1:72 Vought SB2U Vindicator

A carrier patroller of the last prewar years

Before the Dauntlesses settled onto the American aircraft carriers, this slender monoplane design with partly fabric covering belonged to the scouting and bombing squadrons. It flew from the deck of the Ranger as well as from coastal bases, trained crews in dive attacks and in the first months of the war served for patrolling over the Atlantic, where submarines were the risk.

Five American machines

A pair of aircraft with the codes 9-S-18 and 9-S-12 belonged to the scouting squadron VS-9 and is captured in October 1942. There follows a machine of squadron VS-41 of the years 1941 and 1942 and a Marine Corps aircraft from a Hawaiian base, as it looked on March 14, 1941. The last variant is the later SB2U-3 version of the 42nd Scouting Squadron of November 1941.

From bright colors to wartime gray

The span of years the five cover captures the transformation of American naval aviation. In 1941 the colored bands of commanders' machines and glossy surfaces still appeared on the fuselages; a year later matte gray-blue finishes had taken over and the markings had shrunk to the bare minimum. From one sheet there therefore arise models with a very different mood.

Masks and etch in the package

Masks for the glazing of the canopy and a photo-etched part are enclosed with the sheet, replacing the cartridge-case ejection chutes under the wing with a more accurate shape. Glue the metal part on only after the lower surface has been sprayed, otherwise paint will build up beneath it and the edge will lose its sharpness. The masks have the best adhesion on a smooth clear coat, so do not sand the glazing before sticking them on and, once degreased, let it dry out completely.