Well-known for military aircraft, Martin entered the postwar airliner market with the 2-0-2, and the improved, enlarged 4-0-4. Seating 40 or more passengers, the pressurized
4-0-4 entered service in 1950 and was in use by Southern Airlines as late as 1977.
Model manufacturer F-RSIN is a small concern, with contributors on both sides of the English Channel. The Martinliners are the latest in a line of resin airliners.
The kit comprises tan, resin components supplemented by white-metal propellers and landing-gear legs. The fuselage and wings are single-part items, the latter with engines and cowlings molded in place. Separate horizontal stabilizers round out the major parts. Three different noses are provided, reflecting different radar installations over the life of the type. The main wheels and landing gear doors also come in resin. The single nose wheel is molded on the gear leg.
My kit included decals for Eastern Airlines, one of the 4-0-4's launch customers, and Ozark Airlines. The decals are colorful but a little pixilated, with a saw-tooth edge along the cheatlines visible up-close.
After soaking the resin parts in Westley's Bleche-Wite to remove any mold-release agent, I cut away the large mold plugs with a cutoff wheel in a motor tool. The soft resin cut easily; care is needed, particularly around the trailing edge of the wings. The major parts all had a rough texture. I sprayed them with Mr. Surfacer 500, sanding and repeating until smooth. The underside of the wings and the areas around the engines are tight, and care was needed to get the surface smooth. Extra effort pays off here, as natural metal and gloss white are notoriously unforgiving finishes.
I assembled the parts with gap-filling super glue. The fit was OK, with extra filler needed at the wing roots as well as to blend the nose to the body. I also filled the engraved door and window details to give the decals a smooth surface for adhesion.
After priming with gloss black, I sprayed the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and lower fuselage with Alclad II polished aluminum. After masking, I airbrushed the top of the fuselage with Tamiya gloss white.
The decals were very thin and delicate. After trimming them closely to remove the continuous clear film, I applied the cockpit windows. I followed those with the single-piece cheatlines. They wanted to stick immediately, and I used several applications of water to position them. A little Micro Sol helped the nose decals conform. I sealed them with Pledge Future floor polish.
After priming the metal gear legs with Tamiya surface primer, I painted and attached them. I chose not to paint the metal props, polishing them with a sanding stick and attaching them with a short piece of steel rod glued into the engine.
The model scales close to the dimensions published in
Martin Aircraft 1909-1960, by John R. Breihan, Stan Piet, and Roger S. Mason (Narkiewicz/Thompson).
I spent about 40 hours on my 4-0-4, much of that prepping the resin. The build is not difficult but, because of the preparation needed, I recommend F-RSIN's kit to builders with a few resin models on their resumé.
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