In memoriam Vought Vindicator ‒ The modelling journey

[Toryu]

Belying monikers like 'Vibrator' and 'Wind Indicator' the Vought SB2U was actually liked by most of its pilots. My contribution to the groupbuild shall endorse the reputation of the US Navy's first monoplane dive bomber, a quite advanced design in its time, which was still serving at Midway.

 

 

 

 

My build is a Marine Corps SB2U-3 of VMSB-131 based at MCAS Quantico, VA in October 1941. The Vindicator is not often presented in overall Light Gray and I still don't have a model in this short-lived camouflage.

 

By chance I have two kits to choose from: I first bought the HiPM product, eagerly anticipated when it appeared in 1995, and later I added the Accurate Miniatures 2005 edition which rightfully is considered superior. As it stands, both kits offer a lot of detail, and together they represent all potential versions of the Vindicator. I won't spare either of them, cherry-picking from both kits. Let's see how they may converge into one good model - that'll be a lot of fun!

 

 

 

1 ‒ Box and books

 

The two kits muster a confusing maze of parts. HiPM affords rather bad moulds with a lot of flash, but it contains nice decals and a set of PE parts. There is also some interior detail and the wider tailplane of the SB2U-3 which I will need, and (if you prefer) a wing fold option. Accurate Miniatures appears more sophisticated, but isn't perfect either. The wing of this SB2U-2 kit, for instance, represents the greater dihedral of the SB2U-3 which incidentally fits my purpose. But that's just a first assessment.

 

 

I acquired a number of aftermarket items, such as a Vector R-1535 engine, an Eduard PE upgrade and a Techmod decal sheet. All in all, I should be more than well equipped for the challenge thanks to some good publications to guide me through the mysteries of 'Sugar Baker Two Uncle' -

 

 

'In Action' is a bit dated but contains a lot of in-action pictures, as the title suggests, and the familiar colour profiles. 'Naval Fighters' offers a wealth of detail information on 250 pages, accompanied by photos of almost every SB2U of every squadron. The insight comes from co-author Joe Weathers who has researched the Vindicator since 1969. Dana Bells' Aircraft Pictorial, last but not least, is indispensable when it comes to differences between the various sub-types, depicted in excellent full-page photographs, and includes official marking directives for all squadrons.

 

SUMMARY OF REFERENCES

THE ANNALS OF SUGAR BAKER TWO UNCLE, AIR ENTHUSIAST NO.8, LONDON, 1978

NAVY AIR COLORS VOL.1, DOLL / JACKSON / RILEY, CARROLLTON, 1983

THE OFFICIAL MONOGRAM US NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIRCRAFT COLOR GUIDE VOL.2, JOHN M. ELLIOT, STURBRIDGE, 1989

SB2U VINDICATOR, AIRCRAFT IN ACTION NO.122, TOM DOLL, CARROLLTON, 1992

US NAVY AIRCRAFT CAMOUFLAGE & MARKINGS 1940-1945, THOMAS E. DOLL, CARROLLTON, 2003

SB2U VINDICATOR, AIRCRAFT PICTORIAL 2, DANA BELL, TUCSON, 2009

VOUGHT SB2U VINDICATOR, NAVAL FIGHTERS NUMBER 106, STEVE GINTER / JOE WEATHERS, SIMI VALLEY, 2018

 

 

2 ‒ Preparing the party

 

At this point I'd like to share with you how I prepared this project, as I do with all my modelling ventures -

 

 

1)  Before I start I review my literature and record reference pages with suitable photos against main components. As we go along only the most relevant will remain. (The empty columns reveal my next projects already )

 

2)  I also take notes of important details on a profile print-out, again with page numbers. This one is more busy than usual.

 

3)  For complex areas for which a lot of pictures exist - the cockpit in this case - I tag the respective pages with a short note until this section has been finished.

 

4)  Finally I print a 3-view scale plan to check (and, if necessary and possible, to correct) the general dimensions of the model.

 

 

It was a week of pre-work, but the benefit is very quick and purposeful referencing during the building process.

 

 

3 ‒ Inside the interior

 

This was more petty work than it even looks like. The crew compartments are discouragingly complex - in the model as in reality.

 

Despite Accurate Miniatures' creditable effort the cockpit layout is not fully accurate. Modifications were necessary for the structure of the inner framework and for the many accessories and controls. With the help of photos, the PE parts and my scrap box I tried to approximate the real thing.

