Airfix 1/72 Douglas SBD-5

[Guest]

Just a quick update, decals done and a coat of future to protect them. Just the final assembly to do now, which won't be for a while as today the grandchildren are coming to stay, so things are now on high shelves.

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[papa 695]

Looking very good Bari, and a great idea to put it on an high shelve. looking forward to the finish line now

[PaulTRose]

looking good, one ive never done

i like the fact you are doing in french markings, a bit different

[colin m]

I too like the different markings. Nice model as well.

[Guest]

A little bit more done. I've tried to model the flap jacks using little bits of stretched sprue, (very fiddly). I am still trying to summon up the courage to mold a new canopy as I have never done it before. I will have to do it as putting the little bit of molding over the bulkhead means the kit one doesn't fit anymore. I should have tried the fit earlier.

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[john i am]

Looking good hope your canopy goes well good luck

[Dave W]

Looks good Barry .As for the canopy, if you make a mould from the original and use that as a former,you will still have the original to fallback on.I moulded a canopy for my Anson when I had never done it before.Took around 15 attempts to get a good one,but I got there in the end.

[Guest]

Thanks for the encouragement, I took the plunge and had a bash at it. Biggest problem was getting the right sort of plastic. I tried several types ( I had been saving odd scraps over the last few weeks) In the end a nice thin plastic worked. I have no idea where it came from but there you go. I used a square of hardboard with a square hole cut into it about two inches by one inch and taped the plastic across the hole using Duck black tape. then held it over the smallest cooker ring (electric) until it looked floppy and a bit of smoke was coming off it then just plunged it down over the canopy which was held on the end of a stick with bluetak. I just need to trim it, although looking at it I may have to borrow the wife's embroidery scissors, (when she's out of course, no need to bother with the technical details of things.) Note to self, make the bit of hardboard bigger thereby saving slightly scorched fingers.

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[Dave W]

Great result Barry.I used a paint stripper/heat gun to heat the plastic,then pushed the mould into it.the opposite way to you but with the same result.

[flyjoe180]

Great result Barry, looking forward to more soon. And nice to see someone doing this replacement canopy method and sharing the result.

[Guest]

Almost finished, just a bit of a wash to do to tone down the wheels and bays and a matt coat. A bit disappointed regarding the canopy, in the end I had several tries at it until the original canopy went a bit pear shaped after repeated mouldings. I just couldn't get the size or the frames right. I tried painting decal strip, freehand painting and in the end settled for painted tamiya tape. I also had to use the original windscreen which by this time had gone a bit opaque. Still it was good fun and I learnt a lot. I have put some more pictures in the Aircraft pictures section.

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[flyjoe180]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product!