HpH Models SB2C-4 Helldiver Build Thread 7/4 Details

[LSP_Paul]

Nice random patterning, Paul.  Looks great!

 

Sincerely,

Mark

Thanks Mark! It's fun too, but it does give you a headache looking at it after a while when you're doing it.

Paul

[LSP_Paul]

Lookin' gooooood!!

Thanks John!

Paul

[LSP_Ron]

Wow, looks great.  LSP_Ray was saying on the phone that the detail and surface detail was amazing, I can see that now. I might have to crack the whip and order one.

 

Ron

[LSP_Paul]

Today I worked some more on catching up on details. on the right hand side forward cockpit. The kit gives you a pretty impressive rendition of the cockpit, but there are options. I drilled out all the holes in the cockpit that should have switches, and backed the PE with holes in it for switches with .015 styrene and then drilled through that. Why? So I could use .010 rods cut individually and stuffed though the holes. When they were lined up, I used a tiny dot of  Tamiya Thin liquid glue and set them all to height. then let em dry a while and trim to final height. I found it much faster then supergluing them in, and they are slightly flexible as well.

 

The kit is missing the parking brake, hydraulic and fuel transfer emergency hand pump levers, and several fairly prominent levers of unknown origin on both side consoles and the floor. Luckily I have pictures so I'll build them as close as I can to that. I figure I am only going to build one of these, I may as well take my time where it counts.

I've heard it said that in an emergency or landing, the pilot was so busy with both hands it was like watching a person trying to play a violin in a phonebooth. Ergonomics had nothing to do with this cockpit. It got much nicer to fly with the -5 version as it got a completely new cockpit, very well laid out. Curiously, HpH included a pedestal mount for the rudder pedals (brass) but the instructions call out for you to glue them to the cockpit floor. Neither of these is correct, the rudder pedal control linkage is behind the dashboard and each pedal is suspended/connected to two metal arms. I will scratch something up. If I'm lucky I will be closing up the fuselage halves tomorrow, or the next morning. Little more paint, a few placards, main IP and I'm home free 

You can see the detailed parts on the right side are farther along than the left at the moment.  

Thanks for checking out my build! 

 

 Paul 

[LSP_Paul]

Ron

 

Wow, looks great.  LSP_Ray was saying on the phone that the detail and surface detail was amazing, I can see that now. I might have to crack the whip and order one.

 

Ron

 Just know in advance the landing gear as represented in the kit is very poor as far as how the wheels are attached to the strut. 

As I said in the review, I would have prefered metal gear, preferably brass.

 

Thanks for checking in on my build, hope we get a fix for the gear 

Paul

[Spaced Marine]

Mongo likes. This puppy is definitely moving up my list as soon as it arrives.

[LSP_Paul]

Mongo likes. This puppy is definitely moving up my list as soon as it arrives.

There is so much model waiting to be built in the box. I only hope I live though the dive flaps. Your Helldiver will look so cool in the atlantic scheme some day. 

Paul

[Spaced Marine]

There is so much model waiting to be built in the box. I only hope I live though the dive flaps. Your Helldiver will look so cool in the atlantic scheme some day.

Paul

Paul,

 

It's next in line with be for me. Once the 52c Zero & P-39 are done, the Beast will be on the desk!

[alaninaustria]

Damn fine work Paul!! I love the sidewall detailing!!

Cheers

Alan

[Shawn M]

looks wonderful

[LSP_Paul]

Love the work.  I'm not up to the point you are still sorting parts.  Excellent fit and detail so far.  I do have one question, have you figured out where part number 26 goes?  It's a bulkhead with two stubs looks like it goes on the firewall but instructions don't show it.  Thanks any help would be useful.

Rick,

  Part 26 doesnt go in the aircraft, I have no idea what it is. There is also a "pedestal" for the rudder pedals that HpH evidently changed their mind about using, instead having you glue the rudder pedals to the floor, NOT correct ..I also left the bulkheads from part 84 on back to the tail out, you will never see them, they dont add anything to the model and you will never see them internally. The fuselage sides starting at the vertical stabilizer will already have to be thinned substantially to get the tail parts equally thinned to taper towards the tail. One half had more overpour then the other to make it even more fun. If you don't do this, you will have an overly thick tail and the rudder will not mount up correctly. I have also found that like most kits with bulkheads, this one will need each bulkhead to be "adjusted" with sanding to get a good fit. Hopefully I can show you the things I have added to the cockpit here soon, based on photo's, they got MOST of it correct for a  -4 but several items are missing (not included) and this may be due to the overly wide pilot's seat. The seat seems to be about 1/8th inch to wide, so you can't see the missing details for the pump handles and brackets etc.  I am thinking seriously about sawing the seat in half ( to make a left and right) and removing 1/16th from each side in the middle, then gluing it back together. The gunners seat is probably to wide as well, but you won't really see it as much due to it's location. Of course you dont have to do any of these modifications, both seats fit fine, they just block detail they way they are now. 

Paul

[LSP_Paul]

Damn fine work Paul!! I love the sidewall detailing!!

Cheers

Alan

Thanks Alan,

I just have the "lines" and cabling colored in to get an idea of  what you can see, the white and silver lines are actually supposed to be green like the rest of the plane perhaps with some chipping, staining and wear.  I will use the white and silver as a primer or base coat, and use Vallejo colors to add some variety. All the scratches inside where the black is showing  at the mounting points is from dry fitting over and over( no way around it) and those will be touched up as well.

I hope to have more work to share soon,

 Paul  

[LSP_Ray]

Hi Paul,

The cockpit sides look excellent! Definitely the detail pops out now.

BTW, since we are sitting cooling our heels in a hotel for awhile, I brought a kit to work on. As I was working, I realized I forgot both filler and superglue. However, I brought that light-cured 5 second fix stuff and am using it for both. Works well! 

[LSP_Paul]

Very Cool to hear Ray! I had a sneaking suspicion it would work, and I'm glad you get to lead the way in its modeling applications.

I also want to try the Tamiya Light Curing putty, I have heard nothing but great things and it works with UV bulbs or daylight. I'm going to test it out on an old model first. The detail  in the Helldiver will get a little more pop when I have all the final colors in place. The PE sheets HPH give you for the breaker box and other switch panel are pre drilled and have slightly raised locations for the dial controls. A good punch and die set dresses that right up. I am redoing the first breaker box on the right side's switch's with a smaller diameter stretched sprue, then I'll do the other across the cockpit the same.

 

Please give our best to your lovely wife, and know we are thinking about you guys, positive thoughts.   

Paul and Teresa too

[Brian79]

Part 26 is an alternative to mounting the cowling to the fuselage. Also the entire cockpit area is over scale maybe 1/28 ish not just the seats. If you have a tamiya corsair compare the similar parts and it's very apparent.