U.S. Naval Aviation GB!

LOL!!! Ya know, I was planning on asking you if you wanted me to mail you a paid in full reciept. Then I got to the bottom and saw ya beat me to it! Looks good! I like the canopy, and the shot with the light streaming through the window kind of silloueting the plane kinda jerked me back to flight ops way back when.. when the sun would start rising you would catch that angle at times...

Great job Reg! And glad the airbrush worked out for ya...

Consider the transaction "Paid in FULL"

here it is folks, my dragon 1/144 shake n bake dio. its completely box stock, painted with tamiya and gunze acrylics. i used an aztek airbrush (thanks tom) for the smaller parts, and a humbrol spray gun for the larger areas.
the 3 tone camo is a load of Bravo Sierra cos there is almost no discernable difference.
the cockpit was just lumps, so i deleted it and just decided that a gaping hole is preferable to some blobs. the canopy is tinted with future and blue food coloring (thanks mom).













enjoy, and please do let me know what you think

P.S. - this is "payment" for ya Tom

hey Ray, he posted in the Painting and airbrushing section last night, sounds like he is in his apartment, and looks like (I hope) he will be back in the swing at least occasionally soon!

Glad we got th extra time added too. I am still waiting on the decals from greatmodels to replace the torn one on my SBD. I'm about where you are on it... just the wheels bombs and tidbits to finish her!

It's gonna look good when she is done... if my decals ever make it!


---edit---

by the way, looking forward to the Viking... not a common subject but a nice plane!!!

Finally making some progress.

My Corsair is nearing completion after a hectic marathon of three weeks on the bench! All that is left is decaling, minor weathering and more future. I will post picks in the next couple of days ( I still do not have web acess at home).

My ERTL Viking is close behind, probably a week. To round out my GB, I will finally finish up my kit-bashed F-4S that I started months ago before my relocation from Florida.

Has anyone heard from SALTYDOG? Is he still moving?

Ray

I would tape it myself... tape over the canopy, trim, then BAM!!! airbrush that sucker!!! of course for 1/144 blue tak would work I am sure... looking forward to seeing your build!

oh yea, i didnt think very hard about getting it off. hmm maybe i will just carefully use blutak- australia's gift to the modeling world

hmmm is it already attached? if you put it in place with white glue you can just take it off and reglue it... I've never used white glue to mask but it shouldn't hurt the Future, it's pretty inert... just would seem a pain to get it off afterwards...

just to let everyone know, i have finished decalling my F-14, and im now about to flatcoat it. can i mask off a futured canopy with white glue ? the white glue wont attack the future will it ?

You read my mind Scott! I have noticed quite a few SBD builds here and on another forum.. and even more mentioning they have the kit... I think we would have a good turn out. Jules mentioned he was wanting to build one too! Of course we would have to include the A-24 as well... know at least 2 people that have mentioned wanting to build the army version...

After June I am free of GB's (yes I have resisted joining even MORE GB's than I already am in) Maybe that would be a good time to start getting it in order for End of summer/fall...

Thanks Tom, I have noticed that the exhaust stacks do stick out pretty far on the SBD, which may account for minimal exhaust staining. I have worked around piston planes for many years, They all have a light layer of slime on their undersides. This would be a combination of oil from the cylinder heads, transmission fluid from the gear box, and hydraulic fluid from the many hydraulic connections. Mix that in with rubber from the tires and dirt and grass from the runway, and residue from the ship (if carrier born) and other aircraft. However, you would only notice this if you are looking up close. When I worked around water bombers, the pilots would say if the plane wasn't leaking something, then theres a problem. This is all that I'm going to do on these two I think. Although they were around salt water, I don't think I want to try to show corrosion just yet. Maybe on the next model. Boy, I sure do like to try my hand at doing that Atlantic Blue over White scheme.

Ohh, and I can't wait until AM releases that Vindicator!

You know, with the few of us having SBD addictions, maybe someday we should just have an SBD group build? Maybe next fall?


