1:48 SBD-5 OVERTREES

The real subject

The SBD Dauntless was a carrier dive bomber of the US Navy with a radial engine and a crew of two, where the rear man worked a flexible gun. The most conspicuous feature of the machine is the dive brakes with rows of circular holes: they damped the buffeting in a steep descent and let the pilot hold the machine steady right up to the moment of release. A crutch meanwhile swung the bomb clear of the propeller disc before release. The SBD-5 version belongs to the later and most numerous forms of the type.

What OVERTREES is

OVERTREES means the plastic sprues from the kit alone. Decals, photo-etched parts, masks and instructions are not in the package. It assumes a modeler who knows the corresponding kit and wants to build another machine, for example in different markings or with the dive brakes open.

• 1:48 scale, the subject is the SBD-5
• the contents are the plastic sprues alone
• without decals, photo-etched parts, masks and instructions
• an accessory to a complete kit

Building and painting tips

Have the documentation for the corresponding kit ready beforehand. The perforated dive brakes are the finest part of the model, so cut them off carefully and clear the holes after sanding, so that they are not left filled. Wash and degrease the plastic before painting. The two-tone blue Navy scheme comes out best if you leave a soft transition between the shades and accent the panel lines only over the clear coat.

Who it is for

The package will be appreciated by modelers focused on carrier aviation who build several machines of the same type. The contents are plastic sprues only; decals, photo-etched parts, masks, instructions, paints and glue are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.