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Help with converting an SBD3(?) Dauntless to SBD5


PIPboy

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Hey all,

 

My brother recently gave me this old Monogram Dauntless kit.

 

The decals became useless over time so I have to buy new ones. I want something more unique than the usual US Navy scheme so I looked up French decals for it. The problem is that the French used SBD5s and I think this kit is an earlier model. I don't really know the Dauntless but judging by the pictures I've seen it's an SBD3(?).

 

Can someone suggest me a good website/book/any other resource which shows all the differences between the Dauntless models?

 

So far I looked at googled pictures but their quality is usually so poor that I can't use them.

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you  want to read this

48%20SBD%20Dauntless%20(01)-960.jpg?m=14

 

http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/Profiles/Detail-Scale/48-Douglas-SBD

 

OOP, but scanned. 

the series are very good. All are scanned  in link.

 

I'm not sure what exact sub-type the old Monogram kit is,  but a lot of BSBD-3 schemes are pretty generic,  eg

image0031.jpg

 

Though plenty of fun to be had with the paint fading (note no bare metal) 

 

To  be honest, the kit is from the era between toy and model,  if you want a decent SBD,get an Accurate Minatures (reboxed by Italeri and Eduard)  

but it can be done up

http://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/us/usn/fogelsbd.htm

 

https://www.agapemodels.com/2008/01/21/kit-build-report-revells-monograms-148-sbd-dauntless/

 

HTH

T

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Thank you, I would give you two likes if I could!

 

Yeah, the kit is pretty crude. However, I want to experiment with scratch building so I think it will be a perfect fit. I knew the articles you linked about the kit and they gave me some confidence too.

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The French used both the SBD  and the A-24 (USAAF land version) 

here's an A-24 build

http://imodeler.com/2013/01/armee-de-lair-a-24b-148-accurate-miniatures-sbd-5-kit/

technically I don't think these are D-Day stripes, but ID stripes used by the Free French, 

see http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/dewoitine-d520-fighters-of-french.html

 

both the Italeri 

http://shop.italeri.com/Products/6348-2673-sbd-5-dauntless.aspx

 

and Eduard

http://www.hyperscale.com/2016/reviews/kits/eduard1165reviewbg_1.htm

 

boxings had French options. 

 

I suggest joining Hyperscale ,as they have a large US membership, and  asking in their Plane Trading section if someone has some leftover French decals for  sale  ( though  some kind person will probably just send you them) ,  someone will have as their are multiple options in both boxings.

Hyerpscale  is often a better place for questions on US types than here as well.

 

In the Detail and Scale link the main difference between a -3 and -5 are on pages 12  and 15,   cowl flap, carb intake and prop it seems.

So, looking at the pics, the Monogram is a -3.

(and If I'm wrong, I just ha a  quick look at the linked scans, by being wrong  someone will come along and correct me ;)  )

 

cheers

T

 

 

 

 

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PIPboy,

 

Not my scale, but I built the old Monogram kit when I was in my teens, and while it doesn't have the detail and scribing of the  state of the art Accurate Miniatures kit, it can be made into a nice model with some work, scratchbuilding, and aftermarket  bits- biq question being how  much money do you want to throw at it? However, you don't improve your modeling  skills if you don't try, and if you want to go that route, I found a link to a website that I think would be useful for anybody wanting to do the Monogram kit as an SBD-3 or SBD-5. I hope this helps and good luck on your project. (The Monogram TBF and SBD were the very first 1/48 scale airplanes I ever built and I was amazed by the details and operating features they had-  they were ahead of their time in so many ways!) Ah, the heady aroma of Revell S cement and Testors  'Namel!

Mike

 

https://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?370606-SBD-Dauntless-(US-Navy-dive-bomber

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Troy Smith,

 

Thank you again for the tip! I'll definitely check hyperscale.

 

Mike,

 

Amazing thread, thank you! I want to try scratch building at least in the cockpit. I'm not so sure about converting to SBD5 anymore. According to the resources the two of you posted in this thread I would have to change the panel lines of the kit at least around the nose. Now the problem is that the kit has raised panel lines and I'm not sure I could replace them if they get lost.

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Hello, PIPboy

New Zealand did use SBD-3 and SBD-4 models as trainers, although it was SBD-5 version only that fought over Rabaul. Take a look at following links:

http://www.thescale.info/news/publish/Dauntless-RNZAF-1.shtml

http://www.thescale.info/news/publish/Dauntless-RNZAF-2.shtml

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzdauntless.htm

All SBD-3 machines were war-weary aircraft, borrowed from USMC during mid-1943 with survivors being returned to Marines by early 1944. Not many SBD-3s had been used outside USN and USMC and that makes Kiwi SBD-3s slightly less ordinary. Cheers

Jure

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Jure, 

 

Thanks, that is a great idea! To be honest I am (was?) thinking about buying the French decals because of the green color scheme Troy linked. However, your suggestion might prove to be the middle ground. 

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