1/72 Airfix Grumman J2F-5 Duck, circa 1939

[wingnutz]

This is my rendition of the Grumman J2F-5 Duck seaplane which was extensively used during WW2 by the United States Navy. This particular unit depicts the "Candy Clipper" of the "Bamboo fleet", a rag-tagged squadron of planes put together by Col. Pappy Gunn, which got it's nickname from the nurses who were all too happy to get their supplies of candy, when this duck was doing medivac and supply runs in and out of the Philippine islands just before the Japanese forces totally overran the allied forces in 1941.

The original kit (An Airfix Grumman J2F-6 version) was a freebie from Mr Nakamoto of the now defunct Achtung Japan shop, as he usually throws in some extra old kits when you get a few kits from him. I was all too happy to get this kit as I have always wanted to do a "Candy Clipper" project. But it had a catch, as it was missing a few parts here and there, which was scratch-built from styrene sheets, recycled sprues and aluminum sheets.

The modifications done on this projects is as follows>

1) Raised panel lines and rivets sanded down and re-scribed;
2) Shortened engine cowling;
3) Added an engine air scoop for the engine cowling;
4) Forward fuselage starboard and port blisters were deleted to depict the dash-5;
5) Replaced the missing prop from the spares box;
6) Replaced the missing tail wing from styrene sheets;
7) Added details on the canopy from styrene sheets, tape, brass rods and pipes, etc;
Custom decals;
9) Modified fuselage/float fairing details;
10) Added a .30 cal rear gun from another kit and mounting + holding brcket with styrene and aluminum sheets;
11) Added details for the float keel and ties;
12) Rigging and aerials from .15mm fishing line;
13) Added landing gear door details from styrene and aluminum sheets;
14) Added fuselage starboard and port step details;

Paints are all Gunze Mr Hobby acrylic paints;
> Light Grey;
> Cowling Black;
> Tire Black;
> Yellow and Clear Orange for the Chrome Yellow top wing;
> Navy Blue, Red and White for the tail rudder;

A Dailer-Rowney oil (Lamp Black color) wash was applied and then Mr Hobby Weathering Pastels wer used to add the well-used character of this subject, given the sorties it flew in and out of the Philippine islands to provide the remaining allied forces with vital supplies together with the rest of the "Bamboo Fleet".

Everything was topped-off with Mr Hobby Super Clear flat coat to seal up the pastel effects.

No ordnance was shown though the Duck can actually carry bombs and depth charges for anti-submarine duties.

The color scheme was to show the typical navy colors for the US Navy of that era, before the transition to the typical US Navy tri-color scheme for all naval aircraft.

I have also decided to omit the pilot's and co-pilot's sliding canopies, after watching "Murphy's War", which made sense thinking of how much of the same abuse this aircraft would have gone through during the last it's days, as this unit was reported to be eventually shot down by Japanese fighter patrols during one of it's runs from Corregidor and Mindanao.

I hope I did justice to this amazing aircraft, which was a stablemate to another legendary aircraft, the Grumman F4F/FM-1,2 Wildcat, which also explains the familiar main landing gear configuration.



















More finished and WIP pictures of this project here.

[ellis995]

outstanding work

[kgambit]

Great job! What decals did you use for that?

[wingnutz]

thanks folks...

they're all DIY decals printed from my alps printer...

[B-17engineer]

SweeT!

[otftch]

Very well done. I like the weathering.
Ed

[Gnomey]

Good work!

[Matt308]

Wonderful for 1/72nd. Excellent work.

[vikingBerserker]

Nicely done!

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Superb work Wingnutz!!! I keep watching what you guys are doing and it's making me want to get back into it again.

[Airframes]

Great job, and just shows what can be achieved with a basic, old kit.

[wingnutz]

thanks folks...happy you liked this project...

time to face my 1/72 peashooter and kaydet kits...

[Crimea_River]

Beautiful work!

[buffnut453]

Originally Posted by wingnutz

thanks folks...

they're all DIY decals printed from my alps printer...

Hi Wingnutz

I agree with all the other comments - you have created a beautiful model there. I'm interested in making one myself but I've been caught out before blindly copying other people's interpretations of markings. I was wondering if you had a source on the colour scheme and markings for this aircraft?

Kind regards,
Mark

[wingnutz]

Originally Posted by buffnut453

Hi Wingnutz

I agree with all the other comments - you have created a beautiful model there. I'm interested in making one myself but I've been caught out before blindly copying other people's interpretations of markings. I was wondering if you had a source on the colour scheme and markings for this aircraft?

Kind regards,
Mark

hey mark,

there was an issue of "model airplane international" where there's a few rendered versions of this bird by richard j. caruana, from the old to the last ducks (dash-6 or OV versions)...

this build is also short of having spurious markings, as the "I-J-7" marking belonged to a dash-2 airframe...i just wanted to do a historically significant project, though not entirely accurate, as photographic references for the US Navy Sangley Point ducks of 1939-1942 are still to be found...