Seattle Chapter News - IPMSipms-seattle.org/newsletters/2006Newsletters/2006February.pdf · Seattle...

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Seattle Chapter IPMS/USAFebruary 2006

PREZNOTES

In This Issue

RS Heinkel He 112 V10 3Always PBY 4Pearson Air Museum Show 6NWSM Show 6The Desert Fox 8Academy Curtiss SB2C 9Hurricane Theater 10McChord Museum Visit 11Upcoming Shows 11Trumpeter A-7E Corsair II 12

Pardon me a bit if my model output is slightlydiminished this month, for I have just fin-ished reading a very engrossing book, Shat-tered Sword: the Untold Story of the Battleof Midway.

This is from the Shattered Sword website:

“Shattered Sword is a new, definitiveaccount of the Battle of Midway, focusingprimarily (but by no means exclusively) onthe Japanese side of the battle. Through-out the book, the authors make extensiveusage of new Japanese primary andsecondary sources that have not beenutilized in prior studies. These include theofficial Japanese War History series(Senshi Sosho), the translated carrier airgroup action reports of the four Japanesecarriers involved in the battle, the compre-hensive Japanese casualty figures foundin Sawachi Hisae’s groundbreaking volumeon the battle (Midowei Kaisen Kiroku),and many others. The result is an accountthat is grounded less on first-handpersonal accounts (although these arefound in plenty as well), and more onconcrete operational data. This shift infocus has led to many important, andpotentially provocative, re-interpretationsof the conventional wisdom on the battle.As befits a battle of this magnitude,Shattered Sword is a comprehensive book.Its 640 pages include 24 chapters and 11appendixes, all extensively annotated(1,318 endnotes, but who’s counting).Additionally, the book contains nearly 100photographs and illustrations, many ofthem brand new or never before seen inthe West, all presented in a generous7"x10" format.”

It puts the Japanese plans for the invasionin a completely different light, consideringtheir rigid battle plan and a lack of flexibil-ity, their thoughts as to what the US Navywould do as opposed to what they coulddo, and so on. It exposes a number offallacies and myths that have grown overthe last 60 plus years, including the fact

that the Aleutian “side show” was notdesigned as a diversion, but an entirelyseparate operation. The book gives a verydetailed look at how the ships of KidoButai operated, especially when it came toair operations and how difficult it was forthe Japanese Navy to prepare to attack thediscovered US fleet. I could go on and on(Midway is one of my favorite subjects),but I’d suggest going to Barnes and Nobleand buying the book. It’s not expensive; Ipaid about $35 for it. It’s a terrific read andwell worth it.

This leads me back to my bench, ratherindirectly. In the book, there are severalmentions of the “experimental reconnais-sance aircraft” carried aboard Soryu, andthe fact that it actually did participate inthe Battle. The aircraft was the D4Y-1, laterknown as the “Judy” to the Allies. Severalyears ago I posed a question to ourresident Japanese expert, Jim Schubert,and he came up with a speculative colorscheme. Other sources tend to disagreewith what Jim suggested the colors andmarkings might be, generally leading to aproblem with how the aircraft actuallylooked. Unfortunately, no photos of theSoryu D4Y-1 are known to exist. So be it.So, when you see my model of the FineMolds D4Y-1, it will be entirely specula-tive. And that’s the way it is.

Continued on page 16

SEATTLE CHAPTER CONTACTS

President: Vice President: Treasurer: Editor:Terry Moore M. Keith Laird Spencer Tom Robert Allen3612 - 201st Pl. S.W. 1825 South 330th St. F-201 318 N.E. 81st St. 12534 NE 128th Way #E3Lynnwood, WA 98036 Federal Way, WA 98003 Seattle, WA 98115 Kirkland, WA 98034Ph: 425-774-6343 Ph: 206-491-0096 Ph: 206-522-8414 Ph: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

IPMS Seattle Web Site (Webmasters, Jon Fincher & Tracy White): http://www.ipms-seattle.org

Public Disclaimers, Information, and Appeals for Help

This is the official publication of the Seattle Chapter, IPMS-USA. As such, it serves as the voice for our Chapter, and depends largelyupon the generous contributions of our members for articles, comments, club news, and anything else involving plastic scale modeling andassociated subjects. Our meetings are generally held on the second Saturday of each month, (see below for actual meeting dates), at the NorthBellevue Community/Senior Center, 4063-148th Ave NE, in Bellevue. See the back page for a map. Our meetings begin at 10:00 AM, exceptas noted, and usually last for two to three hours. Our meetings are very informal, and are open to any interested plastic modeler, regardless ofinterests. Modelers are encouraged to bring their models to the meetings. Subscriptions to the newsletter are included with the Chapter dues.Dues are $24 a year, and may be paid to Norm Filer, our Treasurer. (See address above). We also highly recommend our members join andsupport IPMS-USA, the national organization. See below for form. Any of the members listed above will gladly assist you with further informa-tion about the Chapter or Society.

The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual writers, and do not constitute the official position of theChapter or IPMS-USA. You are encouraged to submit any material for this newsletter to the editor. He will gladly work with you and see thatyour material is put into print and included in the newsletter, no matter your level of writing experience or computer expertise. The newsletter iscurrently being edited using a PC, and PageMaker 6.5. Any Word or WordPerfect document for the PC would be suitable for publication. Articlescan also be submitted via e-mail, to the editor’s address above. Deadline for submission of articles is generally twelve days prior to the nextmeeting - earlier would be appreciated! Please call me at 425-823-4658 if you have any questions.

If you use or reprint the material contained in the newsletter, we would appreciate attribution both to the author and the sourcedocument. Our newsletter is prepared with one thing in mind; this is information for our members, and all fellow modelers, and is prepared andprinted in the newsletter in order to expand the skills and knowledge of those fellow modelers.

IPMS Seattle Chapter Newsletter

Upcoming Meeting DatesThe IPMS Seattle 2006 meeting schedule is as follows. All meetings are from 10 AM to 1 PM, except as indicated. To avoidconflicts with other groups using our meeting facility, we must NOT be in the building before our scheduled start times, andMUST be finished and have the room restored to its proper layout by our scheduled finish time. We suggest that you keep thisinformation in a readily accessable place.

February 11 March 11April 8 (Bellevue) April 22 (Spring Show at Renton)


RS Models 1/72nd ScaleHeinkel He 112 V10

by Jacob Russell

The Heinkel He 112 was designed byDipl.Ing. Heinrich Hertel, in response to a1933 RLM specification calling for amonoplane fighter design. The He 112 wasone of four planes built to the require-ments of this specification. The other threecompetitors were the Arado Ar 80, theFocke-Wulf Fw 159, and the

Messerschmitt Bf 109, which ultimatelyemerged as the winner of this competitionThe Heinkel He 112 V10 was a prototypefor a proposed export version of the He112 series, and was to be powered by theJunkers Jumo 211A. Due to limitedavailability of this engine a Daimler-BenzDB 601Aa was installed instead. The V12was the only other He 112 to be sopowered. The V10 was an unarmedprototype, although earlier prototypescarried both wing mounted cannon andcowling mounted machine guns. The He112 V10 prototype, coded D-IQMA,crashed during flight tests at the end of1938, and was written off.

