SBD-3 & SBD-5 Dauntless

by Bernhard Schrock
 

 Accurate Miniatures' 1/48 scale SBD-1 Dauntless is available online from Squadron.com

Construction

Nearly 30 years after the first edition of the classic Monogram Dauntless, Hasegawa released this kit in the mid 1990s of this famous dive bomber used by the U.S.Navy. It was nicknamed "Slow But Deadly" by its crews, due to its low speed and official designation, "SBD".

Compared to the old Monogram kit, I found this new kit to be a real jewel despite his its errors.

I had a lots of fun with detailing the cockpits with plastic, wire and vacuum-forming canopy parts.

I also thinned all visible edges, for example of the canopy-openings. The updated edition from Hasegawa with flaps from photoetched parts was not released until a year later, so I "enjoyed" the drilling of many dozens of holes and detailing the dive flap area with many tiny parts.

In my typical manner, I made all positions lights with thin acryl rod.

Markings

The markings are used from the kit to build a machine from Operation Torch.

An article about this model was published many years ago in the German magazine, Jet & Prop.

Introduction

When I first opened the box of Accurate Miniatures several years ago I was stunned! I could believe what I saw.

There was a gigantic difference between this kit and the Hasegawa's SBD. Total enthusiasm!

I would like to publicly thank Mr. Bill Bosworth and the whole of the Accurate Miniatures team, particularly for the SBD and the two others Navy Birds (TBF/TBM and F3F), which have both brought me very, very much joy.

Construction

The SBD-5 is built nearly straight from the box but I did add a few details.

For example the ignition wires were added to the Cyclone engine, electrical wires in the both cockpits, thin acetate on the gunsight and I corrected the angle of the main landing gear (by approximately 6°).

Painting and Markings

In the Squadron "SBD In Action" book, I found a picture of 4-B-26 from the CV-5, USS Yorktown, and made my own markings. As usual, I used Humbrol paints.

This Model was also published many years ago in the German magazine Modell-Fan.

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images:

 

 

Additional SBD-5 Images

 

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images:

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2002 by Bernhard Schrock
Page Created 30 May, 2002
Last Updated 04 June, 2007

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