Rigby P-66 WSAM

[rockpaperscissor]

Sometimes, when in the middle of a large project, I have the need for instant gratification. This quick little Vultee Vanguard model by Rigby fit the bill perfectly. The original 1941 kit had blue and yellow pre-war livery. I recolored mine to represent a "plain vanilla" Army Air Corps P-66. Based on wing span, I printed it at 91.5% to make a 1/60 (WSAM) scale model. It built up pretty well, so I may take the time to make a Chinese version.

I'd be happy to share the recolor if the administrator/moderators give the ok.

[Vinalssergio155]

Beautiful the little Don, the color is great, very good job
Sergio

[elliott]

It looks great, Don; neat and clean like it's fresh from the factory. I'd like to see the Chinese version.

[rockpaperscissor]

Thanks for your comments, fellas. I've downloaded 8 or 10 of these vintage Rigby aircraft kits over the years, and this one looked to be the easiest - I wanted something I could build in 2 hours or less. Besides the recolor I had to center the anti-glare panel/canopy indicator on fuselage part #1. Ditto for one of the rear wheel halves on fuselage part #2 - they didn't line up as laid out. The kit comes with landing gear which are to be doubled and glued up under the hollow wings. I might still mount them with the addition of a bracket for support. I'll post one final photo after I do that.

[Vinalssergio155]

Two hours? I'm slow, it would take a week with that little one. Don looks very good. We hope those photos.
Sergio

[airdave]

wow, isn't that cool!
It has a cartoon look...like a animated plane.
Not in a funny way...very artistic.
I love it.

[MichaelS]

I agree Dave. Looks like a ship right out of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". (Flashing on Gweneth Paltrow ripping her skirt). Life is ruff being a dirty ol' man.

[rockpaperscissor]

Thanks Dave and Michael. I think that the complete lack of panel lines, rivets, etc contribute to the cartoony look. Elliot, the Chinese livery is done. Not sure about sharing though. There are a lot of vintage models in the forum download section, but this one has been modified. I need some guidance here.

[Don Boose]

Great work, Don! Deft work with the recoloring and other mods to make a good-looking model that captures the look of the P-66 while also retaining the "Rigby look."

I've always like the P-66 (once built a stick-and-tissue peanut scale version from Dave Diels plans, and have a couple of copies of the Meta Model paper version) and I have a love for Rigbys, since my first exposure to paper models was around 1945, when my Mother would cut out and assemble Rigbys (from the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, I think).

Whether or not you make the model available, I'd still like to see the ROCAF version.

And look forward to seeing them in person next month at Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days.

Don (too)

[wireandpaper]

I'd be happy to share the recolor if the administrator/moderators give the ok.
BTW, did the moderators granted the permission?

[rickstef]

I am ok with it, seeing that the Rigby kits are close to 70-75 years old

[rockpaperscissor]

Cool Rick, thanks. I'll upload them some time tomorrow. Going to hit the sack right now.

[Mike1158]

They come up nice these vintage beasties.

[cdavenport]

You can see how Fiddler's Green might have been influenced by Rigby's design philosophy. That is a wonderful little model. With proper balancing, you could easily make that into a whip flyer and not despair if it "crashed!"

[cdavenport]

Thanks Dave and Michael. I think that the complete lack of panel lines, rivets, etc contribute to the cartoony look. Elliot, the Chinese livery is done. Not sure about sharing though. There are a lot of vintage models in the forum download section, but this one has been modified. I need some guidance here.

Funny how different inputs affect one's perception. Cartoonish was not a thoughtk when I saw your model. I think Fiddler's Green models look cartoonish with all those black lines standing out like a sore thumb. I'm a retired USAF Navigator and been in and around aircraft since I was 3; my Dad was a USAF crew chief. I was the only kid who had his "own personal" C-119 cuz Dad crewed them. None of my airplanes had dark lines on them.

Your models looks quite fine. If want you panel lines on the next one, try a trick I do on plastic models. Draw them in with a sharp mechanical pencil. They are there at a subliminal level and do not dominate the model.

[JohnO]

You can see how Fiddler's Green might have been influenced by Rigby's design philosophy. That is a wonderful little model. With proper balancing, you could easily make that into a whip flyer and not despair if it "crashed!"

I also cut my teeth on Rigby models from a book tho. I talked with Chip Fyn quite a bit just before he passed and he was indeed influenced by Rigby as he told me.

John O

[Zakopious]

You can see how Fiddler's Green might have been influenced by Rigby's design philosophy. That is a wonderful little model. With proper balancing, you could easily make that into a whip flyer and not despair if it "crashed!"

"Whip Flyer" is an interesting term.

When I was a teenager (60 years ago) I took some of the Jig-Time balsa planes and attached them to a fishing pole to make them fly in a circle.

I used the F-86 and Mig 15 gliders.


See: Reproductions of the 1950's Jigtime sheet balsa models (http://www.parmodels.com/Plans/jigtime.htm)

[Don Boose]

I hope to soon have one or more of the P-66s under construction.

Many thanks for the link to that great site, Ken. I built the Jig-Time Piper Vagabond and Stinson Sentinel in USMC markings, and my buddy Jim Reuter (JimR in this Forum) built the Zero. They were among my most successful flying models in those days (my Monogram Speedeebilts would fly, but in a straight line for about 30 feet).

Some great nostalgia going on here.

Don

[Serg3t]

Pre War P-66 Vanguard and


Vultee P-66 Vanguard contain no files to download.

[rickstef]

weird that they disappeared, because I know I uploaded them

[lfuente]

weird that they disappeared, because I know I uploaded them

That happened to me also once before, when I uploaded new recolors to an existing project. Sounds like it's not totally random.