Dive Bomber Group Build (May 1 - Dec 31 2009)

Max, welcome to the build!  I've added you to the front page listing.  Looking forward to your photos.

hello....i think i'll like to join,,,, if thats OK ????

I got a Revell 1/32 DAUNTLESS thats has a sheet of dust on the box.....will do just OOB. we'll see

as for pics,,,,,maybe just the finished ones only......still looking around for my first camera

please let me know......THANKS!!!!

Here is my Dauntless, courtesy of Aggieman for the Secret Santa GB and the dive bomber GB. Thank you again Aggieman, it was a fun one. The kit was not bad. The cockpit is fantastic, as are all the other cockpits from Accurate Miniatures. Fit was alright. The wing roots were a bit tricky. Everything else went fine. I wanted to make this plane look old and beat up but i think I overdid it....US Navy carrier planes usually didn't get this dirty or chipped. And speaking of chips, I tried the salt chipping technique with sand. That didn't go over so well, so I painted on aluminum chips with enamel paint. But I forgot the turpenoid in my oil wash dilutes enamels, so the chips are kinda streaky." border="0" width="30" height="20" />. The figures and vehicles are from AM's set of ordnance and such. I know the figures look like toys. I need to work on that. Please feel free to leave any comments or criticisms. I entered this in my county fair for 4-H. It got a reserve champion which is alright. Unfortunately, it will not be going to the state fair.

OK, today I pulled my SBD kit (The Confederate Air Force Ghost Squadron issue) out of the "in waiting" area and resumed work. Of course half the day was spent trying to find my Detail and Scale SBD book. Which after hours of searching my house I finally did. So, I first added some detail to the inner faces of the landing gear doors- "step ledges" along the lengths, and lightening cut outs as well. I glued the doors to the struts after completeing the mods. Next I scratch built from sprue a new mounting pivot for the bomb displacment crutch. The kit one was angular and on the actual SBD it is cylindrical. I also scratch built an oil cooler from a piece of sprue and brass screen as this area I opened and is empty when seen. My final task was to create a new face for the instrument panel. The kit supplies a decal so I took some very thin sheet plastic, cut it to shape, the marked and drilled out holes to match the locations of the instruments. I also added some stretched sprue for knobs on the panel. 

Here are a few pics of my work from today. It's kind of hard to see the work, but it is the best my camera would show.

New IP face with kit decal and new oil cooler

View of landing gear door mods after being glued in place

View of opened oil cooler scoop and new mount for bomb crutch.

Stukas stukas everywhere! I've finally got to posting some of my work. Granted, these kits aren't very heavy on the assembly. Here's what I've done so far:

I just found out the kit canopies will be unusable, so I'm going to cheat and get the Squadron replacements. The pilots in one of the planes are short shot and they look stupid, so I might have to write Revel for some new ones!

Does anyone know what color German bombs should be?

Hi,

i just saw the build thread, and im really excited, althought im joining late i would really like to join on and build an accurate minatures, SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber.  Alli have to do is order what i need so i can get started right away.  I look forward to it. Thanks  -Chris

Raider, excellent job on the Dauntless!  Diorama looks great too!  Hope my SBD turns out as well as yours. 

I finished up the cockpit, although after looking at this photo, I need to hit the instrument panel.

This is my first kit by Accurate Miniatures, the detail is great, however, the cockpit requires alot of patience.  I've spent alot of time on the gunner's chair & trying to get the deck to fit into the bottom of the fuselage.  At least all of the small parts are done now

Just wanted to drop in and say I have not forgotten this GB.  I have started the Val and already have the fuselage buttoned up (I forgot to take pics of the cockpit building.....you'll just have to take my word it looks decent ).  I will try and get some pics of current build status if I remember (an iffy proposition with my memory

Brian

I have finally gotten some bench time.  Haven't finished my "man cave" yet but decided I needed to do some modelling.  I ended up choosing the A-36 over the A-24.  I'm just about to close up the fuselage and snapped a couple of photos. 

This is the Accurate Miniatures kit.  I picked it up at a show and it came with some PE that I'm attempting to use (first for me).  There are also some white metal parts too that may or may not be used.  We'll see.  Anyhow, how bout a couple of pics?

In the second pic you can see that I decided to add some wire to liven that area up a bit.  Enjoy.

Mike

Still plugging away on the A-36.  Not too much progress to report on.  The pit is installed, the fuselage is together.  It looks like an early mustang.  Doing some filling and sanding on it and that's about it.  Will put some pics up soon.

Max, if I need some help I'll be sure to give you a shout.  I remembered that you like the Allison Mustangs.  The Wildcat is next up!

Mike

Fellow Dive Bombers,

I've been making progress here & there.  Whenever I walk past the workbench, I try to get something glued or painted or sanded.  Almost ready for the clearcote & some weathering.

Well long time, no post. I got my Hs-123 cockpit painted, ready to start getting really serious, when things had to be packed up ready for a big move, 4-5 months later, its not going to happen . So have unpacked all my stuff again, heres where I'm up to. Have to pick up a couple of replacement airbrush tips next week then shall be off and racing again, till then I have the cockpit finish off etc.

Andrew

Well got some time to work on my Hs-123 today and gotta say, what a failure .

 My first go with resins and it was messy to say the least, but it was a good learning curve, so thast at least one positive.

See pics

well cockpits about 90% painted, Have put the fuselage together,will do the rest of the cockpit, and clean up as much error from out side, as its pretty roomy in the areas I need access to. 

Alright.  I guess I have to prove that I'm actually working on the A-36.  It's coming along, slowly, but surely.  I installed the pit and closed her up.  Wings have been installed.  Then I got the idea to cut out the molded in dive flaps and install some PE ones.  Lucky me.  Figured I'd challenge myself. 

As you can see, things have also been painted.  I filled some gaps, sanded said gaps, primed it all up, and started the painting process.  I'm still doing some work on the landing gear, but here is how she sits right now, waiting for some touching up.  The yellow ID bands are painted on.  I figured I needed another challenge.

Hopefully by the end of the day I'll have a coat of future on it waiting for decals.

Enjoy

Mike

Dirk,

Excellent job on your Dauntless, I love the battle damage!  You definitely got your money's worth, display her with pride!

Swede was indeed a true hero, I saw a bio of him on the Military Channel.  In one hop, he took on 3 Zeros in his Dauntless. 

Hs-123 update, What a truly borked build...

But I'm still going

Well, I must say for my first resin experience, it was, I think somewhat successful. I only broke the control stick at both ends, bottom end while trying to trim the control handle, the control hand while trying to glue the stick to the floor, very fragile isnt it?

Aftergetting the fusaluge together I have to fill and sand a few small seam problems, and end up taking off some of the raised panel lines. So time to try panel engraving (for the first time). I must agree with most of what I read, should be done BEFORE joining aircraft parts together, didnt do a great job there, but no doubt could of been worse.

 Then I decided to build the unspated version, shave off the bulges for attaching the spats and then find the unspated leg frame has gone west. So build up the spats, all together and milliputted the shaved bulges back in, along with a few other gaps on the wings and struts

Pics below are before the milliputing of spats and wheels, lets just say been a learning curve. (also engine cowling is no fixed on yet...

I must say, since getting back in modeling with real intent, it has been a huge learning curve since building kits as a kid and older teen OOB and brush only

Andrew

Time for a bump.....with pictures!

I haven't forgotten about this GB, just have some family stuffs going on.  Anyway, without further adieu, here's where I sit with my A-36..  Just some fiddly parts and some weathering and I may just call it complete.

Hope you enjoy.

Mike