Grumman TBF-1 Avenger

**Dark Horse** · 01-25-2013 19:37

Hi everyone, this model of Avenger is produced by Academy-minicraft in 1/144 scale. I painted this flight of 3 in using the same "Ocean Blue" colour that I mixed when I painted my Sweet model Wildcats in an earlier thread:
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...ildcats!-Sweet!

I have had these kits sitting around for more years than I care to remember & I was not sure about the durability of the decals - so I didn't. The national and squadron markings (USS Petrof Bay) were spares left over from building the Sweet Wildcats and the the plane numbers are 1/72 scale spares from a Matchbox armour kit (those of you with that particular bent might recognise the "375" decals in small and larger sizes that were included in the Panzer II kit and I snipped them apart to make the fuselage and nose markings.

Even though I decided to paint the canopy frames (as I did not want such a large expanse of clear plastic perched on top of the planes) I decided that more was still needed, so I painted up some Reviresco pilots, drilled a hole in the "cockpit floor" and super-glued them in. I also drilled a hole in the underside perspex and inserted dorsal machineguns. I wanted them to appear a bit menacing rather than appearing to be sitting ducks.

Unfortunately when photographing them the other day I did not notice that they had become a little dusty - trust the camera to pick that up! That is the paler spots on the upper wings, not weird paint details...