The export production version of the He112 derived from the V10 was the He 112B-0, of which 30 were sold to the JapaneseNaval Air Force. Following delivery of thefirst 12 airplanes in spring of 1938, theLuftwaffe impressed the remaining 18 forservice in the Sudetenland. When that

crisis had passed, 17 were returned toHeinkel. The Japanese would not thenaccept late delivery of the balance of theirorder and Heinkel sold them to the FalangeNationalists in Spain for use in their revoltagainst the Republican government.Heinkel built a further 30 He 112 s forexport sale. Rumania bought 24 of them; 13as B-0 and 11 as B-1. Hungary boughtthree B-1s and the V9 prototype. Heinkel’slast export sale was of the V12 to Japan.

The kit comprises 39 parts, 29 of which arelimited run injection molded plastic. Therest of the parts are cast in resin, and there

is a singlevacuformcanopy. Theplastic partsare molded ina harderplastic thanone normallyfinds in alimited runkit. Theseparts haverecessedpanel lines,

which are particularly well done. Thewheels, which are identical to those ofearly 109s, are “weighted,” and welldetailed. There is some sidewall detailmolded into the fuselage halves, and thecockpit is well detailed with a floor, rearbulkhead, seat, control column, and rudderpedals. A gun sight is also provided, whichmakes the featureless instrument panel adisappointment.

The resin parts - propeller spinner, propblades, oil cooler/radiator shell, exhauststacks, and replacement nose - are wellmolded, finely detailed, and free of airbubbles. The resin parts are direct replace-ments for the kit parts, and out of the boxthe later V11 protoype can also be built. Touse the resin parts the forward fuselagemust be removed, and the instructionsshow where to make the necessary cuts.The instructions have a logical, albeitsomewhat cluttered, build sequence, andinclude a numbered parts map and a color

profile with paints indexed to Agama andHumbrol paints. Federal Standard numbersare also included for those who use otherbrands of paint.

The decal sheet has markings for both theV10 (D-IQMA) and V11 prototypes (D-IRXS). The decals include the codes forthe upper and lower wings and thefuselage sides, fuel type triangles, Heinkellogos, swastikas on white circles, and redbands sized to fit the fin and rudder. Theswastikas are printed in halves, to skirt theEuropean ban on the display of thatinsignia, and are to be applied on top ofthe red bands. The decals have a largeamount of carrier film, which shouldprobably be trimmed, prior to application,to prevent silvering. There is only onecolor option, for the V10 prototype, whichwas painted in overall RLM 63 light grey.

The kit dimensions state that the V10 had awingspan of 9.1 meters (29.85 feet) and alength of 9.3 meters (30.5 feet). JimSchubert kindly converted these dimen-sions into 1/72nd scale for me, giving aspan of approximately 4.975 inches and alength of approximately 5.085 inches. Thekit has a wingspan of slightly less than 5inches, and a fuselage length of 5.75inches, so if my measuring is accurate,then the kit is very close to the givendimensions. I am a firm believer in check-ing kit parts against scale plans when A) Ihave access to them and B) when thoseplans are accurate. I did not have access toplans this time, but the kit does capture thesomewhat muscular and chunky nose ofthe V10 very well indeed.

RS Models’ Heinkel He 112 V10 is a highquality kit, and the patient modeler will berewarded with a fine replica of a somewhatobscure but very attractive aircraft. Idefinitely recommend it!

Many thanks to Robert Schneider of RSModels for providing the review sample.


REEL Planes (AnOccasional Series): Always

PBY in 1/48th Scale

by Terry Moore

Many of my favorite modeling subjects are“reel” planes - those flying machines thatappear on the silver screen. StevenSpielberg opens most of his movies in avery interesting way and Always is noexception. The movie opens with a longshot of two fishermen in a boat on a lake.Off in the distance you see a PBY alightingon the lake, heading straight for the fishingboat. One of the fishermen sees theapproaching aircraft (the other is dozing)and frantically tries to start the motor. Thecamera follows the PBY as it has filled itsbelly with water. The next shot is back tothe fishing boat. It’s empty. It certainlyhooked me on the desire to build the PBY!

Always is a remake of the 1943 SpencerTracy film A Guy Named Joe, but insteadof a setting at a WW II bomber station, thefilm takes place in the present day at afirebomber base in the northwestern

United States. The basic plot is about adaredevil pilot that is killed while savinghis friend and returns as a ghost to help anup and coming pilot find his way. Alwaysstarred Richard Dreyfuss as Pete Sandich,John Goodman as Al Yackey, Holly Hunter

as Dorinda Durston, and Brad Johnson asTed Baker. The “reel” stars of the move areA-26 Invaders, the PBY, plus an assort-ment of other aircraft make an appearanceincluding a C-119, Citabria (or Decathalon -I can never tell them apart), and a CessnaSkymaster. A few of the flying scenes wererecreated by models, including the sceneswhere Pete saves Al by dropping his loadof retardant on the flaming PBY (and hisown subsequent demise), and Dorinda’sattack on the fire near the end of themovie.

With such a grand entrance, I just had tobuild the PBY, and N9505C, tanker 53, wasdestined to be the first of the aircraft I builtfrom the movie. Another reason forbuilding the model is that I have crossedpaths with this aircraft twice before, oncewhen I attended an auction of N9505C andother PBYs in 1997, when it was being sold(unsuccessfully) at auction. Then, twoyears ago, when I was at a job site at theEphrata airport, what should I see but theAlways PBY next to the hangar I wasworking at. I shot numerous photos of theaircraft, enough to finally build the model.

photo by James Tainton


The model is the Monogram PBY-5A, and Iused the Belcher Bits corrected tailsection. I cut the rudder off the BelcherBits tail and scratch built a new, largerrudder designed for the “Super” PBYaircraft that flew with the larger R-2600engines. The engines are directly from theMonogram B-25 and the nacelles are builtup from epoxy putty. The exhausts wereslightly modified from the kit exhausts. Thenose section is also built up from epoxyputty.

I also had to add a window on each sideunder the trailing edge of the wing. Theport window is part of a larger hatch whichI rescribed existing panel lines to achieve.The window on the starboard side is asmaller, oval shape. Both windows werecut from clear sheet stock. I added aconsiderable amount of weight to the noseand I fully suspect that I’ll have to replacethe main gear some day, due to the amountof weight that I added, probably muchmore than necessary. The only other majorthing I did to the model was to add brassspars to the wings to make them straighter.If you don’t do this, the wings will appearto sag.

