Monogram/Mattel
1/96 scale PBY-5A Catalina, kit #6820
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History
First released as kit P8-98 in 1955 as one of Monogram's earliest plastic
airplane kits, this boxing is from 1967, while Monogram was owned by
Mattel Toys.
The Kit
 Listed as 1/104 scale in John Burns' PAK-20, according to the scale
bar on the instruction sheet this kit is actually 1/96 scale. I haven't
measured it but in any case it's close enough to 1/100 so as to not matter.
This is, of course, pure luck as Monogram's first Cat kit (a far cry
from their 1/48 scale 90s versions!) was produced back in the days of
'fit the box' scale, the dimensions of Monogram's standard box and the
real aircraft just happening to result in a model in a somewhat standard
scale!
 Consisting
of 30 parts molded in Navy blue plastic, four in clear, and two black
rubber (!) tires the kit is typical of Monogram for the era. The only
interior 'details' are four partial crew figures meant to be glued onto
mounting posts in the fuselage sides, and the exterior surfaces are festooned
with oversized rivets and those awful raised decal locator guides. There's
no detail in the main gear wells and the nose gear strut/wheel is molded
as part of the right fuselage half with no indication of a gear well
whatsoever. To obviate the need for nose weight a support strut is also
helpfully molded to the right fuselage half. The main gear struts are
greatly simplified and marred by numerous ejection pin marks, and those
rubber main wheels are severely lacking in hub detail. Some finely-raised
lines are intended to represent engine 'detail' in the cowlings, and
the main wing struts and tip float struts all need some serious refining.
The kit also includes two very simple torpedoes with overly-thick fins
in the usual '+' configuration instead of an 'x' when viewed from the
rear. Their propellers are somewhat dubious as well.
 On
the plus side, the kit's outline seems to be accurate enough, the props
are very nice, and the clear parts are well-done if a bit thick - which
I suppose doesn't actually matter much since there's nothing much to
be seen through them anyway. Strangely, Monogram saw fit to provide separate
clear lenses for the landing lights in the wing's leading edge while
molding the small windows in the fuselage as small depressions with a
suggestion to paint them black.
 The
decal sheet is very basic, generic, and most likely fanciful, but hey,
wartime Catalinas weren't noted for particularly colorful markings anyway.
Replacing them, especially the national insignia, should be no problem
at all.
Conclusion
Even with all its drawbacks the model's accurate outline and standard
scale make it desirable to the 1/100 scale collector. Building it gear
up 'in flight' on a stand avoids having to deal with the poor representation
of landing gear, making for a very pretty display-type model. Recommended,
especially if you can find one for around $20 or less. I know I wouldn't
let go of mine - in fact, I'd like to find another!
Until next month, "Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to",
above all have fun, and be sure to visit Al's
Place while you're surfing the 'Net!
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