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Thread: Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver

  1. #1

    Default Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver

    Saw this posted on another thread and went right to ecardmodels.com and bought the download. Way cool model, reduced it to 1/200" scale and printed it off! Yummy!



    Kampfflieger does an amazing job for $8! Now if there were just something good to play in the background on tv - oh yeah, DIVE BOMBER!

  2. #2

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    Paper elves? Glad you liked the link.
    I can't wait to see the repaints.

  3. #3

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    This one is quite fun and fast . . .



    So far so good . . .



    Gotta let it dry for a bit . . .

  4. #4

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    Okay then, let's get into some action!









    Now to learn from my mistakes, card stock thicknesses at the wing center section joins, better to do a butt join. More time between operations, stiffer card for cabane struts, make upper wing one piece. Now to run off enough for a carrier . . .

  5. #5

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    This one looks wonderful, Dave.
    And such a fast build.

  6. #6

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blackronin View Post
    This one looks wonderful, Dave.
    And such a fast build.
    Some paper designs are so well done they are fast, others not so . . . I am thinking I need some contemporary models so I can rearm my Hornet with these very colorful birds, gotta do some research . . .

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by clipper1801 View Post
    Some paper designs are so well done they are fast, others not so . . . I am thinking I need some contemporary models so I can rearm my Hornet with these very colorful birds, gotta do some research . . .
    For fighter, probably Grumman F3F-3s, as I can't find any reference to the Hornet getting Buffalos.
    And the TBD devastator for torpedo work.
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  9. #9

    Dom S's Avatar
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    VT-8 were still getting Devastators delivered at the very beginning of '42, while VB-8 and VS-8 had SBC-4s (until they got Dauntlesses in March '42), and VF-8 had F4F-3s from formation in September '41. They struggled for aircraft though, starting out with just a handful of Wildcats followed by a batch of hand-me-downs from VF-5. VF-8's strength by early December '41 was still just 10 Wildcats and a single North American Texan trainer. When Hornet first actually embarked her air group (23rd December '41) it was:

    VF-8 - 19 F4F-3, 2 F4F-3A, 2 SNJ-3 Texans.
    VB-8 - 19 SBC-4s.
    VS-8 - 20 SBC-4s.
    VT-8 - Not sure of exact numbers when they embarked, but as of 7th December they had 7 SBN-1s (which weren't even torpedo bombers, but gave them something to fly) and 8 TBD-1s. By March '42 they had a full set of Devastators.

    Note that this is all well after the yellow wings though - they disappeared in February '41, well before Hornet was commissioned. If you squint a bit and pretend she's the Yorktown or Enterprise, obviously you open up lots of pre-war possibilities.

    Source: Mostly from "The First Team" with a bit of Google, especially this page: http://bluejacket.com/ww2_12-07-41_carriers.html
    Last edited by Dom S; 04-11-2016 at 15:07.

  10. #10

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    Thanks Dom! So it looks like the Hornet was put in service after the yellow wings were eliminated, no fun! I want a carrier with the deck full of yellow wings! It would be so cool! So might have to switch carriers to Saratoga or Lexington? Hoping to field a deck of F3F's, maybe a few F4F's, SBC's and maybe some early Devastators . . . more research . . .

  11. #11

    Dom S's Avatar
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    No numbers embarked, but here are the air group "mixes" for the pre-war carriers (as well as lots of profiles if you click on the aircraft types) - up to February '41 was the yellow wings era.

    Yorktown - http://www.wings-aviation.ch/24-Nava...20Yorktown.htm
    Enterprise - http://www.wings-aviation.ch/22-USNa...Enterprise.htm
    (Obviously Hornet was at least related to these two, so if you want to avoid another 4 foot long piece of madness, pretend she's her half-sister.... )

    Lexington - http://www.wings-aviation.ch/22-USNa...-Lexington.htm
    Saratoga - http://www.wings-aviation.ch/22-USNa...S-Saratoga.htm

    Note they generally had SBC-3s rather than SBC-4s, but most of the difference was engine, so I doubt you can tell the difference in 1/200.... Looks like F3Fs and F4Fs never mixed (although Saratoga did have a mix of F3Fs and Buffaloes in 1940) but otherwise any of the 1939-1940 air groups should suit you.
    Last edited by Dom S; 04-11-2016 at 15:28.

  12. #12

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    Just pulled out my book I used to build the Yorktown, lots of goodies . . .



    This should help! Been here before . . .


  13. #13

    Dom S's Avatar
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    Nutter.... I do like Chesneau's books though....

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dom S View Post
    Nutter.... I do like Chesneau's books though....
    Yeh, that's our Clipper alright
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  15. #15

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    Now... I want yellow wings... So I'll build an entire carrier... I'm like that for detail. sir...

  16. #16

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by clipper1801 View Post
    So what were the Japanese flying in the late 30's?
    Depends upon how late in the 1930s we're talking...

    The B5N "Kate" flew during the Sino-Japanese war (1937-), as did the G3M "Nell" twin-engined bomber. The Mitsubishi A5M "Claude" was replaced by the 'Zero' in 1940, but served with both the Army and Navy.

    I know there were others, but I'll have to take a look to confirm.

  18. #18

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    Thanks, I found them on Shapeways and will begin a new build . . . Yorktown and Enterprise Ho!

  19. #19

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    Other Imperial Japanese Army aircraft would include:
    Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" or "Gwen" twin-engine bomber
    Mitsubishi Ki-30 "Ann" light bomber (first with a modern radial engine)
    Kawasaki Ki-32 "Mary" light bomber

    And some IJN aircraft...
    Nakajima A4N carrier-based fighter
    Aichi D1A "Susie" carrier-based dive bomber

  20. #20

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by clipper1801 View Post
    Thanks! The game is afoot!
    Cool.

  22. #22

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    Looks like the only one on this list that we don't have unofficial stats for is the Mary.
    Be warned, though: it's going to be a slow moving game
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus



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