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

[Fran]

Its been a pleasure to see this beauty taking shape!

[Peterpools]

Ernis

Has the beautify of a prize fighter with a knockout punch.

 

[CANicoll]

One of my favorite aircrafts after building one in 1/72 and realizing all of the detail and the unique shapes involved.  Plus, I do like the Tri-color scheme.  Your build looks amazing Ernie!  The MRP Paints are terrific but they are so thin they show every wart and imperfection under them - which in your case is showcasing how beautiful your build really is.  LOVE the flaps.  Somehow I missed it - did you drill out the kit flaps or did you go the PE route?

Hmm, 1/32 for props, 1/48 for jets.  I have to admit - the occasional 1/72 build is pretty nice to get something built fairly quickly.  I have used a 1/72 build in preparation for a 1/32 (or even 1/48) build just to get familiar with how the plane goes together and check out the painting and detail references.

What did you use to mask the canopies?

[KevinM]

58 minutes ago, CANicoll said:

Hmm, 1/32 for props, 1/48 for jets.

Until you get to the B-58 Hustler or a B-52 😂 But the solution works for the most part.The Curtis ......is looking really Nice Ernie but I always luv the day that damn tape comes off the glass then...."It's Alive!"

[Clunkmeister]

28 minutes ago, KevinM said:

Until you get to the B-58 Hustler or a B-52 😂 But the solution works for the most part.The Curtis ......is looking really Nice Ernie but I always luv the day that damn tape comes off the glass then...."It's Alive!"

 

1 hour ago, CANicoll said:

One of my favorite aircrafts after building one in 1/72 and realizing all of the detail and the unique shapes involved.  Plus, I do like the Tri-color scheme.  Your build looks amazing Ernie!  The MRP Paints are terrific but they are so thin they show every wart and imperfection under them - which in your case is showcasing how beautiful your build really is.  LOVE the flaps.  Somehow I missed it - did you drill out the kit flaps or did you go the PE route?

Hmm, 1/32 for props, 1/48 for jets.  I have to admit - the occasional 1/72 build is pretty nice to get something built fairly quickly.  I have used a 1/72 build in preparation for a 1/32 (or even 1/48) build just to get familiar with how the plane goes together and check out the painting and detail references.

What did you use to mask the canopies?

Yep, 1/72 IS my scale of sanity for transports, yes.  An An-22 in 48 would be a bit much 🤣

I generally do canopies the old fashioned way: by hand, with Tamiya tape and a #11 blade. 😎
Yes, I’m starting to really like MRP, they go a LONG way. And they spray so nicely!

I’m doing a hybrid deal on the flaps. The lower flaps are PE, and the uppers are doctored up kit parts.  I goobered up one of the uppers when soldering, so instead of SODing the thing, I w

decided to soo what we could do on the kit parts. So they got thinned, trailing edge petals opened up, and about 2 million holes were drilled.   They actually look good, but are an absolute PITA to drill out, because many holes don’t lineup top to bottom. 

[Peterpools]

Ernie & Chris

Of all the paints I've used over the zillion years of modeling, MRP has been my go to paint since I first tried them years ago. Yup, thin and they do require a bit more surface prep (I use MRP Primers as well) but the results are awesome. Over the past few years, more and more newer paint brands have caught my eye and tested and yet, I always come back to MRP as my number one paint. And for me a bonus - no thinning required.

 

[Clunkmeister]

I'm still stuck on Mr Color, and the reason I went with MRP here is that I liked their take on the all important "Sea Blue". 

What's kind of sobering is how the Helldiver (and the earlier Dauntless) are really the only non Grumman offensive carrier aircraft the USN used in WW2. 

Grumman had the Navy literally locked up tight, but first the Phantom, and later the F-18, absolutely killed a once proud company.  It was sad to see Bethpage close it's doors for good.

[Peterpools]

Ernie

I'm right with you ... I grew up less then 15-30 minutes from the Bethpage factory. Budget cuts was a prime reason Grumman merged with Northrop but another 'killer' was the rapid increase in population in Nassau County and around the Bethpage factory. The runway was too small for big jets and I'm sure there was lots of community complaints about flying jets (noise) into Bethpage. Final assembly for the Tomcats and Intruders were at Calverton and that's a good trip on the LIE out east.

