Helldiver! 2/08/09 Post Script

 

Hey! And thanks chukw! I was wiped out last night and turned in early. But here you were this morning!

Fabulous.....first to last! As always.....I learned something and was entertained!

Thanks again! 

I am sad because this build is getting nearer and nearer to completion....then I am glad again to know a 1/48 B 29 will be next.

Chukw, I see you spent your July 4 on Manhattan Beach! When I was a kid, my granddad lived just down the road in Redondo Beach; I myself was raised in the Pasadena area, so I'm quite familiar with L.A. geography.

Getting the wings on is another BIG step forward! Sure, there's always more to do, but now that's when a model plane actually looks like a plane! It's all downhill from here; your plane will be in its display case before you know it.

This tutorial is beyond first class! Thank you, chuk. I am thinking that you still have a lot more in store for us and I am really looking forward to it.

 

Perhaps chukw will build a B-17 next! Well be fine for a couple years!

namrednef wrote:

Perhaps chukw will build a B-17 next! Well be fine for a couple years!

The rumor is that the next build will be a B 29 (not sure who started that one ) ....so maybe 2 1/2 years.

sfcmac wrote:

Now that's what I'm talking bout! Love it and use much of the same techniques!  You have even inspired me to put little tiny circle sites and pins on mu Do-17 for the BOB GB! I thought of you everytime I took out the magnifier! Awesome stuff Chuck! namrednef will be most pleased thanx for coming through!

Thanks, Man- your Dornier looks great!  I've got one in the stash, and it's tempting... ;-)

leemitcheltree wrote:

LOL.....a 1/144 concurrent build as well as the 1/48th....jeez, Chukie-boy....you're my hero.....I wanna be just like you when I grow up.... In truth, it's quite entertaining.....prolly the bestest WIP series I've yest seen on the 'net.  Can't wait to see the next spellbinding installment.....stay tuned....same bat time, same bat channel. Thanks again, mate.

Hi, Lee- Thanks, and hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

raider83 wrote:

Wow again.  Just wondering though, are you going to pick out any detail in the bomb bay with different colors for wires and such? don't mind me asking dumb questions

 

OMG.....lookout folks

Nice of you to answer all the posts chukw! Thanks!

B-17 w/ all the goodies eh? I may cancel cable TV!

Seriously.....your humor compliments your deft touch at modeling! 

 

 Tell me about it namrednef! He even looked at my work? Wow and he isn't blind now. Thanks for the compliment Chuck I am truely humbled by it.

sfcmac wrote:

Tell me about it namrednef! He even looked at my work? Wow and he isn't blind now. Thanks for the compliment Chuck I am truely humbled by it.

Awwww....Chukie's a good sort, ain't he?
Bloody nice of him to share his superlative work, with the added fun of his very talented artwork and rather twisted humor.
You guys wanna see more of his art, have a look at his website...it'll kick your butts....see www.chukw.com    - he's mentioned it before (I think).....but it'll give you a better insight into how and why his Helldiver is so good....he's a freak!!  But I mean that in the nicest possible sense, of course......he's an exceptionally talented individual.
And Chuk, Em just loves her present.....today is her 15th birthday, don't you know - and she considers it a part of her birfday pressie collection.  You're part of the family now!!!

 

I posted a link to chukw's page a while back......awesome stuff! Glad you caught on!

Your work is amazing. As an inexperience modeler I can't tell you how much I appreciate the time and energy you put into this installment. I will learn a lot from it.

 

Scott

 

Starting to get the itch!

Not long until Sunday!

Kind of like Church.....but we go to this one all week! 

 

....scritch......scratch......damn!.....can reach that itch!

Thanks so much, fellas!  Your kind words always put me at a loss for words.  Not to start off with a downer,  but due to circumstances beyond the pale of mortal ken, there will be no up date week.  In other words, it'll be safe to visit the internet.

