Built to replace the venerable P-3 Orion in the maritime reconnaissance role, the Boeing P-8 Poseidon entered U.S Navy service in 2013. Based on the 737-800, it is also operated by the air arms of Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, and New Zealand and has been ordered by South Korea, Canada, and Germany.
While there have been Poseidons in 1/72 and 1/200 scale before, the Academy 1/144 scale P-8A Poseidon plastic model kit is the first in the “standard” airliner scale. And it’s a beaut! Fine recessed panel lines mark the major airframe parts, the engines have good fan and hot-section details, and the kit provides optional parts to pose the torpedo bay aft of the wing open. Other choices include posing the gear up or down, the FLIR ball deployed, and slinging Harpoon missiles under the wings. Clear parts are provided for the windshield and side observation ports, and decals give markings for a U.S. Navy or Royal Australian Air Force P-8A.
Before closing the fuselage, the cockpit and torpedo bay are assembled. The fits are good for both. Note: You may be tempted to leave out the cockpit because it won’t be seen, but I was surprised how much was visible when I removed the masks after painting. The bays for the nose landing gear and FLIR unit need to be installed as well. Optional inserts can be used if you wish to pose the bays closed. Be sure to open the multiple holes for the antennas along the top and underside of the fuselage.
The main gear bay is added with the wing assembly. The separate swept wingtips fit pretty well, but I needed filler to blend them in. I used a little filler to eliminate the seam on the fuselage and at the roots of the wings and tailplanes.
The engines and pylons are handed. I waited too long between assembling the pylons with the integrated hot sections and adding the exterior parts, and ended up flipping them. Now the engines are right, but the pylons are wrong, so the engines are canted out more than they should be. I wish that were the only self-inflicted problem I ran into, but read on …
After painting the aircraft with SMS Boeing Gray, which has a nice gloss finish, I applied the decals. Keep the water warm to promote decal release, but be careful when moving them to the model. Don’t use your finger, because these suckers want to stick to skin more than paint. I lost a couple that way and damaged a couple of others through casual touch. These decals are beautifully printed and thin – so much so that a couple were irrevocably damaged when they folded over on themselves.
Final assembly led me to another problem of my own making. While installing the landing gear, the lower part of the nose leg broke away. I only found one nose wheel. So, I punted and built the Poseidon gear up, which required modifying the unused nose bay plug to be able to get it in place. The one-piece main gear bay plugs fit perfectly. I added the Harpoons and torpedoes and called it done.
The Academy 1/144 scale P-8A Poseidon plastic model kit was done very well, and most of the problems I encountered were of my own making. Good fits, detail, and options make it a standout, and I recommend it to anyone who can handle small parts and delicate decals.