**** DONE: GB-48 1/48 SBD-1 Dauntless - Carrier & Maritime Patrol A/C of WWII

[Airframes]

Good stuff Andy.
I remember using that technique many years ago, although I don't think I was quite as successful. I need to try it again, on a badly warped B-24 fuselage - big job, being so large !

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Terry. It's all about the right temperature.

 

[Crimea_River]

I'm wondering if anyone knows whether or not the SBD-1 carried the 3 signal lights on the fuselage just behind the wing? The area on the model is shown in the below pic and these lights are simply moulded into the plastic.

However, the best view I could find of my bird in real life suggests that perhaps these aren't there:

Anyone know for sure? If I know they were there then I would spend time fixing the moulded ones but it certainly would be easier to just sand them out as I smooth the seams in this area. It certainly looks like I should fill that rectangular hole too.

 

[fubar57]

I'll check my books when I get home in a few hours

 

[nuuumannn]

It appears that the SBD-4 and '-5 definitely had them, see here by a forum contributor:

Airplanes in 3D: Image (wordpress.com)

From here: My Drawings of the SBD: the Bottom View and Other Updates | Airplanes in 3D (wordpress.com)

This might prove useful: Differences between Dauntless Versions (SBD-1…4) | Airplanes in 3D (wordpress.com)

And here is a piccie of a current warbird Dauntless with the lights visible:

554bdef6fc0bfd93cd64521cef3861c4--us-army-vintage-airplanes.jpg (736×552) (pinimg.com)

from here: Navy Dauntless. | Wwii airplane, Aircraft, Dauntless (pinterest.co.uk)

And another from Pintrest:

b8e1b8d28b4c5ef8af485d8a8e79d5a0.jpg (640×427) (pinimg.com)

But I can't see anything that states that the SBD-1 had them.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Grant. I know the later ones had them and the restored bird in the pic is a -5 I think. The site with the 3D modeling is one that I looked through already but no joy.

 

[Donivanp]

Looking great Andy

 

[Wayne Little]

Can't assist with that......sorry....

 

[Donivanp]

According to the latest D&S on the SBD it implies all SBS had the marker lights. The -3 and beyond forsure but Kenzy simply states that they were there and the colors.

 

[Airframes]

I can't offer anything definite, but if the lamps were "standard" fit for the period, and earlier, on all aircraft, for example, the P-40, then I would think they would be fitted to your subject.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks guys. Geo sent me some info strongly suggesting they weren't there on this early SBD so I'm electing to leave them off.

 

[Donivanp]

Thanks guys. Geo sent me some info strongly suggesting they weren't there on this early SBD so I'm electing to leave them off.

Well there you go. SBD-1 were only some 57 or so in the build all Marine. Pre US entry in WWII non self sealing fuel tanks ect... may not have been on them.

 

[Airframes]

Sounds reasonable.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks guys. I've been smoothing the area and, as always, it's just prime, sand, prime, sand......boring sh!t.

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far Andy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Lots to report on my SBD, which I've been working on ever since applying artist's oils to my Typhoon. They are taking forever to dry.

First off, AM went through pains to provide us with a nice little oil cooler which can be viewed through the under-cowl scoop. However, there's an ugly sink mark right in the middle of the textured face.

I punched a disc out of styrene card, applied some TET to the face and squashed it against a file to give it a textured grille look. It's not easily seen in the below pic but it works in the real world.

The machine guns were next to get my attention. The barrels on the kit guns were soft and bowed so I decided to replace them with some Albion Alloys brass tube. I also got some breech details with my Eduard PE set and so added these as well. The gun on top is the kit part and the one on the bottom is the enhanced one.

The below pics show the guns in place and I'll paint the barrels later because they're going to get overspray anyway. I had to do a bit of levelling with a plastic wedge to get the barrels pointing in the same direction and, once they were in the right position, I plastered some CA glue on the inside to lock them in position.

All this detail and unforgiving kit design make for fit issues and below we can see that the gun cowl sits proud of the fuselage when dry-fitted. This is due to some interference between the top of the instrument panel and the inside of the coaming. I had to do a lot of shaving and trimming to get this part to fit unimpeded and this was tricky with the delicate gun butts right where I needed to work.

Nonetheless, eventually it all came together with a bit of persuasion. There are a lot of parts to line up here and so a lot of dry-fitting is recommended. The fuselage extension comes in two halves and needed a bit of outward pressure to line up the outer faces with the rest of the fuselage. This was accomplished by gluing some spacers to the inner bulkhead to push the inside faces out. The gun cowl then fits flush into the top of the extension and rests on top of the cockpit sill. As you can see, all of this needed some clamping force to make it work and, even so, I have a small gap between the gun cowl and cockpit sill that will need a small bit of card to fill.

The engine is nicely detailed, though the moulded ignition wires are arguably a bit stout. I decided to save myself a lot of work and kept them anyway.

And finally, I'm still working on the seam and details where the wing and fuselage meet on the underside. The moulded signal lights have been sanded away and the rectangular hole has been filled. Maybe three file/sand/prime sequences have been completed t this point and I've now discovered that AM duplicated the panel lines representing the flare hatches on both sides of the fuselage whereas they should only be on the port side. These are now dabbed with Tamiya Grey Primer and will be sanded smooth when dry. This area will then be re-scribed and primed yet again to check for blemishes. All of this will be painted silver and so I don't want any glaring imperfections showing up.

That's it for now. Thanks again for following along.

 

[rochie]

Cracking on nicely Andy

 

[fubar57]

Good stuff Andy. None of that primer hereabouts and a quick eBay look shows prices from $17 - $126.

​

 

[Donivanp]

Looking really nice

 

[Wurger]