Upon opening the box of the Atlantis Models 1/104 scale Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune plastic model kit, I got transported back 68 years to when I first built the then-Revell first issue of the Neptune. Now, thanks to Atlantis, “Neptune has arisen” in a version important to the aircraft, science, and history. This model represents the only Neptune to serve its entire life with Navy Expeditionary Squadron VX-6, through the squadron’s redesignation as VXE-6, and ending up in a private collection in Newbury, Ohio. The forward fuselage was later acquired by another private firm, hoping to restore it as a museum exhibit. A nifty addition to the Atlantis kit is a collector’s card featuring Jack Leynnwood’s beautiful box art.
The kit is molded in bright blue plastic with a sprue of clear parts, including the factory-omitted dorsal gun turret, though no guns or a mount for them are supplied. Like the original issue, it has both raised and engraved panel lines and rivets, and embossed patterns for placing markings and national insignia. A few sink marks and mold lines existed, as well as flash on a few parts, but the basic moldings and the nicely done skis are excellent. A short instruction sheet is a copy of the original Revell one, which suggests painting all parts before assembly and using clay for a nose weight.
Only a flight deck floor is provided, along with two seated crew figures that surprised me in their finesse. I filed down a lead model-railroad weight to fit forward of the cockpit to prevent tail-sitting. Just in case any interior might be visible through the fuselage clear parts, I painted the inside around them light gray.
Despite the kit’s age, it’s anything but clunky. The parts are sturdy, true, and feature positive locators. I found the fit outstanding after I removed the irritating flash. The wing-to-fuselage and horizontal stabilizer-to-fuselage fits are precise, and the trailing edges are super sharp. The only wheel-well details are some embossed lightening holes in the landing-gear doors, which I installed for purposes of this review, though the real aircraft had ski fairings in place of doors. The box art is more correct.
The clear parts are nicely done, though a little thick. The framing for the canopy and the nose cone is etched on the insides of each part and posed a little challenge to paint. A couple of the fuselage windows protruded proud of the skin, but I disregarded that because I didn’t want to sand off the surrounding rivet detail. Where necessary, such as on the fuselage seams, I restored some of what was lost with a rivet embossing tool.
Color callouts are basic names: orange, blue, yellow, etc., and do not specify a paint line or FS numbers. Online photos of the aircraft show minor painting deviations over time. I used Hobby Color Navy Blue (No. H54) acrylic, my own mix of Tamiya acrylics for international orange, and Model Master Metalizer Non-buffing Aluminum (OOP; another metallic aluminum paint would work fine) for the landing gear and skis.
Because this is an out-of-the-box review, I didn’t alter the raised surface detail before applying the decals, and they performed pretty well. They layed down over the raised lines, were compatible with decal solutions, and were tough enough to survive moving around while centering them over the embossed guides. The end result is satisfactory, if not perfect. The sheet doesn’t include warning triangles for the jet intakes, and the tail code should be XD, not XO, an easy fix with the tip of a pen to square off the O’s corners.
I only spent about 18 hours completing the Atlantis Models 1/104 scale Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune plastic model kit and enjoyed every minute of it. It’s a great kit for beginners or experienced modelers alike (particularly those who want a touch of nostalgia). While it’s not an easy-build sort of offering, it doesn’t require tweezers for assembly, either. It’s a beautifully representative kit but not an exact replica, so it also lends itself to some detailing. Built out of the box, it registered high on my fun meter.