An overview of the SBD Dauntless and the 1/48 Accurate Miniatures kits

[gingerbob]

Hello all,

 

[Note: this will be a work in progress for a while, and I may end up adding to this initial post over time, rather than make you (future reader) sift through a thread looking for bits of information.  If necessary I'll make a new post just to alert you that an update has occurred.  [Edit: slight change of organization already...] I will also admit it when I don't know about something, and I welcome input from others to help fill the gaps.]

 

I've been refreshing my memory about the Accurate Miniatures SBDs, and along with that the differences from one Dauntless variant to the next.  Scalemate's product timeline is a good reference for the kits that came from this basic tooling, so rather than repeat it all, feel free to refer back to it.  I will, of course, cover some of the same ground.  Ultimately, boxings were released to make any SBD from -1 to -6 (never as such, but the -6 looks the same as a -5) and- more or less- the A-24s that correspond.

 

However, as many of you will remember, at some point Acc Min messed up when mixing and matching to offer different variants, with the result that some kits did not have the right combination of parts, let alone the right ones for the intended variant.  Many of us have probably had one or more kits in the stash for quite a while now, so I will show you what to look for if you want to quickly check whether or not you've got a "complete" kit.

 

To get this party started, here are the fuselage sprues from the -1 (left) and -5 (right).  Most of the trouble came from this basic sprue...

 

 

Basically, "early" (single rear gun) was Sprue A, while "late" (dual rear gun) was Sprue B. 

  Overview of this sprue (details will follow):

1. On the lower left are the two cowl halves, and on the upper left are the "inner" cowling halves- the ones between the "real" cowl and the firewall
2. Top center is the top of the cowl; bottom center is the gun cover (and base of the windscreen)
3. Top right is (Sprue A) single rear-gun details, AND spinner and ADF loop. Sprue B: twin-gun details, plus radar unit (replacing ADF loop)
4. Bottom right is the pilot's rear bulkhead, with armor protection- note the different shape
5. The fuselage pieces themselves differ in having the little sliding doors represented on the "late"/Sprue B parts. Note that this detail is only on the outside; the inner surface remains smooth, for you super-detailers to address.

 

The problem of mis-matched parts arose when Accurate Miniatures wanted to release a "late" SBD-3 (sometimes referred to, inaccurately, as an SBD-3A), with twin rear guns.  I believe that this was the "Battle of Midway" SBD-3, in a "white background" box.  They changed out the cowlings- "outer" or front, and "inner" (1 in list above, or top/bottom left) on Sprue B, but neglected to change the cowl top and gun cover (2, top/bottom center), which were for the SBD-5.  The spinner, found (if not always) on -1 through -3, also disappeared.

 

Here's an example of the "oopsie" Sprue B:

 

 

Once the mistake was discovered, the sprue was (at least sometimes) corrected, but some kits also reveal an interim solution:

 

 

In post 2 I will look at the differences between SBD versions, and possibly Acc Min's parts to reflect these changes.

 

And now to post before the computer goes <PFFT> (again)!

bob

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by gingerbob
Correcting the computer's "better idea".

[gingerbob]

Trying again: place holder for 2nd post.  Testing...

[politicni komisar]

 

What differences has Academy made now that it repacks this kit*?

 

I have one original SBD-5 from Acurate M. But I plan to get early versions.

So I will keep an eye on your topic.😎

 

 

P.k

[europapete]

Nice idea Bob, I have a kit in the stash partly started, will have to look to remind myself which version/boxing  and if it's an oops kit. Regards, Pete in RI

[Crimea River]

What a useful thread. I have an AM Dauntless and will read through thoroughly once part 2 is posted.

[BlueNosers352nd]

Remember the online builds AM posted to their website?   I still have them!  SBD, B25, F3F-1, F3F-2 and GulfHawk.

[BlueNosers352nd]

Remember the online builds AM posted to their website?   I still have them!  SBD, B25, F3F-1, F3F-2 and GulfHawk.