Revell 1/48 TBD-1..finished!

Looks quite good enough for me.

GOOD ENOUGH???  They look far better than the PE ones I have used.  I really like the effect, much better than I have been able to build up.  Well done mate, this entire build is the dog's danglies!

Thanks Mike!

 I've only had a few hours free time all week, so all I've done is the seat harnesses.

PE???? We don't need no stinkin PE!!!!

Here's some of the hardware made from aluminum and wire. It is a bit crude, but once it's buried in the pit, it'll be convincing enough, I think......hope!!!!

Masking tape for the straps, with hardware attached.

Attached and painted......good enough????

Top notch stuff Fermis, excellent scratch build work very very nice paint work, all in all a pleasure to see. Last photo is a bit crap though

Cheers...

Thanks Rob!!!

Here's just a little more for ya!

I had to scratch the gunners seat as well. I started by carving a blank from a piece of wood to the shape of the seatpan, then a couple attempts at a thermoform, and I had a nice seatpan. A bit of trimming and sanding, and it was a beautiful thing!

Some bits of stretched sprue for the uprights, sheet styrene for the back "ring" and tea can aluminum for the front ring, a spare perferated ring for the gunmount(from a crashed Helldiver).

I also scratched a new pitot tube, brass rod and wire.

And a crappy pic of where she sits now. Gears on, engine done, and a new antenna mast from sheet styrene.

Nice work Doc.  I don't look at this for a few days, and look what I miss.  You are a Doctor.....Keep serving them up like this. 

Cheers

WOW, thanks again everybody, I'm almost starting to think I'm gettin good!!!!

Hans von Hammer

I know what you're doing Fermis...  I was just injecting a little "gallows humor"...  It wasn't a critique...

I know buddy, I had no "tone" intended in my reply

Rob, For paint, I use Model Master enamels. I started with the flat white for the belly, straight out of the bottle(thinned of course). In an empty bottle, I mixed inermediate blue with white(roughly 2(blue) to 1(white), for the first overall coat. In another bottle I mixed roughly 4/1 for a darker shade of blue, and sprayed that randomly. To get a little more control of the spray, I pinch the airhose a little bit to lower the pressure from the can. For the darkest areas, I just drybrush out of the original Int. blue. An overall raw umber(acrylic) wash helped blend and dirty things up a bit. I saved all my mixed paints fo another build I have coming up soon.

Amazung build as always Fermis. Looks great.

Fermis,

Amazing work! I'm still trying to get my techniques down- I have alot to learn. Could you give ma a brief summary of what paints you used to get such an amazing effect?

Thanks

Rob

still loving it Fermis..!

I know what you're doing Fermis...  I was just injecting a little "gallows humor"...  It wasn't a critique...

Fermis, great work.  The weathering is becoming my favorite part of the job.  Thanks to you and some of the other guys here, I'm getting a little better.  Keep up the inspirational work.  Oh, and I just keep thinking of that detail under the masking tape.  Thanks for the WIP.  Rick.

stikpusher

it ain't about the size of the tool...

Obviously you know how to get the most out of what you got...

I can do a lot with very little!

Comes from a lifetime of being hung like a fieldmouse!!!!! 

They don't call me "Ratchetbolt Thunderstud" for nothin!!!!

it ain't about the size of the tool...

Obviously you know how to get the most out of what you got...

vetteman42

Ok I comin to your house Fermis to learn how to weather and use my Airbrush

 Come on over, I got some fresh venison in the freezer, I'll wrap up a backstrap in some bacon, grill it up, have a couple cocktails and talk some $#!+!!!!!

My airbrushing skill aint so hot...really!!! I still got that cheapo Testors, single action.

Only beats a rattlecan, cause I can mix my own colors.

The majority of the "effects" are done by drybrushing.

Beautiful job so far Fermis, that paint job is gorgeous

Cheers...

Ok I comin to your house Fermis to learn how to weather and use my Airbrush

Fermis, to my eye, you did a great job capturing the look of those weary TBD training birds. Parked out on the ramp when not in flight, the lower status of the training squadrons, and the use 'em till they drop mentality are all replicated quite well. Their chance for glory now past, they still serve a useful role, but will never face the foe again.

 Thanks for the kind words everybody

Here's the caption from the ref pic posted earlier

Hans von Hammer

The thing is, did the TBDs survive long enough to weather that much, lol..

Those TBD's in the ref pic look pretty beat up, I know black and white can exaggerate the effect though. With the discusion about insignia markings and time frames, take another look at the Dauntless pic with red in the star, and how beat that thing is. I know, I may be stretching a bit, but, just wanted to try something new. I really, really love em beat to hell!!!! Like to do a little something different on each build.

 Here's a few more pics, with better lighting. Ought to be able to see the different color on the fuse. I assumed that would have been a newer coat of paint to cover the old insignia.

More pictures Fermis more pictures Beautiful paint job !!!

