This was a project that I started back in the mid 90’s when my skills were not quite up to my ambition. I started it before the Hasegawa and Accurate Miniatures SBD kits were first issued, but I wanted to improve and accurize the old Monogram kit, which is essentially a SBD-4. I took many components for the cockpit from a trashed Monogram TBD kit, such as the pilots and gunners seats, the propeller, and the pilots bomb telescopic bomb sight. I modified other kit parts, and scratch built other details, as well as adding some salvaged .50 cal.s for the cowl guns and a few items from a Hasegawa A-24 kit. This project went in fits and starts off and on over the years, but I decided to knuckle down and finish it up after this New Years. My markings intent varied over that time as well, until a few weeks ago when I decided to go with the markings for Scouting 41 (VS-41) during Operation Torch in November of 1942. VS-41 flew a mix of SBD-3s and SBD-4s during Torch, but I was able to locate a photo confirming that 41-S-17 was a SBD-3 at that time.
41-S-17 is in the background on this photo. And on to my completed build…
The best thing about the photos is that they are original color photos, not some computer guy playing with black and white photos on a computer… Colorized photos are a big pet peeve of mine.
Magnificent work Stik. Like always you did your research. I myself did not know that SBD’s were flown during Operation Torch. The markings are spectacular.
I was wondering about that mismatched panel behind the roundel on the portside fuselage… Looks like it was quite common to paint over identifying numbers with whatever bluey colour was around when a squadron was reorganised!
Beautiful work on both of these kits, and an attention to detail as to how these birds looked when being ready for action was a far more important consideration than an immaculate paint job…
I couldn’t agree with you more and to me, original colored photos are priceless in my eyes!
I forget the site at moment but its all original colored photos from WWII through the 70s I believe. It’s a government archive site.
A lot of good stuff there!
Happy Modeling,
Mike
Thank you sir! Yeah, I spent plenty of time researching this one once I decided to knuckle down on it. The Operation Torch markings are just what you need to set a build apart from the rest of the herd. I’ve got a few more Torch projects planned. And the SBDs flew pretty much all of the roles that were possible for the SBD during that fight, aside from CAP like they did in the PTO. They flew counter air, ASW, Sea Control, Photo Recon and CAS/Battlefield Interdiction.
Thanks! during my research I found that this particular squadron had only recently re equipped from flying SB2Us to SBDs, and when they did re equip, they received a mix of SBD-4s which were just coming off the assembly line, and SBD-3s. The few photos of -3s I could find showed the remarking paint overs. My guess is that they were hand offs from other squadrons, which was quite common at that time. I like portraying used aircraft compared to the new looking ones.
I have a few different sites saved that have such photos. Still haven’t found one all encompassing site yet. But every little bit helps.
