Well folks, I was wrong. I thought that this kit wouldn't be started for a while since I'm scheduled to build another large structure for a commission project, but since that hasn't kicked off, I decided to pull this big beauty off the shelf and get into it. While I'm doing this I'm building a large plaster mountain for the railroad and while various things are drying/hardening, I can work on this model.
This model was a gift from a parent whose son I had in my Grandpop's Model Building Workshop that I ran a few years back. A close friend of hers father died and left a treasure trove of un-built Trumpeter kits. They offered them to her and she offered some to me. Included was this Avenger, a 1:32 Super Hornet which my grandson proudly built, and two Trumpeter 1:350 carriers (Hornet and Essex). Grandson is building the Hornet and I'm going to build the Essex.
This Avenger is a pretty big model with lots of details, much of which will be invisible (like the B-17) unless I open access panels to show it off, which I may do. The kit has some PE, but I added to it with two Eduard sets: Engine Details, and an Exterior set. I also ordered, but haven't received the mask set. Unfortunately, to order directly from Eduard the order needs to be over $20 and the masks are just under $10. I would buy a set for the Essex, but they don't offer it. They do offere two sets for the Hornet, but that would be up to my grandson if he wanted to mess around with it, and he's pretty much glued everything up. I have the capability to do all the masking by hand, but it's very time consuming.
I'm going to do the plane in the all-gloss sea blue scheme, instead of the three-tone, white, navy and light blue.
The build starts with the Wright R-2600 accessory case and engine baffle plate. This model has a beautifully detailed engine and with the Eduard it will be a show-stopper like those 1:48 radials I built for the B-17. This entire subassembly will be buried in the airframe unless I go with the aforementioned access panels.
This whole deal will get airbrushed, semi-gloss black. Between this part and the engine baffle goes the exhaust collector ring. I think the outside of the baffle gets sea blue, but the inside is probably zinc chromate green. I'm going check some references on this coloring before proceeding.