Scott

here ya go scott:

a relatively clean one:

http://aviationhistory.info/i/photo/warbird/SBD-bomber.gif

a litte more used, note the lack of a lot of exhaust residue and the lighter color over the wing:

http://www.planet-liebe.de/vbb/showthread.php?t=31530&page=4

a few pics on one page:

http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Dauntless.htm

a grainy pic but a well weathered craft:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g10000/g17054c.htm

scroll down to see the SBD on this one:

http://www.cloud9photography.us/sub-bp-002.html

anyway you get the idea... a little different than the average weathering on a model... actually less weathering... I left my other one alone, maybe a little fading on the control surfaces.. this one was an experiimental model, tried a lot of things I had looked up lately and pastels was one of them... I need to get some grey ones to simulate the above the wing fading I guess... or leave it alone (Which is probably what I will do)

Scott, I looked at all the references on the net I could find and out of all the actual WWII pics I could find, color or B&W I notcied a few things...

Under the front cowl there was slight amount of oil/some fluid blown back toward the rear. Behind the engine cowl where the secondary cowl starts (the front of the kit without the cowl placed over the engine) looked a little greasy, maybe some soot as well on the lower half where the exhaust blew back.

Various light streaking along the wing from leading edge, tapering back to nothing before it reached the trailing edge. I am assuming condensation dissolving dirt or such on the wing and blowing it back in flight. It was noticably around the oval access panels about mid wing across... one edge of the panel maybe wasnt flush as the rest and would cause the streak. not too many, only saw maybe 2 or 3 streaks on any carrier based craft.

NO exhaust streak along the fuselage from the exhaust... I noticed this on the newer SBD shots from airshows and what-not so started digging for wartime shots and nope... no exhaust streak... if anything the most I saw was some soot right at the exhaust pipe itself... kind of a roundish blob maybe got there during startup. actually in most of the shots the paint was LIGHTER where most builds show exhaust.. can't explain it unless it was due to washing when back on the deck...

I would be careful about weathering TOO much... even depicted during combat, carrier based planes were WELL maintained by the USN and USMC. They were very picky about even dirt on the exterior (I remember on my cruises how they would be up till late cleaning and maintaining the helicopters while deployed) Island based aircraft might fare a little worse as less support staff lacked and especially during battles...

I'll try to get a few resource links to give you an idea what I was talking about..

QUOTE: Originally posted by tho9900 hey Scott, had the exact thing happen to me on this one AND the first one I built... (the middle one went together no prob) you are talking about the gunners bulkhead that would be facing him at the rear of the aircraft? Luckily I hadn't mated the wings on when I had that happen and a pair of dental pliers got it out and back in again... if I build another I might hit it with some CA behind the bulkhead where you can't see from an open canopy... looking forward to seeing it? what paint scheme did ya use on it? (forget which model you chose) Mine is in the overall blue/gray with light grey bottom surfaces... I must say I like the look... the tri color late war schme was good on my dash-5 but this one looks clean... a lot more detail shows up with a wash too! hope to get the decals in so I can finish it.. just piddling with it here or there right now until it comes in! ---edit--- [b]

Yup, it was the gunners bulkhead, and I had the rear gun installed and the plane is complete except for the decals. Again, I mise well just live with it than risk destoying the plane trying to unwedge it, unless your really looking for it, its hard to tell its missing. But its still a bummer

I have the -5 and built it OOB. Tri color with the Lexington markings, was a bear to paint and keep clean. I've built the Monogram SBD for a Lex airgroup display many years ago and this model will make a more accurate rendition to replace my old Monogram model.

The F4F is in the old Sky Blue over Grey and I really like that combination. I can't wait to get the red, white and blue decals on it.

My biggest decision is to weather these planes, I really like how clean they look and hate to "dirty" them up with washes and such.

Scott

hey Scott, had the exact thing happen to me on this one AND the first one I built... (the middle one went together no prob) you are talking about the gunners bulkhead that would be facing him at the rear of the aircraft?

Luckily I hadn't mated the wings on when I had that happen and a pair of dental pliers got it out and back in again... if I build another I might hit it with some CA behind the bulkhead where you can't see from an open canopy...

looking forward to seeing it? what paint scheme did ya use on it? (forget which model you chose) Mine is in the overall blue/gray with light grey bottom surfaces... I must say I like the look... the tri color late war schme was good on my dash-5 but this one looks clean... a lot more detail shows up with a wash too!

hope to get the decals in so I can finish it.. just piddling with it here or there right now until it comes in!