If you have ever seen photographs of Grumman or Republic before WWII, it was all country and empty spaces. Today, it's jammed packed suburbia and traffic.  I can remember growing up and seeing Trackers and Mohawks flying low overhead on approach to Bethpage - so sad to see those days disappear into history.

[Clunkmeister]

I know. I was out that way in the mid 70s, and it was building g up even then.  Insanity!  It’s the same way everywhere.  A guy I used to fly with went on to fly 727s and DC-9s for Air Canada, and a few years back, he told me about all the noise abatement crap they had to deal with at most every airport. Rapid power reductions with steep turns right after takeoff, and at the same time, climb as quickly as possible.  A 727 isn’t blessed with excessive reserve power at the best of times, but all a full load on a hot day, followed by an immediate power reduction and a steep turn is an accident waiting to happen.   
Yet in every case, the big airports were there decades before the neighborhoods. 

[Landlubber Mike]

My dad used to work for Grumman up in Long Island.  I remember as a kid going to their summer picnic and they had a bunch of their planes out for the employees and families to look at.  Was really cool!

[Clunkmeister]

There is a whole lot of little details that need to be added to the Helldiver IF you decide to use the optional accessory packs. Much of this area is PE and resin castings that Infinity lifted straight from the HPH kit. 

 

[Clunkmeister]

I’d say it’s starting to look like an actual Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 

[Peterpools]

Mike, back in the days, it seemed as if everyone had someone in their family that worked for Grumman, Republic or Sperry. All had family days and I once was invited to a family day at Republic when they were building A-10's. All are gone now and just part of our history here as the Cradle of Aviation.  

 

[Peterpools]

Ernie

Surely is looking like a Big Bad Helldiver. Decals, makings and the paint finish look spot on and so good. You're in the home stretch now.

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks really good Ernie.  You're really plugging along now, home stretch as Peter said!

[Clunkmeister]

Hey guys. I’m not happy with the retracted turtleneck and I took it apart. It’s sitting too proud and I’m going to trim some things to create enough clearance to lower the stack. 

[Peterpools]

Ernie

It's always something but the most important person to please is yourself. With all the hard work you lavished on the Helldiver, she has to meet your expectations. Glad you chose to redo the turtledeck as it would always irk you down the line. As they say: a gutsy move but well worth it.

 

[Clunkmeister]

57 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

Ernie

It's always something but the most important person to please is yourself. With all the hard work you lavished on the Helldiver, she has to meet your expectations. Glad you chose to redo the turtledeck as it would always irk you down the line. As they say: a gutsy move but well worth it.

 

Haha. Yep. I’ve already removed and reworked it. I’ll just reattach them later today and touch up the paint. 

[Clunkmeister]

Yes, I know a couple of those are a -5 restoration, but you can see how the turtleneck folds right down. 
the way I had it, it was like looking at a VW Bettle folded convertible top compared to a 55 Ford Fairlane Sunliner top. 
And, if I didn’t attend to it now, I’d be bugged by it forever  

[BlrwestSiR]

Ernie, it's really looking great. I see what you mean about the turtle deck compared to the pics. Never knew how that retracted so thanks for that lesson. 

Like you and Peter, I'm starting to make the switch to 1/48 for jets. I'll (hopefully) build the 1/32 ones I already have in the stash but I'll move down to 1/48 from here on. 

[Clunkmeister]

3 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Ernie, it's really looking great. I see what you mean about the turtle deck compared to the pics. Never knew how that retracted so thanks for that lesson. 

Like you and Peter, I'm starting to make the switch to 1/48 for jets. I'll (hopefully) build the 1/32 ones I already have in the stash but I'll move down to 1/48 from here on. 

Yep, older jets, up to the end of the Korean war are a nice size in 1/32, but modern jets with the exception of F-16, MiG-29, Starfighter, Mirage, and similar are best handled in 48.  I have a lot of room, but not THAT much room. 

[KevinM]

Nice work Ernie!!

[Clunkmeister]

Well, I’m liking this better.  Minor rebuild, which looks good.

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks like your gutsy move paid off.  Bravo!

[Clunkmeister]

2 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Looks like your gutsy move paid off.  Bravo!

Thanks Mike!  I’m looking forward to the finishing stages of this build, as I’ve had it on my bench far, far too long.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the process completely, but I’m ready to jump into the GB.  
It’ll sure look good next to my other completed builds.