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1/72 SBD-2 Marines At Midway (hasegawa)


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Hi all,

 

Having just completed my YA-7F project posted earlier, I decided to try and squeeze in an old "shelf queen" that has been in the works for 3 or 4 years. As a very slow progressee, it didn't seem very suitable for a W.I.P., so here are just the pictures of the final result.

 

The kit was the venerable Hasegawa SBD-3, with a few mods, and some aftermarket parts: The True Detail TD72461 SBD/A-24 cockpit set, as well as the Carrier Deck's  Accessories 1/72 SBD Dauntless Dive Brakes set.

Paints used were Model Master and Colourcoats enamels.

 

Since I wanted to show the cockpit open, I had to vacuform the kit canopy, which was too thick to stack. The vacuform copies were also a little thick, but are marginally okay. Plus, after 4 years or so, I just wanted to put this one to bed!

 

Without further verbiage, the pics:

 

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This SBD-2 joins my small but growing "U.S. Marines at Midway" collection. Show below are the F4F-3 Wildcat, and the F2A-3 Brewster Buffalo, along with the SBD-2:

 

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If I live long enough, I'll build one of each type that was there, and maybe a couple of the U.S. Army types as well.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Ed

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Looks great, but a problem with the undercarriage which should be oblique and not vertical.

A great looking group.

Can we be waiting on the Douglas TBD Devastator, the happy less torpedo bomber of the Pacific war?

Great job,... waiting to see more.

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Thanks, everyone!

 

Pollo1112, you are right about the landing gear. I you look closely at the front view picture, you will also note that the two gear legs are different. They have broken (and been repaired) several times, the latest being last night!  Had to make up a missing gear door and tail hook. As said above, I just wanted to get it over with!

 

Have had the TBD on the back burner for a long time. Biggest problem is that I can't find any detailed drawing or pics of the bomb-aiming area, below the cockpit floor. There is a space where the bomb-aimer can climb down and sight through the underbelly window, which is frequently covered when torpedoes are used. So far, no joy, but if anyone out there has the needed pics ot drawings, I'd love to see 'em. I would then do a build thread.

 

This is needed, because IIRC, the TBD's that were used at Midway were  only packing bombs, and only the Navy flew them there.I'll have to read up on Torpedo 8's load-outs.. As a side note -- the Marine SBD pilots had little luck as they flew glide-bombing runs, vs. dive-bombing used by the Navy at Midway.

 

Ed

 

As a further aside, I had a few years back, the pleasure of meeting (at the time of Midway,  Ensign)  George Gay, the sole survivor of Torpedo 8, during that battle. He resided here in Marietta, GA until his death a few years ago.

Edited by TheRealMrEd
corrected info
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10 hours ago, TheRealMrEd said:

 

 

 

 

As a further aside, I had a few years back, the pleasure of meeting (at the time of Midway,  Ensign)  George Gay, the sole survivor of Torpedo 8, during that battle. He resided here in Marietta, GA until his death a few years ago.

I had the pleasure of meeting George Gay at the 1981 Confederate Air Show at Harlingen,  Texas.

Lovely SBD as well.

 

I have a part built Airfix one on my shelf of doom.

 

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Thanks, everyone.

 

Thanks Jamie. One of the things I really try to do on EVERY build is to make the details as accurate as my research materials (and skills) will allow. I spend many hours researching every subject, often many more hours than the actual build.

 

Ed

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