 

 

The kit instructions are redolent of a spatial imagination test (below left), only beaten by Eduard's enigmatic guidance sheet (below right). On that page Eduard randomly assorted the starboard side panel, the front panel of the rear cockpit, an instrument atop the rear shelf and the headrest, while on another page they clutter the remaining cockpit elements - you need a lot of serendipity not to overlook anything... A few of the oddities are highlighted.

 

* At last identified as part 49 'auxiliary control stick', which would be stored on the starboard side wall when not in use.

 

After some hours of test-fitting and cutting, everything was in place and I'm assured that the fuselage halves will close properly. As suspected many a detail disappeared in the depths of the gunner's station.

 

 

Interior colours of the late Vindicator are a bit mysterious. It's some sort of green to be sure but photographs show two different hues, a dark matte for the side and floor surfaces, and a lighter semi-gloss for the superstructure and the girders. Navy directives of the period (Elliot 1989 p.39-44) admit three possible interpretations: (1) the change-over from Bronze Green to Dark Dull Green resulted in a mix of both; (2) the more prominent parts were finished in Pastel Green lacquer; (3) the flat surfaces were painted with (matte) Dull Green primer and the structural parts received a final coat of (glossy) Dull Green lacquer (ibid p.39). This was my choice and so I alternated between two green shades according to photo evidence.

 

 

What's next? Merging the fuselage I guess...

 

 

4 ‒ From engine to empennage

 

This will be a long and slow episode. Alterations all over! Let's start with the nose.

 

I didn't like either of the two kit engines, so I was happy to own the Vector R-1535 which could be adjusted without much difficulty to the bearer provided by Accurate Miniatures. Some pruning of the cylindre heads was still necessary before it fit the cowling.

 

 

Speaking of the cowling - Since my AM kit represents the SB2U-2 it misses the elongated oil cooler duct of the later version, and the HiPM one is useless. I resorted to a home-made paper+PE frame which was puttied to form the tip. Even better that way because the moulded intake is too angular, and it was thus easier to sand it in shape.

 

So finally -

Note that the carburettor inlet on the lower cowling lip is slightly offset to starboard. Accurate Miniatures realised this but, alas, they moved it to the port side instead... and the exhaust holes were too large to fit either the original or the Eduard exhausts. After some toing and froing I replicated a mantled pipe, as shown on the photo, which filled the gap.

 

Now to the midship section which is dominated by the cockpit greenhouse.

 

When the Falcon Clear-Vax canopy arrived I had three glazing options, none of which is fully suitable for an open cockpit. In combination, however, and with a few adjustments a fair result can be achieved. The windscreen was the biggest challenge, though.

 

There are a couple of moulding errors, too. Firstly, the canopies don't have rhombic frame intersections (Accurate Miniatures). This is a carry-over from the movie 'Dive Bomber' which used a non-standard hood for studio close-ups. Secondly, neither is there a frame on the solid middle section (like Accurate Miniatures) nor is it completely smooth (like HiPM, Falcon). On blowups, internal ribs are faintly discernible which show through the (fabric?) sheeting. I'm dealing with those later.

 

Standing in front of his SB2U-1 is Boone Guyton, later Vought test pilot, and the gentleman on the left is of course actor Fred MacMurray.

 

Another drawback of my Accurate Miniatures SB2U-2 kit is the shorter span of the tailplane. (When I bought it I didn't know yet that I would go for the Marine SB2U-3). HiPM has got the right one as an option, which is quite acceptable, but I prefer the texture of AM's elevators.

 

 

Consequently more styrene surgery... The combination of HiPM stabilisers with AM elevators requires small corrections: (1) an insert to adjust the marginally different transition angle between stabiliser and fuselage, (2) a layer of paper foil to increase the thickness of the stabiliser, (3) the elongation of the elevators inboard of the trim tab to match the span. It sounds more work than it was because I wanted to separate the elevators anyway to droop them like on the title photo. To facilitate alignment the centre of the stabiliser's hinge line was carved out and a torque tube was added to the elevator (4). All operations worked well, and the preliminary result looks like this -

 

 

 

5 ‒ Wing variations

 

Underside first. Again I suffered from not having the appropriate Vindicator kit. AM's detail on their SB2U-3 wing is not overwhelming but I might have saved time. The picture below highlights changes that account for the differences (cf. unmodified wing in chapter 2).

 

For the N-3 bomb racks and the retractable fuel dumps (Marine Vindicators had additional wing tanks) a variety of materials and the scrap box served well again.

