Trumpeter TBD-1 Devastator

[Clunkmeister]

Trumpeter rivets abound, although they will tone down quite a lot with the application of primer and paint.

This kit just cries out to be carefully built with a silver cockpit and as a pre war yellow wings aircraft. 

[HubertB]

40 minutes ago, Clunkmeister said:

Trumpeter rivets abound, although they will tone down quite a lot with the application of primer and paint.

This kit just cries out to be carefully built with a silver cockpit and as a pre war yellow wings aircraft. 

Are the rivers divots or dimples ?
The TBD was festooned with raised rivets ( as was his stablemate the Dauntless, but Trumpeter showed them as divots, and it took Archer to issue a full set of raised rivets for the SBD)

Hubert

[Spitfire]

Looking good, that canopy looks ever so impressive and looks like it fits well.

Cheers

Dennis

[Artful69]

6 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

Here’s the basic 3 person cockpit and the fuselage halves. The fit is pretty decent, actually.  At least so far. 
I did lighten up the green a fair bit.

Nice work so far Ern ... Parts fit looks pretty good (It was never really one of Trumpeters weaknesses as said previously) ... a bit of capillary action with some extra thin on the wing attachment and that'll do ya I reckon!

Rog

[Artful69]

3 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

Let’s look at the canopy.  You get a 1 piece canopy for the closed look, and a multiple piece canopy for an open canopy. This canopy is an absolute work of art. It is absolutely crystal clear with NO blemishes at all. 

That canopy does look to be the sauce! ... If you've got the 3D gear for that set up (cue AM guys here!!), you'd have to leave it open, wouldn't ya?

Rog

[Clunkmeister]

8 hours ago, HubertB said:

Are the rivers divots or dimples ?
The TBD was festooned with raised rivets ( as was his stablemate the Dauntless, but Trumpeter showed them as divots, and it took Archer to issue a full set of raised rivets for the SBD)

Hubert

Hubert, nope, they’re divots as regularly done by Trumpeter.  Personally, I’m one of those people who believes that external detail on aircraft is grossly overdone by many companies, with some Trumpeter models being the star studded showcases in that realm.

Rivets are absolutely invisible from 20 ft away, as are a lot of panel lines, however things like skin ripples and oil canning are visible from much farther away and should be represented where indicated. 

[Martinnfb]

The more I look at this , the more I like it. This kit looks like a solid starting point.

[HubertB]

2 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

Hubert, nope, they’re divots as regularly done by Trumpeter.  Personally, I’m one of those people who believes that external detail on aircraft is grossly overdone by many companies, with some Trumpeter models being the star studded showcases in that realm.

Rivets are absolutely invisible from 20 ft away, as are a lot of panel lines, however things like skin ripples and oil canning are visible from much farther away and should be represented where indicated. 

Too bad. Somehow, seeing the raised rivets on the headrest, I thought that Trumpeter got the raised rivets on the rest of the airframe …

These were a characteristic feature of the TBD, but, I agree with you, are often too prominent on many kits. It’s one of my gripes with the IBG PZL P-11C : the raised rivets are accurate for this airframe, but a bit too high for my liking …

Anyway, we’ ve got Archer or Quinta for sets of raised rivets. Just need a few dozen sheets costing the GNP of Zimbabwe 😂 !

Hubert

[Clunkmeister]

5 hours ago, HubertB said:

Too bad. Somehow, seeing the raised rivets on the headrest, I thought that Trumpeter got the raised rivets on the rest of the airframe …

These were a characteristic feature of the TBD, but, I agree with you, are often too prominent on many kits. It’s one of my gripes with the IBG PZL P-11C : the raised rivets are accurate for this airframe, but a bit too high for my liking …

Anyway, we’ ve got Archer or Quinta for sets of raised rivets. Just need a few dozen sheets costing the GNP of Zimbabwe 😂 !

Hubert

It’s easier to swipe the rivets a couple times with a fine board than to add 27,000 rivets

[GazzaS]

I reckon it must be virtually impossible to make rivets in scale on a scale model.  The HGW rivets are nice....   but a lot of work if your kit doesn't have a set designed for them.

[Clunkmeister]

We have a bit of an update.  
A bit more fitting and jiggling has been done. I don’t think excessive weathering on the interior is called for on these.  They were fairly new when the IJN shot them all down, so I’ll keep it fairly clean. 
The bombardier’s windscreen and bomb aimer‘s doors seem decent. 

[Clunkmeister]

[Clunkmeister]

There is an unfortunate short shot on a lower wing tip, that I’ll whine about for a few seconds. OK done. 
now I’ll fix it, and any person who can’t fix this in an hour or two shouldn’t refer to himself as a modeler. 

[Clunkmeister]

Should look like theirs. 

[Peterpools]

Thanks Ernie for the heads up. 

I'm hoping when I start mine, there will be a boatload of AM, including Quinta and Eduard and I'll be diving in headfirst into a pre-war Devastator build.

 

[Clunkmeister]

6 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Thanks Ernie for the heads up. 

I'm hoping when I start mine, there will be a boatload of AM, including Quinta and Eduard and I'll be diving in headfirst into a pre-war Devastator build.

 

Yessir, and if, in fact, the short shot is out there on others, it's an easy fix

[ScottsGT]

Looking at that color photo, that silver/yellow tape line on that corrugated surface is going to produce a few new words in the adult vocabulary when attempted.  

[Clunkmeister]

Finally, someone at Trumpeter stepped back from the bong long enough to grow back a few brain cells.

No redneck engineering in the wing fold area. This is a press fit. No glue. However, you get folded or extended. Not both. This quick build is getting open wings. 

[Clunkmeister]

Fuselage is tricky to get aligned, with all the interior bulkheads, etc, but patience will get you there.

The wing center section to fuselage fit is sublime.

No filler at all, although I may needs a slight swipe in front of the windshield  

[Spitfire]

Sounds good and looks good.

Cheers

Dennis

[DocRob]

Looking great Ernie, you are cruising through the build. The kit seems at least decent, all we can hope for from Trumpeter.

Cheers Rob

[Clunkmeister]

I just talked to a guy who has studied the aircraft, and like I had said, he stated the cockpit is sparse, really sparse. So, hopefully soon we’ll get some upgrades. 
This kit will be OOB, though. 

[Clunkmeister]

Fixing the short shot and you’d think I could find the wheel with “correct” Trumpeter rivet spacing.  The ONE wheel missing. 😡😡😡🤬
 

NOTHING is ever easy. 

[Clunkmeister]

I’m looking forward to a long, drawn out Yellow Wings build full of yummy AM goodies. 

[HubertB]

48 minutes ago, Clunkmeister said:

I just talked to a guy who has studied the aircraft, and like I had said, he stated the cockpit is sparse, really sparse. So, hopefully soon we’ll get some upgrades. 
This kit will be OOB, though. 

Well, I spent ages on the Devastator, and bought about all the documentation you can find (spare the Erection and Maintenance manual, which is rarer than finding a hen's teeth on 4-Thursdays' week)

From your pics, I'd agree that the cockpit looks barren compared to what it could be. But the basics seem to be here. I'm pondering whether I should sit in front the computer and design a "proper" cockpit, to be printed ...

Hubert