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Trumpeter's Finest...1/32 TBF-1C Avenger


gunpowder

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Well it seems like i have not done a WIP for years , so heres one from me. This is my all time favourite kit. The 1/32 TBF-1C Avenger from Trumpeter. Its a great kit crammed with detail. I have built a few of these in the past so i am going with RNZAF Avenger "Plonky". The build will be mostly OOB.

Heres my progress so far. I have assembled the interior. The forward section is my own mix of greens to get the bronze green colour , the rest of the interior is again my own mix of interior green. Everything fits great.

I decided to go with the HGW belts. There is not a set for the Avenger so i went for the Hellcat set. This is good as there are 2 sets of belts , so 1 set can be used in the turret.

 

Heres a view of the overall cockpit

 

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Those beautiful HGW belts. Well worth the effort assembling them.

 

zD8GzBc.jpg

 

I decided to have a break from the interior , so i built the engine. Again its a beautiful little model on its own. Its not finished yet.

 

WBnJc9A.jpg

 

More later!

 

 

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Being a Grumman guy, the Avenger series is also a personal favorite of mine. The cockpit i really looking quite good, especially the IP. Looking forward to your next update.

 

Joel

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Beautiful start!  I've started my TBF and it's destined to be a kiwi target tug / topdresser.  Either the blue w/ yellow tail from the late 40s, or 1950s silver over yellow and black.

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Cool, always great to see an RNZAF build, especially an TBF-1c Avenger.

 

I have the same kit (started), mine will be (eventually) NZ2520 "Dumbo",

I would love to do "Who Said The B------ Couldn't Fly" (Kiwi with wings),

but at present we don't know the serial.

 

RNZAF Avenger at MOAT here in Auckland under restoration, note the

original Grumman Interior colours

FILE0924copy.jpg

FILE0895copy.jpg

 

Ever you ever get the chance, read the Book by Wally Ingham "Avengers".

Wally served with 30 & 31 Squadrons (RNZAF), lots of interesting info

FILE0496-1.jpg

 

As far as your particualr Aircraft NZ2518 goes, it was the mount of one Fred "Popeye" Lucas,

who adorned it with the cartoon Beer Barrel, Plonky.

 

Lucas wa a teetotaller, and knew the dripping Beer Barrel, would offend the Japanese

as they didn't like the alcohol dripping on them from above.

 

Lucas and his aircraft even received a mention from "Tokyo Rose", who stated

that Plonky would be shot down. Lucas was rotated home, but sadley on June 5

1944 Plonky and her crew of the time were lost over Rabaul.

 

Just as an FYI the TBF-1c's were delivered to the RNZAF with RAF type roundels

painted in US Insignia colours. The Wing roundels were over painted in RNZAF

Pacific Roundel Blue (a dark blue colour), while the fuselage roundel remained

with Insignia Yellow outer ring, Insignia Blue/Insignia white, and the Insignia Red being

painted over with RNZAF Pacific Roundel Blue (dark blue).

 

Look forward to more of your build

 

Regards

 

Alan

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  • 6 years later...

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