Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver
1May 6, 2017
2May 6, 2017The cockpit was scratchbuild almost entirely using sheet styrene, with some kit parts used in modified fashion.
3May 6, 2017I need not go into the detailed description of how fun it was to make the rounded rear bulkhead panel fit the rounded fuselage halves!
4May 6, 2017Testors Acryl 4677 Aluminum was used as the primary cockpit color. I hand-brushed the cockpit, and had to apply two coats as the first failed to deliver full coverage.
5May 6, 2017Untreated Tamiya tape was used for the seat belts, with thin wire strands rescued from an electrical cord for seat belt buckles.
6May 6, 2017Black sludge wash was applied, using thinned Testors Enamel Flat Black. Dry brushing with Testors Acryl 4763 Flat Gull Gray highlighted the details.
7May 6, 2017Fuselage interior in front of and behind the cockpit is Testors Acryl 4852 Green Zinc Chromate.
8May 6, 2017Landing gear was the most challenging part of the construction phase. I lacked any specific references detailing the intricate undercarriage mechanism, and relied primarily on Bernhard Schrock’s build narrative of his 1:48 SBC-3 by Classic Airframes
9May 6, 2017The front and rear bulkheads were fashioned from sheet styrene with detail parts scratchbuild, as the kit’s parts were on par with the era the kit dates from (i.e. sad).
10May 6, 2017Front wheel well bulkhead was scratchbuilt entirely.
11May 6, 2017Piano wire and styrene rod was used to simulate actuator rods and pistons (or whatever all the rods present in the wheel well are called…).
12May 6, 2017Matchbox’s rendering of the Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine is a simple yet crisp “stamp” affair (on left). On right is the completed Aires’ resin rendering.
13May 6, 2017The Aires engine model upon itself, and came with a full complement of photoetch parts. After looking over the tiny parts, I wondered whether there is actually a modeler on the planet that used all of them! Sorry about the poor pic...
14May 6, 2017In the event, I did not use a single piece from the PE set, as they were too delicate to work with for me (I did try). I was also unable to use the supplied thin copper wire for the actuator rods, as it was way too soft (I used K&S piano wire instead)
15May 6, 2017The 30 cal Browning machine gun used by the radio operator was made by adapting the excellent land version supplied in the Academy’s M3 Half Track & 1/4 ton Amphibian kit acquired specifically for this project. Kit's version is on the left, embarrassed.
16May 6, 2017The kit did not come with any bombs, so I had to make one from scratch (almost…).
17May 6, 2017All raised panel lines were re-scribed using UMM-USA scribing tool. First time I applied this technique. I had to fill some of the troughs with styrene first.
18May 6, 2017The lower wings did not fit to the fuselage very well and filling was required. The piece that covered the wheel well also did not fit very well, so bottom of the fuselage needed lots of filling and sanding.
19May 6, 2017For easier painting and rigging, I wanted to keep the upper wing separate. I decided to assemble the lower wing and the struts and cabane, but how to ensure that the angles were correct and would line up with the struts and cabane?
20May 6, 2017For this purpose, I built a jig designed to dry-fit everything together. This process revealed that the wing struts were too long by about 1.5 mm, so I shortened them by removing the corresponding section near the top.
21May 6, 2017I washed the entire model in warm water with Mr. Clean solution, and rinsed in distilled water. The engine and cockpit were then covered with paper tissue wetted with distilled water and allowed to dry for two days.
22May 6, 2017It was during this build that I discovered the benefits of a primer coat. A thinned solution of Mr. Surfacer 1200 was airbrushed. Unfortunately, I have not yet learned to sand any rough spots (a problem I still experience with Mr. Surfacer).
23May 6, 2017I started the finish coats with painting the lower surfaces using Testor Acryl 4763 Flat Gull Gray. I have added about 15% white for the scale effect.
24May 6, 2017After waiting overnight for the bottom coat to cure (just to be safe), I masked the model using the Tamiya and 3M masking tape. I forgot to burnish the tape edges before shooting the top coat resulting in some bleeding, but overall got satisfactory result
25May 6, 2017The top coat is Testors Acryl 4847 US Navy Blue Gray M-485. I have again added about 15% white for the scale effect. The top coat was applied in 2 light coats over most of the model.