I used Tamiya gloss white, Floquil AmtrakRed, and a generic black for painting. NormFiler did the decals for me on his ALPSprinter from information I had on themarkings and his own photography of theaircraft. Thanks Norm! I added some veryminor exhaust streaking and since the bigradials are notorious oil leakers, I added oildrips to the top and side of the fuselage. Inthe movie, there are two bullhorns on thespray deflectors on the bow. At press time,I have not as yet added them to the model.

A notable quote from the movie: “And Iwas having such a good day.” Quote by AlYackey (John Goodman) when an engineon his PBY catches fire.

Potential model subjects: (2) A-26’s, PBY-5A, C-119, Citabria (Decathalon),Skymaster.

I give the overall movie 3 stars (***) andthe airplane scenes, especially the openingsequence 4 stars (****).


“Maximum Effort”: The2006 Northwest Scale

Modelers Show

by Tim Nelson

Last fall we reminded you to bring all yourmodels to the NorthWest Scale Modelers(NWSM) show at Seattle’s Museum ofFlight (MOF) on February 18 - 19, 2006. Itis fast approaching.

The primary theme for the aviation part ofthe 2006 show is “Manufactured By:Aircraft Constructors in Miniature”, with

aircraft displayed by manufacturer. Cars,ships, sci-fi, figures, etc are equallywelcome. Those bringing models to theshow have free admission both days, aswell as a 15% discount in the gift shop(25% if you are a member of the MOF).Those of you who are familiar with NWSMknow it is a loose confederation ofmodelers mainly interested in having funmodeling. You need not be a “member” ofNWSM to be part of this show.

Associated events on February 18 includethe Galaxy Hobby “Make & Take” work-shops for kids, and a presentation byaviation artist Jim Dietz.

Some have asked about the purpose ofthis show. It is NWSM’s “payment” to theMOF for hosting the club on the premiseson the first Thursday night of each month.It is a major showcase for our hobby in thePacific Northwest and attracts largecrowds to the MOF. It represents one ofthe significant ways that IPMS-Seattle andNWSM make themselves known to localmodelers. It also happens to be tremen-dously fun.

Load-in may be possible to those inter-ested on Friday evening, February 17.Otherwise, we will commence at 7:30 AMon Saturday, February 18. Please arriveearly so we can complete set-up prior toMOF opening at 10:00. Stay all weekend ifyou can. We’ll take down after 4:30 PM onSunday, February 19.

Opposite is a tentative layout for the show.Study it. Memorize it. Then eat it. It issubject to change and adjustment, but itshould help to give you a general idea formodel groupings. Please note we haveassigned “table captains” (names inparentheses) to help with final modelplacement.

Look for more announcements at theFebruary meeting. For questions, pleasecontact me at the February meeting, oremail me at [email protected].

MODELUS SUMMUS BRINGUS.EFFORTUS MAXIMUS.

IPMS Lieutenant AlexanderPearson Modeleers 2006Invitational "The Joy of

Modeling"

IPMS Lieutenant Alexander PearsonModeleers will be hosting a model showon Saturday, March 11, at the Pearson AirMuseum in Vancouver, Washington.

This show will feature unique judgingformat based on a European style ofcontest. Categories will be limited to a first-to-third place award with the People'sChoice as the "Best of Show" Winner.There will also be club tables where clubsfrom the region can bring their pride andjoys for all to be amazed.

9:00 AM Vendor Setup.10:00 AM Show opens. Entrants allowed toplace entries.1:00 PM Last entries accepted.1:30 PM Judging starts/ Raffle begins.3:30 PM Awards Presented.

Contest Entry: Adult: $5 for 3 models/dioramas, $1 each for each additional;Juniors 11 -17: $1 model/diorama entry;Juniors 10 and Under: Free.

Museum Admission: Adults: $6; Seniors &Active Military with ID: $5; Students ages6-12: $3; Members, Pre-School AgeChildren, and School Groups: Free.

Vendors: $40 per table with one raffle prizeitem per table.

All categories with the exception of best ofshow will have first, second, third, andhonorable mention winners for eachcategory.

Best of Show: Peoples' Choice Voted bythe public.Best Aircraft Subject IPMS Category 100equivalent. Includes all scales, jet, prop,glider, and helicopters.Best Armor Subject IPMS Category 200equivalent. Includes all scales, armored,soft-skin, armored cars, and artillery.Best Automotive, non-military subject

IPMS Category 300 equivalent. Includes allscales and types of non-military autos.Best Ship Subject IPMS Category 400equivalent. Includes powered and non-powered ships.Best Space/ Sci-Fi Subject IPMS Category500 equivalent. Includes real and fictionalcrafts: air, space, and ground.Best Figure Subject IPMS Category 600equivalent. Includes single subject and upto five figures.Best Diorama Subject IPMS Category 700equivalent. Includes more than five figuresand a subject.Best Miscellaneous Subject IPMS Cat-egory 800 equivalent. Anything notcovered in the previous categories withthe exception of the Best of Show.Best Junior Model Subject IPMS Category900-950 equivalent. 14 and below only age15 and older will have to compete in thegeneral categories.Best Train Subject: Includes all scales.

Pearson Air Museum is located in the heartof Vancouver's National Historic Reserveat 1115 E 5th, Vancouver, WA 98661. FromI-5 take Mill Plain Blvd. exit and followaviation museum signs through VancouverBarracks to 5th Street.

For more information, visit the show website at:http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/ipmspearsonmodeleers/Annual%20Show%202006.htm


Movie Review: The DesertFox

by Jon Fincher

I made the mistake after a recent NorthwestScale Modelers meeting of asking theassembled group for their recommenda-tions for the best war movies. I got a list ofabout twenty different pictures, and ambusy filling my Netflix (www.netflix.com)queue with them. While originally intendedfor my own edification (I’ve said it beforeand I’ll say it again — you guys are a badinfluence on this auto modeler), I havedecided, at a suggestion from said group,that a regular review of the modeling-related movies I’ve seen is probably abetter outlet for my budding interest.

My movie selection criteria are simple — itmust be a war movie, or something withmilitary historical interest. Which war?Which military? Which interest? Doesn’tmatter — from the Battle of Agincourt toOperation Enduring Freedom, all military-or war-related subjects are good fodder.My review criteria? First, when I candetermine it, historical accuracy — militarymodelers are nothing if not sticklers foraccuracy. Second, compelling storylines —if I’m not interested in the plot, why am Iwatching the movie? Third, the GuyFactor® — the male readers know whatI’m talking about. If a movie wouldpossibly appear on Lifetime, it’s rankedlow. Standard star rankings on a scale ofone to five will be used for each of these,with an overall ranking and recommenda-tion given at the end.

