines that disappear under the sanding can be restored with a scribing needle following the original lines on the wing. Leave the painting until the joint is leveled, so that the shade on the nacelle and on the wing meet without a step.

Who the set is for

For modelers who are building the Catalina in 1:48 scale from the kits named above and want the shape of the nacelles to match the real aircraft. The kit, paints, filler and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.