TonyW Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Raking through a few boxes of builder kits over the weekend, I turned up a bagged PK 503 Douglas Dauntless in 1.32 Scale. The box is long gone, if I ever had one in the first place! I don't even remember getting the kit and it's not in a scale I usually build. I've built the Monogram 1.48 kit and the Airfix 1.72 and enjoyed doing both. It's possible that I might have wanted to do a forced perspective type of display with the three kits, but memory fails me here. Whatever, it deserves a bit of attention after being hidden away for years. Opening up the bags see's a whole lot of work ahead. The kit looks a bit basic, to put it mildly. There seems to be a prop blade missing and there are a few scratches on the canopy parts. Panel lines are all raised and look very crude in this scale. The cockpit detail is very sparse and looks a bit wrong. The decals look like they might give problems as well, micro cracking going on in places etc. I'll varnish them as a precaution. I've got a few references to help, the only problem being I have no idea where they are! It will have to be finished in that gorgeous faded denim like paint from the pacific campaign, I love that look! There's a series of colour pictures from the Life Magazine archive that show it to perfection. It's possible this one won't make the cut off for the GB. There are two others also being built at the moment, a Stranraer and a Heyford, but nothing ventured and all that. The other two are well under way, so there's a chance I can pull this off. This GB has accelerated my building like you wouldn't believe, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. More later. Tony. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 (edited) Here's a look at what passes for detail in the cockpit and engine bay... I'm at a loss to think what was in the minds of the designers here. The engine bay looks like it would build into a passably busy assembly, only for it to completely dissapear behind panelling. The wide open cockpit area in contrast gets next to nothing to fill it. Very odd. I don't normally loose too much sleep over details or the lack of in a model. Larger scale kits should get something to test you as a builder though. Tony. Edited December 22, 2017 by TonyW 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Just when I think this GB can't get any better another great kit turn's up,looking forward to this one Tony excellent choice,I built one many years ago in the French scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 Great choice Tony. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 I don't remember this one - looks like a nice kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted December 27, 2017 Author Share Posted December 27, 2017 A few bits and bobs got done on the build over the Christmas period, nothing major but the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step and all that. The engine cradle and firewalls got glued together. I have to admit to being seriously irritated by this assembly. It's not detailed enough to want it on show on the finished model and I don't have the inclination to detail it enough to do so. That means it all disappears into the fuselage, never to be seen again. It also has to be square and in the right place if the other panels are going to fit properly. That situation has led to me having to glue half the panels and the fuselage top front piece into place to ensure it will all line up properly. The location points for all this lot are non too positive either. Whatever, it's in place enough for now. Wings are part assembled and a bit of undercoating has begun. I've decided this one will be nearly box stock, including the contents of the cockpit, along with all the inaccuracies that go along with that. I'll have a stab at detailing the rear guns a bit and possibly making up some thinner canopy parts. The bit I'm most looking forward to is the paintjob. I've bought a spraycan of Ford Paris Blue for a car model I have underway. It's a nice pale metallic blue colour that I think will also make a good basecoat for the faded blue finish the SBD sported. It sounds all kinds of wrong, but it just might work! With a bit of luck, and a flat clearcoat, the blue will take on the chalky look that photo's of the real thing seem to carry. A few varied shades of blue and grey scrubbed over that should get somewhere close to the look of the lovely faded original. We shall see.... Tony. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Great choice Tony and good progress so far. A schoolmate in primary school got one of these for Christmas one year and I was so jealous,.... especially after he ruined the model with glued up finger marks, droopy wings etc,...... I`ve always fancied building one but never got around to it,..... good luck with yours. Re the Blue-Grey, Light Grey scheme,..... I`m not sure whether this later variant of the Dauntless wore these colours or not,.... might be worth checking out? The style of propeller is a later variant without the spinner and there are other minor changes too. Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Thanks for the pointers Tony, I'll check out what needs adding or deleting for the faded scheme. A spinner added would do me a favour, as I'm a prop blade missing and need to scratch build one. A lump of milliput shaped into a spinner will cut my work in half here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazzman Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 Having just purchased one of these beasties from KitsforKash Tony, I just wondered how yours was progressing? No pressure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 On 24/02/2018 at 1:17 PM, Fazzman said: Having just purchased one of these beasties from KitsforKash Tony, I just wondered how yours was progressing? No pressure! I'm ashamed to say there's been no progress at all! I've got a few stalled builds sat here at the moment, I'll have to get myself in gear a bit. Looking through a few reviews of the Matchbox kit, it seems that the cockpit is wrong in quite a few places. I'll have to make my mind up as to which is the way forward here, try to correct some of the worst of the errors or just build it out the box. I know which one stands a better chance of happening! Tony. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Happens to us all Tony! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Hi @TonyW Did you ever finish this one ? We need one of these for the current Matchbox 50th anniversary GB, might be an idea opportunity to finish it. Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 9 hours ago, JOCKNEY said: Hi @TonyW Did you ever finish this one ? We need one of these for the current Matchbox 50th anniversary GB, might be an idea opportunity to finish it. Cheers Pat Sorry Pat, I moved the unfinished kit on a while ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 Thanks Tony You can't blame me for trying Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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