Helldiver Issues

http://www.squadron.com/ sells canopies. The brand name is 'Crystal Clear Canopies'. To see a list of canopies made by 'Crystal Clear Canopies' go here:

http://www.falconmodels.co.nz/squadron.html

I just checked the three Pro-Modeler kits I have in my collection and two of the three have the same problem with the windscreen. The one that has a fully molded windscreen is a first run kit from 1997. The other two are of more recent manufacture, one a Monogram Pro-Modeler and the other a Revel/Monogram packaged under the Hasegawa lable.

It looks like the clear parts from the latter Pro-Modeler kits didnt get enough pressure when they were molded.

I dug out an old Helldiver kit from the 60's to see if the front windscreen would mesh with the Pro-Modeler version, but the two are as different as apples and oranges.

The vacuform canopies I've seen were designed for the 60's version of the Helldiver, so I dont think they would work to well on the Pro-Modeler version.

Does anyone else have any further thoughts on this FUBAR ?

I too have three "Beasts", all ProModeler kits. One is badly affected, one is only slightly so (the rivets are not so pronounced) and one is perfect.

Loss of pressure within the affected area seems to be a likely suspect, though I profess no great knowledge of the workings of the injection molding process.

However, on my kits there are corresponding and proportionate amounts of flash in the area of the windshield, with the worst example having the most flash and the best having none whatsoever.

This seems to indicate that plastic is being pushed into an area where it shouldn't be. Perhaps there's a slight problem with the sealing of the mold halves? Warped maybe? Or maybe there's a crack in the mold? I dunno, maybe if Toad sees this he can shed some light for us.

Fade to Black...

Maybe we just discovered why they are no longer available ?

Could be! Perhaps a fix is in the works, or maybe they're just sitting on the molds. Either way, 'Tis a shame, except for some of the sinkmarks here and there this is a gorgeous kit, and a sentimental favorite of mine.

The Helldiver Driver's Song

Oh Mother, dear mother, take down the blue star.
Replace it with one that is gold.
Your son is a Helldiver driver;
he'll never be 30 years old.
The people who work for Curtiss are frequently seen good and drunk.
One day with an awful hangover, they mustered and designed that old clunk.
Now the wings are built with precision, the fuselage so strong it won't fail.
But who were the half-witted people who designed the cockpit and tail?
The skipper hates Helldiver drivers and he doesn't think much of that clunk.
Each time we fly aboard his carrier, he prays that his ship won't be sunk.
My body lies over the ocean; my body lies under the sea.
My body lies under the ocean wrapped up in an SB2C!

Author: Anonymous

A less than well-loved machine in some circles!
But I still love the Beast.

Fade to Black...

Dr. Toad is here- everything you mentioned about the molding of the clear part could be the cause, thus you don't need me ! LOL!

Clear parts are difficlut to inspect, thus I could see why many kits where shipped this way before the "problem" was cought. If it is a problem with the tool, they probably shelved it for a while until they can budget to get it fixed "sitting on the tool" as you said (maybee sitting on the "stool" to!). If they were already toward the end of the initial/secondary product run they may have decided to just live with the problem for a little while.

This was a popular kit and it will be back eventually. I never actually got my hands on one during the initial run, so I'm waiting....

I missed this one earlier. I was lucky and my windscreen was okay. Did anyone notice the interior detail for the flaps/dive brakes molded to the wngs are reversed? If you dropped the flaps you would need to cut the detailed areas from the wings, flip and swap them from left to right wing so the engraved detail would be visible on the underside of the photo etched parts.