FINISHED - TBM3 Avenger by CDW - Trumpeter - 1:32 scale

[CDW]

My next adventure will be building the TBM3 Avenger by Trumpeter, 1:32 scale.

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by CDW

[Old Collingwood]

Count me in mate.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Just now, Old Collingwood said:

Count me in mate.

 

OC.

Believe it or not, this massive kit has almost the exact same part count as the little 1:48 PE-2 I just built, so it won't be more of a challenge part wise, just a bigger model.

[Old Collingwood]

4 minutes ago, CDW said:

Believe it or not, this massive kit has almost the exact same part count as the little 1:48 PE-2 I just built, so it won't be more of a challenge part wise, just a bigger model.

I guess  with larger surface areas  it should make painting easier and more scope for detailing.

 

OC.

[lmagna]

One of my more favorite aircraft. Also one of the first model aircraft I ever built, the old 1/48th Monogram kit with retracting landing gear, folding wings and opening torpedo bay doors, (That of course allowed the torpedo to fall out). Made many attacks with that model in my back yard plastic pool, (Ocean) Got a chance a number of years ago to get close enough to touch a real one. What a brute!

[CDW]

17 hours ago, lmagna said:

One of my more favorite aircraft. Also one of the first model aircraft I ever built, the old 1/48th Monogram kit with retracting landing gear, folding wings and opening torpedo bay doors, (That of course allowed the torpedo to fall out). Made many attacks with that model in my back yard plastic pool, (Ocean) Got a chance a number of years ago to get close enough to touch a real one. What a brute!

This is a really big aircraft. Trumpeter provides sufficient detail where required and it does not need much of anything in the way of aftermarket items IMO. I will add some wiring and such, but it's nice right out of the box.

[yvesvidal]

There was one at the past 2019 Oshkosh air show. A real monster when you stand next to it. Unfortunately, I did not take any picture.

 

I also had the chance to work while in France (IBM France) with one of the 12 French pilots that were trained on these machines by the US Air Force. The lad had some salty stories about the Avenger.... 

 

Yves

[CDW]

The TBM3 Avenger was the heaviest single engine aircraft of WW2. To pull it along, the massive Wright R2600-20 14 cylinder twin row radial engine, producing 1900 horsepower was used.

 

[Old Collingwood]

What a great start  - that radial  looks Superb.

 

OC.

[Canute]

Craig, looking forward to another excellent build from you. I see a tribute bird, right?

[CDW]

30 minutes ago, Canute said:

Craig, looking forward to another excellent build from you. I see a tribute bird, right?

Indeed, President George HW Bush

[popeye the sailor]

very nice start Craig........I love big birds.    

[lmagna]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

I love big birds.

As a side note Big Bird, (Caroll Spinney) died at 83. It appears that Spinney has played Big bird since 1969. He also did Oscar the Grouch, (Who I liked a lot better than Big Bird) 

[popeye the sailor]

old news....seen the bio  

[lmagna]

I still preferred Oscar The Grouch 

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, lmagna said:

I still preferred Oscar The Grouch 

I can't imagine why?  Then again, I preferred him also.  Nevermind... I know why.

[popeye the sailor]

there's a little Oscar in all of us.......like me right now.........gotta go to work tomorrow  

[FriedClams]

Wonderful work on building the radial CDW - so crisp and clean.  The engine has a great look and feel due to your coloring skills - the tubing/manifold looks very realistic.  I would be very interested to know your coloring process.  I look forward to future updates.

 

Gary

[CDW]

The focal point of this model are the interior components. Not sure how much of it will be seen once the fuselage halves go together, but it does have an open bomb bay, and open hatch for the gunner's station in the ventral position. While even now the interior parts look complex, this is only about 50% of what will be the sum of it, while I still must add a lot of detail including the gun turret, the ventral gun station, and options for an extra fuel tank, or a torpedo, or four bombs in the bomb bay.

 

[lmagna]

I'm officially jealous! THAT is some fantastic work CDW.

 

The instrumentation is so crisp and clean.

Edited February 11, 2020 by lmagna

[CDW]

29 minutes ago, lmagna said:

I'm officially jealous! THAT is some fantastic work CDW.

 

The instrumentation is so crisp and clean.

Thanks Lou. The fact this model is BIG helps a lot to achieve detail. The kit uses a plastic dash with holes molded in where the instrument dials are located, an acetate panel that has dial details printed on, then a molded plastic panel backing. The acetate gets sandwiched between the two plastic panels giving it a realistic look for the gauges. You have to paint the back side of the acetate with white before joining the three pieces together, as the acetate looks very similar to undeveloped film and if not painted white on the backside, no dial detail would be seen. 

[popeye the sailor]

really sweet job on the cockpit   

[lmagna]

That is the same method used in the aftermarket instrument cluster for my Huey build.  Nice to see how it SHOULD turn out.

Edited February 11, 2020 by lmagna

[CDW]

Just now, lmagna said:

That is the same method used in the aftermarket instrument cluster for my Huey build.  Nice to see how it SHOULD turn out.

When you and I were talking, I thought that's what you were describing so yes, this is how to do it. Make sure to paint the back side of the acetate film white, or else the dials will not show up. Alternatively, you could paint the back panel white, but one way or the other, white needs to go on the back side of the acetate for it to come out right.

 

PS: use either white glue (not the yellow wood glue) or acrylic glue to join the three instrument panels together. You can also use a drop of glue in each instrument so that when it dries, it will look like a lens.

Edited February 11, 2020 by CDW

[CDW]

Just now, popeye the sailor said:

really sweet job on the cockpit   

Thanks Denis. At this scale, I feel like I'm cheating. 😁

[mtaylor]

Stunning work, Craig.   Looks to me like one could actually step into her and fly away.   The details are amazing.

[CDW]

Just now, mtaylor said:

Stunning work, Craig.   Looks to me like one could actually step into her and fly away.   The details are amazing.

Thank you Mark.

[Old Collingwood]

Those details - those details  - superb work   this is gonna be a stunner.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Just now, Old Collingwood said:

Those details - those details  - superb work   this is gonna be a stunner.

 

OC.

Thanks OC. I have a lot of 1:32 kits to finish, including that big 1:32 Tamiya Mossie. They all come with a fair share of details right out of the box.

[Old Collingwood]

13 minutes ago, CDW said:

Thanks OC. I have a lot of 1:32 kits to finish, including that big 1:32 Tamiya Mossie. They all come with a fair share of details right out of the box.

Cant wait for the mossie    for obvious reasons.

 

OC.