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Matchbox 1.72 SB2C Helldiver


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OK, some of you may have been watching my Prowler develop and seen me mention the Helldiver.... well here she is. According to Detail & Scale this is the "worst rendition of an SB2C-1C going".... however (at least at the time D&S was written) it was the only SB2C-1C going in 1.72.... anyway, I bought earlier this year cos it was going cheap, i wanted a Helldiver and cos I hadnt read D&S..... so ladies and genltemen, i present the one, the only, the unmistakable Matchbox 1/72 SB2C Helldiver.....

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so what do the photos show... very very DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP trench panel lines (most in the wrong place apparently), black lines show where I am hacking... was tempted to wings folded but may not as I want the dive brakes deployed (in this variant they are solid not with the holes - thank you).... there is no cockpit - well there is a seat and a gun, nothing else... and yes, a vac-form canopy (how the heck do you use them???

in terms of references, my smart new HP touchpad is now loaded with most references I could find but the main one I will use is Chucks build on here - gawd that man can build & Paint..... lots of interesting things for me to be getting on with...

so plans

1) fill the recessed panel lines, sand off the raised ones, then add new ones (D&S book has the plans in 1.72)

2) cockpit - detail front & rear cockpits, radio area and perhaps even the fuel tank between the 2

3) wings - lower flaps, detail wheel wells

4) bomb bay - there isnt one, doors are closed, so they will be opened and detailed

5) engine - not sure on this, the kit one is C**P, there is a resin one (tempted as it is only £5 but not sure it will be visible) - may look at opening up the area in front of the cockpit and behind the engine if i can find decent references......

6) markings - they are very brown... so will look for new ones (or perhaps try masks......)

and anything else that comes along....

anyway as it is approaching christmas my painting area will be invaded by Santa and his elves so wont be spraying for a while, lots of time to get bits done, redone, smashed, re-redone and then binned completly......

fun times ahead.....................

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thanks JAckman... well i used filler on the trecnhes then sanded back - green paint highlighted and defects that needed attention... first set of rescribe done - how the heck do you make the scribed detail clean?

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rescribe... so you can see the ragged - how do i clean it up?

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and the wing - up & down - not sure which configuration I Will do just yet (maybe one up & one down..........

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- how the heck do you make the scribed detail clean?

Some tips:

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/rescribingda_1.htm

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/2011/02/10/scribing-tools-the-straight-line/

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/2011/02/12/scribing-the-guiding-edge/

Some people use extra thin cement (eg Tamiya Extra Thin Cement) and put a drop in the rescribed panel line. Then let it flow along the line. The cement melts the "burrs" & the irregular parts sticking out at the sides of the newly recessed panel lines.

Others just use fine sanding paper & then clean out the dust with a needle or a toothbrush.

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thanks guys.... well 4 hours of scribing today (3 days off work) have produced the following... its not the clearest and dont know how well they will paint up, but i can see them with the naked eye......

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must say the fuselage fit isnt bad, and there is a lot of room in the interior so really looking forward to getting to grips with it (think I will do the wings first for a bit of variety...... but who knows)

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managed to get a little work done last night (well over the last 4-5 days actually, am not that fast)... so added some piping to the inside of the bomb-bay (needs cleaned up and I think I need to find thinner CA) and also started on the bomb-bay roof & mounts. My reference for this is the excellent build of the Accurate miniatures Helldiver by ChukW (recommend all Chucks builds for entertainment, knowledge, techniques etc) - his build was clear, detailed and his explanations really are helping..... so photos

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Excellent - a Matchbox kit, will watch with great interest :thumbsup:

A vac-form canopy ???? I've got this in my stash, must see if it also came with such a canopy?

You're a brave man filling & re-scribing panel lines. I can't be bothered on my Matchbox builds.

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Excellent - a Matchbox kit, will watch with great interest :thumbsup:

A vac-form canopy ???? I've got this in my stash, must see if it also came with such a canopy?

You're a brave man filling & re-scribing panel lines. I can't be bothered on my Matchbox builds.

the vacform canopy is from Falcon I believe (I was donated it by a modeller on Britmodeller)... well you can only work with what you are given, it was cheap on ebay so thought it would be a good platform for more work & developing my skills......

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  • 3 weeks later...

finally back home after a week away on business -- had a bit of quiet time this afternoon so out with the copper.... bomb-bay progressing, just for & aft bulkheads, side frames, some sloping units of the flat area at the front and then the actual bomb racks.... must say it looks about 80% like the photos i am working form so happy.....

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  • 2 weeks later...

maybe the rear bulkhead will work with a little bit of persuasion but think I may take a bit of poetic licence and rebuild it angled & straight rather than curved..... anyway started on the front bulkhead as well... just need the curved bit and then the side bracing......

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so yesterday, 4 hours saw me glue the bomb-bay onto one half (having replaced the rear bulkhead), add the front portion (my original was too short), build the rear cockpit floor and add some detail to the rear-cockpit side wall (well one of them)... again, working from Chucks build is making life easier as it is a case of looking at the work he has done and try to replicate it on mine....

anyway, if i get time later I will add some wiring to the cockpit wall and then start on the other side wall, then I need to work out the front cockpit as photos i have seen show that the -1C version I am building didnt have a bulkhead behind the pilots seat but just the framing and then the fuel tank

so photos:

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ok - rear cockpit side walls complete (I think) and clagged together the supporting framework behind the pilot (in which should be located a fuel tank (will I build - maybe)....

photos of last nights efforts

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  • 6 months later...

well, first touch on this for 2012.... working from ChuckWs build still - front cockpit started..... dont think I will add small crank handles at the front - will see.... next will be the other side, then seat and instrument panel....

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Untitled by Rob Worth, on Flickr

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IMG_2018 by Rob Worth, on Flickr

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IMG_2016 by Rob Worth, on Flickr

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more updates

front - throttles (I think) with handles:

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and then the radio set - first 2 levels done, just top radar set to go (not sure how accurate it is for a 1C but very little of it will be visible...)

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and in-situ

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