TBM-3

The TBM's at that time would have been overall Sea Blue ANA 623.

Welcome Bakster.

I have nothing to offer re your specific question, but couldn't resist mentioning that the Academy TBM-3 USS Bunker HIll was my first build back after my hiatus. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did, what a great kit.

If I recall correctly, the TBF-1C boxing from HobbyBoss had the decals for one of the planes in Flight 19.  I seem to remember noting those and looking them up because it reminded me of an "Unsolved Mysterious" episode with Robert Stack where I first learned about it growing up. I just put a search to double check this but I'm starting to rethink that.  It wouldn't be hard to paint those markings anyhow.

=]

I have a TBM-3 USS Bunker Hill from Accurate Miniatures. I have the TBF/TBM Avenger Warbird Profile No. 2 for that and here is what it states for colors.

PTO:

Camouflage Colors 1941 USN/USMC

Non specular Blue Gray M485

Non specular Light Gray M495

1943 USN/USMC

Semi Gloss Sea Blue ANA 606

Non specular Sea Blue ANA 607

Intermediate Blue ANA 608

Insignia White ANA 601

1944 USN/USMC

Glossy Sea Blue ANA 623

Interior Color:

Interior Green ANA 611

ATO: Prior to 1943 colors same as PTO,

Beginning 1943 USN

Dark Gull Gray ANA 621

Insignia White ANA 601

"Note: The color mentioned as Graded Tone Areas is described by Grumman as a gradual transition from Non Specular Sea Blue to Non Specular White. This was probably achieved by mixing both colors together in specific quantities. When examining photographs, in some cases one can see this demarcation of color quite evidently. Other photos seem to show this as in intermediate Blue."

-Warbird Profile no. 2

Hope this is useful,

Brandon

did somebody say Flight 19?

Whoa, been decades since I saw that. Totally forgot about it. Cool! Thanks, Stik.

ANA 623 Glossy Sea Blue started in use on June 1944. All web searches I did for Flight 19 shows this paint scheme

Owen

Hi Bakster:

Lots of pictures here - do any of these help?

www.google.com/search

Bronto--thanks.  That is helpful!

Greg--thanks for the encouragement!  How neat to hear that you chose that kit as well and that you loved it.  This will be a slow process for me because I need to relearn so much.  I dread the day when it comes to airbrushing and decals.  About the time I came up with a good process, I had left the hobby.  Now I have to start over.  Egads.  If I go slow though, I think I can get through it ok.  

Thanks again!

Bick-- thanks.  That is helpful.

BrandonK and the rest of you....thanks!  You guys are great.  Very helpful.  I knew I could count on you.

Bakster, I was a total start-again modeller too. After 40-some yrs off, and having no intention to model, I received the kit as a gift. Best gift I maybe ever got, as it got me fired up about modelling again!

I was dreading airbrushing and decal-ing too, btw. And lots of other things. Lotsa help avail here, that's how I made it through mine, so don't hesitate to do the same. Friendly folks here with lots of experience who just love to help.

Just take it one step at a time and have fun as you do so. Every build is part of the learning curve, wether you're just coming back or have been building non stop for decades. The hobby is constantly evolving, with new materials, tools, and techniques being introduced. Try this and that, keep what you like, and discard what you do not.

BTW, I posted the movie clip since you already had the info requested, and just thought that you and the others here might enjoy seeing some real TBMs Hollywood style... Such a lovely big old girl they are!

As usual Stik beat me to it! :)

Welcome to the forum Bakster! Bob

Thanks Greg.  I have to say, I have never seen a bunch of nicer more helpful people than on these forums. I have been reading the threads here for several weeks and I am really impressed with you all.  

With my first go in this hobby I was building cars.  The problem I had back then was orange peel paint, and/or worse. I tried different thinners, paints, air pressures, air sources, paint mixtures, and even airbrushes. It was always the same, or varying results.  I was about to throw in the towel when on a whim, I tried Poly-S airbrush thinner.  Oh--my gosh. That was it!  The paint went on slightly wet and I was able to get beautiful gloss finishes.  It was an eureka moment.  I made about three kits after that and for some reason, I gave it up.  I think what happened was that I had moved to a different place and that changed everything.  Even though I rigged the new basement for airbrushing, I just drifted off.  I wish I had kept on because I tell ya...when I get in the modeling zone and I am working on a kit, my mind sees nothing else during those hours of build time. It is awesome for stress relief.