So, with that in mind, let me get on to thefirst movie, one I recently watched titledThe Desert Fox, released in 1951, andstarring James Mason. Mason impres-sively captures the essence of ErwinRommel, Feldmarschall of the Afrika Corps,despite the physical differences betweenthe men.

The movie is not a complete biography,but recounts important parts of Rommel’slife from his activity in Africa through tohis untimely and unfortunate execution bythe Nazis in 1944, including his allegedinvolvement in one of the attempts onHitler’s life. Based on a book of the samename by Desmond Young, the movie doesa good job of portraying the character andpersonality of Rommel during theseturbulent years.

James Mason portrays Rommel with classand authenticity — Rommel himself was,first and foremost, a professional soldierwith a kind of chivalrous attitude andrespect for his enemies not often seen inmodern combat. Mason exudes thissoldierly aspect of Rommel, covering hisobvious physical differences by slippingon the persona of Rommel like a well-madesuit. Rommel’s reputation as a forceful,opinionated, and quick to act leader iscaptured well by Mason in scenessurrounding his command of the coastaldefenses of France prior to D-Day and hisactions in North Africa. The private side ofRommel is also well portrayed in interac-tions with friends and family, especially hiswife, played effectively by Jessica Tandy.

Young’s book, on which the movie isbased, is an excellent primary researchvehicle, relying on Young’s own involve-ment in WWII in Africa as well as his first-person interviews with Rommel’s family,friends, commanders, colleagues, andsubordinates after the war. Young’s bookis not a military history in the classic sense— it does not recount endless tales ofbattles, troop movements, or shifting battlelines, but instead focuses on primaryevidence in the form of records and logs,and secondary evidence from anecdotesand interviews, to recount the story ofRommel, the man. In the book, Youngrecounts his first brief meeting withRommel, which is faithfully portrayed onthe screen as well. The story of Rommel’sright-eye scar is recounted as well with afairly convincing Spitfire attack onRommel’s command car. Young’s accountsof Rommel’s initial respect and admirationfor Hitler, and the slow slide into disillu-sionment culminating in Rommel’s even-tual execution, are similarly well-done,convincing, and this subplot keeps themovie moving forward.

The entire film is shot in black and white,lending, to my young eyes (which grew upon color TV), a more accurate and convinc-ing air to the film. Battle scenes are few(my only complaint so far, but givenYoung’s book as the basis, it’s notsurprising), but well done. Although I stillcannot tell a Spitfire from a Mustang in theair (unless it’s two sports cars falling overa cliff), the vehicles used appearedaccurate.

All in all, the movie did a very good job oftaking a complex man in a complex time anddistilling the essence into a well-done andeasy to watch movie. Mason portraysRommel as the arrogant, capable, focusedman that he was, and highlights the vastdifferences between a true warrior and thehigh command of Nazi Germany.

• Historical AccuracyFour Stars, mostly for the research ofYoung’s book and the fidelity the moviekept with it.


• Compelling StorylineFour Stars, for tracking Rommel’s life viamultiple related subplots.

• The “Guy” FactorThree Stars, for scant but well done battlescenes

Overall: Four Stars — this was a greatprimer on the war in Africa for me, and Irecommend it highly.

For the record, although I won’t reviewthem here, here are some previous filmsI’ve seen and their overall ratings andsummaries, under the title of “Mini-Review: Also Rans”:

• The Desert Rats: Three Stars.James Mason reprises his role as Rommelwith a few cameos (speaking German thistime), but takes a back seat to RichardBurton in a “sequel” that had me wonder-ing why the French instead of the Italiansget a bad rap as soldiers.

• Midway: Two Stars.The story of the turning of the war in thePacific, also titled “How to make a badCharlton Heston movie”. Maudlin writing,hokey “live action” scenes (how manytimes is that Zero going to splash down?),and a chick-flick ending make this a stinker.

• The Bridge At Remagen: TwoStars.One of many “Bridge” movies, GeorgeSegal is tasked with destroying a bridge tostop the German retreat. While I the actionscenes were well done, the story and thewriting had me yawning, and the cast,although good, talked way too much anddidn’t seem to click.

Next Month: The Devil’s Brigade, plussome more mini-reviews.

Academy 1/72nd ScaleCurtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver

by Norm Filer

The SB2C Helldiver probably would haveto rank pretty high on any ‘most maligned’aircraft list. Yet, in spite of a very rockystart, the “Beast” went on to become asignificant contributor to the later stagesof the U.S. Navy’s carrier campaign in theSecond World War.

To list or write about all the problems andtribulations, bumps and ditches, badmanagement, and just plain unfortunatehappenings that plagued this aircraft’sdevelopment would take far more spacethan we have here, but one would have towonder how much it contributed toCurtiss’ eventual sale to North Americanshortly after WWII.

OK, so what has Academy done with thisthing? There are two sprues of the usualmedium Gray plastic and the single one ofclear parts. No flash, no flaws, nothing butjust very nicely detailed parts. The firstpositive impressions that caught my eyewere the rocket stubs molded right on thebottom of the wings, very nicely donescribing everywhere, structural details onthe inside of doors and a lot of interiorparts and details. This last one is important

because all the greenhouse glass makes agood interior very important on this bird.Not much room or need for any aftermarketinterior here. Academy has given youabout everything that could be seen. Theclear parts are notably clear, thin, and insections so you can open some parts.Masking all the frames will be fun.

Other points worth noting are some of thesmaller stuff that shows Academy did theirhomework. Fabric on just the undersidesof the ailerons, open slats on the outboardleading edges, and a very complete bomb

bay interior. The ceiling ofthe bomb bay part is accu-rately curved to represent thetop wing surface and alsoaccurately serves as thecockpit floor. One other nicetouch is that the four-bladedprop has a separate spinner.Getting to a post war SB2C-5would be a major chore, butat least the prop would help.

Negatives? Not many but acouple of significant ones forme. The biggest may be theopen bomb bay. If you onlywant one Helldiver, then the

open and well-detailed one in this kit mightbe just what you want, but should youdesire to do several models of the Beast indifferent markings, then the always openbay is a bit of a pain. The doors are moldedintegral with the bomb bay sides, so itmight be a challenge to figure out how tocut them off and make them fit. The secondmajor disappointment for me was the lackof any provision for the open dive brakes.Academy did a very good job of scribingin the very complex hole pattern for theclosed dive brakes, but for me a big part ofthe Helldiver’s appeal are the huge andvery impressive flaps and upper divebrakes. To be fair, I realize that it was notlikely Academy was going to go to theextra expense of providing what probably

Continued on page 16


Hurricane BookshelfTheater

by Scott Kruize

Out of the midwinter gloom, bombersemerge: Heinkel He 111H-3s in dark graysand greens, set off by stark black-and-white Balkankruetzen. They distend intoview, bristling with weaponry. Perhaps, asaviation buffs like us know, they’re toobig, slow, and poorly armed to standagainst stalwart Hurricanes in the daytime.But it’s night. There’s no aerial oppositionto be found, and the formation comes onlike a Juggernaut: monstrous, merciless,inexorable, filling the dark sky and screenof the theater. What feeble resistance thereis comes from the city below: toylike,shabby, fragile, frantic with fear, it desper-ately fights back. Anti-aircraft artillery firebursts amid the dark, racing, sinistershapes, and one flares up and plunges outof formation. But the rest of the bomberscome on relentlessly, wave after wave, andtheir bomb-bay doors open. Huge 250-kilogram bombs topple free, first a few,then multitudes. They fall with the strickenbomber into the buildings below.

