1/72 Sword Northrop N-9MA

by Pavel Senk

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This is a short-run plastic kit with resin details that also include a tiny decal sheet, simplified instruction sheet with marking details and history of the Northrop's N-9 family. According to the historical details and photographs, the kit represents the MA version of the N-9 flying wing. Other versions like N-9 M and N-9 M2 had a little different shape of motor gondolas, propellers, air inlets etc. They can be also built from the kit, but only with scratchbuilt details on your own.

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Overall, the parts are of a good quality with recessed panel lines. The lines are nice, but in my opinion too smooth. The cockpit interior is cast from resin with nice details on the sidewalls, but it's missing a console part for the control stick and rudder pedals. On the underside of the cockpit floor there is a front undercarriage bay molded, too. The kit has no main undercarriage bays, only legs with wheels, so I added a few details, like ribs etc. According to the instruction sheet, the kit should contain two sets of wheels: one from plastic with slicks and one set from resin with rough sample on them. But no such resin wheel were found in my box! So I used the plastic ones. The canopy is molded from a not very clean plastic and has thick walls. So I made new canopy from acetate foil and I made it open (scratchbuilding some details of the opening mechanism is needed, as seen on the photos). The antenna goes from a stretched sprue.

My N-9MA has an "inverted" camouflage scheme - other prototypes M and M2 were painted dark blue on the upperside and yellow on the bottom. The N-9MA has it vice-versa. I sprayed it with Humrol Enamels. Weathering is made using  Agama acrylic paints and grated Koh-I-Noor dry pastels.

The kit is quite good, although it could be even better. But with its wing span length of nearly 25 centimeters and very eye-catching look....it does attract nearly anyone, who comes along your display case.

I hope you enjoy looking at my N-9, as much, as I enjoy it myself...

Pavel

MK APOLO Koprivnice, Czech Republic

http://apolo.koprivnice.org

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Photos and text © by Pavel Senk