---edit---

Jules: I forgot to mention if you wanna do one with the red and white striped tail you might want to check out an after market decal kit... the squadron I modeled had just shown up on the Lexington and were told to white out the red dots on the roundels and paint the red and white stripes to grey and blue... there is a set on squadron.com with the rudder stripes for the SBD... also one with generic squadron markings for the SBD's as well, should be able to model it as the plane you want with those!

Scott's update:

It was a great weekend to build models. I got the Wildcat repainted and I really like how it turned out. Both it and the SBD are all fitted out and ready for their first coat of Future before applying the decals. I'm so elated, I may finish both models before the new year.

One side problem I encountered with the SBD, the back wall fell loose and jammed its self back into the rear of the fuselage. I tried many attepts to get it loose but succomed to the fact that I would end up doing more damage, so I left it. Oh well.

I really loved both these kits. The AM for it's completeness, and the Tamiya for its simplicity and GREAT moldings. This was a fun build.

I hope to take them to work this week and use the camera there to take some pics and post them.

Scott

yeah I've seen the different kits for this compartment and that, and saw the complete set the other day... I think my wife might finally take exception to me and my spending when she has to eat nothing but rice for 2 weeks if I bought all that!

Yeah i'ts a sweet kit Tom, i figured it would be an easy kit but yep i was wrong some of the hull openings are gonna be a challenge to open and the conning tower is going to have to be painted in 2 sections, and i just learned the other day that a complex PE set is now available so i'm gonna have to get that sucker too, not to mention the crew figures from White Ensign........Jules......

Jules, I saw that kit the otherday at the LHS.... looks sweet! one day.... so many models, so little time!

Looking forward to seeing the finished build TomI on the other hand havn't touched a model in 3 weeks what with building a house and the whole moving thing plus the mad season coming around but i did manage to open up some holes on my 1/72 U-boat today.....Jules.....

I'm glad they pushed the date for this build out a bit... I got shanghai'd by the neighbors yesterday evening to go to their house for some Christmas cheer... got back and wanted to get some more on this kit done as I was so close... ends up while patting down a decal I tore it... one of the insignia from the wing so it's not something I can live without..

Ordered some aftermarket decals which should be in Tuesday ro so, so until this happens I am putting this one aside. the only things I have left on it are placing the landing gear, the dive flaps and bombs... dull coat it, secure the canopy and that's it!

Looking forward to finishing this baby.. she's looking pretty good!

QUOTE: Originally posted by j.s.harrison Thats it Tom, when my Wife cracks at me for buying model stuff i'm gonna tell her that Tom's wife doesn't mind not that it will do me any good......

oh yeah forgot to comment on this one Jules...

if your wife is anything like mine she'll probably just look at you and snap "Well then fly to the US and go live with them, maybe she'll let you buy models then"

(Wouldn't advise it, both of my dogs sleep in the other bedroom and they like to lick faces too much... plus it's my modeling room and I would have to kick ya out now everyday)

Cool! if you can find it, the Accurate Miniatures kit is AWESOME! comes with a lot of interior detail (sadly you can't see a lot of it once the fuselage is closed) great engraving on the panels... just enough without being TOO deep! optional bulged or round tires, the SBD-2 also has the canopymasks as well... you'd either have to get aftermarket decals or paint the rudder stripes yourself as this kit is marked for one off the Lexington flown by the USMC. When they got there they painted over the red dot in the middle of the star roundels and overpainted the red and white stripes with the same blue and grey of the main body...

Would love to see yours! I saw a reference the other day of a squadron of SBD's that flew for the RAAF if I am not mistaken I will see if I can find it..

Picked up a 1/72 AT-6 Texan for the Latin build and building it as a Colombian trainer. Looking for a 1/48 A-37 to match the decal set I founf for a Dragonfly of the same country.... that's how I keep my wife happy and buying me things.. everytime I go I buy at least one of something SHE likes the looks of and build it whether I like the plane of not!

Thats it Tom, when my Wife cracks at me for buying model stuff i'm gonna tell her that Tom's wife doesn't mind not that it will do me any good......
Oh Yeah if your still stuck on the Dauntless obsession thing i have a plate of an SBD in Mexican markings, right next to it is the Dauntless i'd like to do It's from VSB-6 onboard the Enterprise during FEB 42 and it has those red and white stripes on the rudder that i like so much.......Jules......

funny you should mention it Scott, not sure if you saw it (you probably did) but Manuel, the guy who started the GB's father flew in an A-24 in WWII for the Mexican AF... he has a good article on it from a link on the thread, as well as pics of his A-24 build...

