Mark I 1/144 Brewster Buffalos
By Matt Bittner
Introduction
We have reviewed two books on the Buffalo in the past and I recommend both as good overviews of the type. The first was a typical Osprey Aces book, Brewster F2A Buffalo Aces of World War 2, and the second was the excellent overall view of the aircraft by Lanasta, Warplane No. 04 Brewster Buffalo.
The Kits
While there are three different releases of the 1/144 Brewster Buffalo from Mark I, they sent two for review: F2A/1 & B-239 "Early Versions" and F2A-2 Buffalo & B-339B/D "U.S. & Belgian colours". You receive the same plastic in both kits (two aircraft per box) and use parts noted in the instructions for the version being modeled. The differences are the props, cowls and spinners. There are also different tail wheels and fuselage-ends which are called out for in the instructions so pay close attention to the version you're building. For the "Early Version" markings are for the following aircraft:
- Brewster F2A-1, BuNo 1386, Black 3-F-17, VF-3, US Navy, USS Saratoga, Winter 1939 (yellow wing)
- Brewster F2A-1, BuNo 1393, Blach/White 3-F-13, VF-3, US Navy, USS Saratoga Winter 1939 (yellow wing)
- Brewster B-239, BW-354, White 6, 2/LeLv 24, Finnish Air Force, Tiiksja(umlaut)rvi Airfield, Summer 1942 (Black/Olive Green uppers, Light Gray lowers and yellow "accents")
- Brewster B-239, BW-370, Black 4, 4/LeLv 24, Finnish Air Force, Ro(umlaut)mpo(umlaut)tti Airfield, Summer 1942 (Black/Olive Green uppers, Light Gray lowers and yellow "accents")
The aircraft in the "US & Belgian colours" boxing are:
- Brewster F2A-2, BuNo 1412, Black/White 2-F-7, VF-2, US Navy, USS Lexington, Spring 1941 (yellow wing)
- Brewster F2A-2, BuNo 1431, White 24, US Naval Air Training Command, US Navy, NAS Miami, Florida, USA, Summer 1942 (Blue Gray on top, Light Gray on the bottom)
- Brewster B-339D, White 3120/Yellow 7 (ex-Dutch B3-120), 5th Air Force, US Army Air Forces, Australia, Autumn 1942 (Dark Green and Dark Brown with Light Gray undersides)
- Brewster B-339B (built for the Belgian Air Force), White NX56B, Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, Newark Airport, New Jersey, USA, April 1940 (Dark Green and Dark Brown with Silver undersides)
There isn't much to the kit so there isn't much to construction. The interior consists of a seat/rear bulkhead/floor single-piece and an instrument panel. There is also an insert for the back-end of the landing gear well and struts for the main gear that need to be installed into the single-piece wing prior to adding it to the glued-together fuselage halves.
The next step of the instructions have you add the horizontal tails, the rear-end of the fuselage, engine, cowl and canopy. While the instructions show adding the antenna mast at the same time I definitely would hold off until the very end so it's not broken off. One item unfortunately lacking in the kit is anything to show the roll-over cage that sits behind the pilot, underneath the canopy. It's an extremely distinctive feature and I don't know why Mark I didn't provide "something" for this area as it's extremely obvious. So to make a complete Buffalo you should scratch build this structure yourself. It won't be difficult, just a few pieces of plastic rod bent and sized appropriately.
The last step of instructions have you add the underside belly windows, main landing gear and tail wheel (which needs to be paid close attention as there are two types) and the prop and spinner. Most of these items you'll want to leave until the end to add, the only thing you might want to add before painting is the belly window, properly masked.
Conclusion
These are excellent representations of the Brewster Buffalo and aren't that big in 1/144. Finishing these kits should be quick unless you want to go "all out" and add more detail to the cockpit. It's my opinion you'll definitely want to build up the roll over cage yourself, since Mark I doesn't provide any representation of this structure, but even with that step construction will not take long.
I definitely thank Mark I for sending these in for review.