 

The machine gun layout and the associated cartridge ejector chutes are obscure. Fact is that the SB2U-3 could carry four guns - two .3 or .5 cal Brownings in the wing centre section and a .3 cal in each outer wing panel, but they rarely did. My references are divided over typical armament. While there is evidence that none at all was installed at times, some suggest that only the starboard centre gun was carried (not the port one, Accurate Miniatures!). This may be a misconception because earlier SB2Us were thus equipped. Eventually the Techmod 48076A decal instructions helped: Several photos indicate that both starboard guns were retained. Two nice ejector slot panels are conveniently included in the decal set.

 

The top side of the wing requires a few additional access panels for machine guns and flotation bags - a relatively easy adaption. The following picture shows all modifications -

 

* After further studies the number of panels was increased (see chapter 7)

 

The wing spar is one of the smartest concepts of this kit since the long soft wing drops considerably. It will also help to position the fuselage properly. For once I had the benefit of an error (or simplification) by Accurate Miniatures: All kit versions are produced with a dihedral more approximate to the SB2U-3 wing (9° vs 7° on the SB2U-1/2).

 

 

6 ‒ Following up on the fuselage

 

At this stage my customary next step is painting and marking the fuselage. This seems unconventional as most modellers prefer to first assemble the airframe as a whole before they start painting. For me it's easier to deal with masking, decals and panel lines when the wings are not yet attached. 

 

The Navy's short-lived camouflage of mid-1941 was Light Gray 602 or (later) Light Gull Gray 620 which is brighter and - in keeping with reference photos - perfect for my model. The colour is described as being close to FS 36440. To achieve some variation between metal and fabric-covered areas I used two different shades - Humbrol 129 (enamel) and Mr Color H-325 (acrylic), both slightly modified to assimilate them.

 

 

After several coats of colour I decorated the fuselage. Panel lines are retraced with a pencil and rivets are highlighted with water colour. The hinge lines of control surfaces were treated with oil and water colours while those of the cooling gills received a thin strip of black decal. I decided against a wash. The surface of 131-S-18 appears worn but not filthy. The designation itself was assembled from pieces of various decals. A few more touch-ups after assembly and the fuselage will meet my expectations.

 

An interesting feature is the trail of exhaust fumes as there is a break behind the cooling outlet, probably due to an imperfect airflow - should have been a little heads-up for the aerodynamics people.

 

 

7 ‒ Wending my way with the wing

 

The completed upper wing surface looks like this now -

* A rather irrelevant but interesting detail: The restored Pensacola museum exhibit has the

  tab actuator on the bottom of the aileron whereas period photographs show it on top - ??

 

The lower surface is busier. After merging wing and fuselage the underside was furnished with the belly window, a modified central bomb rack, tail wheel and arrester hook. Other accessories in detail -

 

 

 

Red parts are scratch-built.

 

(1) Float attachment loops were specific to the SB2U-3 which was designed as a convertible floatplane, but apart from the prototype never used in this configuration.

(2)  The anti-stall spoiler prevented the port wing from dropping during landing approach. The F4U, by the way, had a similar device on the starboard side.

(3)  The practice bomb dispenser and the XLI wing pylon were interchangeable. The SB2U-3 had an odd variety of ordnance mountings (1000 lbs central and 100 lbs wing bomb carriers plus wing and fuselage N-3 bomb racks for up to 5 x 30 lbs - maximum load was 1000 lbs).

 

 

8 ‒ Detail dashboard

 

The final dash to the finishing line -

 

 

 

 

(1)  Accurate Miniatures' landing gear is an authentic and easy-to-assemble construction. Nevertheless I decided to cut the main strut by 1.5 mm at the top to achieve a more realistic 'sit' - it looked a bit spindly before - which necessitated adjusting some of the other parts, too. 

(2)  Like the main armament, the flexible .3 cal gun was only occasionally installed on state-side SB2U-3s. I built it from various aftermarket parts to make the model more interesting.

(3)  The bombing sight was slightly modified.

(4)  To reinforce the antenna mast I used one of my trusted methods by paralleling a pin in a shallow groove.

(5)  The pitot tube came from the scrap box since the original is too short.

(6)  Note the difference of propeller pitch actuators between the earlier Vindicator (top) and the SB2U-3 (bottom). HiPM offer both whereas AM include only the latter for all versions. That would have suited me but I had to craft my own hub to keep the prop movable.

(7)  The bomb displacement gear was also slightly improved at the tip.