I have a copy of that photo in an old Monogram Aerofile book. That TBD was a stateside training bird. Judging by the pic it retained its' Blue Gray over Light Gray scheme that most TBDs operated in for their entire career. After Midway, the survivors were relegated to training units. The oversize markings common in the PTO were not often seen in the Atlantic and Med, where these TBDs operated and most likely came from (Wasp and Ranger's Air Groups). Unit code markings (e.g. 8-T-1) were ordered modified (removal of squadron number)  in early 1942 for security purposes, but they were seen as late as Midway. They were supposed to be in black, but again, even at Midway, white markings were still seen.

So now, this shot shows a Torpedo 4 TBD, post late May 1942 (no red center/tail stripes) without the oversize insignia. Where the unit markings are placed could explain the band of the darker paint to cover them up. This is one of the most likely source units for the training bird being modeled.

I like the TBD's alot... Love the build man! Keep up the good work!!   I have 2 in my stash..!

The thing is, did the TBDs survive long enough to weather that much, lol..

Nice choice on the paint scheme. I like the worn finish.

I think so... The unit codes were removed right around the "Midway" time... 'Course, they could be aircraft from "Theater" OTUs rather than "Stateside" units... I'm not all that up on what the Navy did during that time-frame...

One of the things I read about was that the use of the US Insignia on both wings was discontinued because of an unintended "Aiming Point" given to enemy gunners allowing them to "aim at center mass between the stars" in order to target the cockpit.  The red disc was ordered removed due to "friendly fire" incidents, gunners mistaking the red center for Japanese Hinomaru...

The short-lived red-bordered insignia was added in the summer of '43, and it was felt that it wouldn't be a recognition issue for gunners.. Turned out that the 'Planners" were wrong: Gunners were still "Seeing red" and shooting at aircraft marked with the red borders...

Hans von Hammer

p38jl:

Hans von Hammer:

Kinda dark, Pard... Can you adjust the exposure with Windows?  I tried, but some error keeps me from saving them.. There's a lighter-shaded band of some sort around the TBDs and I can't tell if a different color or just newer paint on 600 & 602..

 

IMHO, I think there is a differant color band on the fuselage, I believe its due to the time period of the shot, I can't remember the dating, but the Navy changed the size of the fuselage roundels, in '42 ?? from the larger Prewar/Early war to the smaller roundel. I beleive the differant color band is from overpainting the previous markings to the new..

 

Well, that's where I have some confusing issues too... Pre-war/Post Yellow-wing, the US Navy had one size of roundel on the fuselage, then went to an over-sized one (but only in the PTO, I think) just prior to the Coral Sea battle, then painted out the red center between then & Midway, THEN changed the size again, all in 1942...

Stikpusher (I think) posted a link once upon a time to US Navy Markings and Camouflage but damned if I can find it now...

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq2-1.htm

above is link I found with a quick search..

also another possibility, is the band is where the numbers are, could it be these planes were front line planes, returned to the states or rear areas for training ?The front line unit codes painted out, and training numbers painted on,  the fuselage numbers are high as in high numbered, didnt most training planes use high numbers ? most front line planes had lower numbers didn't they ??

p38jl

Hans von Hammer:

Kinda dark, Pard... Can you adjust the exposure with Windows?  I tried, but some error keeps me from saving them.. There's a lighter-shaded band of some sort around the TBDs and I can't tell if a different color or just newer paint on 600 & 602..

 

IMHO, I think there is a differant color band on the fuselage, I believe its due to the time period of the shot, I can't remember the dating, but the Navy changed the size of the fuselage roundels, in '42 ?? from the larger Prewar/Early war to the smaller roundel. I beleive the differant color band is from overpainting the previous markings to the new..

Well, that's where I have some confusing issues too... Pre-war/Post Yellow-wing, the US Navy had one size of roundel on the fuselage, then went to an over-sized one (but only in the PTO, I think) just prior to the Coral Sea battle, then painted out the red center between then & Midway, THEN changed the size again, all in 1942...

Stikpusher (I think) posted a link once upon a time to US Navy Markings and Camouflage but damned if I can find it now...

p38jl

Hans von Hammer:

Kinda dark, Pard... Can you adjust the exposure with Windows?  I tried, but some error keeps me from saving them.. There's a ligghter-shaded band of some sort around the TBDs and I can't tell if a different color or just newer paint on 600 & 602..

 

IMHO, I think there is a differant color band on the fuselage, I believe its due to the time period of the shot, I can't remember the dating, but the Navy changed the size of the fuselage roundels, in '42 ?? from the larger Prewar/Early war to the smaller roundel. I beleive the differant color band is from overpainting the previous markings to the new..

Ps.. also the deletion of the RED centers on the roundels...

Hans von Hammer

Kinda dark, Pard... Can you adjust the exposure with Windows?  I tried, but some error keeps me from saving them.. There's a ligghter-shaded band of some sort around the TBDs and I can't tell if a different color or just newer paint on 600 & 602..

IMHO, I think there is a differant color band on the fuselage, I believe its due to the time period of the shot, I can't remember the dating, but the Navy changed the size of the fuselage roundels, in '42 ?? from the larger Prewar/Early war to the smaller roundel. I beleive the differant color band is from overpainting the previous markings to the new..