1/72 Testors SBD Dauntless "White 12" - Aircraft of World War II

dirkpitt289 · 07-28-2009, 12:42 PM

Here is my latest build, The Testors 1/72 SBD Dauntless. This kit cost me a whopping $7 at the local Michaels store. This is basically going to be a straight oob build with a few added details. Nothing big or drastic.

Right after I took this photo a small gust of win came by and took my decal sheet and dumped it into the dogs pool. Now I have to go buy another copy of this model to get a new decal sheet.

I was surprised that this kit had recessed panel lines. That's not something you see alot on the El Cheap-O kits. What I don't understand is why they recessed the Star emblem on the fuselage. I'm not sure I have the skills to fill those lines without destroying the other lines. I'll think more about that when the time comes.

As most of us know 1/72 scale models lack in detail because of their size. I'm trying to add detail where ever I can to enhance the model the best I can. The biggest detail I can do is drilling out the dive flaps.

The other detail I started on was the engine. I painted the engine dark gray, and then washed it with black sludge. I used a picture of a WWII radial engine I found online as a guide. I painted the gear box as closely as possible and then added some detail between the cylinders using some safety wire.

Thanks for taking the time to look

Regards

Dirk

Catch22 · 07-28-2009, 12:44 PM

Looks good so far! Why not enter it into the Pacific build, if there's time?

Airframes · 07-28-2009, 01:33 PM

Good work so far, and yes, there's still time to get into the PTo group Build, as the closing date had been extended.
Those etched-in stars are a throw-back to the late 1950's I think, when some companies did that for all the aircraft markings, so that they could be painted in.
To fill the marking without destroying the other recessed detail, use Johnson's Future, and mix in some talcum powder, until it looks like a sort of porridge. Brush this onto the reccessed areas rerquired, wipe off any excess with a wet finger tip, and let it harden for an hour or so. then, gently sand it. the raised surface of this 'filler' will crumble and go dusty, but the filled area should be perfect. If any of the surrounding detail has accidentally been filled, use the pont of your scalpel/craft knife to gently re-scribe it - it should be very easy to do.
By using Future instead of normal, enamel -based gloss Varnish, it allows a thinner 'mix', which will be better for small lines and will sand easier, and is easier to remove from unwanted areas. For bigger reccessed lines, or small joints, a gloss enamel varnish will provide a very good, and very hard filler, which can be sanded to a mirror gloss finish if needed.
Hope this helps.

A4K · 07-29-2009, 04:20 AM

Great work mate! Strange they didn't mould the undercarriage wells! Are you going to scratchbuild them?

Wayne Little · 07-29-2009, 08:38 AM

Nice work mate!

dirkpitt289 · 07-29-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A4K

Great work mate! Strange they didn't mould the undercarriage wells! Are you going to scratchbuild them?

I thought about it but I'm not sure I'm willing to put that much effort into a $7 kit. If I do I need to decide soon.

vikingBerserker · 07-29-2009, 12:14 PM

Nice!

dirkpitt289 · 08-30-2009, 01:00 AM

Hi everyone

It's been a while since I worked on my El cheep-O SBD Dauntless. Truth be told I was ready to dump the kit into the trash. I got so completely frustrated (My own fault) with working these cheep kits. I just don't have the skill or desire to bring these to a point where they are some what correct. Right now I want to focus on the kit itself and the details of what I have in my mind.

To make a long story short I decided to take the little SBD and just "try" different things that I would be afraid to do on a (Lack of a better word) good kit.

Well here she is with both the top and bottom painted. There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to re-energize a modeler.

I still need to find someone who has the 1/72 black letters and numbers decals I need.

Dirk

B-17engineer · 08-30-2009, 01:37 AM

Testors kits aren't very complicated and I like them for that reason! My first model I built was the same kit and I have no glue marks or anything on the plane itself!

Great job so far!

Wayne Little · 08-30-2009, 08:34 AM

Looks ok to me!

109ROAMING · 08-30-2009, 08:52 AM

with Wayne here

lesofprimus · 08-30-2009, 12:35 PM

I know what ur talking about Dirk, but its lookin good so far...

dirkpitt289 · 09-08-2009, 11:36 PM

Ok everyone, here is the latest update on my 'el-Cheap-O Testors Dauntless.

Last we left off I had just applied the two tone paint scheme. Since then I drilled out the gun barrels, drilled out the engine exhaust stacks, offset the color of some of the body panels (first attempt), gave it a coat of future and added the decals. Oh. and what model of mine wouldn't be complete without breaking the prop. I was test fitting it and it was snug. As I attempted to remove it it snapped at the shaft.

As I've moved forward with this project I've tossed around the idea of what aircraft I was going to do. I went from the generic "White 12" as the thread is titled. I then decided on Stanley W. Vejtasa Plane. After doing some research I found that the Captain's plane is a common subject so I then decided on a representation of the SBD flown by Ensign Frank O'Flaherty and his radio-gunner Bruno P. Gaido. The problem with that was I couldn't find the proper decals so it was back to Stanley W. Vejtasa's.

Next I will attempt to do some weathering

Till next time...

vikingBerserker · 09-08-2009, 11:47 PM

Nicely done!

All this time I've heard about people using "Future", I had absolutely no idea it was the one by Pledge.

lesofprimus · 09-09-2009, 04:26 AM

I use the exact same sh!t..... Kits lookin good Dirk....

Not to burst ur bubble, but Stans crate was White 5 not Black...

