Greetings.. I am working on an Academy TBM-3 USS Bunker Hill kit. However, I am building it to look like the 1945 Flight 19 #28 plane as shown below. This kit comes with clear position light lens covers, #13 as shown below. The other wing is not shown in the image I posted. I have a few questions.
1. Does anyone have first hand knowledge or reference material indicating if the lens covers were clear? Or were they colored lens covers? I found a reference on the Internet that with the older Avengers, they used colored lens covers, and with later models they switched to clear lens covers. The reference that I found was not very sure of that fact though.
2. In either case, do you have any knowledge as to the color for each wing?
3. With the instructions as shown below, there are two other clear parts that are to be installed. Number 82 and number 80. I have no clue what the functions are of these let alone how I should paint them. The instructions do not say. I found an actual Avenger image that showed part 82 painted the same color as the fuselage. However, this was a modern day refurbished plane and it may not be accurate to the 1945 spec. Can anyone confirm? Part 80 is circular and mounts underneath the wing. Is this another light of some sort? Color?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks much!
Steve