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Midway 1:48 SBD-3 ... which kit boxing to get?


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After doing jets and Star War kits for a while, I'm starting to get back into WWII stuff and am interested in building a Midway SBD-3.

 

Being the original Accurate Miniatures SBD-3 kit boxing isn't readily available, wondering if there is another version of Academy or Italeri boxing which has all the parts necessary for a Midway SBD.   If so, what parts would I use (or not use)?

 

I'll likely go aftermarket decals for a Enterprise SBD.

 

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The Academy and Italeri  kits are both re-releases of the Accurate Miniatures SBD-5.  There are some cowl changes from the -3 to the -5 which you would need to research  Also plan of deleting all radar parts from the -5.  The -5 kit will give you the twin .30 cal. gun mount needed for a Midway bird.  Not a too hard conversion from this kit.  You could also consider the Hasegawa SBD-3 depending on how picky you are bout the dive flaps being drilled out.  There are after market dive flaps for the Hasegawa kit or you can tediously drill out the kit flaps if you want to open look.  Just checked Ebay and there are several Accurate Miniatures -3s there as well as a slew of Hasegawa -3s.  HTH, Dave.

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19 hours ago, Falconxlvi said:

Hasegawa is re-releasing their SBD-3 with included photoetch dive brakes.  Markings are for Battle of Midway aircraft, including Enterprise.  This might fit all your needs!

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10635997

 

Steve 

IMHO that makes the Hasegawa kit an appealing option. The injection molded dive brakes on the AM kit are a pain to work with unless you want them posed open, and I'm convinced there's an engineering issue that results in asymmetrical wing dihedral.

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I found the Hasegawa photo-etched dive brakes to be pretty fiddly on assembly and installation.  Once you get them together and on, they look good.  Overall, while not as detailed as Accurate Miniatures, the Hasegawa is much simpler to build and does make up into a very nice rendition of a Dauntless.  Definitely something to consider.  HTH, Dave.

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1 hour ago, ChesshireCat said:

The AM kit is the best. There is an after market five brake set out there. Whypay double the price for a kit that best will be two or three percent better at best?

Glt

Which aftermarket dive brake set would that be? I'm finding reference to one by Attack Squadron that doesn't seem to be available anywhere, and there's an Eduard set designed for the Hasegawa kit that's asking about $30 on eBay.

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4 hours ago, seawinder said:

Which aftermarket dive brake set would that be? I'm finding reference to one by Attack Squadron that doesn't seem to be available anywhere, and there's an Eduard set designed for the Hasegawa kit that's asking about $30 on eBay.

I know that Quickboost or Eduard did them, and probably a couple others. I have a set inside one of the kits in the stash. I'll take a look.

Glt

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18 hours ago, seawinder said:

Which aftermarket dive brake set would that be? I'm finding reference to one by Attack Squadron that doesn't seem to be available anywhere, and there's an Eduard set designed for the Hasegawa kit that's asking about $30 on eBay.

Eduard also did a set (48-493) designed to fit the AM kit. It's probably just as hard to find currently as the Attack Squadron set. Attack Squadron was sold to Brengun, but no sign of Dauntless dive brakes on Brengun's website.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dont know if it is the right place to share but i saw some guys are interested in. I have available the Eduard set 48870 which is the landing flaps for eduard kit which i think is a hasegawa reboxing. I made some measurements my self and it seems to fit perfectly on the accurate one.

For the moderators, please if i brake any rules with this post delete it, dont want to cause any trouble.

 

John

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