Devastators!

1
August 27, 2024
Six tiny aviators! The figures that come with the kit aren't perfectly accurate, but I think this is a fair approximation.
2
August 27, 2024
Dana Bell's excellent book shows that Devastators left the factory with the interiors painted in the same aluminum lacquer as the exterior. Once deployed, the interiors were usually repainted with whatever paint was on hand. For the second, I've chosen bronze green.
3
August 27, 2024
Not much detail on those instrument panels, but a little drybrushing shows what's there.
4
August 27, 2024
5
August 27, 2024
6
August 27, 2024
The challenge here is to eliminate the seam without destroying the corrugation. A very narrow file did the job reasonably well, but it pays not to look too closely.
7
August 29, 2024
Between these three kits, I should have enough parts for two planes.
8
August 29, 2024
I test fit each of these, and these were the best matches. Numbered so I won't forget them.
9
August 29, 2024
10
August 29, 2024
The cockpit pieces were a little fiddly, but still they went together pretty well. I've built worse cockpits!
11
September 8, 2024
The fit was ok, but it still left a small step to fill.
12
September 8, 2024
Not bad after cleanup.
13
September 8, 2024
Gave the rudder a little better definition. I did the same on the flaps and ailerons. An easy thing to do that makes a major improvement.
14
September 8, 2024
I tried to repair some of the lost rivets. The scribe raises the plastic. There’s still a hole there, but hopefully it still gives a raised rivet effect. I’ll go a little heavier with the primer here and try to fill them.
15
September 8, 2024
16
September 8, 2024
A little filling and sanding on these fins.
17
September 8, 2024
I decided that both would have torpedoes, though the kit does have the option to carry a bomb. Test fitting showed that the interior is visible even with the torpedo in place. I’ll probably hand paint the visible surfaces even if I will be the only one to ever see them.
18
September 8, 2024
The hope here is that the black CA glue flows into the gap and that I won’t need to do much sanding.
19
September 8, 2024
Still blown away at what a difference this simple modification makes.
20
September 8, 2024
I’m doing both planes wheels-up, but that means painting the landing gears first.
21
September 15, 2024
Those little exhausts were fiddly to get in there.
22
September 15, 2024
Fins cleaned up.
23
September 15, 2024
Decent detail for a 60 year old kit.
24
September 15, 2024
25
September 15, 2024
I’d bought these vacuform canopies as a backup in case parts were ever lost or broken, but I decided I might as well use them here. Unfortunately I cracked them when cutting them out. First time with these, so I’ll know better next time. I really like the thin-ness and transparency.
26
September 15, 2024
I’ll be here a while
27
September 15, 2024
The other landing gear makes a nice peg to provide some additional support in the wings.
28
September 15, 2024
Some fancy clamping.
29
September 20, 2024
30
September 20, 2024
Usually I’d mask the canopy and paint it at the same time as the fuselage, but since they’ll both be open canopies, masking the cockpit and canopies separately makes more sense.
31
September 20, 2024
Not trusting the tape to get a good seal, I’m using some diluted white glue where the tape strips overlap and where they meet the foam.
32
September 20, 2024
33
September 20, 2024
34
September 22, 2024
There should be a visible line at the wing fold, but it shouldn't quite so pronounced.
35
September 22, 2024
36
September 22, 2024
A bit of a puzzle... I'd hoped to use the provided stands, but there's no indication where it should go, and with a torpedo where I expect the center of gravity to be, I'm not clear on what to do.
37
September 22, 2024
It won't look quite the same, but I'm restoring the missing rivets.
38
September 22, 2024
Awkward masking.
39
September 22, 2024
40
September 22, 2024
The box art shows the Mark 13 torpedo painted red and white. I haven't found anything to confirm they were ever painted those colors. It seems they were usually unpainted, though the warhead was sometimes painted light gray. The rear two-thirds were treated steel that looked like bronze or dark brass. Brass mixed with a drop of mahogany makes for a pretty convincing bronze.
41
September 22, 2024
Undersides, cowlings, and one set of stabs primed. Also the first third of the torpedos have been painted light gull gray.
42
September 23, 2024
I had a bottle of Stynylrez black primer go bad. I probably hadn’t been mixing it thoroughly enough and it must have become increasingly concentrated. What was left was almost like gelatin, which obviously wasn’t going to spray very well. Fortunately I had a spare. Fairly well pleased with how these look.
43
September 24, 2024
Why We Prime
44
September 24, 2024
