Northrop BT-1 (Valom)
Der Boxentoppen
Not much plastic - which doesn't mean I'll build it any faster than anything else!
Some resin bits - they're OK but not of the highest quality. Two canopies, I suspect I'll use the vacuform copy.
The photoetch dive flaps are what will make this kit. Decals are provided for VB-5 and VB-6, the only squadrons who flew the BT-1 in service.
I always check to see if the resin engine will fit into the cowling!
A couple of coats of Alclad and a Future wash. It'll do.
I managed to stick a razor chisel under my fingernail removing these babies from the tail. Ouch.
The resin cockpit floor slides in through the front of the fuselage.
I painted the cockpit aluminum per the instructions only to learn from Dana Bell that it was interior green. We'll fix that later.
This will be (hopefully) the instrument panel coaming. Valom forgot about that.
This is Valom's attempt at the roll-over structure. I think we can do better.
This is more like it. Gotta love styrene card stock.
Panels have film to provide the instrument faces. Looks nice.
The fuselage is closed up and the wings and tailplanes are on - and there is going to be a bit of seam cleanup required.
I added the landing gear failings and tried to spice up the bays with some leftover photoetch. There is also a photoetch mesh inside the air intake below the engine.
The gear only partially retracted and the tyres protruded a bit like the DC-3 and A-10. I added several struts and actuators to the landing gear struts.
Masking the vacuform canopy took WAY longer than I expected. Unfortunately there is no aftermarket masking set that I'm aware of.
I told you I had to paint the cockpit interior green. I have the rear machine gun stowed as the canopy will be closed. The black/white paint on the direction finding antenna is shown in the Ginter volume on the BT.
I added seat harnesses from my spares box. You can see I've been messing with the seams. I love putty.
A coat of "primer" (really just light grey paint) to check for areas I may have mucked up.
Followed by a nice, smooth coat of Alclad White Aluminum. The BT-1 was painted aluminum, it was not natural metal.
Yellow wings were the thing in the 30s. Note the structural detail in the wing where the dive flaps go. This is photoetch included with the kit but not mentioned in the instructions.
VB-5 had this characteristic red tail. Tricky little masking job in 1:72.
And finally the blue cowling, fuselage stripe, and wing chevrons. This is the position of the chevrons in early 1940 - later that year they were moved inboard along with the yellow on top of the wing wrapping around the leading edge.
And what could this be? My goodness, it's a leftover bit from my 1:32 Tamiya Spitfire build. What is it doing here??
Note the cover over the forward machine gun (just above the ram artwork).
I made the cover from the old Spitfire bit.
The cover supplied in the kit (above) just doesn't cut it. Not even close to the real thing.
Here is my cover in place. This will work much better I think!
How about some stickers? Unfortunately the decals from the kit fell apart in the water so I had to source all of these from my spares.
Luckily I had the VB-5 Satan Head on an old Microscale sheet! The letters on the tail were the only ones used from the kit, and I sprayed a good coat of clear lacquer over them prior to use.
I painted the dive flaps and added structural stiffeners that I cut off of some Eduard photoetch flaps that I didn't use. Looks better I think.
VB-5 were the first to paint the inside of the dive flaps red (in February 1940), so all pilots could see when the dive was beginning. They also experimented with other colours like yellow.
A view of the dive flaps on the underside.
The forward machine gun in place. There are quite a few BT-1 photos that do not show the gun.
I added the linkages between the main gear struts and the gear door. Still lots of fiddly bits left to do!
Prop, exhaust tubes, arresting hook, antenna mast, lead-in insulator and gunsight added. I think all that's left is the antenna wire.
I also added a photoetch landing light under the lens on the port wing.
Calling this one done - I've added the antenna wire and lead-in along with the port wing pitot tube.
Enjoy the photos!
Comments
32 18 October 2022, 19:31
Bill GilmanHi mates! Here is my attempt at the Valom 1:72 kit of the Northrop BT-1 dive bomber. For those who are unfamiliar with the BT, it was designed by Northrop when they were a subsidiary of Douglas. The BT-1 went into service in 1938 and was further developed into the BT-2 which was re-designated the Douglas SBD. And I think everybody know the Douglas SBD!
18 October 2022, 19:47
Bill GilmanMore fiddly bits added. Valom supply decals for the stripes on the tips of the propeller blades, but I chose to paint them instead. The back of the blades are flat black, and the front is Alclad chrome. The stripes on the tip are Gunze Insignia Blue, Insignia Yellow and Insignia Red. The stripes on the arresting hook were also painted instead of trying to use decals.
I added a mast stub on top of the vertical tail in anticipation of adding the aerial wire. I used a tiny bit of styrene rod as the antenna lead-in insulator just below the canopy on the port side. The gunsight and forward antenna mast are from the kit - I forgot all about the gunsight! I should have drilled a hole in the front windscreen as the eye end of the sight protrudes into the cockpit. But I neglected to do that and didn't want to take a chance now and try to drill the hole. Instead, I just cut off the eye end and put the sight in place. Always learn from your mistakes so you can recognize them when you make them again! Cheers, Bill
19 October 2022, 13:19
Hanno KleineckeI can hardly think of a more attractive livery than the pre war navy yellowwings !
Excellent work on this almost forgotten SBD ancestor, love all the tiny bits you added, especially the additional ribbing for the dive breaks and flaps 👍
19 October 2022, 15:57
Bernhard SchrockHa! Bill is back in business!! With a BT-1!!! Great choice and execution.🙂
19 October 2022, 16:03
Bernhard SchrockBy the way: I was veeery delighted to see this plane as a model.🙂
Bill: Can you remember an article by Farris Brown in FSM? Probably at the beginning of the 90th years. He also built a BT-1 from the Dauntless of Monogram and inspired me.
modellversium.de/gal..p-bt-1-hasegawa.html
19 October 2022, 16:13
Robert PodkońskiGreat work on this demanding kit. I am impressed with your perseverance and skills, Bill!
19 October 2022, 17:25
Bill GilmanThanks mates! @Bernhard - I don't remember that article, but I do remember your conversion. It inspired me!! I thought about doing a conversion in 1:72, my preferred scale, but then the Valom kit came out and I figured why not give it a try? It's not the best, but it will look OK in the display case. Cheers, Bill
19 October 2022, 17:29
Bill GilmanThanks. Working on the antenna and lead-in wires now...not my favourite part of the build!
19 October 2022, 17:41
Tom B.Beatiful bird 👍 Valom´s subject choices seem to be worth the challenge that may come with those kits!
19 October 2022, 19:07
Bill GilmanThanks! @Tom B. - I agree, and I like the more obscure subjects that the short run companies produce. I just picked up the old MPM Curtiss XP-55 Ascender and the Novo Fairey Delta 2. Those should be fun!
19 October 2022, 22:38
Bill GilmanOne more photo has been added. The antenna and lead-in wires have been added, along with the port wing pitot tube. I think she's finished now, although I've now noticed that the forward antenna mast is too short in the kit - it was taller in real life. But I'm not going to fix that, as I really don't want to do those wires again! The main wire is EZ line (nylon), and the lead-in is Nitinol (metal). Anyway, I think she'll look OK in the display case. I may add some more photos of the finished model, so stay tuned. Cheers, Bill
21 October 2022, 15:15
Bill GilmanI've added several more photos of the finished BT-1. Hope you like her! Cheers, Bill
29 October 2022, 17:37
Album info
1:72 Valom kit
