Jump to content

Combat Models SB2U Vindicator, anyone have one, thoughts..?


Kagemusha

Recommended Posts

Yes I have one.

No I have not started it.

Quality? Well like any vacuform I figure I will have to do things to it to achieve a  satisfactory model. Vacs are pretty close to scratch building. That said, I have no idea what you consider a satisfactory model. So I really cannot advise you. To me the criteria includes is it close to the shape of the actual plane and is it in scale, more or less. In other words, when I see it hanging from the ceiling with others models in 1/32 scale will it look convincing in that I can recognize it as being a Vindicator? Realize that I am also satisfied with the solid wood models from the Philippines. I grew up during WW2 with carved solid wood kits and afterwards with buying the surplus Identification Models. Details do not mean anything to me.

What satisfies you is possibly something else entirely.

Still, I am somewhat fussy, I have  the wood Devastator and it does not have the corrugations on the wings so I am not happy with that. When Trumpeter finally issues that kit then I will buy it and actually assemble it to take the place of the woodie. Also the woodies from the Philippines have wings that are too thick, especially at the trailing edges. I'll either live with that or I'll sand them down to where I want them to be.  Whenever.

By the way, I do not pay retail prices for the woodies. I buy them second hand off eBay when the price is under $50.

On another note I would never ask for others opinions on the quality of vacuforms. I have read many over the years and have found many of the critiques are worthless because the reviewer is wishing it were an injection molded kit and is thus misjudging it entirely. Asking for an opinion of a vacuform kit is like asking for opinions on an old stick and tissue kit. They are what they are and they will never be an injection molded kit. 

Stephen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the reply Stephen, but vacs aren't all alike, I had the Combat Helldiver and it had awful surface detail, which would need removing, I've got the Firebrand, which has virtually no surface detail, which is preferable to the Helldiver, and I have the Echelon Lightning which has superb surface detail. 

 

So, could you please tell me what the surface detail is like, the rib effect, panel lines etc., if any? If you don't feel comfortable giving a critique, then could you maybe take some photos?

 

I'm well aware they aren't like injection moulded kits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the reply Stephen, but vacs aren't all alike, I had the Combat Helldiver and it had awful surface detail, which would need removing, I've got the Firebrand, which has virtually no surface detail, which is preferable to the Helldiver, and I have the Echelon Lightning which has superb surface detail. 

 

So, could you please tell me what the surface detail is like, the rib effect, panel lines etc., if any? If you don't feel comfortable giving a critique, then could you maybe take some photos?

 

I'm well aware they aren't like injection moulded kits.

OK, But I'll have to find it in the basement first. I hope you are patient because we are now rebuilding the kitchen and all my free time is involved with that.  I am trying to find a new cabinet to put under the sink and from the looks of it I may have to end up building my own cabinet. The cabinet makers in my area are swamped with work and they seem to prefer rebuilding the complete kitchen to the latest style and cannot be bothered with my wife, who just wants a simple cabinet to match the other cabinetry in the kitchen.

My wife has simple old fashioned tastes as she grew up on her grandparents' farm and when we got married and left the hills of Kentucky they still had an outhouse and she had to bring up the water from an outside well. Her grandfather had built the house himself back before WW1 and the cabinets were simple, not ornate and fancy like today. Her grandpa was in on the Alaskan gold rush and then worked as a locomotive engineer in California. When he had enough money he returned to KY, bought some farmland, built a one room house and a barn and got married. Back then they did everything themselves. By the time my wife left grandpa had added extra rooms and a second floor to the house.

So perhaps I will build the simple cabinet. We will, however, get new granite counters for all the cabinets in the kitchen and the latest types of drawers with bearings, latest faucets, etc. 

But before I do all this I'll have to buy a new pair of bib overalls, a straw hat and develop a taste fer chawing terbaccy. Yup.

By the way, when I was last down there in the '70's I helped grandpa spray all sorts of anti-bug poisons on the tobacco crop. The skull and crossbones and danger poison markings on these sprays was scary as hell. Especially when one is spraying them all over the crop. To think that people smoke and chew that tobacco afterwards is really scary. That experience kept me from smoking afterwards.

But this project will be done soon because now we have no sink in the kitchen. Then I'll find and photo the kit for you.