Oh....by the way.  I have come to find out that Poly-S is no more.  See my concern?  :)

Anyway... long story short...I am glad to be back.  

Thanks to everyone that responded with their help and welcomes.  

Bakster

Say stikpusher--thanks for the advice and the video link.  That is a classic scene.  I love that movie.  Heck, I liked it so much that I eventually took a road trip to Devils Tower.

Check out Google Images for Flight 19 and the NAS Fort Lauderdale museum website for info on Flight 19.

Hey There Bakster, Welcome to the forums and definitely welcome back to the hobby. There is no doubt that this is one fantastic group of folks here. I'm certainly looking forward to your TBM. I, like you and many others here, returned after a long hiatus. I too questioned my skills but,that quickly dissolved once I joined the folks here and they gave me the tips and confidence to really improve and hone my abilities. You're in the right place my friend.

 Joe

Didnt accurate miniatures do a flight 19 kit?

Hello everyone.  Well, for the sake of discussion, this build is progressing, but slowly. I have put together a good portion of the cockpit assembly, in as much as I can before painting comes into play.  I am also working on the fuselage halves, engine, and engine cowling.  I am dry fitting everything before gluing.  There have been some fit issues.  My inexperience building planes does not help. I have to check the positioning of things to make sure I glue them in the correct orientation.  I feel that the plans often leave a person guessing too.  So at times, I have to fit several components or even assemblies to check and see how they will all fit together.   It’s all part of the process and I am cool with that.  

Sooooo on Monday, I wanted to take a break from the build and do something different.  I decided to dry fit the motor assembly and give it an operational test.  So I hooked up a makeshift fuel line out of some oversized brass tubing, oversized because that is all that I had.  So since the starter wasn’t hooked up, I had to turn the engine over via the old fashioned way.  In this case, using my finger.

Once the engine fired, she purred like a kitten.  Look at her go!  

Ok.  I hope you guys don’t  mind that I had a little fun with this.  Obviously, the engine didn’t really run, but it sure was fun pretending. LOL.  In actuality, I did have a good reason to do this.  I needed to see if the kit design allowed the prop to rotate freely.  If it didn’t, I had plans to make it work before gluing and painting.  The reason this is important for me is that I plan to do some creative imaging once it is all said and done.

 

 That is the latest.

Howdy Bakster,

 You have choosen an awesome a/c to start off with and might I add a sexy one at that!! Gotta love her lines...  Sshhh just don't tell my girlfriend I said that

 Looking forward to your build my friend!

Hey there B-17 Guy.. Long time no chat! Hope all is well with you and yours!! And yes you are correct, AM did make a Avenger kit that represented a Flight 19 bird.

 Matter of fact, my local hobby shop still has three of em on the shelf!!

Flaps up,

 Mike

Looking good Bakster. Dry fitting is definitely a must. I have found myself in much angst due to the fact that I failed to dry fit prior to applying the glue.

Yep, looking good Bakster.

As well as that kit is built, I recall a good deal of dry-fitting and fiddling. That a/c is so huge, the crew decks are complicated. Take your time, and most of all, have fun!

Thanks Greg.  Yes I see some seam filler in my future too.  Slow and fun is good advice.  That is the only way I want to go.   I plan to have all the landing gear in a raised position, so that will require some tinkering too.  Best as I can tell the kit was designed to be in the lowered position.

So tell me what kit you are working on right now.

Thanks to everyone that has responded.  I appreciate all the encouragement.

Steve

Steve, I'm late with an Fw-190 over in the Butcher Bird group build, which has been officially closed for a month. Shame on me. It is my first Eduard kit, and it has been interesting.

Greg-  that looks like an excellent build.  Please show me an image of it when your are done.  I'd love to see it.  If you ever have some in process images, I like to see those too.

Thanks for sharing!

Steve

Steve, thanks!

You might want to consider participating in a group build here. Since my return from my modeling hiatus (we all have had them it seems), I've learned more from participating in GB's than I did in years and years of modelling solo in the past. They are a lot of fun, too. Great way to get to 'know' folks here at FSM, too.

Heck, I learned a lot just lurking in the GB's for a while, before I found out that the nice folks here make them not intimidating at all.

In fact, now I think of it, I had started a WIP thread with my TBM too, and ended up being invited to join a GB with it. That said, WIP threads are fun too in case there isn't a GB that fits your bird right now.