I was thinking about it, but am starting to worry what the neighbors will think with me only buiilding SBD's lately...

Probably going to do an A-37, something I haven't seen much of on here... My wife is pushing for an F-86 in FAC (Colombian colors) since she is from Colombia.. you know who will win I am sure.. I'm a battered husband I tell ya! It's so bad that...

oh wait, I forgot she told me to order my new airbrush when she got home yesterday... I better keep the joking quiet for a bit!

Hmmmmm, I may have to look at doing a Mexican or Chilean SBD.

Jules: that's the one I am building, it's got markings for any one of the 16 USMC SBD's flying from Midway Island during that engagement. I want to build another one, possibly dress it for a warmer climate for the Latin American Group Build...


---edit---

By the way... anyone is welcome to join the Latin American group build, I know everyone is strapped for builds right now but it probably won't start until April or May officially... there's some really colorful aircraft flown by the Colombian and Ecuadorian AF's I might tackle... kinda painted up to look like parrots on top of a light gray main coat..

Just a thought, it's something you don't see a lot of...

QUOTE: Originally posted by lodni_k QUOTE: Originally posted by j.s.harrison I havn't touched the Hellcat in a while either, and if it wasn't for the 4 week extension i would never get it done, but i will hopefully come in at the end Does that mean we have till the end of January? I just got my Bearcat re-closed up. I'm getting pics but have'nt been able to post em. I was thinkin' I was really pressed for time.[:0]

Yeah mate it was decided a few pages ago to extend the time limit

Tom sounds like your having fun with that buildI wouldn't mind building one myself, maybe a Midway one

QUOTE: Originally posted by scottrc Nice Tom, I would like to build a 1 or 3 model because I do like that color, same with the Wildcat. Also like your deterent to keep your dog at bay. I tried that solution, however, its usually within earshot of the wife as well, then I must to avoid her whislting hand of death. Scott

lol!!! yeah I got the exact same problem Scott... ironic... I was feeling bold when I posted that because she was out of town.. she came back last night so I have to be on my good behavior again..

hey Jules! no the SBD-1's woulda fit in that category.. they were either NMF with yellow wings or the blue/grey... both with the red and blue striped rudders.. this little beast has blue and gray rudder stripes oddly enough, some of them could have had the red and blue but I am not sure...... I might just mask the stripes and paint them by hand as the gray in the stripes looks an awful lot like an aircraft gray, and the blue is the same color as the fuselage.. I'll have to see...

the canopy was a chore as you can imagine, especially as the kit supplied the pre cut masks, so like almost everything else I did on the AC it was the first time using them. the end result was a little better than what I do by hand, but I am not sure it is worth the longer times spent lining up masking what is precut, or would it be better to just tape over and cut them on my own while already sitting where they should go...

I decided to do this SBD (it's my 3rd) canopy closed because I haven't seen one modelled like that.. well one but that was an ad for a hobby store... dive brakes are going to be in the landing position with the lower flap lowered and the top one flush with the wing.. haven't seen one done like that either...

SO this plane is a bunch of firsts, and although I know those things I did will get get better with time the plane didn't come out half bad (of course I haven't finished, there's always tomorrow to screw it up)
___________
Firsts for me with this plane:

Instrument panel detail done completely with colored pencils... no paint except the black on the panel itself.. think I will stick to this method from now on!

Masking tape seats with wire buckles (did so-so on that but it holds promise!)

Pastel chalks instead of a wash for most of the weathering... loved it! especially some of the streaking on the wing etc...

Pre-cut canopy masks... jury is still out on these. gotta see what it looks like glued down but all in all the canopy does look real good!

I tried this a little already on the instruement panel of another build with great results... but I am going to try using future instead of micro-set on all the decals... actually dipping them in the future to moisten them, then applying them to the plane.. the decals sucked down to that instrument panel on the other build like you wouldn't believe... and dried wrinkle free and well glued to the plastic from the future!

hopefully I wont blow this, this late in the game.. we'll see... but all in all everything is coming out good for the first time around!

Nice Tom, I would like to build a 1 or 3 model because I do like that color, same with the Wildcat.

Also like your deterent to keep your dog at bay. I tried that solution, however, its usually within earshot of the wife as well, then I must to avoid her whislting hand of death.


Scott