Stephen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one some years back, I wish I had it back now. The main part of the kit is not to bad. It appears to have the general outline done correctly. The canopy is another matter. I sold mine because the the clear parts were not done correctly. The rear portion was missing a complete section. The one that was most forward. I also looked at the amount of scratch building the cockpits would take and figured it was beyond me. That was over 15 years ago. My talents have progressed now to the point that I would like to try and build one now. Like I said check to see that you have the right amount of canopy sections and be ready for a lot of tube style interior construction. But the overall shape appeared to be right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have seen the SBC-3/4 kit, you will see the same deep trenches or panel lines on this kit, with the exception that the ribs on the rear half of the fabric fuslage are even more pronounced. This kit is a real disappointment compared to something like a Silverwings kit of a comparable 30's fighter, and there is no interior to speak of. On the other hand, it is a piece of plastic in a reasonable shape, in need of a lot of work, but could possibly look like the plane once you finish.

 

You'd need to completely scratchbuild the interior, but then you'd need to do the same for most of Hasegawa's 1/32 biplanes unless Mike at LSM had helped us out with resin sets. Even some of those kits have engines that really want replacement.

Let's say this one is not on my list to build anytime soon, even though I really wanted it to be before I got the kit. Would you be better off carving your own out of wood? Maybe not, since you could probably get further by starting with this one. It all depends upon how much work you want to do. I think that the SBC-4 kit is my choice to build before this one, if that helps your question. No matter what, there is a lot of filler to add, and hope that you can scribe it without serious issues after that.

 

It sure would look nice in that color scheme with yellow wings and unit stripes. Oh well,

 

By the way, if you want photos, I can get them for you... just let me know.

 

Tnarg

Edited by Tnarg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whatever the quality of the vac, Kagemusha, go for it! Because I know if you do, once you get about 75% finished, after putting 200 hours into it, that is when Trumpy will finally release theirs! :)

Come on, take one for the team!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ray, considering Trumpeter have been dragging their heels on the Devastator for so long I can't see them ever producing the Vindicator, Special Hobby make one in 1/72 and 1/48, but would they up scale it?

 

Thanks for the reply Grant, it was the SB2C I had, but sounds like it's earlier namesake suffers the same, if you could post some photo's I'd really appreciate it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You find smoking, or chewing tobacco scary, or do you find smoking and chewing tobacco that has a couple of insecticides sprayed all over it scary? Cos that will add 2 poisonous carcinogenic toxic nasties to the 200 poisonous carcinogenic toxic nasties already in the tobacco plant...

 

Just putting things is perspective!!

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've looked at this one for a while, but keep working on others... too many unfinished ones with my short or interrupted attention span, I guess. I will see if I can post some photos tonight.

 

As with most vacs and most older kits, you have to do the complete interior from scratch, as the resin with the kit is pretty generic and limited in scope. On the other hand, you end up doing a lot of that with all but the best of the kits, so the engine is the only thing to add to the problem.

 

Good luck. Once you get it nearly finished, maybe Silverwings will release one? Or you could start the Kingfisher and get that one accelerated in release also...

 

Tnarg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You find smoking, or chewing tobacco scary, or do you find smoking and chewing tobacco that has a couple of insecticides sprayed all over it scary? Cos that will add 2 poisonous carcinogenic toxic nasties to the 200 poisonous carcinogenic toxic nasties already in the tobacco plant...

 

Just putting things is perspective!!

 

Tim

Not to mention what we inhale when modelling. Am beginning to consider a spray booth with extractor a necessity rather than a fancy piece of gear.

 

As for vacs, the quality is so variable that it has to be fairly top drawer to appeal. Echelon is one thing, resin accessories another, but all that canopy framing on a vac clear part...quite brave! (Although such complexity might hide some assembly sins.)

 

imagejpg1-23.jpg

 

Another factor to consider is whether you want Navy planes with the wings in flying state - a folded option is a lot more scratch work.

 

Tony

Edited by Tony T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

An easy way to get the interior for these models is to buy a good paper card kit of the plane, using a copy machine scale it up to 1/32,

Then I would just rubber cement the scaled up paper parts onto plastic sheet, cut it out, bend it and glue it and presto, you have an interior.

Not all the paper card models have interiors so you have to ask the dealer if an interior is included.

I have a large quantity of these paper card model kits unbuilt (what else?) and I have ready access to them. So if you want to know if an interior is available let me know and I'll let you know if one is available.

Why don't I just send you a copy? Well, because of these things known as copyright laws.

Growing up in Chicago has not generated much, if any, respect for the laws of the land. Except these kits are designed by guys who work hard to get them just right. And I have made some kits in paper card myself so as a fellow author/artist/designer I have a certain amount of empathy for these guys.

A good paper card dealer is http://www.papermodelstore.com/

also the manufacturer of some of them  http://www.gremirmodels.com/

Stephen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...