26May 6, 2017I removed the masking tape after waiting about an hour. The 3M tape removed a small amount of paint from the tip of the upper wing, but otherwise all the masking came off without a hitch (there was some paint creep I mentioned earlier).
27May 6, 2017
28May 6, 2017I learned quickly that the acrylics are not well suited for weathering: they just dry too quickly, and being water based, do not “smear” well either.
29May 6, 2017I have read a lot about using oils for weathering. I recalled meeting modelers at the annual IPMS Dayton show in 2013 that were masters at using oils. Decision was made to give oils a try.
30May 6, 2017I began by using titanium white oil paint, with a bit of blue added, for panel highlighting. Unthinned paint was worked into an old flat brush which was then wiped almost dry.
31May 6, 2017The center of each panel was drybrushed to create a highlight. Exhaust stains were created using the same approach (burnt umber oil paint was used in this instance). Light grey acrylic was used to simulate chipped paint near panel edges.
32May 6, 2017When I applied dark wash to the control surfaces recesses, I found to my horror that the oils “creep” over the untreated top coat. Lesson was learned: no more washes without some sort of topcoat!
33May 6, 2017I was unable to source Starfighter decal set # 72125, so had to make my own fuselage numerals. I created the numbers in Corel Drawand printed them on the Experts-Choice No. 121 clear decal paper using an HP Inkjet printer.
34May 6, 2017All decals were applied using the MicroScale Decal Set and Sol solutions, over Testors Gloss Cote (straight out of the can).
35May 6, 2017I then applied Testors Dullcote. To my horror, the dull cote dried to an orange peel-like texture! My best guess: this being an old spray can many years old, some of the volatiles evaporated from the can, resulting in a thick dull coat buildup.
36May 6, 2017I used airbrushed clear decal paper, cut into strips, to simulate canopy framing (I used it on my previous La-7 build). The results were not as good as I hoped (you can see overlap), and the framing tends to flake off as time goes by.
37May 6, 2017I used EZ-Line (“fine” black) for rigging. I used the jig built for the airframe assembly to re-attach the upper wing to the rest of the model.
38May 6, 2017To my horror (again…), the holes no longer lined up with the struts and cabanes! Maybe modeler error in pic 20?? I tried to force the cabane supports to fit, but only managed to snap one of them.
39May 6, 2017I nearly abandoned the build at this point. I took a break and returned to the model after 10 weeks.
40May 6, 2017I decided to build styrene “shoes” for the upper cabanes and simply glue them to the upper wing (these bulky shapes where the cabanes meet the upper wing are evident in period photos and are not represented in the kit).
41May 6, 2017And now for the finished pics.
42May 6, 2017I had to re-do most of the rigging. This was much more difficult now that there was no way stretch and hold the EZ-Line over the upper ends of the struts and cabanes, Not sure of the EZ-Line is the best solution for these types of connections.
43May 6, 2017The aerial is 8/0 UNI-Thread, material designed for fly fishing.
44May 6, 2017The final assembly was done after the rigging was finished. This included the wheels, bomb, machine gun etc. A drop of epoxy simulated the landing light lens.
45May 6, 2017All small details, like the undercarriage struts, exhaust pipes, wheels, and cockpit edges, were hand-painted. .
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29 November 2024, 03:32 -
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I started this build as a "quick and easy" project to be completed in few months. In the event, it turned out to be one of my longest and most detailed attempts yet. I should have known better: there is nothing "quick and easy" about an old Matchbox kit. I think of this build as a test bed, as I tried many techniques new to my skills bag, and performed several spectacular screw-ups in the process.
The kit is an old Matchbox Nr. PK-35, and a true veteran of my stash. When I purchased this kit at a department store, I failed to realize it was a return from an enterprising modeler. Maybe the crumpled, taped-over box should have been a clue?? It turned out the box was missing the decals as well as the instructions. Only well into the build did I realize that the front windshield was gone as well! So, I bought another used kit (missing one lower wing) on Ebay to complete my original kit. As Forrest Gump would say, "stupid is as stupid does..."
