1/48 ProModeler Helldiver completed...

This one represents BuNo. 19509 flown by Pilot Jack Weber and Gunner/Radioman John Derrenbacher who happens to be my buddy’s grandfather. In researching this build, I looked through his logbook and soon realized that on almost every one of their 46 combat missions, they flew an entirely different aircraft.

This aircraft in particular struck my attention for two reasons-- one was that it was the only one they flew two back-to-back missions in…and also in the target for this day-- 10/10/44-- which was Okinawa. My grandfather was a Marine at Okinawa and I like to think he may have looked up and seen this aircraft fly over on an attack mission.

Lt. Weber and Radioman Derrenbacher were members of VB-8 and originally set out aboard the Intrepid carrier…but it encountered damage in an accident and had to ship back…these airmen then became attached to Bunker Hill-- CV-17. Enough talk-- on with the pics–

First an overhead view of the build…

A close-up of the radioman/gunner station:

Note in the top left a kill mark-- about one month prior to this mission while over Negros, Lt. Weber shot down a Hamp with his cannon.

A shot of the office:

You can also see directly above and behind the rear gun the rack for the life raft. I added a raft using tissue painted yellow and soaked in Future to give it a gleen for the “rubber”.


I spent a couple hours slicing and dicing at the decals that came with the new AM kit so that I could create a B for the fuselage code. Also-- the registration number on the tailfin was done by cutting up and reordering the really tiny numerals-- I still am not seeing straight!

A shot of the front end and the little bit of engine detail that shows:

And lastly my favorite shot-- kind of gave the best idea of the shape of this one-- it’s no wonder they called this thing the Beast! I’ll take my Dauntless anyday thank you very much!

I realize my flat parts of the weighted tires are off center-- but I have a little while before I attach this one to the base.

Looks good nice clean build.

Very nice build Mike. I know you put a lot of effort into this one & it really shows. Well done !

Regards, Rick

It’s a gorgeous looking build and appears you did thoro research, buuuuttt…is it me or does the starboard wing have a diffeerent dihedral than the port wing on the head-on shot? Or is it just sitting funny to make it look like that?

Great work! I like your thinking and story behind the build.

I built this kit a while back and was very happy with it.

Thanks guys!!

wibhi2-- I believe that would just be shoddy photography on my part :frowning: I was trying to get the plane and some of the base in the pic at the same time so I ended up taking it at an odd angle…

Very very nice. Makes me want to build mine.

Slick work, Jeeves. :smiley:

I agree with you Mike, the Dauntless was much sleeker. Still it’s nice to see a build of what I think is an often over looked plane. Nicely done.

Very nice job. I have one in process. Every now and then I drill a few more holes. When the drilling is done I’ll start the build. I have been wondering what the finished model looks like so thanks for sharing your work. It looks great.

Very nice work on a model that doesn’t get done very oftern. The weathering is great.

Darwin, O.F. [alien]

Great looking Helldiver, Mike! Super job on the weathering.

Mark

Thanks guys!! I am putting the finishing touches on the base tonight and then it’s out the door!!

Hey Jeeves, is that an Eduard U.S. Navy carrier deck?

Jeeves:

Great looking build. I see what you mean by the “Beast” comment, and I really like the sentimental value attached to your grandfather. THanks for sharing.

A really nice looking Helldiver Jeeves [tup]

Thad

I like it nice build man i like the dive flaps wish i had the tools to it with but didnt as you may have seen but ilike your build to vary nice man.

nice looking Helldiver. I really like the Pacific theater carrier based planes and your’s looks great, nice job. Can you post the process on the base, how you painted it, colors, etc? I’m working on the AM Avenger and will display it on a carrier base as well. Thanks for the look.

Steve

OK guys…ask and ye shall receive…

Yes rudy-- it is the Eduard deck base-- I had it for taking pics…but I wanted this guy to have a base so I gave mine away. My coworker will be giving me some cash to makeup for what I spent on the kit-- I won’t charge him for the labor…but I plan on using some of the money to pick up the Just Plane Stuff carrier deck base to replace this one.

Here are some pics of the finished product:

For the base-- I painted it using Tamiya Medium Blue. I highlighted all the tie down strips using a regular pencil-- the graphite provided just enough sheen. From there-- I masked off the stripes and used a white paint marker to paint them.

Weathering was done using Doc O’Brien’s weathering powders for the skid marks…and thinned black paint for the oil stained deck. I added a fresh puddle under the plane by mixing a drop of black into some Future. Finally-- using some old 1/35 Archer Dry Transfer decals I had laying around-- I added a distance marker to the edge of the elevator. Despite the discrepancy in scale, the numbers look pretty spot on to carrier ops pictures I have seen. I added some left-over figures from my Devastator kit I built earlier this year.

Thanks again for all the comments…sorry for the cruddy pics-- I am not used to taking pics of such big subjects…

Beautiful work on the Helldiver , figures and deck, Mike…very well done…

Regards, Dan