GB-48 1/48 TBM-3 (1) - Carrier & Maritime Patrol A/C of WWII

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fubar57 said:
Nice, everything fitting where it should. I had to remove the mounting pin on my joystick otherwise it interfered with the seat
Click to expand...
yes I had the same issue on the conversion. Also part 68 through me for a loop till I found it was a clear part. Not sure why!
 
If you thin the inside you could attach a round piece of clear over the slot!
Easier than trying to shape an oval to fit....... just sayin.
 
OK so I've been short of mojo but have been doing a little here and there. below is the aircraft in subject at NAS North Island, San Diego before being shipped to Pearl Harbor. VT 8 was the first squadron in the US Nave to receive the new TBF's.

The TBF's were put aboard a cargo ship to Pearl Harbor along with their crews. They arrived two day after the USS Hornet set sail for Midway with VT 8 flying the TBD Devastators. Upon arrival at Pearl Harbor the crews had a couple of day of waiting before it was decided to send six aircraft to Midway Island with crews. The crews were selected and weapons bay fuel tanks installed and the aircraft flew nonstop to Midway. Arriving the day before action was to ensue. Loaded and prepped for action they were the first aircraft in combat. Much is said of Ens George Gay being the "Soul survivor of VT 8 but that was never the case. There were three survivors of the fateful day, and I a sort of way, one aircraft, though it would never fly again.

The next two photos are what the aircraft looked like, but you should have seen the other guy!

surgery on the rt cowl, really just cleaning up resin flash.


Getting the innards put together.

The TBF has a second "cockpit" there were instruments but no controls.

The KMC mod supplied the second cockpit seat but it is incorrect. The seat was the same as the pilots with armrest. The KMC kit did not have armrest so I pulled another one from a different kit.

Glued the kit windows in and puttied over them to seal them.

Using the replacement door I found the correct sized drill bit and tapped the window out on both the door and the opposite (left) fuselage.

Went ahead and did the wings and stabs.

Test fit the innards and outards !

Primed in black and shot the PRU faded blue. all Vallejo.
 
There is a lot of places to find this information, listed here is a site where another is doing the same thing.
Midway Group Build, VT-8 "Torpedo 8" Grumman TBF-1 Avenger, 1/48 Accurate Miniatures | iModeler

I read A Dawn Like Thunder by Mrazek, Robert J. I have it on Kindle Edition and if you have interest it is an excellent read. In the Kindle format it is also very affordable and cover the life of VT 8, not just Midway.

All photo are from this site but are public domain.
Below is a color photo of how the TBF's of VT-8 were received from the Grumman factory.

Factory new 8-1 was the first production TBF received by the Navy and it was the only "surviving" aircraft of VT-8's day of infamy!

Ens Ernest and Airman Third Class Harry Ferrier were the two survivors from this aircraft. Severely shot up and loosing altitude, Ens Ernest found he could control his altitude by adjusting the trim tab. With little left of his instruments and not compass, he flew dead reckoning and had to climb to see the smoke of Midway. He landed on one leg and a prayer.

Later the plane was jacked up and the gear dropped. The aircraft was latter sent back to the US for battle damage review.

Its little wonder when you see the damage that, the gunner, J. D. Manning, was killed in action.
Mrazek, Robert J.. A Dawn Like Thunder (p. 56). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition.
 
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