Brick Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 This is from the Trumpeter SBD 3/4 kit. Its pretty much OOB, with a smattering of Eduard PE in the cockpit. I found this offering from Trumpeter to be very good, with excellent fit and little requirement for filler or "persuasion". A Bit of History In early 1944, No 25 Squadron RNZAF began operational training on SBD-4 aircraft at Pallikulo on Espiritu Santo Island in the New Hebrides. These SBD-4s were ex-USMC aircraft, and in quite poor condition. Operational training included practice strikes with aircraft from Marine Air Groups 11, 12 and 21, TBF-1c Avengers of No 30 Squadron RNZAF, and escorting fighters. The SBD-4s were handed back to the Marines in Feb-Mar 1944 and replaced with the SBD-5 variant. On March 22 1944, eighteen of these aircraft left for Piva on Bougainville via Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The morning after they arrived, and in response to massive Japanese attacks on the Marine defenders in the area, they carried out their first operational sorties. Their targets were so close to the airfield that the ground crews were able to watch the entire action from their dispersal bays. Later operations were directed at the large Japanese base areas around Rabaul in New Britain. The SBD-5s were eventually handed back to the USMC, following which the squadron transitioned to the F4U-1 Corsair, but that's another story. The model represents NZ5034, one of the rather “clapped-out†SBD-4s used for operational training on Espiritu Santo. This weary old war horse was never used in combat by the RNZAF, but she did prepare the aircrews of No 25 Squadron for later combat operations on the SBD-5. So you could say that she played her part. alain11, Uncarina, Girlscanplay2 and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericg Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Very nice Brick! Glad to see you post it on LSP mate. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Great dauntless ! The weathering is amazing. I love the zinc chromate primer showing under the worn sea blue on the wing roots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Welcome aboard! I've actually just published this one on the website: http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/article.php?aid=2251 Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Good show. Welcome aboard. Sincerely, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reconspit Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Great finisch and super cool weathering, looks damn convincing to me. Cool work man.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brahman104 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Well there you go. I never knew NZ used SBD's. Love it! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncarina Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Very nice work, and I appreciate learning some of the history! Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Very nice Kiwi bomber Brick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Awesome SBD, I especially like how you showed the YZC under the blue and the allu under that! Great job mate, it is always pleasing to see RNZAF birds represented! Cheers Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 That's brilliant - well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simmo.b Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Awesome build mate!! I will be doing a kiwi Corsair and would love to know how you painted and weathered your Dauntless Cheers Btent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiner Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Nice work, and very good weathering..... I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Cross Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Excellent work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zak Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Great stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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