1/48 Accurate Miniatures SBD "Pearl Harbor"

Now I can say that I have built all 1/48 SBD kits available. I finished a Hasegawa one earlier this year, and have built two Monogram ones long ago. Which one is the best? It’s hard to say. On accuracy and detail, Accurate Miniatures wins. Hasegawa really messed up with their dive brakes, but otherwise, it is a much better fitting, easier build. The Monogram kit, well… it wins in the fun category. :)

This kit took a lot longer than it probably should have. I found some components, such as the flaps and cowling, to be very poor fitting. I caused the worst problem though… As I was getting ready to paint it, I spilled CA glue all over the model (I dumped a bottle over it). It miraculously missed the canopy, but drenched the model just about everywhere else. It was the ultra-thin kind too.

So, two months later, it was ready to prime. The canopy was poor fitting too. Without further ado:

I did something new for this build I’ve never done before. I made antenna wire using Uschi van der Rotsen 0.02mm ultra fine “rig that thing” thread. I was doubtful at first, but it was easier to use than I thought it would be. I scratch built the connectors using stretched q-tips. I used Eduard’s photoetch etch position lights for the lower position lights that are astern the center flap. I also used Eduard seatbelts for both stations. I used decals from the kit, Superscale, Yellow Wings, and Techmod. I used Abteilung pigments for some light weathering.

That is excellent! Glad you overcame!

Thank you sir! It was well worth the patience. Next time though, I hope to be a little faster.

By the way, here is the only known photo of the aircraft I chose to model:

Several personnel are trying to push it out of harm’s way. The fate of the aircraft, or the pilots who flew them, are unknown. The BuNo. of this particular aircraft is also unknown, even though it is possible that it was the same 2-MB-2 in a prewar scheme. Even with these unknowns, this model, to me, serves as a reminder of the destruction the US faced at Pearl Harbor. This little Dauntless symbolizes the much forgotten losses and damage that occurred on that day of infamy.

Oh boy… that super glue accident must have raised you blood pressure! Looks great. What color is that? Cool pic.

Very well done, and nice recovery after the superglue fiasco, it happens. I’m partial to the AM kit, but the Hasegawa one looks great too. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent build! I really like that you posted an actual photo of the subject aircraft at that moment of history. Bravo all around!

Looks great!

Nice work. Have you dont the Academy SBD kit?

So;

You built a model aircraft? Why didn’t you glue the parts together one at a time instead of pouring the glue all over it? LOL.LOL. You did a mighty fine job on your model and the picture you provided brought the plight of many to the fore. Thank you !

That’s a beautiful finish! Well done on recovering from your CA disaster, too. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I don’t think we’d have known.

-keavdog Well, I wasn’t happy. The first thought I had was the realization of how long it would take to fix. My mother actually got me this kit when I was in junior high when it first came out, so I couldn’t just abandon it. :slight_smile:

-lawdog114 Thank you sir! It’s an honor to receive such praises from an accomplished builder like you. Yes, I think the Hasegawa is far more buildable, but the Accurate Miniatures is more detailed. I would love to see Tamiya come out with one even more buildable than the Hasegawa kit, and more detailed than AM.

-stikpusher Thank you! Thank you for your constructive criticism you gave on many of my builds I shared several years back when I was a teen. It helped.

-Don Stauffer Thank you sir!

-Tanker-Builder I have not built the Academy kit, but it is exactly the same kit. They ended up with most of Accurate Miniatures molds. Their old toolings are vicariously living through Academy now (sometimes via Eduard, Revell and Italeri too). This recent release from Academy offers the exact same markings that I used for this airplane.

-the Baron Thank you! Yes, sandpaper and Tamiya’s scribing tool did the trick. And two months of time spent on the project haha.

Agreed. Very nice work on this, an admirable recovery after the CA spill (ouch), and I sure do like that color and your paint job in general. [Y][Y][Y]

That’s a nice job. I also love the inclusion of the photo of the actual Dauntless that you built.

And I learned something today, in that there were SBD’s at Pearl Harbor.

What a great build. I’ve got 4 AM SBD’s in the stash

-Greg Thank you sir! The most important lesson I learned there was not to get myself in that situation in the first place. :slight_smile:

-Aggieman! Good to see you again (my old profile was Raptordriver). I appreciate your comments.

-TempestJohney Thank you! Sounds like you have some fun building in front of you. I enjoyed this kit, just be ready for some challenging fit issues in some areas.

Very nice! I admire your ability to overcome the CA disaster, I would have probably parked that thing in the vertical hanger.

Nice to see your post, I’m waiting on decals to build an AM Pearl Harbor SBD 1. The pre-war colors are very tempting, but the history of the Ewa SBD’s is more compelling to me. Hope mine turns out as nice as yours!

I built the Vindicator. Can’t be any worse