SPA Modeler

Thanks guys! I’m planning on getting the gloss coat on later today.

Stuart, the middle one is a photo. Quite an amazing piece of photography taken from a series of color photos shot on and near Midway Island after the battle.



https://images.google.com/hosted/life/4 ... 1ac15.html

WOW - that really is an impressive photo. I was surprised at how closely they were in formation too.

Tight formation is massed firepower and more safety. One of Japans top aces, Saburo Sakai learned that the hard way, losing and eye and almost losing his life, when he jumped a formation like that in the opening stages of the Guadalcanal invasion.

My latest update. Yesterday I added to few patches of a darker blue gray to show were some older numbers would have been painted over. Photos of the squadron I plan to model show that some planes had this type of repaint when aircraft were renumbered.



Then today I airbrushed on a gloss coat using Tamiya Clear Gloss




Tomorrow should be decal applications

Interesting you went with the painted over old numbers route. Can’t wait to see it finished.

Holy Guacamole Carlos -- Mid 90's? I thought my near 20 yr old Monogram B-17G build was the oldest shelf queen in this group! At any rate, looks like you are getting close to wrapping yours up. Your paint job is looking good. Those SBDs surge could get a worn look going in a blink. Wonder if the most battle weary pacific US a/c from ww2 was a SBD or a F4U-1?

Lovely work Carlos - looking forward to seeing it with some decals on.

Thanks guys!

Chris, that’s a good question… I suppose it all depends on where those aircraft were serving.

I was able to get the main decals on yesterday. When I started this project many years ago, I had intended to make this as a Midway SBD. But then I later acquired first a Hasegawa SBD, then an Accurate Miniatures SBD, so I had to find other markings. I had chosen some markings from the USS Wasp during the Guadalcanal campaign. But then I looked into some of the other carriers and squadrons that used SBD-3s and stumbled across VS-41 off USS Ranger during Operation Torch and after reading up on them, settled on that unit. Aside from their activities during the landings, I liked the yellow surround added to the fuselage stars for a unique look. I also liked how VS-41 retained the full squadron codes, which had been stopped in the Pacific Theater before the battle of Coral Sea.





anyways, I still need to add some stencils, but this one is finally approaching completion! Woohoo!

A nice choice of markings Carlos - it's nice to see an SBD from somewhere other than the Pacific.

The decals look super!