Seems that this one found it's way into series 6.
Fits into some late war scenarios.
Seems that this one found it's way into series 6.
Fits into some late war scenarios.
Voilą le soleil d'Austerlitz!
Hopefully Cleland and Vejtasa will be the other two, or at least we'll get one of the "Fighter Dauntless" pilots. Lt. (sorry, damn boardware won't let me type his first name) Best would also be a good choice, for putting one right through a flight-deck hinomaru at Midway.
The US Army Air Force was not exactly the kindest to the Douglas A-24 in fact Airfix reckons in it's pot-history that the type was being viewed as obsolete. Until along comes the US Navy to prove otherwise: If I can find more information about this online I will post a link to it.
French SBDs are increasing in popularity enough for Airfix to re-release their offering in 1/72 scale with these markings + US Navy markings during 2014. Not all that familiar with French SBDs myself so this development is of interest
Actually, the Navy version came first; the Army was never big on dive-bombers, preferring bigger birds with heavier payloads.
Something is telling me that Airfix may have got it wrong from what I am reading in addition to the above -Originally Posted by Diamondback
for that correction
Another dive bomber which I have built as a 1/72 kit and which also failed to impress the US Army was the Vultee Vengeance. This aircraft type never went to the US Navy as far as I recall but it was exported to Britain. Here structural problems were discovered after the Vengeance Mk I saw service as a dive bomber. As a consequence it found itself relegated to secondary duties like target-tugging and in Australia I believe it was used for training proving the US Army correct about this aircraft being unfit for purpose.
A-24 Dauntless, A-25 Shrike (=SB2C) and A-31 Vengeance (mainly built for export, but by Federal law all export military aircraft have to have a US military type-designation and at least some token handful in US service before they can be shipped) were all halfheartedly dabbled with and found lacking, for good reason in the latter two cases.
It also helps to consider that Big Green had all its eggs in the Norden Bombsight basket.
What is about the armament of this French Dauntless?
Twin rear guns?
Only bomb(s) or rocket payload?
Voilą le soleil d'Austerlitz!
To be fair, the much-maligned Vengeance did sterling service in Burma - it was a case of having the right tool for the right job, and threat environment....
I think that the French A-24 could be the one from Zoe's post because the model in the picture seems to have a black piece of nose art.
Probably. It's an A-24B (SBD-5 w/o arrestor gear) that's representative of those serving with GCB (Groupe de Chasse: Bombardement) 1/18 in late 1944.
Pretty certain the armament is the same as the US version... twin .50 cal (12.7mm) forward-firing synchronized Browning M2 machine guns in engine cowling. and twin .30s (7.62mm) in the flexible mount in the rear.
Not sure about rockets, though the USN and USMC SBD-5s could (and did) use them.
+1 on Stanley Vejtasa.
The A-24s could have done good work, but they were put in with green crews, and poor escorts. And then withdrawn before they got a chance to improve.
The rear gunners were particularly poorly trained. Given how well the USN used them, and how the USAAF used close supporting fighters, it's a little surprising that they didn't do better.
Karl
It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus
Kaiser made some pictures in Essen.
I think we get some more detailed pictures soon.
Voilą le soleil d'Austerlitz!
My comment from the WGS: series 6 revealed thread:
Many thanks Dennis for the advanced recon.OK; my take on the Dauntless: almost all repaints
We have a French A-24 from '44, an anti-sub tasked one from the Atlantic, and a Pacific one that from the markings comes from mid to late '43, after all the big naval battles that made it a legend are over
Karl
It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus
You were expecting them to *not* screw it up?
Like remarriage, "the triumph of hope over experience".
Karl
It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus
I expect the Midway/Coral Sea SBDs for the Pacific starter set.
Why publish them now and reduce the chance to sell Pacific starter sets?
Just for gaming, I gues the two blue SBDs of series 6 will do the job.
Main thing is: we have the model, the base and the movement deck.
Only suprise left would be a different movement deck from the mid-/ late war SBDs versus the early war ones. For this scenario I recommend the Fire from the Sky expansion with SBD cards and movement decks.
In general I'm a little bit displeased about the lack of a SBD from USS Enterprise or USS Yorktown, too.
But analog to the striped Jugs it should be easier to repaint the series 6 SBDs with early war coulours then reverse.
Last edited by Marechallannes; 10-13-2015 at 23:12.
Voilą le soleil d'Austerlitz!
You are likely correct about color scheme choices, Sven; this doesn't make it less disappointing, though.
As for the maneuver deck, if it wasn't an I deck, I'll be shocked and dismayed. Not a lot of difference in the models, at least at the WGS level of stats.
Karl
It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus
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