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1/48 Accurate Miniatures TBF-1C Avenger


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Accurate Miniatures’ Avengers, along with their SBD Dauntless and F3F series, are among the best 1/48 scale aircraft kits ever produced. Everything – from surface and interior detail to fit of the parts – is about as good as it gets in injected molded plastic. The fact that almost no aftermarket parts were made for these kits is a testament to how good they were out of the box. The only drawback to the Avenger kits were the instructions – the drawings were crudely done and hard to follow, but this was rectified in the SBD and F3F kits.

Aside from some True Details photo-etched seatbelts and an antenna wire, this kit was an out-of-the-box build, including decals. I used no filler – just careful assembly and seam sanding resulted in a near-perfect fit of the main airframe parts. I did find that the lower dorsal gunner’s clear part didn’t fit very well, but that’s probably as much my fault as the kit’s. The rudder is a seperate piece, so I installed it offset to the left for a more candid appearance. I armed my TBF with a standard anti-submarine load of two 500-lb. general purpose bombs and two aerial depth charges. I also cut out and dropped the flaps.

For the Atlantic anti-submarine paint scheme, I used Model Master Dark Gull Grey and Floquil Reefer White enamels. (I really hate that Floquil is now out of business – Reefer White was the BEST!) I used kit decals to depict a TBF-1C from VC-55, deployed aboard USS Block Island in the North Atlantic during the summer of 1944.

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Edited by pjman792
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Oh yes! that is totally gorgeous, the best looking scheme the Avenger wore.

Superb workmanship, the panel lining is spot on, and the weathering too.

Cheers

John

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I’ve built two of these and have to say that this is probably my favourite kit of all time. Builds beautifully OOB and still looks fantastic, you have done a rally good job there, great stuff…

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This is superb work. A really fantastic job. I agree with the others, this kit is excellent and only let down by the instructions and the screwy turrent placement procedure. Once you have done it right though, piece of cake. I find it ironic that, just my opinion, the Avenger kit seems to be the best kit put out by both Accurate Minatures and Trumpeter. Sad to say, though, my version looked nothing like yours. Yours has been executed so much better. My hat is off to you. Great build.

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