07-28-2009, 12:42 PM	#1
dirkpitt289 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Plainfield New Jersey Posts: 434	1/72 Testors SBD Dauntless "White 12" Here is my latest build, The Testors 1/72 SBD Dauntless. This kit cost me a whopping $7 at the local Michaels store. This is basically going to be a straight oob build with a few added details. Nothing big or drastic. Right after I took this photo a small gust of win came by and took my decal sheet and dumped it into the dogs pool. Now I have to go buy another copy of this model to get a new decal sheet. I was surprised that this kit had recessed panel lines. That's not something you see alot on the El Cheap-O kits. What I don't understand is why they recessed the Star emblem on the fuselage. I'm not sure I have the skills to fill those lines without destroying the other lines. I'll think more about that when the time comes. As most of us know 1/72 scale models lack in detail because of their size. I'm trying to add detail where ever I can to enhance the model the best I can. The biggest detail I can do is drilling out the dive flaps. The other detail I started on was the engine. I painted the engine dark gray, and then washed it with black sludge. I used a picture of a WWII radial engine I found online as a guide. I painted the gear box as closely as possible and then added some detail between the cylinders using some safety wire. Thanks for taking the time to look Regards Dirk

07-28-2009, 12:44 PM	#2
Catch22 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 4,293	Looks good so far! Why not enter it into the Pacific build, if there's time? __________________

07-28-2009, 01:33 PM	#3
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,030	Good work so far, and yes, there's still time to get into the PTo group Build, as the closing date had been extended. Those etched-in stars are a throw-back to the late 1950's I think, when some companies did that for all the aircraft markings, so that they could be painted in. To fill the marking without destroying the other recessed detail, use Johnson's Future, and mix in some talcum powder, until it looks like a sort of porridge. Brush this onto the reccessed areas rerquired, wipe off any excess with a wet finger tip, and let it harden for an hour or so. then, gently sand it. the raised surface of this 'filler' will crumble and go dusty, but the filled area should be perfect. If any of the surrounding detail has accidentally been filled, use the pont of your scalpel/craft knife to gently re-scribe it - it should be very easy to do. By using Future instead of normal, enamel -based gloss Varnish, it allows a thinner 'mix', which will be better for small lines and will sand easier, and is easier to remove from unwanted areas. For bigger reccessed lines, or small joints, a gloss enamel varnish will provide a very good, and very hard filler, which can be sanded to a mirror gloss finish if needed. Hope this helps. __________________

07-29-2009, 08:38 AM	#5
Wayne Little Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Adelaide Sth. Aust. Posts: 12,487	Nice work mate! __________________

07-29-2009, 12:14 PM	#7
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,722	Nice! __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

07-29-2009, 04:20 AM	#4
A4K Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,224	Great work mate! Strange they didn't mould the undercarriage wells! Are you going to scratchbuild them?

08-30-2009, 01:00 AM	#8
dirkpitt289 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Plainfield New Jersey Posts: 434	Hi everyone It's been a while since I worked on my El cheep-O SBD Dauntless. Truth be told I was ready to dump the kit into the trash. I got so completely frustrated (My own fault) with working these cheep kits. I just don't have the skill or desire to bring these to a point where they are some what correct. Right now I want to focus on the kit itself and the details of what I have in my mind. To make a long story short I decided to take the little SBD and just "try" different things that I would be afraid to do on a (Lack of a better word) good kit. Well here she is with both the top and bottom painted. There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to re-energize a modeler. I still need to find someone who has the 1/72 black letters and numbers decals I need. Dirk __________________ Regards Dirk

08-30-2009, 01:37 AM	#9
B-17engineer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,668	Testors kits aren't very complicated and I like them for that reason! My first model I built was the same kit and I have no glue marks or anything on the plane itself! Great job so far! __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe36UMRkRbk

08-30-2009, 08:34 AM	#10
Wayne Little Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Adelaide Sth. Aust. Posts: 12,487	Looks ok to me! __________________

08-30-2009, 08:52 AM	#11
109ROAMING Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 4,985	with Wayne here __________________ "When all else fails read the manual"

08-30-2009, 12:35 PM	#12
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,490	I know what ur talking about Dirk, but its lookin good so far... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

09-08-2009, 11:36 PM	#13
dirkpitt289 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Plainfield New Jersey Posts: 434	Ok everyone, here is the latest update on my 'el-Cheap-O Testors Dauntless. Last we left off I had just applied the two tone paint scheme. Since then I drilled out the gun barrels, drilled out the engine exhaust stacks, offset the color of some of the body panels (first attempt), gave it a coat of future and added the decals. Oh. and what model of mine wouldn't be complete without breaking the prop. I was test fitting it and it was snug. As I attempted to remove it it snapped at the shaft. As I've moved forward with this project I've tossed around the idea of what aircraft I was going to do. I went from the generic "White 12" as the thread is titled. I then decided on Stanley W. Vejtasa Plane. After doing some research I found that the Captain's plane is a common subject so I then decided on a representation of the SBD flown by Ensign Frank O'Flaherty and his radio-gunner Bruno P. Gaido. The problem with that was I couldn't find the proper decals so it was back to Stanley W. Vejtasa's. Next I will attempt to do some weathering Till next time... __________________ Regards Dirk

09-08-2009, 11:47 PM	#14
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,722	Nicely done! All this time I've heard about people using "Future", I had absolutely no idea it was the one by Pledge. __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

09-09-2009, 04:26 AM	#15
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,490	I use the exact same sh!t..... Kits lookin good Dirk.... Not to burst ur bubble, but Stans crate was White 5 not Black... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

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