The PV-1 is one of the unsung workhorses of World War II Allied airpower. Developed from the Lockheed Hudson, it performed well as a light attack bomber, anti-submarine patrol plane, night fighter, even strafer. Well-used by the U.S. Navy, it also served Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, to name a few.
Having built the Koster vacuum-formed PV-1 for an FSM review more than a decade ago (April 1997), I was very pleased to see a mainstream plastic kit of the Ventura — and from an old familiar face, too. Welcome back, Revell!
The kit is cleanly molded in gray plastic. Options include multiple bombs, a nose-gun pack, an open bomb bay, drop tanks, and a detailed cockpit. Checking the kit, I found most of the primary parts had an exceptional fit.
I started assembly by installing the numerous fuselage windows and building up the cockpit. Detail here includes seats with molded cushions and harnesses, control columns, an instrument panel with decal details and integral rudder pedals, and a center console with a detailed throttle quadrant.
The main wing parts assembled neatly. They attached perfectly in the fuselage with the assistance of a wing spar. The Ventura’s unique leading-edge slots are precisely molded into the wing parts. The lower wing halves include detailed landing gear wells.
The engines are nicely molded in one piece. The instructions would have you insert them in the cowling, but I found it worked better to attach them to the firewalls before attaching the cowling.
The bomb bay doors are provided as separate parts with their operating jacks. Take care here; it’s a bit complex. Also, the individual doors have subtle shape differences. So, make sure to identify each part by number.
The instructions show the bomb bay doors can be closed, but when I taped the parts together and did a dry fit, it looked like there might be significant gaps between the door parts. Keep this in mind if you try this option.
The dorsal gun turret is neatly designed, with several components to provide internal detail. The clear dome is then just pressed into place. The surrounding part fits very precisely, allowing it to be painted and installed with the turret after the main fuselage has been painted and assembled.
Leftover parts and the fuselage breakdown foreshadow future versions (perhaps with a glass nose).
I painted my PV-1 with Hobby Color acrylics and Tamiya spray colors. Decals are given for one Royal Canadian Air Force and two U.S. Navy Venturas. These conformed very well to the semi-gloss paint.
There are a number of excellent references available on the PV-1. My primary reference was Naval Fighters Number Eighty-Six: Lockheed-Vega PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, by Steve Ginter (Ginter Books, ISBN 978-0-942612-86-8). I also used Squadron/Signal’s PV-1 Ventura in Action (ISBN 978-0-89747-118-3), and PV Ventura/Harpoon Units of World War 2, by Alan C. Carey (Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84176-383-5). Looking at the references, the only questionable item I noticed is the shape of the propeller blades. The kit props lack the distinctive broad, paddle shape designed to push more air into the cowling and increase cooling.
I completed my Ventura in 26 hours and was very happy with the result. This new kit from Revell is exceptional in terms of engineering, molding, price, and subject. Most modelers with a few kits behind them will find the Ventura a great project. I highly recommend it to World War II aircraft modelers.
A version of this review appeared in the May 2012 issue of FineScale Modeler.