Suddenly our viewpoint changes, andwe’re down there in one of those build-ings, a poor private home. Above, the skyabove flashes worse than any electricalstorm; below, the earth shakes worse thanin any earthquake. A frightened lady is

trying desperately to gather her fourchildren together and finally, as the battlerages around and above them, the houseshaking and windows shattering, theyfling themselves into a tiny makeshiftshelter.

Bad enough that the city is a front-linebattleground in a world where despoticleaders have goaded whole helplesspopulations into taking up arms andhurling themselves on other helplesspopulations. Bad enough that rage andgreed, hatred and cruelty, blind ambitionand the most cynical treachery, havereduced every adult into just one morecombatant. Soldier and civilians alike fightand bleed, suffer and die. It’s hard to evenidentify the foe: no one can be trusted;family members even turn on each other tosupport one side or the other, or seek somepersonal gain from the sufferings ofothers. Danger is everywhere; the forcesof evil are run amok, the forces of good

seem all too inadequate to even hold themat bay, much less defeat them. Everythingis coming apart, and hope is almost gone.Can’t the children, at least, be gotten awayfrom all this?

So these four children, having at leastsurvived the night raid, are hustled off toVictoria Station and put into a railway carcrowded with other children. It’s the greatlate 1940 evacuation of London. The trainchugs out into the quiet countryside,where their worst adversaries will be only acrotchety housekeeper and a quirky,reclusive professor…their most strenuousactivity, a game of hide-and-seek…theirmost agonizing moral dilemma: whether toown up to breaking a window with acricket ball, or run away and hide in an oldcloset.

These opening scenes are, of course, fromThe Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, theWitch, and the Wardrobe. What a greatyarn! C. S. Lewis said he wrote it mainly tobe the kind of story he wished to read as achild, and it’s filled with mythical figures:elves, unicorns, and centaurs. Thelandscape is the wild Northland of Vikinglegends: snowy forests, frozen rivers, andthe Ice Castle of the Witch Queen. Butthese settings and characters stage morethan just exciting stories.

Lewis fought in the insanely sordid,bloody trenches of the First World War,and in the Second, delivered lectures overthe BBC about the great issues of man andmorality, good and evil, God and Creation.These fundamental matters seem to bealmost ignored in peacetime, but are all tooraw and unavoidable in wartime. Evenchildren can’t evade them, and their not-so-innocent fears and desires, theiryouthful attempts to grapple with theworld and understand and relate to eachother, replicate the struggles of humanityas a whole.

Events in Narnia aren’t just idle amuse-ment, not wholly escapist fantasy. Thechildren are swept into a power struggle,and must learn to distinguish good rulersfrom bad, find their own strengths and

“Kiddie movie” coming up?


strive against their own weaknesses, testtheir love and devotion to each other,come down on the right side of right andwrong. It’s all entertainment, as Lewisintended, and it’s all lessons, as he couldnot help but write.

Disney Studios and their collaboratorshave spared no effort or expense to bringall this to the silver screen. Fans of theHarry Potter series and the Lord of theRings trilogy will recognize lots of similari-ties in production values, scenery, even (Ithink) a few of the characters. The specialeffects are exceptionally well done. Whereaviation is involved, I’m hyper-critical, butI was impressed with the opening scenesof the aerial assault. Later, I got into thestory so much, and the CGI effects were sowell done, that I just accepted the images,realizing once, with a start, that I’d beenperfectly at ease with a satyr, walkingaround on furry legs with cloven hooves!

So go see Narnia, and be entertained.Take a child with you, if you feel the needfor an excuse to go. But don’t take a six-year-old…there are lessons here, somevery hard to take. Confronting evil is noteasy, and fighting in Narnia reaches thesame level of violence as the raid onLondon or any other battle raging in theOutside World in the early 1940s. Sacri-fices must be made: back in London, thechildren crave a picture of their fatherwho’s gone away and might never comeback. In Narnia, they witness someone elsethey care about voluntarily sacrificehimself to try to save them. No mistake:there’s intense suffering and pain in thismovie. But there’s goodness and light, too.And if things work out in Narnia, in theend, perhaps there’s hope for all of us outhere.

What amazing things to find in a ward-robe!

Upcoming Model Shows

Saturday-Sunday, February 18-192006 NorthWest Scale Modelers Show.Museum of Flight, Seattle. Theme:“Manufactured By: Aircraft Constructorsin Miniature”. All other subjects arestrongly encouraged: armor, ships, figures,sci-fi, etc. In addition to the model activi-ties, aviation artist Jim Dietz will talk abouthis career and art in the Allen Theater at 2PM on Saturday, Feb 18. See page 6 formore details, or contact Tim Nelson [email protected]

Saturday, March 11IPMS Lieutenant Alexander PearsonModeleers 2006 Invitational “The Joy ofModeling”. Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E5th, Vancouver, WA. See page 6 for moredetails.

Saturday, April 22IPMS Seattle Spring Show. RentonCommunity Center. Updated list of SpecialAwards:

Best British Subject sponsored by RobertAllen, Keith Laird, & Andrew BirkbeckBest Canadian Subject sponsored byIPMS Vancouver BCBest Civil Auto/Motorcycle sponsored byJon FincherBest Finish / Ted Holowchuk Awardsponsored by IPMS SeattleBest Post-WW II U. S. Aircraft sponsoredby Norm FilerBest Fire Service Land Based sponsoredby Emerald City II BuffconBest Small Air Forces sponsored by JimSchubert & John AlcornBest WWII Pacific Theatre sponsored byTracy WhiteBest Fire Fighting Aircraft sponsored byDan Farnham Scale FirebombersBest Aircraft from the First Twenty Years(1903-1923) sponsored by PearsonModeleersBest French Subject sponsored byStephen Tontoni and Will PerryBest NATO Aircraft sponsored byInternet ModelerBest Fire Service Sea Based sponsoredby Seaside Fire Service

McChord Air Museum Visit

The McChord Air Museum, at McChordAFB in Tacoma, has an interestingselection of aircraft and exhibits. Unfortu-nately for civilian visitors, since the eventsof 9/11 access to the base has beenrestricted. Due to McChord AFB Securityrestrictions, all vehicles entering McChordAir Force Base must contain at least oneperson with a Military I.D. card. Personnelwith a Military I.D. (Active duty, Reserve,Air Guard, or Retired) may escort visitorsto the McChord Air Museum. The museumis open Wednesday through Saturdayfrom 12 noon to 4 PM.

