SBD-2 Dauntless "Black B-1" Lt. Richard H. Best VB-6 Uss Enterprise Group Build (1 Viewer)

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I'm freakin' bored!!

So I decided to get familiar with the kit and see how far my dad had progressed. Like I said he had just started to build this and what I found was that he had attached the internal fuselage pieces and painted them silver. The silver interior was common on SBD-1s and after the interior was the common green - for SBD-2 on up. So I pulled out the paint and tried to cover. The silver paint he used must have been like an Aclad type or something because the enamel I'm using isn't adhereing very well. Looks like several coats have to be applied just to get a solid look. 2 coats so far and I need to lay down.

Will post pics as soon as I get my camera from work - which I left when I was taken out by ambulance last Saturday. Sometime today should be back with pics.
 
Hope you feel better soon Chris, it's a sod when you want to do things and can't - been there a few times! Try not to read the Qutoes and Jokes threads, laughing might make you hurt more!
Covering the silver is a pain - the first coat of enamel disturbs the metallic particles, which migrate into the new paint. Leave it to dry for at least 48 hours then apply the next coat, not thinned, but thinnly. Again, leave for 36 to 48 hours, then apply a normal finishing coat. At worst, you might have very, very slight metallic speckling, but this can actually be a bonus, giving the look of wear or green zinc chromate.
Looking forward to pics when you can.
 
Jeez, another GB that starts with, "Get well soon....!" :)

Anyway after 4 coats the interior looks green enough that with some weathering should spruce up nice. I think I know why my father gave up on this....Soooooo many small bits just for the cockpit. I've been able to retrieve 3 parts lost to the carpet Monster so I'm 3 for 3 but he must be getting hungry! Jan, be alittle careful. My kit has a bit of flash even on the delicate parts and its diamond cutting time. Careful....careful....careful.....! One scare I had was I couldn't find the dash. Checked all the sprues and no luck. As I was composing my letter to Accurate Minatures I decided to check the bagged canopy parts. Sure enough, its moulded in clear plastic and is part of that sprue. So no problem. The only possible problem I see is that looking at the sprues some are warped and I'm hoping this doesn't translate to the parts. So far everything seems to fit although aftera dry-fit of the cockpit floor, it looks like a little filing will have to be done. Won't know until I get there. No pics as yet but hopefully this evening.

Dan, those award pics were as sharp as I could get them. Yours looked good all week until recently so don't know what happened. Did you change the size when posted? I'm having trouble trying to get a decent start for each award. Will keep trying but my mind isn't so creative at the moment.
 
First pic showing the re-painted fuselage and the clear dash on the cockpit floor pan.
 

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and now a question.....or two.

Because of another build I decided to check the tires. They are PLAIN. Does anyone know if that had a cross-thread design or were bald?

Also any pics of the interior of the rear gunner? I have some great shots of the dash but nothing for the rest of the cockpit area. Help?
 
Chris, from what I've seen of US Navy/Marines carrier aircraft tyres, it looks like the earlier ones were smooth, treadless, as on the early Avengers, and then changed to treaded, normally block or diamond. I think I have seen SBD's with grooved treaded tyres, but if your's is early, which I guess it is if around the time of Midway, then it's more than likely the tyres were smooth.
As for the interior of the gunners position, I'm fairly sure there were some colour pics in that walk around sequence on the web-site i mentioned in one of your earlier posts, either here, or in that other thread. Sorry, can't remember what it was called without looking at the post!
BTW, the interior looks great so far. That clear instrument panel will probably be a pain to paint and detail though.
 
Hi Chis,


Three pages from the book Squadron signal Dauntless walk around for rear gunner postion.
Hope they help!!!!
 

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A couple of pages from S/S In Detail Scale showing a dash 3's rear cockpit.
 

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