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Matchbox Dauntless


mgbooyv8

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Guest Peterpools

Peter

Super progress on the Matchbox SBD. Still seems like yesterday when the kit first hit the shelves with the multi colored plastic.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

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Thanks guys!

 

The engine bulkhead was added.

 

31366979652_5efb584974_b.jpg

 

The detail there is will be gone forever as soon as the nose panels are added, so nothing was painted there.

The nose panels were temporarily taped in place to ensure that the engine bulkhead was at the right position after the glue had dried.

 

30704539233_468d57b226_b.jpg

 

The antenna was cut off from its base and the latter glued in the port nose half.

Otherwise, it would never withstand the handling. It's easy to add the antenna later in the build.

 

31513772455_240e5ac103_h.jpg

 

Another small thjng to add were boxed-in shell ejector openings of the guns in the nose panels.

On the parts, they are just represented by raised lines.

 

30672873324_e991590e0a_b.jpg

 

After the nose panels were glued in place, it was time for the wing outer panels.

Fit is sloppy here, so some kind of jig had to be made.

 

According to an internet source (can't remember where), the dihedral angle of a Dauntless outer wing panel is 9 degrees, 16 minutes.

This meant that the drawing in the D&S book was correct.

The dihedral angle is defined at the chord of the airfoil and not at the outer surfaces.

So, measuring the angle at the lower wing surface in the same drawing yielded a value of 11 degrees.

 

A paper template was cut out of a pizza box. ;)

 

One wing panel is supported by the template while the glue is drying.

 

30704558333_5d49d9bf71_h.jpg

 

Next, the other wing panel will be added after the glue has dried.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

Edited by mgbooyv8
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Thanks guys!

 

I made some progress the past days.

Other wing located:

 

31479731042_0648192eef_h.jpg

 

Tailplanes added. Fit is OK:

 

31254128790_631e7b402c_b.jpg

 

And it's starting to look like a Dauntless:

 

31479782942_059a5888a2_b.jpg

 

The upper nose panel and the  engine cowl are just taped in place to check the fit.

The forward part of the fuselage needs to be widened a bit with a piece of plastic strip to obtain a good fit:

 

31254159430_af76b21ee9_b.jpg

 

You all probably note that the cockpit floor is already in.

It was done by the previous owner. He even closed off the sides with a few strips and inserted a rear bulkhead.

So that's nice. It will not be detailed further, The kit items will be used and the crew will hide the big void.

 

However, something needs to be done about this:

 

31479764912_a006dedd68_h.jpg

 

It is in view and it is simplistic.

The part tries to represent an instrument panel wit two gun greeches next to it.

And it fails. :)

 

The corners will be cut off and simple representations of the gun breeches will be made.

No, the instruments will not be drilled etc, to keep the nature (and speed! ;) ) of this build by only adding some simple enhancements.

That's for the next time.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks guys!

 

Shaka, I'm afraid I'm not going to add any rivet detail to this kit.

I try to finish this kit relatively quickly and keep it more or less OOB like Matchbox intended with just a few small enhancements.

By the way, I admire what you are doing with your Hellcat!

 

The blank sections of the instrument panel were cut off and a few strips of card were added to deepen the panel as seen on pictures:

 

31987641065_00e328a415_h.jpg

 

After a lick of paint and some drybrushing, it looked like this:

 

31147604804_8fa74ab4b1_h.jpg

 

The glass of the instruments is simulated with drops of Klear.

 

In the fuzzy background, you see the other parts which go into the cockpit.

The two on the left are scratchbuilt gun breeches, made from a few layers of strip and pieces of rod.

Everything has got some paint. For Interior Green I used Humbrol 225, which is too dark, lightened with a little white.

 

Now, the cockpit looks like this:

 

31178515893_352146f13d_b.jpg

 

31178507873_9bcaae0405_b.jpg

 

The rear guns and the crew will be added later in the build to fill things up. ;)

 

The forward decking was glued on and taped down.

 

31614046950_d50aaaec02_b.jpg

 

After that, some filling and sanding will be needed.

That's for the next time. For now,

 

I wish everybody a very good and happy 2017!!!

 

Peter

 

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