Need better blades for your Dark Lady? We review AMS’ 1/32 Resin upgrade spinners & props for the P-61 Black Widow

There are a few areas of concern for the large scale Black Widow from Hobbyboss – the most apparent are the spinners and props which both need correction. We have been following AMS’ research on these and now we can compare their offerings to the Hobbyboss kit and the original in our review.

 

Corrected props and spinners for Hobbyboss P-61 

From: AMS

Kit No: 32086

1/32^nd scale

Resin: 10 parts

Grey resin

Price $24

From AMS Directly or Sprue Brothers

With the 1/32^nd scale Hobbyboss P-61 black widow kit there are a few issues that once solved will make the kit into something as good as any other large model on the judging benches (or your display cabinet.) Most of the things that need fixing like internal detail and wheels aren’t so apparent but the large propellers and spinners are something that stands out right away. What to do with a replacement?

AMS have supplied a resin replacement set to correct the propellers with eight new blades, two new shaped spinners for the props to sit in, two large housings

This kit came quickly in the post – it was a plastic bag with grey resin parts - 8 props, 2 spinners, 2 housings, 2 mags and 2 prop governors – (although mine came with an extra) The resin is very finely cast – incredibly so on the thin props and mags - and bubble free. There were a few pouring blocks to be removed the parts themselves before you can get to work painting, but very minor stuff and you are ready to go.

The eight props supplied in the kit are the wrong shape or the wrong type. P-61A/B Black Widow used the Curtiss electric C5425-A10 propeller whilst the P-61 C used the wider style A.O. Smith paddle blades.

The blades in the kit are just the wrong shape. The cuffs are too short and they are too thick – the blade tapers off too much at the root and if you look at the cross section it is fairly round and not thin at all. These replacements fit into the spinner on a pivot so you can show them feathered if you wish – and they are a lot thinner (probably half as thin) than the kit has provided – looking at them side by side on a 1/32 scale ruler you can see the difference.

Top is the kit - below is AMS Resin

Top is kit part - very thick especially at the root compared to the fine resin props

Here they both are on the spinner - hobbyboss on the right - AMS below left..

 The kit spinners are too bulbous – and the only cater for a prop at one angle – where the replacements from AMS fix that by having simple holes that that props sit in and the shape of the spinner is fixed as well – it is not too pointy – but tapered nicely.

Hobbyboss darker grey on the left - AMS resin on the right

The one part manufacture helps as well with no sanding in between propeller blades like you have to do with the kit. As there are lugs that need to be positioned before the two parts of the spinner go together if you want to use the kit parts.

Take a look at the detail here in comparison  - Kit part on the left again, AMS on the right in light grey

This is a great set which is going onto my black widow without hesitation – after I get over the hesitation of making it that is! Well done to Harold at AMS for such a good correction set.

Adam Norenberg

Thanks to AMS for this kit to review. Also thanks to Derek Bradshaw for his help with this article