Avenger II, 857 Squadron, FAA, HMS Indomitable, December 1944, Group Build.

[Micdrow]

Besides though other two posts I found these of aircraft from your squadon.
Hope it helps and I hope your model has the bubble window in the fuselage which is shown in the profile. Will see if after work I can find some pictures of the window.

[Airframes]

Fantastic stuff Paul, thanks! Modelling certainly is educational, as I didn't know about the torpedo or the folding radio mast either! Mind you, I didn't know that much about the Avenger itself until I started this project! The profile is the actual aircraft I'm modelling, and is a great help, as it shows (as well as can be expected) the U.S. 'equivalent colours'.
I've had another late night, due to messed-up sleep patterns, so I did a bit more to the model.
The small gap in the cowling, and the other smaller joints on the fuselage, have been filled with a mix of varnish and talcum powder, and will be sanded smooth when dry, as shown in PIC 1.
For reasons unknown, as they are moulded as part of the wing, the internal flap detail is present in the kit, and I had considered cutting out the flaps, to display them in the down position, until I discovered, during the course of my research, that the flaps were never usually deployed when the aircraft was on the ground/deck. Pity, as that fine detail is lost inside the wing, as shown in PIC 2.
So, after sanding off the original Accurate Miniatures copyright mark from the bottom half of one wing (!), the wings were glued and joined, and put aside to set.
Whilst they were setting, I carried on with the bomb-bay doors, painting the insides in yellow zinc chromate, the colour for the bomb bay used by Eastern Aircraft, then giving them a 'dirty' wash, using heavily thinned matt black enamel. The doors themselves were split down the centre, then folded and glued in place on the detailed hinge/actuator mechanisms, the latter being painted and the details picked out in black and silver. PICS 4 and 5.
This assembly won't be fitted until after the model is painted, decalled and weathered, and after at least two bombs have been added to the bomb bay, which itself still needs some scratch-built detail adding.
As I intend to place the completed model in a cameo deck-top diorama, I drilled a hole at one of the exterior bomb bay winch points, PIC 6, the intention being to add the open flap to the winching point, together with a scratch-built hand winch, and have a couple of converted 1/48th scale figures in place, winching a bomb into position. That's the plan anyway!
With the wings now fully set, and the gun ports cleaned up, they were fitted to the fuselage and glued, the hefty spar and recessed mounting points ensuring a good, and square, fit.
PICS 7 and 8 show the progress to date, and the next stage is to carry out some careful masking around the cockpit, engine, bomb bay, windows and entrance hatch, before preparing the model for painting. This will take some time of course, especially as the finish will need some convincing weathering and paint fading, in order to portray the rigours of seaborne and tropical operations.
Once that's all done, it'll be time to add all the decals, before proceeding with the canopy, turret, landing gear and detail parts, some way off yet!
Thanks again for your interest to date.
Terry.

[rochie]

good stuff mate

[109ROAMING]

Bomb bay doors look great Terry .Will being using your method of heavily thinned enamels for weathering in future-love the result you've achieved! Shes starting to look like an Avenger! nice work mate

[Micdrow]

Looking good Terry!!!

[lesofprimus]

Agreed with the guys, she's starting to look like an Avenger now.... Lookin good Terry, great researchin Paul....

[Wurger]

With all here. Keep working....

[Airframes]

Thanks very much Karl, Daniel, Paul and Dan.

[Lucky13]

Marvelous old boy!

[Wildcat]

Excellent progress Terry!

[Airframes]

Thank you Wojtek, Andy and Jan.
I've just done a trial fit for future reference, and found out the bomb bay doors won't bl**dy fit!
Looks like I'll have to modify the mounting brackets. B*ll*cks, just when I'd got them set at the correct angles!

[109ROAMING]

...and looking so good too!

[Wayne Little]

Excellent Terry!

[Lucke.stz]

Good Mate ! The bomb bay doors are so cool, like a lot the weathering

[Catch22]

looks great Terry!

Just a note, that Avenger isn't RNZAF, that roundel is the FAA SEAC roundel, pre-Pacific Fleet.