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1/32 Trumpeter SBD-5 Dauntless


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Hello everyone.

I decided to take a break from the F4U-4 conversion. I broke one of the wing hinges and I got frustrated at how I was going to fix the flaps. I'll get back to it eventually.

I picked this kit up at some 60% off at the LHS. Its my first trumpy kit and at less than half off, its an excellent deal and it is a great kit. Requisite box top shot:

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I have been working on it for a few weeks now so I can give a little bit of a review. The detail is outstanding and the fit has generally been fine. The parts do have a lot more mould lines/flash etc than what would come out of a Tamiya kit but nothing that a sanding stick and such can't take care of. The fit issues have come with some of the round parts (bombs, oil tank, etc.) where the mating parts overlap - again, nothing that can't be taken care of with some surfacer and some sanding. So far I have tackled the cockpit (many parts) and there were some issues with the radio stack where the fronts did not quite match the backs and the strange way the lap belts attach to the chair.

Here are some shots:

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For those that noticed - I cut off the control stick in the back because the kit comes with a stick that you place at the side of the back deck. I have read that the control stick was kept here most of the time. Rarely was it attached to the control column

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I drilled out the instrument faces on the instrument panel. Then I pained the insides a medium gray. Its not perfect but there was no way for me to paint around the faces without doing that.

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The walls of the cockpit were painted using MM Acryl interior green that was mixed with some MM medium gray. I do not like this paint at all and it gave me fits. I went over all the ribs with a thin black mix and I faded the interiors of each 'grid'. I then hand painted a very light MM interior green over the ribs.

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Where I saw 'round' faces in places like radio stacks, etc, I cut out 1/72 instrument panel decals and fit them in. I realize this is not very accurate but it makes the faces more interesting.

So there you have most of the interior - There is a lot that goes into it and I am almost done. I have started the engine so I will show that next.

Thanks for looking!

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All I can say is that the Cockpit looks outstanding and the tiny details is SO neatly done ND I think looks PEREFCT..

Keep the pics coming.. :jaw-dropping:

Looking forward to this Gorgeous Aircraft..

These OLD CLASSY BIRDS never lose their charm...

HOLMES :worship:

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I love the Dauntless and this looks like a very nice kit straight out of the box and 60% off is one hell of a great deal!!

As for the cockpit, you're a surgeon with a paintbrush...that is some damn fine detail painting :lol:

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Thanks for the compliments guys! I am learning a pile of different techniques as I am doing this build. Hopefully I can pull it all off.

I am working on bits for the cockpit and the engine. A lot of detail painting. Hopefully I can get all the parts of the cockpit painted and installed in the next week.

The engine on this is kit is very nice OOB. I am going to add the plugs and the wiring for them - I have already drilled out holes for the wires on the ignition ring.

The exhausts - I really wanted to make them look authentic. The last time I tried to paint an exhaust stack, it just didn't look right. This time I did it differently and I much prefer how this came out - It looks like rust in my opinion:

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What do you think? The openings are just hanging on - they won't be installed permanently until after the engine is installed on the fuselage.

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Beautiful build. BTW, did you notice we are the few prop guys in a sea of jets?

There are a few of us prop guys on this forum. Since getting back into the hobby I have only built one jet. I might try another someday.

So how did you do the exhaust? Looks good to me.

Its an idea that I stole from a book (FAQ)

1) airbrush the part silver

2) airbrush a thin mix of brown/black (about 4:1). Thin to about 3 parts paint to 10 parts thinner

3) The look should be a metallic brown

4) dry-dab some flat black and some red-brown (it should be speckled - make it look diseased)

5) Dust with Tamiya weathering set - rust

That's it

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.....the few prop guys in a sea of jets?

-Al

I'm props too. If it doesn't have a round engine, a fan on the front and a wheel at the back, it's not a real aeroplane! I've only built one jet, but that was the YP-59 Airacomet, and that had a wooden prop on the front! I've got a 1/48 P-36, Spitfire, B-26 and B-29 next on the board, and I've picked up tips from this thread already, so watching with interest.

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I'm props too. If it doesn't have a round engine, a fan on the front and a wheel at the back, it's not a real aeroplane! I've only built one jet, but that was the YP-59 Airacomet, and that had a wooden prop on the front! I've got a 1/48 P-36, Spitfire, B-26 and B-29 next on the board, and I've picked up tips from this thread already, so watching with interest.

I am a prop guy myself, mostly.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a bit of fun with the engine this week. I still might put on another data plate as well as some additional plumbing but here is the result so far.

By the way - lead fly fishing thread is so much easier to work with for ignition wiring! The plugs themselves were made from .035 styrene rod.

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Fabulous work on that wiring. The plugs look perfect. What did you use to make the stays attaching the ignition wires together? :coolio:

The stays were made with thin cut strips of tamiya tape - secured with a tiny drop of CA in the back. Then paint. Easy detail to do and its effective even from up close.

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The stays were made with thin cut strips of tamiya tape - secured with a tiny drop of CA in the back. Then paint. Easy detail to do and its effective even from up close.

I love Tamiya tape. I understand it has some use as a masking tape as well! :wasntme:

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Beautiful work!

What markings are you planning? RNZAF I hope!

I came very close to ordering those markings! I chickened out at doing the faded stars in the middle of the RNZAF roundels. So instead I am doing a Lexington bird. With every build I have to do something new and this one will have painted on stars/bars and numbers. I am actually looking forward to that - every time I see painted markings, I really like them.

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