Several IPMS Seattle members haveexpressed a desire to visit the museum, butwould need a person with appropriatemilitary I.D. to accompany them. I’m surethat other members would be interested ingoing if an IPMS Seattle visit was set up.Is there anyone in the club who has theappropriate credentials, and would bewilling to escort a group?

If you could escort a group, or would beinterested in being part of a group ofvisitors, please e-mail the editor [email protected], or call him at425-823-4658, so that we can see if it’spossible to get a group together. Since wewould need a person with credentials foreach vehicle, it would probably be a goodidea to arrange to use the largest vehiclepossible. Depending on the amount ofinterest, and time available, it may bepossible to also visit the Fort LewisMilitary Museum, which has similarrestrictions and operating hours.

Aircraft currently on display or underrestoration at the McChord Air Museuminclude: Fairchild-Republic A-10A Thun-derbolt II; Douglas B-18A Bolo ; DouglasB-23A Dragon; Douglas C-47C Skytrain;Fairchild C-82A Packet; Douglas C-124CGlobemaster; Lockheed C-141B StarLifter;McDonnell F-4C Phantom II; McDonnell-Douglas F-15A Eagle; North American F-86D Sabre; McDonnell CF-101F Voodoo;Convair F-102A Delta Dagger; Convair F-106A Delta Dart; Consolidated SA-10ACatalina ; Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star.


Trumpeter 1/32nd ScaleUSS A-7E Corsair II

by Bob LaBouy

Caveat Emptor…..

You’ve heard and experienced this Latinphrase before – literally “let the buyerbeware.” Obviously as a modeler andbuyer, we have come to realize there is noimplied warranty or quality of the goodswe buy. Often our purchases are “dear” (asmy British friends observe) and we (or atleast I) accept the notion that I may havejust purchased something that is less thanI hoped for or at the very least, less thanthe box art would lead me to believe iscontained in the box. As I built this kit, Iwas constantly reminded of this nifty littlelegal principal. Allow me to expand on thiscentral thought. I am painfully aware (forseveral reasons as you will, or may not)read below.

This will be a “mixed review” in somesense in that I’ve not previously con-structed nor completed a Trumpeter kit ofan aircraft, though I’ve heard many goodthings and read the glowing reviews byothers. I have bought a couple of them andam impressed with their aggressiveapproach to the numerous subjects theyhave kitted thus far, even though thesubjects are often only of passing interestto me. At the same time, this kit doesn’tjust fall together as one pours it from thebox and there are a few wrinkles. Thesereview comments are also more lengthythan I’d like, but felt in light of its size,complexity and cost, the added observa-tions are warranted.

I have already seen several on-line reviewsof this kit and assume they must havesome commercial connection with themanufacturer or U.S. distributor. I say this,because their experiences and observa-tions are unlike mine - or those kits weren’tmolded like mine. In these days when Ioften see that “we thank” some company

or distributor. I feel it’s significant tomention I have no allegiance to someonewho gave me the kit; I paid for it, built it,and am more concerned with the integrityof my observations and comments. Myconcern is for you as a fellow modeler,rather than some person or companywhose primary interest is to sell us a kitand to make money.

First one must consider the Trumpetercompany itself. The Chinese company hasdone a couple of remarkable things (in myopinion) including coming into existence atall during a time when many modelersthought we’d seen all the industry had tooffer.

Then there’s their subjects. Not contentwith just producing models, Trumpeter hastackled an aspect of the injection moldedmodels which surprised me including somesubjects I questioned (Soviet ships andaircraft) and very large kits, includingmany desirable subjects – both World WarII and modern. On top of that they aremodeling in the more traditional, Godlyscale (1/72nd for those of us who werebrought up in this scale) and mostimportantly, the very large 1/24th, and everyother known scale. They have simplymoved from a totally unknown upstartcompany to a major force in the market-

place in a very short period of time. Theyhave for the most part, responded veryquickly to the several major kit “wanted”lists with kits I for one never thought I’dsee. In their ship, armor, and aircraftmodeling subjects it is almost impossibleto view all of their issues over the last fewyears without being in awe of this upstartcompany from deep within the world’smost populous nation. From my perspec-tive, I’ve noticed a very sharp increase intheir level of quality and adherence todetail in this same short time. This kit is anexcellent example of much of what I feelabout Trumpeter and here is why I saythis.

What you see first and first impressions -

The very first impression most of us haveof any kit is the simply the box, its artwork,and the “feel” of the kit. This is where themixed review comes into play. One has tolook past the kit’s portrayal of this a/c asthe “USS” which stands for “United StatesShip” and is most appropriately applied tothe name of a U.S. Navy ship, not anaircraft. There a few other relatively smallexamples of this type of error, againillustrating the tendency of far easternmanufacturers to misread or not under-stand all the words and terminology from


the West when they are translating theminto their instructions; it’s not really a bigissue.

When you first just see the kit you say“aaah” since it is almost two feet long(21.5” x 13.5” wide x 4 inches deep), andit’s heavy. The kit measures over 17” long,as compared to the 1/72nd version atroughly 7.5.” Opening the box is anothersensory overload. The box contains over20 injection molded trees of parts, over 600individual parts, a photo-etched sheet ofdetails, several pieces of clear parts,molded rubber tires, cast lead parts for themain gear struts (which are also availablein the plastic parts as well), and filminstrument details. What you want toavoid is immediately searching out theprice tag for this Corsair. It almost hurts.Another nice touch is the doubled sidedfull color reference sheet, illustrating bothaircraft and entire weapons collection andthe appropriate pylons and racks. I shouldalso mention, that unlike most othermanufacturers, Trumpeter’s kit includes avery wide range of “dumb,” “guided” and“smart” weapons for the Corsair (alongwith the six-barreled 20mm “Gatling” forthe interior weapon). While these weaponsdon’t provide every weapon authorized forthe A-7, they do cover much of theCorsair’s operational payloads for its 25-plus year operational life. The MSLP is$139.95 and with some searching one canfind it commonly in the $95 to $110 rangeat numerous Internet sources and slightlyhigher locally. Considering what you get,the size, and overall accuracy, I stillconsider this kit a very good buy. It’sprobably just my age, memory, andinherent stinginess that clouds my pricevision. By the time you consider addingany aftermarket parts or decals though,you’ll be “pushing the envelope” well past$200! I suspect we’ll see a number of suchadd-on items, with this kit’s size and theopportunity to produce a large scale modelof a popular subject.

