Boeing 40B-4 United Air Lines- CMR 1/72 resin with tweaks

 

The Boeing 40 plied the airmail skies in the late 20s and 30s, in this case the model represents United Air Lines NC178E. It had -among many improvements- radio equipment -evidenced by the long antenna mast- to be able to communicate with ground control and other pilots airborne. To grasp what important was at the time this technical advancement, here is a contemporary magazine article:

Of exceptionally attractive and clean lines, especially for a biplane, the design shows a very strong similarity with the Stearman LT-1 (later Boeing-Stearman, no surprise there).

This is the B-4 version, for four passengers in a relatively comfortable cabin and mail hold at the fuselage front.

The CMR resin kit, although far from being new on the market, is still nice, but will need care and dexterity to overcome many issues and be built into a nice and accurate model. Some details will need to be changed, added, or corrected, as explained in the step-by-step building post:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2021/04/boeing-model-40b-4-cmr-172nd-resin.html

I opened the mail compartment and a foldable step -seen in many photos used to access it- just to make life more interesting. I also replaced the engine (with a Small Stuff product) and propeller (home made), as the engine measured more like a Wasp than a Hornet, and the prop seemed to be a tad starved.

Minute pinholes riddled the upper wing, and the fuselage halves were not really a happy match; the masks were very thin and a bit challenging to apply precisely in place, and no masks were present for the windows, windscreen, door windows or the side grey area if you opt for that version. The instructions are very good, the photo-etched parts nice and the extensive decal sheet is well printed and the colors solid, but with size issues on the long ones that go on the fuselage ones. I cut them in sections and removed the carrier from inside the decal area. The general detail is really good, and all these pros make it for a desirable kit, even with its many shortcomings. As just said, the masks do not include the large ones necessary for the fuselage sides of the grey/green versions -or the ones for the windshield and windows-, so the modeler will have to draw and cut them, matching precisely, as an outline color division, the curvature of the pinstripe decals for the area. There are issues with the size of some struts too. I ended up having to rip off the top wing and start again replacing many kit struts with metal Struz.

But CMR's choice of subject alone deserves high praise, and it is heartily given.

Recapping the mods on the build:

-New aftermarket engine (Small Stuff Hornet)

-Creating and opening the mail hold and providing "mail" cargo for it

-Creating and opening for foldable step and elements inside its recess

-Adding home-made wing landing lights

-Replacement of propeller

-Replacement of windshield for home-made one

-Adding the cabin ceiling "lights"

-Replacing some of the wing struts for metal items as there were length issues

Colorful, beautiful, historically significant, well detailed, what else could a modeler ask for (even if  quite a bit of extra effort and mastering frustration is needed to get things right).