Douglas A-24 Banshee...

Looks really good, canopy masking was indeed a success, weathering not overdone, finish appears as an A/C in service. Very realistic.

Thanks for the post and photos.

Patrick

You did a great job on this build.  As patrick206 said, the weathering is Not overdone and the canopy masking looks fantastic.

Toshi

Thanks, guys. Just an FYI: If you decide to build this Monogram kit, be advised, if you drill out the holes in the dive brakes, there 270 holes to be drilled!

I saw a thread earlier from a fellow modeler in Australia who asked about the Curtiss A-25 Shrike, AKA: SB2C Helldiver. Another good idea for a build.

Man, that's a great job! I can't recall ever seeing an SBD with the pilot's canopy closed - makes it look almost like a different aircraft.

Hi,

That turned out really nice.

Yeah, Devil Dawg, I was going to have both canopies closed, but opted instead to show the gunner and his single .30 caliber pop gun. Shows a little more life that way, I think. The canopy as you see it, is the way it comes in this old Monogram kit.

This build looks great.  I second what others have said about the weathering, just the right amount.  Love the dive brakes.  I don't know if I'd have the patience to drill 270 holes!  I'm pretty sure I would drill two, and then start staring at the clock and thinking "when is this going to be over?"   Hmm..  kind of just like every day at work.  lol

Cheers, Mark

MrStecks, it took me three sittings of about an hour each, to drill out the dive brakes. Way back when I built this kit out of the box, I used a Rapid-o-graph pen to color in each hole with black India ink, instead of drilling them out. Still 270 holes.

Looks great, I really like the finish. Worn but not overdone. Did you use the pilot and gunner figures from the kit? I have the same kit, but the figures, especially the pilot, are deformed. And Revell/Monogram is not very consistent with scale, so replacement has been a challenge. 

Yeah, Paladin, I used the kit figures just to fill the space and give some dimension to the finished model. The figures aren't great but I was more interested in the exterior than the interior. I also have the Monogram F6F Hellcat from the same period. There is no cockpit interior, just a pilot figure that glues to the armor plate in the back of the cockpit. When I build that kit, the pilot figure will be in the cockpit just to fill the space since the canopy will be closed when it's done.

Very Nicely done. Weathering is terrific and your patience is even better!

fotofrank

Yeah, Paladin, I used the kit figures just to fill the space and give some dimension to the finished model. The figures aren't great but I was more interested in the exterior than the interior. I also have the Monogram F6F Hellcat from the same period. There is no cockpit interior, just a pilot figure that glues to the armor plate in the back of the cockpit. When I build that kit, the pilot figure will be in the cockpit just to fill the space since the canopy will be closed when it's done.

 

Ha! I have the same Wildcat kit, same odd looking figures. At least they got the posture of the Dauntless pilot correct. In a book called "Cockpit", a pilot commented that the control stick in the Dauntless is a bit short. Which explains why the pilots are usually leaning forward in the flight pictures. Good book, check your library.

Thanks, Paladin. I'll do that.

Greatmaker

Very Nicely done. Weathering is terrific and your patience is even better!

 

Patience? I don't know about that. But I'm learning to slow down and get it right.

BTW: Londo Mollari was not our last best hope. I preferred Sinclair over Sheridan. And the Minbari and that thing on their heads?

fotofrank

BTW: Londo Mollari was not our last best hope. I preferred Sinclair over Sheridan. And the Minbari and that thing on their heads?

I preferred Sinclair as well, He had more charisma

Very nice work!  I'm currently reading Never Call Me a Hero, so I'm kind of obsessed with the SBD right now.  I'd love to do an Army version like you have, as well as the good old carrier born USN version.  I've also seen this kit done up with French insignias, either during the war or in Indochina, which is a cool look.