Decals –

The decal sheet is mostly well done andallows for reasonably complete markingsfor two aircraft. These sheets provide twolarge, well done decal sheets allowing forthe two a/c and every conceivable markingfor the weapons pack. The decals for eitherthe VA-82 “Marauders” (early USS Nimitzmarkings) or VA-192 “Dragons” (or as theywere known in the attack community, the“World Famous Yellow Worms” – a bitmore later on this group) from their colorfulCAG 11 (Vietnam era) period aboard theUSS Kitty Hawk.

I think you need to very carefully checkyour references and the decal guidesprovided. I have some cautionary notes: Itis hard to tell the exact time period andcruise markings, even though the instruc-tions point out the years 1978 and 1972respectively. For example, they illustratethe large squadron identification for the

‘192 a/c as being placed on the under theport wing? The Navy’s BuWeps instruc-tions for such identification for that periodclearly point out that such markings beapplied to the upper surface of the right(starboard) wing. I also wonder about theCAG (carrier air group commander) nameon the cockpit panel, “Kaminsky;” I’vebeen unable to locate any such name andthe CVW Commander was HuntingtonHardisty. This specific aircraft (BuNo157530) has been photographed a numberof times and shown in side-view renderingin the recent Osprey A-7 Units Of theVietnam War book (page 59) with a

dissimilar CAG name shown, though notreadable. I also have at least one goodcolor shot of two VA-192 a/c flying an“iron hand” mission over Vietnam; onewith the “circled arrows” under its wingsand the other nothing. I also question theVA-82 name placard showing a “Col.” asthe practice of having USAF exchangeofficers was normally only for juniorofficers and I have a great deal of diffi-cultly imagining the possible billeting of aUSMC colonel as the CAG on any carrier.Marine aviation officers serving aboardcarriers are reasonably rare, except withtheir entire squadron is deployed andwhen this happened (at least to myknowledge) there has always been a Navycommander or captain assigned as theCAG or Deputy CAG, never a USAF orMarine officer. I can’t be sure, but mysuspicions are heightened. Some of theordnance markings, for example, clearlydisplay USAF nomenclature. On one of themissiles I used, the AGM-45, the decals are

not correct per the many color photos Ihave, and the reference numbers areincorrect (when compared with their owncolor instruction guide), nor are theappropriate color bands provided for thismissile.

I did however, find these decals to be quitethin, lay down easily and when dry adhereto surface detail quite well, even withoutthe use of any “sol” or decal settingproducts.

While I enjoyed the instruction sheet forthe most part (all 24 pages), they have


Thoroughbred

some shortcomings which again, I wouldhope not to see in a $150 kit. Noticeably,they do not call out the colors, except torecommend what they feel are the appro-priate Gunze Sangyo Mr. Colors. For therest of us, who model with a variety ofother common paints (notably ModelMaster), you are left to interpret the colorsas best you can. I was most botheredhowever by the omissions from theinstruction sheets. This includes bothsome parts included on the trees and notcovered in the call out details, and partsnot included anywhere in the instructions.Examples include such items as themounting pylons for the AGM 45 Shrike(nor the AGM 12, AGM 84E, AGM 88,AGM 62A) missiles, whose assembly iscovered on page 22, but nothing as to howthey are placed on the aircraft itself. Thesame holds true for what I believe to be thechaff/flare dispensers mounted just aft ofthe tail hook; they are not really shown onthe kit’s molding, but are provided for inthe PE sheet and are not called out in theinstruction sheets at all. Even the assem-bly of a few of the weapons is left up themodeler with no references to them or theirplacement. Possibly these are for a follow-on Air Force version of the A-7? As areseveral other unknown parts included onthe sprue trees, it would have been nice tohave shaded-out or somehow indicatedthat the builder doesn’t have to worryabout these parts. Lastly, their weaponsschematic doesn’t quite jive with eitherthose shown in the Detail & Scale Volume22 (which is a pretty good referenceshould you wish to build an accurate A-7Eor D) nor the Navy’s NATOPS manual forthis a/c. My best advice is the age old“buyer beware” when relying on theTrumpeter instructions.

Kit quality and accuracy –

This is the next and most critical (in myopinion) side of the equation to analyzeand the basis of my most critical observa-tions. From any objective view, the kit fullyand accurately captures not only the A-7E’s dimensions, but also the “appear-ance” of the SLUF. The shapes of the A-7are not always easy to accurately capture

in a kit. One of those obvious hurdles isthe nose shape; as evidenced in 1/72ndwhere the Airfix kit is not even close to thereal a/c shape. From both LTV perioddrawings and photos, I believe they haveaccurately captured the real a/c. The panellines and surface detail are great in myopinion. Not to say perfect, since I seem toalways fine some small detail whichcatches my eye.

This kit for example still demonstrates thatthe kit designer and engineers for the mostpart are working from some else’s impres-sions, not their own. It seems that thedesign engineer sees something in either aphoto (or more likely, a drawing) and theydesign the kit surface according. Twoexamples: the first is on the starboard sideof this kit, where the air starter accesspanel is raised above the surroundingsurface, whereas the surface on the actualaircraft doesn’t match this – it’s entirely asmooth, level surface. Of greater signifi-cance, and more obvious though, is theloran antenna pattern which is shown onthe vertical tail. Yes, it is visible on the realUSAF aircraft but is not the raised surface“sigma” pattern shown on the kit’s tail.Aside from one shot I have of a Navy A-7going through a repair and paint process-ing, where that antenna is noticeable, Ihave never seen any Navy A-7 where thatpattern is visible and certainly not theraised surface as depicted in this kit. Idecided I couldn’t live with this error andfiled and sanded it down so it moreaccurately reflected the actual aircraft’stail. But these are reasonably small whenone looks at the tremendous amount ofaccurate, faithful surface detail provided inthis kit.

Speaking of surface detail also brings meto the surfaces on my kit. These are clearlynot Tamiya in overall finish and quality. Iran into several areas where the surface is“bumpy” indicating less than full attentionto the final molds. Most often this wasn’t acritical factor, though the one suchproblem was an area about the size of adime on the upper forward fuselageimmediately behind the canopy – requiringadded sanding and rescribing of surface

panel lines. There are also a few areaswhere the otherwise good engraved panellines need to be carefully rescribed and thelines “chased” (notably along the seamlines on both the fuselage top andbottom). In summary though, this kit iscertainly on par with the efforts ofHasegawa and probably better thanMonogram (as is the overall fit), but yetless than we expect from Tamiya.

I have a couple of other items which I haveworked around in my kit construction, butI would caution others about and suggestthat you watch your references closely.The first is that the canopy has a moldseam right down the center! With somevery careful sanding, polishing andwaxing, I think its impact has beenlessened to an acceptable degree. But whyacross the center of the canopy?

