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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Infinity Models SB2C-4 Helldiver. Finished. Well, OK, maybe not.


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Shiny vs. matte.  the endless conundrum.  I tried to impart partial shine on an all-black model and can't really say i was successful.  But an all-over shine looks worse, because a plastic model lacks all of the facets that are on a real aircraft.

That fact has me firmly committed to the all-matte philosophy

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1 hour ago, GazzaS said:

Shiny vs. matte.  the endless conundrum.  I tried to impart partial shine on an all-black model and can't really say i was successful.  But an all-over shine looks worse, because a plastic model lacks all of the facets that are on a real aircraft.

That fact has me firmly committed to the all-matte philosophy

I do agree in that shiny looks toylike. A well used warplane in a revetments has a semi matte look to it, but carrier based Naval aircraft? I dunno. 
 

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4 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

I do agree in that shiny looks toylike. A well used warplane in a revetments has a semi matte look to it, but carrier based Naval aircraft? I dunno. 
 

It's not that I don't believe some things should shine at scale.  I'm just saying that it's nearly impossible  to do without it looking toy-ish or pathetically faked.   It's like those dioramas you see where someone tried to make cotton fiber look like smoke but still shows the cotton fibers in photos:  You know what it is supposed to be.  I know what it is supposed to be.  But one hairy squiggle in the photo adds a truth that my brain cannot disagree with.  If they had taken their photos from greater distance the lie could almost be believed.  But because they wanted to show off some detail, they also showed the only thing that could ruin the illusion.

 

My brain can believe in a matte finish that doesn't reflect the numerous facets of a stress-skinned aircraft.  But my brain cannot believe in a shiny aircraft where not one piece of visual evidence can attest to the stress-skinned construction of the thing.

 

Trust me...   if I could figure out a way to add that stress-skinned-look without ruining the model...   I sure as hell would.

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Really an admirable build - the detail is terrific and I'm looking up "Resin2Detail" to see what they have.  Regarding matte vs glossy - very tough, as you've said.  I'll start with a gloss/semi-gloss and they gently spray a matte over it in streaks trying to show an irregular finish.  Very much like fading paint - more faded on top, less on the bottom.  But the Helldiver looks terrific as she sits.

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2 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Really an admirable build - the detail is terrific and I'm looking up "Resin2Detail" to see what they have.  Regarding matte vs glossy - very tough, as you've said.  I'll start with a gloss/semi-gloss and they gently spray a matte over it in streaks trying to show an irregular finish.  Very much like fading paint - more faded on top, less on the bottom.  But the Helldiver looks terrific as she sits.

Agreed. The paint might be a bit too streaked, especially on the tail. I’ll fix that.  Not noticeable in person, but the camera shows all.  And the “fabric” areas on the elevators are in need of a bit of help.

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  • Clunkmeister changed the title to Infinity Models SB2C-4 Helldiver. Update 01/11/23. Finishing touches
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1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

Ernie

Only one thing to say; SWEET! A Big Bad Bruser for sure - just look at that nose!!

 

 

I’m loving it, Peter. There’s plenty to do yet, but she’s looking the part.  Slats, flaps, radar, weapons, bomb doors, antenna and mast, rear gun, plus plenty more including paint touch up and a bit of weathering underneath. 
Many WW2 pictures seem to show these quite faded on top, but rather pristine on the bottom.

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Ernie

Just keep going at your own pace and enjoy the journey as you start to add all those assemblies and small parts. Yup, sun just beating down on all the upper surfaces while the aircraft are on deck. Looking forward to each update as the finish draws near.

 

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1 hour ago, Martinnfb said:

Catching up with your build Ernie, she's getting there. Did you notice the discolouration behind the engine cowl ?image.jpeg

Yes I certainly did. Not as much as in that picture, and I had added some today, but will add a bit more. 
You can see a bit of it in the last pic I posted above of the model itself. I need to make it a bit more noticeable, I think. 
That’s a great picture of White 207, a much photographed Helldiver. 
Looking at that Wave-Off, and they look crazy treacherous back then with the straight deck carriers they had then. Probably a fairly decent chance of torque rolling or stalling and falling into the drink. 

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Those pics of VB-83 on the Essex should be at the start of the Okinawa campaign? VB-83 was also heavily involved in the sinking of the Yamato.

Their Helldivers played serious roles in the final months of the war and were usually right in the thick of things. 

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That panoramic photo...   Just shows the power and majesty of the USN.   Supposedly by 1945, the USN was larger than any previous or existing navy in the world - Combined!  I don't think anyone ever could have comprehended the true industrial capacity of the US before then.

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Gaz, I agree.  The USN had built up to a point where it was pretty much unstoppable. Even today, driving by some of the old inactive ship yards you can see literally hundreds of old ships tied together, either awaiting they day they’ll be needed again, or the scrapper’s torch.

Yamamoto was right in his respect for and deep seated unwillingness to go to war with the US. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the US would grow into an unstoppable force.  It happened even quicker than he dreamed.  He’s one man I wish would have survived the war. His thoughts would have been interesting to hear.   But Tojo was way too powerful and Yamamoto’s thoughts fell on deaf ears 

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43 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

Just to show how correct Yamamoto was, WWII aircraft carrier production:

USN ... 115

Japan ... 18

It was a case in both theaters of war, the US just out produced everyone with numbers that were over whelming, plus standardization of parts.  

 

 

Yep. Almost 8:1 difference. Plus, the US had it’s entire  continental land mass as well as Canada to rely on for oil and natural resources, where Japan had literally nothing past the immediate islands and parts of China, much of which was undeveloped and quite remote

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Ernie you're so right. When the automotive industries as an example became involved in productions and manufacturing, tanks, machine gun and ships, production skyrocketed with increased quality and reliability; the sheer numbers were incredible. One of the saying of our war effort was 'factories win the war'.

 

 

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The US submarine fleet….

Never mind warships, but how many “Marus” did our pig boats send to the bottom?  Hundreds, possibly thousands. Japanese cargo ships were target #1 for the pig boats, and no they didn’t completely strangle Japan, but they sure cut the supply of oil to the Home Islands to a trickle. 
Yamamoto was brilliant, prophetic, and 100% correct.  Too American in his thinking and his ways for the military leadership at the time, he was a marked man and actually had to go to sea to avoid assassination! Crazy!

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