Help! I have been working on the Accurate Miniatures TBM-3 Avenger…looks like it is a great kit…and was able to really improve my cockpit skills on it! But…
The turret has given me FITS! After weeks of fiddling with it…I finally got the Gun/Seat/Etc. to fit inside of the clear turret! YEA!
Now then…there seems to be NO WAY to put the turret into the fuselage! It is simply too large! The assembly path had the turret as the overall 7th step to the model…after the fuselage is assembled! But…now that the fuselage is assembled…
I see no way to get the turret in!
Anyone completed this model? How did you get the turret in the fuselage?
The AM Avenger is on my top 5 of favorite kits. I’ve done several of them. My solution for the turet, should you try another one, is to go ahead and paint and add the turet prior to joining the fuselage halves when you have more room to work with. No fuss, no muss that way.
That’s exactly what I did. (I found the old AM sheet Phil posted after the fact). I made a little rolled-up paper tube to protect the turrent for the rest of the build.
Sure glad to hear you get her in. I remember trying to figure out how to mount the gun and stuff inside. The instructions are horrible. I remember laying in bed nights trying to figure it out. Good on you for getting it all sorted out. [Y]
Greg I had the same issues with the “guts” of the turret…took forever to figure it out…and I did the same…I just glued the trunions to the gun/armor assy. When I do another one of these…I will mount this BEFORE putting the fuselage halves together!
I wish I could find the instructions I’d saved somewhere on my computer that guided me through the process of installing the turret. I’m headed to the land of nod now (getting up at 3:30 am for a hike in the Columbia Gorge) but I’ll look for it day after tomorrow.
Anyway, I am of the same opinion as some others that this is a fine kit. I also like the TBM’s as aircraft.
I built two of the Accurate Miniatures kits - one with the wings folded and, although I didn’t do a great job (actually pretty far from great) I enjoyed building them and after having found the secret to installing the turret on my first build the second one was no sweat.
I still have a copy of the Accurate Miniatures instructions. Greg emailed me a copy years back, and I would not have figured out how to do the turret without them The Academy model I had had horrid instructions. If you need a copy, PM me your email address and I will send it to you. Not sure you need it but if you do.