Now, before the next thrilling installment- I need some help!!  As far as the color scheme goes, it looks like I've painted myself into a corner.  Despite what decal sheets may say, almost all the SB2C-4E's I've managed to find so far are overall Glossy Sea Blue.  I've had my heart set on a tricolor scheme (better weathering potential!), so if you, bold reader, can help me find that elusive aircraft, glory- yea, even Eternal Ga-LORY will be yours!   You can quickly ID a Helldiver as a -4E by the four-bladed prop with spinner and a lack of Yagi underwing antennae.  I'm looking for a Pacific-based, wartime combat veteran of a bird- thanks!

Another little thing that bugs me is that I've seen a modeler or two re-shape the gear doors and re-do the internal ribbing.  Any intel there?  I've looked and looked, but no cigar as of yet.   If you can help this neurotic plastic-hacker on this perplexing matter, my eternal gratitude shall be yours to collect, share with your friends or sell on ebay.  

We now rejoin our somewhat brief program already in progress.

Ahhh....my week is now complete...........By the way I have no info on the camo, maybe someone else will know something.

Greetings,

I thought I had your answer but I don't think it's the missing link you're looking for.  There is an SB2C-4 on page 33 of In Detail & Scale SB2C Helldiver publication.  This aircraft at the bottom of the page does appear to have the antennas but it is clearly an SB2C-4 in a tri-color scheme.  It is also undergoing carrier qualification so it's likely that once deployed it was painted dark blue overall.  If you have this book note the crazy numbering under the port wing as well.  This is probably not much help.  You sure you don't have a late model -3 variant there?  That would most likely be a tri-color paint scheme. 

I was wondering how you were going to attach the engine.  I had a similar problem with my Monogram T-6 that I decided to use the Italeri kit engine on.  It just didn't quite fit so I had to file down the engine just as you did.  It all turned out fine and looks great but it does hurt to have to do that to your work.  Did you just glue the engine inside the cowling?  Any plans for an engine mount? 

Keep up the great work! 

Dave

Alright, I found a few photos with the -1 in tri-color.

I also found a color plate with a -3 that has a 4 blade prop and a tri-color scheme. It is: VB-9 aircraft carrier Lexington U.S.Navy Air Force - Pacific Sea, 1945.

I know they aren't -4's but I wonder if the scheme on the -3 might be the same since it was so late in the war?

Josh

Here are a couple of photos of Helldivers that are reported to be -4E's.  They are said to be Scout Squadron 75 and taken in 1945.  Here's a link with not much information...

http://flickr.com/photos/3010kin/2231944903/

 

Sorry that you had to butcher up your bee-yoo-tee-ful engine chuk. Why don't you just throw together another one for a hardstand display? You made it look so easy in the tutorial.

This is a shot of the CAF bird. I don't think the paint is correct for the model. I read that all Helldivers were painted overall midnight blue in 1944.

Here is a link to the Fiddler's Green website that gives a little history of why the Brits rejected this abomination of a divebomber.  http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/Curtiss-Helldiver/helldive_info/helldiv_info.htm

I'm just glad my dad flew in Avengers, I might not be here today if he had been assigned to a Helldiver squadron.

Chuck your engine looks glorious. You can see soo much of it that all that detail work was worth its weight in styrene my friend. Good luck with the colour scheme.

...Guy

Will wonders never cease? I might be able to actually help this person....the line below was on a USS Essex website.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020957.jpg

& had this caption..."A VB-83 SB2C-4 from Essex, March 1945."

Looking at the cowling, it appears that it might have the paint thou seeks, yet it still has an antenna under the wing.

 Below are from Wings Palette.

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/b/765/3/4/36

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/b/765/3/4/77

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/b/765/3/4/10

I also found in a book "American Warplanes of World War II", pp 80-81 an SB2C-3, that appears to not have an antenna under the wing, & does have the 4-blade prop. from the USS Hancock, CVG-7, 1943/44. (Can't locate the camera right now, if a picture of the pages is wanted, just let me know.)

