1:32 SBD-4/5 Dauntless

A dive bomber from Midway to the Solomons

The Douglas SBD won its place in history on 4 June 1942, when its crews set three Japanese aircraft carriers on fire at Midway in a matter of minutes. It was flown by the carrier bombing and scouting squadrons of the US Navy, designated by the letters VB and VS with the number of the parent ship. The SBD-4 version brought the change to a 24-volt electrical system and a Hamilton controllable-pitch propeller, while the later SBD-5 had a stronger engine. From the island of Guadalcanal the same machines operated from the ground, in a force nicknamed the Cactus Air Force.

Markings that changed twice within a year

It was with this pair of versions that American markings moved about most. In the summer of 1943 the blue and white star in a circle received white rectangles at its sides and, for a few months, a red border as well, which was then replaced by dark blue. At the same time the finish changed from overall blue-gray to three-tone, with a light lower surface running into a darker upper surface. Machines handed over to New Zealand and to France carried the markings of their own country and fuselage numbers written differently from the US Navy.

Why templates rather than tape

The glazed section on this type continues far behind the pilot as far as the rear gunner and there are more frames there than on a fighter. Cut parts save a great deal of measuring, hold a straight edge and do not narrow on a bend. Shapes for the inner side of the frame are in the set as well. Before application the glazing must be dry and free of fingerprints.

Choose the paint so that the inside of the frame matches the shade of the cockpit and the outside the surface of the fuselage. The difference between the two tones is clearly visible on a model of this size and it is the detail that moves finished work forward most.