Why We Prime, Part II
45
September 24, 2024
46
September 25, 2024
The seam looks good now, but I'm not confident about those rivets.
47
September 25, 2024
Short of some aggressive, risky scribing, I'm not sure how to align the seam along the flaps. I think it's best just to let that one go.
48
September 25, 2024
The construction on this kit was a lot cleaner. Most of this sanding probably wasn't necessary.
49
September 25, 2024
50
September 25, 2024
I'm trying to decide how much those misaligned flaps bother me.
51
September 27, 2024
I decided to fill and rescribe the flaps.
52
September 27, 2024
More filler...
53
September 27, 2024
I can tell that they're not quite symmetrical, but I still like this better.
54
September 27, 2024
55
September 27, 2024
56
September 28, 2024
I like the look, though I’m not sure on the color.
57
September 28, 2024
It really won’t be visible, but to me it was worth the effort.
58
September 29, 2024
The yellow extended a few inches onto the underside in photos. Apparently having the paint line on the leading edge created extra drag.
59
September 29, 2024
60
September 29, 2024
61
September 29, 2024
White before yellow
62
September 29, 2024
63
September 29, 2024
64
September 29, 2024
65
September 30, 2024
66
September 30, 2024
67
October 3, 2024
68
October 3, 2024
This is based on nothing but speculation, but I’m trying to create a bleached out look by using a lighter gray-blue where I think it makes sense.
69
October 3, 2024
70
October 4, 2024
The decal set gives you the wing chevrons but not the fuselage band, so you may as well paint them all.
71
October 4, 2024
The red went down well over yellow, but it took so many layers over the gray!
72
October 4, 2024
Mottling done.
73
October 4, 2024
In some photos the panel lines are dark, and in others they appear lighter. I think what I'm seeing is light reflecting off the rivets, either because they're slightly raised or maybe the paint has worn off. To approximate this unusual effect, I painted the rivet lines darker and then drybrushed the rivets with light gray. We'll see if the difference can be seen through the blend coat.
74
October 4, 2024
I also drybrushed the fabric control surfaces. It's a cool effect.
75
October 4, 2024
76
October 4, 2024
77
October 4, 2024
I think the drybrushing worked. The rivets are brighter against the darker panel lines.
78
October 4, 2024
79
October 4, 2024
80
October 4, 2024
81
October 5, 2024
82
October 11, 2024
83
October 11, 2024
84
October 11, 2024
85
October 11, 2024
I quickly found that conventional methods weren't going to work to get the decal to conform to the corrugation. There are still some bubbles to work out, but the hairdryer made quick work of them!
86
October 11, 2024
87
October 11, 2024
88
October 13, 2024
I can’t seem to get these bubbles out of the decals. Reaching the point of diminishing returns with decal solution. I may come back to these later.
89
October 13, 2024
90
October 13, 2024
91
October 13, 2024
92
October 13, 2024
93
October 16, 2024
Maybe hard to see, but every time I apply decal solution new bubbles appear. After poking a hole in the decal and reapplying, plus appying pressure with a cotton swab or toothpick, they do go away... for the most part.
94
October 16, 2024
The definition of tedium. I did try to find precut masks, but they don't seem to exist for this kit in this scale.
95
October 20, 2024
This has been an all acrylic build to this point, but I just trust Mr Surfacer more on these canopies.
96
October 20, 2024
97
October 20, 2024
98
October 20, 2024
Matte for the blue and satin for the yellow. It doesn’t really show in photos, but the satin has just the slightest bit of shine. Unfortunately I flooded the port wingtip a little bit.
99
October 23, 2024
Reasonably happy with the exhaust stains. They’ve been done with oils instead of my original plan to airbrush them.
100
October 23, 2024
101
October 30, 2024
102
October 30, 2024
Canopy on. I wanted to have the rear section of canopy open as well, but the plastic is simply too thick to make that happen. I still left the pilot's section open even if it's out of scale.
103
October 30, 2024
After unmasking the edges of the cockpit needed some touchups, since they'll certainly be visible with the vacuform canopy.
104
October 30, 2024
105
October 30, 2024
I do realize that the prop should have been painted black. I do have some spare decals, but I just don't have the heart to redo it.
106
October 30, 2024
The vacuform canopy really is an improvement. I only wish I'd been able to find pre-cut masks.
107
October 30, 2024
108
October 30, 2024
And here they are!
109
November 3, 2024
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November 3, 2024
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November 3, 2024
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Comments

