My 1/72 scale aircraft

[RDN1954]

Yes, definitely interesting. It entered service in 1937 as a Navy torpedo bomber. It was considered a cutting edge aircraft at the time. But by 1942 when it saw action after Pearl Harbor at the Battle of the Coral Sea, it was already becoming obsolete. It sank ships in that battle (Coral Sea), but suffered large casualties at the battle of Midway, and was replaced by the Grumman Avenger afterwards. The biggest problem was the low speed and low approach in a straight line to drop the torpedoes, which made them sitting ducks for the Zeros and anti aircraft guns. If I remember correctly the maximum speed to drop the torpedoes was around 115 mph at around 120 ft altitude. So part of their demise was the torpedoes and their performance.

Corrugated skins find themselves in the spotlights again, this time related to morphing aerodynamic surfaces.

The interbellum saw the introduction of quite a few substandard aircraft, which became apparent in the early stages of the conflict. To name two, the Dutch operated the Brewster Buffalo and the Martin Model 166, but both aircraft were already obsolete before they entered service.

 

[Dean62]

Corrugated skins find themselves in the spotlights again, this time related to morphing aerodynamic surfaces.

The interbellum saw the introduction of quite a few substandard aircraft, which became apparent in the early stages of the conflict. To name two, the Dutch operated the Brewster Buffalo and the Martin Model 166, but both aircraft were already obsolete before they entered service.

Very true!

 

[Dean62]

TBD-1 Devastator update…
Painting has begun and a little weathering towards the nose started.



Main wings will be painted next. Then decals, my favorite part, after that. And finally will be landing gear, propeller, arrestor hook, etc.

See ya next time…

 

[Dean62]

TBD-1 Devastator update…
It was time to paint the wings.

First some white primer was in order.
Next I put on a medium yellow. And started putting on some decals…


There are many more to go, but it’s starting to show some promise.
The decals on the ridges of the wing were a lot of work to get them to look painted on…


But once I get some clear varnish on, it will look better. After all decals are on, I can finish the weathering.
Then it’s all the rest of the pieces to finish her.

See ya next time…

 

[Dean62]

Finished the decals, except for under the wings. This will be done when I finish everything under the airplane.
Then I did some weathering around the rivets and in the edges of the ailerons, elevators and rudder. And I just realized I have to paint the foot steps (small rectangular openings), on the side of the fuselage, black.
Then I painted and added the exhaust pipes.
She’s looking good now, so I’m starting to get excited.


Then I started on the propeller…just have to paint the tips now…


And a top view…


Well that’s it for now.
I have to finish the prop, then the landing gear, wheels and tires, scoop for under wing, arrestor hook, and antenna. Then she will be done. So I am on the home stretch.
I’m looking forward to getting her on the shelf next to the Dauntless and Wildcat, as they were the main aircraft involved in the Battle of Midway.

See ya next time.

 

[dockattner]

You are certainly in your element, Dean. Nicely done.

 

[Dean62]

You are certainly in your element, Dean. Nicely done.

Thank you Paul!
I guess I really like painting…and making a scaled model look realistic has always appealed to me. Airplanes being my favorite subject has kept me busy with my plastic model collection. I do need to get back to my ship eventually. But for now I am having too much fun building my airplanes.
I appreciate you checking in on me and my work.

 

[Daniel20]

To me the corrugated wing skins and the high relief fuselage rivets, not to mention an awesome paint job make this plane a visual standout in your collection.
WOW! You have inspired me to try and up my game on plastic when I jump back into airplanes.

 

[Dean62]

To me the corrugated wing skins and the high relief fuselage rivets, not to mention an awesome paint job make this plane a visual standout in your collection.
WOW! You have inspired me to try and up my game on plastic when I jump back into airplanes.

Thanks Daniel! Glad I can still inspire other people.
I am thinking I want to do a P-51 in the bare-metal aluminum film. But I have so many that I want to get on the shelves, so that will have to wait.

 

[Dean62]

Update… installed the landing gear, torpedo and arrestor hook.

I always support the airplane while the landing gear glue is drying. That’s when I glue all parts that go underneath the aircraft.

Here is a great pic I found…


Time to wrap up this build…only a few items left, the propeller and antenna and a few touch ups. Oh yeah, and the ammo belt for the rear machine gun.

 

[Dean62]

TBD-1 Devastator completed!
First let’s look at what we used to make a nice model.

The Airfix kit by itself is very basic and has a lot of flash, lines and sprues to clean up off the parts. And the parts are not that detailed. The highlight of the kit is the great job they did on the fuselage rivets and the wings.
So aftermarket companies came to the rescue. The White Ensign Models interior PE kit was a real life saver adding much needed interior details. Then the Starfighter Decals set was a definite improvement over the stock decals that were dull and fuzzy looking.
That said, with aftermarket embellishments and a lot of patience, it makes a very nice model.
Pics…


Note the ammo belt on the rear gun…a nice addition with the PE kit!


Well I think that’s enough pics, hopefully there are some decent ones. I’m not a photographer so I just take multiple pics with different lighting and angles and hope I get a few good ones!

And finally on the shelf …

Note the Grumman TBF Avenger that replaced it is right behind or above it.

And the rest of the Midway lineup…

There is two SBD-3 Dauntless aircraft to the left of it, and to the left of that is two of the Grumman F4F Wildcat aircraft. Notice I have a yellow wing pre-war version of each and a WW2 camo version. I may build a camo version of the TBD-1 Devastator as well. Only time will tell…

See ya next time…

 

[Dean62]

It’s worth noting that during the Battle of Midway, the Devastators arrived ahead of the fighters and didn’t have the Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter protection they needed to counter the Japanese Zeros. And having to come in at a low speed of 115-150mph to drop the torpedoes at an altitude of 120 feet, traveling in a straight line made them easy targets for the Zeros and anti-aircraft guns.
They did however draw all the Zeros to a low altitude, allowing the SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers flying and arriving at a high altitude to attack without much fighter confrontations from the Zeros until after they dropped their bombs.
It was the SBD-3 Dauntless aircraft and crews that sank all the ships that day, but owe some credit to the brave pilots and crew members of the TBD-1 Devastators who made their job easier. Unfortunately it came at the cost of being an easy target and large loses!

 

[Dean62]

And finally an updated photo of the collection (77 aircraft and counting) as of the TBD-1 Devastator build…


Next up I am going to build the Grumman F7F Tigercat.

It’s an old Monogram kit, and will have a few challenges, but I am looking forward to adding it to my collection!

See ya then…