Regarding the gear doors & ribbing...can't say I found the model/modeler that you are thinking of, but here, I figure that these walkaround photos will help you figure out if it is necessary for you to go reconfigure more styrene. (photos in question are about 1/2 way down.)

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/sb2c/sb2c_walk.shtml

 

,Dave

 Well been looking but no luck. Just overall sea blue. My family was looking sideways at me as I was dumping boxes of books chanting SB2C-4E.  When I explained you were looking for a paint profile she just said , "More Models! Tell him to paint it PINK!"........ so there ya go , problem solved.

 I did find this one. Not mush help with the color but made me think of your engine.

USS BunkerHill

 

HiYa chukw! I had a chance to look in quickly this a.m. and just pored over it a bit ago. None here were shortchanged! The logic and progress of this build are a very great tutor!

I did look through my print refs about the tri-color on the dash 4. No luck as with the above posts.

I do recall some internet reading about the Beast that said (paraphrasing)

"An obviously brand new -4 flying from the factory to the fleet. (Notes the tri-color scheme).....then mentions how it will be immediately painted the new deep blue upon arrival with the fleet."

I am sorry, but many of us will keep looking! I have the above article somewhere, (I save everything!)

So, if it's out there, we'll find it! But things look dismal, right now.

Thank you again! 

I'm not sure what it is, but the last page of FSM July '07 has a little blurb about the Helldiver in "History you can Model". The photo is from 1944 which is when the -4E seems to be made. There are little things under the wings but I thought they could be for the new rockets the article mentions. Also, it is in more than just blue.

"A Helldiver circles above USS Yorktown, July 1944" with #63 on the tail and sides.

 

OKAY chukw....I may have found.......uh, something!

Ppg 51 0f US Navy Aircraft, Camouflage and Markings 1940-45....A S/S special pub by Thos. Doll. I recently bought this and forgot I had it.

Anyway....on that page is a -4E with a slightly modified tri-color scheme. This is an ASW craft shown parked at a snow covered air station....the scheme is called ASW Scheme II. The Sqdn. is XVF-51. You probably aren't looking for this, though.

!.....The second pic I just noticed the Yagi.......damn! It was from VB-85 off the Shangi-La and named "Little Fat". Scheme looks great though! This A/C was photographed overflying a heavily damaged Japanese airfield in 1945! So the concept exists!

The caption refers to this as a scout bomber, but why, at that late date, would they have the tri-color while other carrier-borne A/C were the deep blue?

I'll keep on it! 

 

bertman wrote:

I'm not sure what it is, but the last page of FSM July '07 has a little blurb about the Helldiver in "History you can Model". The photo is from 1944 which is when the -4E seems to be made. There are little things under the wings but I thought they could be for the new rockets the article mentions. Also, it is in more than just blue. "A Helldiver circles above USS Yorktown, July 1944" with #63 on the tail and sides.

Ok, I found the same picture on the web marked as a SB2C-1C but then read that it was miss labeled and actually a SB2C-4 made into a prototype XSB2C-5, which won't help you anyway. Sorry.

picture

Greetings Chuk & all,

I received my vac-u-form and upgrade kit and finished the improvements tonight.  Naturally I had to take it for a spin.  It took me a few tries but I'm very impressed with how well the old Mattel machine still works.

One thing I picked up on was (probably because of the thinner plastic we use on cockpit glass) is the need to clip the handles together so that the frame doesn't lose grip of the plastic.  It's also important to give it plenty of time to heat up.  I used 15 minutes and got great results.

One question Chuk, I noticed on my test that there was a sort of blister appearance to the plastic after my last cast.  Any idea what would cause that?  Did you have similar issues with any of your attempts?

Thanks!

Dave

davew6003 wrote:

Ahhh....my week is now complete...........By the way I have no info on the camo, maybe someone else will know something.

 

Thanks, Dave- look- hekp is pouring in!