70 27 August, 02:37

Nicolas
Following

29 August, 04:46

Skyhiker
I'm in!

20 September, 21:11

Dave Flitton
Watching!!

21 September, 03:08

Skyhiker
Please let us know when you upload new photos. I don't want to miss anything.

21 September, 04:44

Ogre-Trombone
I found some time to work on these kits, so here are some new photos. Thanks for following!

22 September, 07:31

Nicolas
The instruction isn't mentioning the stand at all. As the torpedo is under the COG I would try to fix it to the torpedo.
Very nice progres so far. 👍

22 September, 07:39

Ogre-Trombone
Leaning that way, Nicolas. I don't like it, but that's probably what I'll need to do.

22 September, 19:09

Mr D
Nice model 👌
Was the Devastator similar to the Dauntless??
Like the subject....will be watching 😃👍

22 September, 19:25

Ogre-Trombone
@Mr D, the Devastator was a pre-War torpedo bomber that was one of the most advanced aircraft of its time. Unfortunately. it was already obsolete at the start of the war. It was slow and underpowered, and early-War tactics left its crews extremely vulnerable.

24 September, 13:49

Skyhiker
The Douglas TBD Devastator, was the U.S. Navy's main torpedo bomber. It was introduced in 1935, but was obsolete by 1939. They were replaced with the Grumman TBF Avenger.

24 September, 16:09

Mr D
Thanks for the info
Ogre & Skyhiker 👍👍
I didn't know much about them, the pre-war yellow wings are smart scheme 👌

24 September, 19:20

Mid Franconian
Great project!

24 September, 19:31

Guy Rump
Looking great, following. 👍

24 September, 21:35

Casey Beckett
Great idea, the foam/tape /white glue - I'm stealing this!

30 September, 00:37

Mr D
Both coming along really nicely now, the flap lines look a lot better now.
Looking like all the build updates.
Good luck with next steps 👌😁👍👍

30 September, 16:33

Ogre-Trombone
Thanks, Mr D. I'm trying not to let the asymmetry bother me on the black-primed model. I wish I'd made a template or measured them instead of trying to follow the old panel lines. Still, I'm glad I made the effort.

Pure improvisation, Casey! It seems to be holding up so far. I want to do open or partially-opened canopies, so it didn't make sense to glue them in place, which is what I usually would have done.

30 September, 17:27

Ogre-Trombone
It's very hot and dry where I am right now, and the paint isn't responding the way I'd like. I'll have to come back when conditions are better.

3 October, 03:32

Mr D
Your doing a 👍 job, All the hard work will pay off, nice project 👍👍

3 October, 13:57

Ogre-Trombone
Painting is done. Now it's on to clear coat and decals.

5 October, 16:26

Guy Rump
Coming along very nicely! 👍

5 October, 16:40

Skyhiker
Wow looks great

5 October, 18:04

Mr D
Looks good 👌
Nice colours, the wing surface doesn't look to easy to mask.
Coming along nicely 👍👍

5 October, 21:42

Gary Victory
Lovely work Orge.

11 October, 07:36

Mid Franconian
They look sooo cool!

11 October, 16:08

Skyhiker
I'm impressed on how well you work even with those raised elements. They look fantastic.

11 October, 16:10

Mr D
^^^^^^Good job on decals^^^^^
Impressive aircraft 👍👍

11 October, 16:30

Landlubber Mike
Fantastic work!

11 October, 17:24

Villiers de Vos
Fantastic work so far.

13 October, 01:18

Ogre-Trombone
I've been using Microsol, Tamiya Mark Fit and Mark Fit strong in a makeshift rotation to get the roundels to settle in. My patience is generally being rewarded, but every time I reapply the old bubbles settle down but new ones seem to appear. Does anyone know if this is caused by a chemical reaction? They are settling in, eventually, but I suspect the solutions are both working and making more work for me at the same time.

16 October, 14:15

Ogre-Trombone
Aside from a few finishing touches, like adding antenna wires and mounting them on their stands, these builds are finished. When I came back to the hobby a few years ago, these Devastator kits were among the first I bought. I have very fond memories of building the classic 1/48 Monogram kit, and I've always loved this airplane. I'm very happy with how they've turned out. I'll post some better photos later this week. Thanks for following!

30 October, 03:47

Haro Rotl
What works for me with stubborn decals is a mixture of softener and decal glue. I apply softener on a piece of decal cutting (usually thrown away, but the water-soluble glue is on the entire sheet), stir the brush a bit, and then apply the mixture to the stubborn spots of the decal, having cut the bubble with a sharp blade before. Doesn't always work the first time, but work it does. (Decal glue is also separately available from Tamiya, I use that now.)

30 October, 06:06

Haro Rotl
This is a fascinating album, and a great result to your efforts!
I built the Airfix Devastator as one of my very first kits (i.e. some 50 years ago), but haven't had the heart to start another one since. Great to watch these grow, and the result!

30 October, 06:23

Ogre-Trombone
Thanks, Haro. That's a good tip. I tried Micro Set decal fixing solution, but I honestly think it's just a more dilluted version of Micro Sol and not really an adhesive. I'll try that next time.

30 October, 13:39