(8)  Main wheels can easily be affixed in the correct (flat bottom) position as I already glued the rim in place. Accurate Miniatures are smartly offering weighted as well as rounded wheels.

 

 

9 ‒ Completion and conclusions

 

This great GB encouraged me again to look for a forgotten exotic object in my stash, and the Vindicator is very eligible to conform with this description. In the end I used only a few pieces of the HiPM kit, mainly from the enclosed PE set, because Accurate Miniatures had all required parts in better quality. The two exceptions are the wider tail plane (that my SB2U-2 kit didn't offer) and the canopy middle section (undesired frames on the AM part). The Accurate Miniatures (or lately Academy) Vindicator is an excellent product which can be build OOB without remorse, only the instructions are poor. The fact that I made a considerable number of modifications is owed to my crazy compulsion for authenticity. A few serious glitches of the kit are mentioned in the topic.

 

 

 

Thank you for following this exciting build. More pictures in the gallery here.

 

Michael

 

[bigfoot]

A good choice, I’m going to be building the AM dauntless in the GB so will be following your build with interest. Have to say I’ve not heard of HiPM before.

[Toryu]

14 minutes ago, bigfoot said:

I’ve not heard of HiPM before

 

A Russian kit manufacturer active in the nineties. Produced several Soviet jets, rare German WWII and this lone Vindicator.

 

Your Dauntless and my Vindicator will make a nice pair!

 

Cheers, Michael

 

[desert falcon]

I keep learning new stuff here on BM, have fun with the build! 

[Col.]

The Vindicator does look rather smart in the light grey scheme Michael. Are you creating one single model from the two kits?

[Toryu]

17 hours ago, Col. said:

Are you creating one single model from the two kits?

 

Yes, only one. It's rather complex, and I'll be happy if I get it done within the allotted groupbuild time.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Oooh going to follow this as Id love to build a couple of these. 

[Col.]

2 hours ago, Toryu said:

Now, the groupbuild may commence... Michael

You're well equipped for this project Michael Only five hours to go now.

[Toryu]

16 minutes ago, Col. said:

Only five hours to go now.

Only four hours actually 😂 (I can‘t wait any longer…)

[Bertie McBoatface]

This will be an interesting build for many reasons. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

[Bertie McBoatface]

That is such tidy painting. 

[Hewy]

Super job michael , nice work ,for most a well detailed kit you move it to another level👍

[Evil_Toast_RSA]

Going to be following this, tried the Academy Vibrator AM rebox last year, and made such a collosal cock-up of the cockpit assembly, I'm actually embarrassed to look at the box on my shelf . 

[modelling minion]

Really nice work on the cockpit Michael, great work on a very complicated area of the aircraft.

[Col.]

Great work Michael. You've struck a nice balance between accuracy, authenticity, and clarity with the level of detail in there that makes it busy without being too cluttered and fussy. 

[Toryu]

Thanks @Hewy @modelling minion @col

Despite a fair amount of challenges the cockpit layout is fun to assemble (and improve), perhaps just because of the challenges... 😀 It's not for the nervous modeller, though! I do appreciate Accurate Miniatures' attention to this level of detail.

 

On 29/01/2022 at 16:47, Evil_Toast_RSA said:

made such a collosal cock-up of the cockpit assembly

 

Sorry for you but I'm not surprised to hear this. If you follow the instructions and assemble the complete cockpit before inserting it into the fuselage it's very likely that nothing fits. From long time bad experience I decided to insert it piece by piece (as shown in my recent post). I'm still doing lots of test-fitting and adjustments right now - looks like it's going to be good.

 

Cheers, Michael

[Evil_Toast_RSA]

@Toryu good to know. Want to build one but the cockpit left me wondering about my life choices when I packed it away. 

[81-er]

Very nice work on that cockpit.

 

James

[helios16v]

That's looking amazing.

[81-er]

Really nice work there

 

James

[Hewy]

You've  got it Looking very busy in there ,very nice job ,fingers crossed you don't have to clamp the fuselage sides too tightly to fit all of that inside 👍

[Toryu]

8 minutes ago, Hewy said:

fingers crossed you don't have to clamp the fuselage sides too tightly to fit all of that inside

 

Just connected the fuselage halves an hour ago - all worked well! Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed  👍👍

[helios16v]

I should take notes on your process for when it comes time to backdate an A-6E to an A.  

[Col.]

That's a smart method Michael and thank you for sharing it with us.

[Retired Bob]

That is some superb modelling there Toryu, this is going to be worth watching.