1:32 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator part 4 - pre-war period 1940

1:32 Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, part 4 - the pre-war period 1940 (Art Scale)

The fourth part of the series of decals for the Devastator is a sheet of wet decals in 1:32 scale devoted to peacetime service in 1940. It is used as an accessory for a finished model and is applied to a painted surface polished with a gloss varnish. The model, paints and varnish are not part of the package.

The real subject

The Douglas TBD-1 Devastator was the first all-metal carrier monoplane of the US Navy with folding wings and retractable landing gear - at the time of its introduction the leading edge, a few years later an outclassed design. The year 1940 found the type in full service aboard the aircraft carriers and at the same time in the last year of colorful peacetime markings. The aircraft carried polished metal surfaces, deeply yellow upper wing surfaces and colored distinctions according to the parent ship and the position in the formation. For a modeler it is an ideal combination: a technically interesting machine and at the same time the most striking scheme American naval aviation ever used.

How to work with the decals

• Create a smooth gloss base - with saturated colors it is a necessity.
• Soak the decals briefly, so that the adhesive layer on the backing does not dissolve.
• Align the larger elements with a soft brush and draw off any excess water.
• Once dry, even the gloss of the whole model up with a final varnish.

Who the sheet is for

• Modelers who want a Devastator in its colorful pre-war form.
• Those interested in the development of American carrier aviation markings.
• Collectors completing a whole series of decals for one type.
• Those who build in the large 1:32 scale and want a striking piece for a cabinet.