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

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Hugh, I seem to always get your kind reactions just before I want to post another update and this time is no exception.

First off, I got rid of the kit lift cable, which didn't look realistic to me at all, and replaced it with this bit of solder. To get the rope effect, I rolled it on my cutting mat while pressing down with a file.



I like adding the windscreen and fixed canopies before painting and so got on with dry-fitting the windscreen. This one was a bit of an enigma in that placing it in its natural position so that it fit properly along the bottom caused a large overhang at the vertical frame/fuselage.



Moving it forward to line up the overhang created a lip on the bottom.



Further investigation with my references revealed that there is indeed an overhanging piece but that it's only part way up the frame. I think it's some sort of air deflector plate and that the sliding canopy fits under it. I created this effected by trimming the vertical frame along the top and leaving the overhang. The photo below shows this but the part is still loose and not snuggled down.



That's all for now. Supper is on the table.
 
Thanks Wayne. There were several more steps needed to get to the point seen in the following picture in that, for the open canopy, the stacked canopy frames had to be masked and painted, first with yellow-green and then silver, then glued in place. The windscreen was glued in place and masked. Following that, the cockpit had to be masked up to the glued-in parts to protect the interior from overpsray. Unfortunately, I took no pictures during this process but all will be revealed in due time.

Also, I wanted to take into account the fact that I'll be spraying the fuselage with Alclad Semi-Matte Aluminum lacquer which first requires a lacquer gloss black primer. I didn't want that colour to form the base for my yellow wings, nor did I want the Tamiya acrylic to form a layer under the lacquer so I went ahead and masked off the wing demarcations (having first applied Tamiya Grey Surface Primer) and then spritzed on some Tamiya XF-3 Yellow mixed with my last bit of Tamiya Gloss Clear, which I never liked and won't buy again, and two drops of red in the 1/2 ounce of paint. I find Tamiya's yellow to be a bit too lemony and hence the need for a bit of red. The wings will eventually be fully glossed and so will receive a couple more final gloss coats later before applying the decals.



I will let this cure overnight as I ponder the next steps. I'll either finish the wings off or go ahead with the aluminum fuselage but need to think about it.

In the meantime, a review of my references suggests that I should not have sprayed the fuselage area under the middle flap red as this appears to have been left in the underside colour which in my case will be aluminum. It seems only the movable surfaces were red and so the landing and dive flaps will remain red.

Thanks again for following along.
 
Decided to press on with the wing painting. The wing chevrons were masked to 13" wide per Dana's input on page 1 and I lined things up carefully based on my reference pics. I had the foresight to paint the prop tips yellow when I did the wings and these are now masked for the red as well. The props have red/yellow/blue tips which appear to scale to 4" width based on photos.



Red on.



Masks removed. Just a tiny bit of yellow touch up was needed at the dive flap hinges and at the wing joint fairings.



On the underside, the red wraps around and continues diagonally inward but stops at the firings where the wings join the center section.



And with that done, the first gloss coat is on and curing.



I'll be glossing the wings fully before masking for the aluminum fuselage paint so I'll be back in a couple of days with an update. Thanks again or watching.
 

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