Fit problems with 1/48 Accurate Miniatures SBD Dauntless

Matt,

I know exactly what you are talking about!  I have problems with the wing to fuse joint, cowl area, and I.P.  It's the first AM model I have worked on, so I don't know for sure if it's a typical problem.  I have heard wonderful things about their Avenger, but this Dauntless has me a lil' gun-shy about starting it.  Sorry I can't offer much help, but I am in the same canoe with ya'.

Which one is it, the -3 or -5? I've built the -3 and had problems with the lower wing to fuse fit also. The biggest problem was the cowl and gun trough panels. These were entirely wrong and it took AM weeks to get me the correct parts. The IP would not fit under the combing pad either.

Don't fear the other AM kits. I've built about five of their mustangs and the fit is good on those. I've also built the Yak 1b and the fit was good with that one too with only minor fiddling. I've heard nothing but good about the Avengers. Havent heard squat about the vindicators other than they are repops of the old and nasty Monogram kit, to be avoided.

I've built about 5 or 6 of their kits and love 'em. True, some have their quirks and fit issues but what kit doesn't. You can't beat their detail. Don't be turned off by them because of that kit.

Andy 

Monogram never made a Vindicator kit, the only one in 1/48 before the AM kit was by HiPM, and it is to be avoided.  Perhaps what you are thinking of from that era is the TBD which Monogram did do.  It has issues because of the corrugations but is a nicely detailed kit.

I can't see that the AM SB2U owes anything to the HiPM kit, which is an unmitigated disaster, in my "unbiased" opinion.  (I have both).  There are two basic aggravations in the AM SB2U kit.  There is a circumferential sink mark around the aft fuselage which is difficult to deal with because it is a fabric skinned section, and the clear parts do not nest in the open position, so a few vacform pieces are needed to open the canopies easily.

hkshooter,

It IS the SBD-3. The lower wing and cockpit floor fit were the most glaring problems. The 2 nose mounted machine guns do fit into the cowl troughs, after a little bit of surgery. (The 2 guns included in my kit were bent on the spruce. They required a hot water soak to straighten them out.) Did the A.M. SBD Dauntless kit come out BEFORE the A.M. Avenger? I hope that is so. I really liked the quality and high detail of their Avenger kit. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in an excellent kit. However, the Dauntless falls well short in quality and value. Especially, for a $30 kit.

The biggest thing to remember with AccMin kits is the need to read thier directions.  The cockpit once fitted helps hold the wing to fuselage joint closed, tricky but doable.  As for teh cowling I have not had any real problems building them - but I have not done a 'Midway' SBD-3 or SBD-4 where the rear fuselage is from the later Dash 5 with the two gun rear mount and the front from the earlier versions with the carborator scoop on the cowl.

 Now as for the under fuselage/wing joint, that one does blow.  In the 4 I have built none of them has fit all that well (2 SBD-1s and 2 SBD-3s) and I have usually wiped out the detail around the formation lights.

All of the Accurate kits have thier quirks, the Avenger is in trying to get the turret installed.  The Yaks have some of the inserts that are not 100%.  The SBD the underwing join and the slightly too short dive brakes, as well as getting the landing gear aligned properly (read the instructions!).  The IL-2s have a similar cockpit-fuselage-wing assembly as does the Dauntless.

Don't give up on them, they just are not the easiest shake and bake style of kits around.  It is very possible to get a great build out of them, and then have to face masking the bloody canopies, which is where I am at with my current SBD-1 build!

Matt

Go out and get yourself the Accurate Miniatures B-25 (any variant).  You'll fall in love with AM all over again!

Eric

hkshooter wrote:

Which one is it, the -3 or -5? I've built the -3 and had problems with the lower wing to fuse fit also. The biggest problem was the cowl and gun trough panels. These were entirely wrong and it took AM weeks to get me the correct parts. The IP would not fit under the combing pad either.

The problems are isolated to the -3 late kit only, which has a mix of parts from the -3 and the -5 kit.  This link discusses the problems: http://www.internetmodeler.com/2007/october/aviation/am_sbd3dauntless.php

Don't fear the other AM kits. I've built about five of their mustangs and the fit is good on those. I've also built the Yak 1b and the fit was good with that one too with only minor fiddling. I've heard nothing but good about the Avengers. Havent heard squat about the vindicators other than they are repops of the old and nasty Monogram kit, to be avoided.

The only 1/48 ex-Monogram  kit that AM has released is the SB2C Helldiver, which is the excellent Pro Modeler kit.  They have recently released a few old 1/72 Monogram kits.  Revell-Monogram still own the molds for the old 60s vintage Helldiver from Monogram.

As jeanton01 said, the AM Vindicator is an all new kit.  The HiPM kit is the best known previous kit.  There was another one released by a limited production company who's name escapes me.  They were much better known for 1/72 scale kits and only released the Vindicator just before they folded.

AM has new management now.  They folded for a year or so earlier this decade.  The problem with the old management was that they tended to put so much effort into their kits that they had trouble getting their money back out again.  The new management is a bit more focused on turning a profit than being perfectionists.  They have turned out an excellent Vindicator, but the -3 Midway SBD was not fully thought out.

Another thing to keep in mind when building AM kits is to closely follow the instructions step by step.  Some of their sub assemblies are engineered such that if you aren't following the instructions closely, you can end up painting yourself into a corner. 

Bill