Another is the added wiring fairing or runs(the small, long raised panel like thingsadded to the sides of the a/c), as they are/were not on all A-7E a/c. They started tocome to the fleet in the early ‘70s and wereapparently later added to most Corsairs inthe fleet. My reference photos do notshow them present in the early ‘70s and Ido not believe they were present on theViet Nam conflict a/c and probably not onthe Navy’s A-7s until the early ‘80s. The a/c’s two chaff/flare dispenser panelsimmediately to the aft of the tail hook areunfortunately not depicted in the kit exceptas two small raised panels, which is totallyuncharacteristic of these panels. Neitherthe gun gas exhaust (part F48) nor thestrike camera housing (# F5), both shownon instruction call out #11, page 9, are veryaccurately portrayed. The camera housing,for example is a very prominent raisedfixture with clear glass facing both forwardand rearward) to capture the a/c’s weaponseffect. Lastly, the two wing tanks providedmight be right for some a/c, but are waytoo long for the A-7E. Take a look at anydecent side view photo and you’ll quicklynotice the ends do not stick out as farforward or rearward as these do whenmounted to the pylons and wings. Thesetanks are much too long for this a/c andapproximately 12-15 inches too long. I


know that doesn’t sound like much butwhen you’ve assembled them, you’llquickly notice how long they are and howfar beyond the wing they appear on yourmodel (especially when compared againstphotos of the a/c). Once again, one has towonder which drawings the kit engineersused for their references?

Fit of parts –

Generally I found the parts to fit O.K.,though some added trimming, filing andsanding is required for good fit for many ofthe smaller parts.

Interior –

Again, I’d like to take a small side tripabout the interior. The kit provides a“pretty good” interior, both in its overallappearance and attention to detail.Comparing the side wall panels reflectsthat someone looked at a few photos, butthey didn’t apparently attempt to get itright as the “Echo” version, but providemore of an impression. It’s O.K. and Isuspect with a few bits of added detail, itwould look even better. The instrumentpanel is very close and is comprised of aclear plastic overlay (with holes where themajor display CRTs and dials are locatedand through which they intend the filmdetails to show through). I’ve not at-tempted this technique though I suspect ifdone well, it will produce a very attractiveinstrument panel. There is also a prettydecent ejection seat, which looselyresembles the Douglas ESCAPAC usedthroughout the Corsair II family and adecent anti-glare panel (onto which theyprovide a photo etched HUD mount andclear plastic screen for the HUD display).

Not content to just use any ‘ol interior, Iopted for the Blackbox Studios A-7Einterior (product CS32032). Ca-ching! Addabout $36 more. I think it does a muchbetter job of reflecting the compact andbusy SLUF interior. That said, there aresome weaknesses in this product as welland very careful comparison with A-7Einterior shots will quickly bring those toyour attention. I also feel there were some

educated guesses taken with this aftermar-ket interior and to some degree it appearsto have A-7D features (and the Navy“Echo” and Air Force “Delta” differsignificantly especially in the cockpit). Ifinished mine with what painting and drybrushing skill I have and it’s O.K., but farfrom the quality I know several of our localmembers are known for.

Painting and Finishing –

I finished my Corsair in a condition (usedand cleaned, but not “showroom” condi-tion) I’ve often seen on A-7 a/c, either atsea or ashore. Painted almost entirely withModel Master enamels, using the sug-gested base gray color, oversprayed withmy clear coating of choice - Duracryl Clearfinish (D 468) and lacquer thinner (DTL876) and weathered with washes of artistoils and highlighted detail picked outusing both Humbrol and Model Masterenamels blends (both darker and lighterthan the surrounding details). The entiremodel was oversprayed again with muchthinned Dullcoat.

Summary –

Like I said earlier, caveat emptor. This is akit I lusted after, and enjoy looking at thefinal product. But there’s a lot of workbehind the finished product. With a fewnotes, I closely estimate the build time forthis critter at about 115-120 hours! This isa pretty good, not great, kit. Straight fromthe box, an accurate, detailed scale modelof a significant piece of military and navalhistory.

I recommend this kit to any experiencedwhile warning about the numerous pitfallsattached to this build. I think I’ll plan towait a bit before I tackle another Trumpeterkit.


Meeting Reminder February 1110 AM - 1 PM

North Bellevue Community/Senior Center4063-148th Ave NE, Bellevue

Directions: From Seattle or from I-405, take 520 East tothe 148th Ave NE exit. Take the 148th Ave North exit(the second of the two 148th Ave. exits) and continuenorth on 148th until you reach the Senior Center. TheSenior Center will be on your left. The Center itself isnot easily visible from the road, but there is a signpostin the median.

would have to have been a rather largeetched metal sheet for open dive brakes,but what a difference it would have made! Ihope Eduard or someone takes on thechallenge.

Another “I wish” thing is the rear gunner’scockpit. They made no provision for theinteresting accordion fold turtle deck tofold down to expose the rear guns. Again,probably not a big deal, but another one ofthe signature items for the Helldiver.Another minor gripe is the top scoop inthe front of the engine cowling is just anindent. It would have looked better as anopen scoop.

The assembly instructions are a welcomedeparture from the usual line drawings.This time they used very well doneshadowed and highlighted assemblydrawings that are much improved overwhat we are used to seeing. The relation-ship of parts and where things actually gojust seems clearer and easier to under-stand.

Next weekend is the display at the Mu-seum of Flight, both Saturday and Sunday.Doors will be open early for us to set upour models. If you bring models to display,there is no entry charge either day. So,bring all your models! There will be tablespace for you to work on something aswell, just short of airbrushing. Rememberthat this is only a display, a chance toshow off your work, and to talk to peopleabout how fun your hobby is, especially tonon modelers. There is no contest atmo-sphere to worry about and no one tocomment that the yellow tips of yourpropeller blades are the wrong shade!

See you at the meeting,

Terry

PrezNotes from page 1

The markings choices are two all-Sea Bluebirds from the USS Shangri-La, a singlethree tone camouflage one from theYorktown, and a very welcome Sea Searchwhite and Gray Atlantic bird. The decalsheet is very well done, and includes a lotof stencil and maintenance markings aswell as welcome stuff like wing walks andeven the yellow stripes for the two bombs.

This is another beautiful Academy effort.The negatives I mentioned above areclearly personal choices of things I wouldhave liked to see. They in no way shouldbe considered flaws. What you will get isin my opinion the definitive Helldiver kit in1/72nd. The Helldiver is probably the lastof the major U.S. Navy World War Twocarrier birds to be done well in 1/72nd.

Our thanks to MRC for providing thereview sample.

[Thanks to Chris Banyai-Riepl andwww.internetmodeler.com for permissionto use Terry, Jacob, and Norm’s articles. -ED]

Academy SB2C-4 from page 9

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