_GOTOBOTTOM
World War II
Discuss WWII and the era directly before and after the war from 1935-1949.
Hosted by Rowan Baylis
GWH 1/48 TBD-1 Devastator
pnance26
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: January 22, 2016
KitMaker: 766 posts
AeroScale: 103 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 08:58 PM UTC
THE PLANE IS HERE! THE PLANE IS HERE!

Ok, so I get excited easily. And as I sat down to look at the pieces/parts and the instruction booklet, I realized that I need a translator. GWH needs to take a clue from Tamiya and make the instructions/illustrations BIG TYPE with specific steps. It is all very confusing.

If anyone has built this kit, please leave me a message so I can ask you some questions.

Thanks in advance.
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 11:07 PM UTC

Quoted Text

THE PLANE IS HERE! THE PLANE IS HERE!

Ok, so I get excited easily. And as I sat down to look at the pieces/parts and the instruction booklet, I realized that I need a translator. GWH needs to take a clue from Tamiya and make the instructions/illustrations BIG TYPE with specific steps. It is all very confusing.

If anyone has built this kit, please leave me a message so I can ask you some questions.

Thanks in advance.



Patrick,
I built the kit when it 1st came out, and Loved it.

Here's a few pictures of the finished TBD-1 Devastator.

Joel




pnance26
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: January 22, 2016
KitMaker: 766 posts
AeroScale: 103 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - 11:55 PM UTC
Thanks for responding and sharing the photos, Joel. As I will be building the plane with the wings extended, I really appreciate seeing the work on the wing mechanisms.

I do have a question though... another builder had the torpedo installed but had the bomber's sight doors open. Wouldn't that be a bit incongruous as the bomber didn't go on torpedo runs?

I will have some other questions about the paint guide given in the instructions but might send them to you in a PM, if you don't mind. Also, I have read that the planes at Midway did not use the shoulder harnesses that are provided on the PE sprues. Can you confirm or deny this fact? I have seen many of the builds with the full harness and wonder if the modeler just wanted to show off the pieces provided?

Thanks in advance!
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2017 - 12:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for responding and sharing the photos, Joel. As I will be building the plane with the wings extended, I really appreciate seeing the work on the wing mechanisms.

I do have a question though... another builder had the torpedo installed but had the bomber's sight doors open. Wouldn't that be a bit incongruous as the bomber didn't go on torpedo runs?

I will have some other questions about the paint guide given in the instructions but might send them to you in a PM, if you don't mind. Also, I have read that the planes at Midway did not use the shoulder harnesses that are provided on the PE sprues. Can you confirm or deny this fact? I have seen many of the builds with the full harness and wonder if the modeler just wanted to show off the pieces provided?

Thanks in advance!



Patrick,
Feel free to pm me anytime. I'll help the best I can.

As for the shoulder harness issue, they didn't come into use till right around Midway mid '42 but only on new aircraft. I'm building a F3F-3 which didn't have them, but the -4s did. I added them to my build as I didn't know any better back then.

As far as the bombardier's doors open, I don't believe that both were open at the same time.

As for the colors, they were painted in the early two tone M-485 FS 35189 Blue/Gray over M-495 FS36440 light Gray scheme . Interior colors are a whole different ballgame. Pre-war they were Aluminum with either a clear protective lacquer or painted aluminum dope. Once the war started they were supposed to be repainted Dark Dull Green, then around late 1942 early 1943 Interior Green was the standard. But repainting cockpits wasn't a high priority, and after Midway whatever TBD-1s were still in service were pulled from front line use, so they most likely were left in whatever cockpit colors they had.

Like I said, I built mine when the kit 1st came out and in reality didn't do the proper research as I used Interior Green.

Joel

Jessie_C
_VISITCOMMUNITY
British Columbia, Canada
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2017 - 12:33 AM UTC
It was possible to open the bomb sight doors at any time, but since they would foul on the torpedo when opening or closing it would be highly unlikely that they'd be open prior to loading it. The only time it could conceivably happen would be something like a static display for VIPs, showing off the aircraft's multiple capabilities.
pnance26
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: January 22, 2016
KitMaker: 766 posts
AeroScale: 103 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2017 - 01:50 AM UTC

Quoted Text

It was possible to open the bomb sight doors at any time, but since they would foul on the torpedo when opening or closing it would be highly unlikely that they'd be open prior to loading it. The only time it could conceivably happen would be something like a static display for VIPs, showing off the aircraft's multiple capabilities.



That's what I thought as well. Thanks for the input!
pnance26
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: January 22, 2016
KitMaker: 766 posts
AeroScale: 103 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2017 - 12:11 AM UTC
I am so lost.

Here is the problem. I have the GWH Douglas TBD-1 Devastator kit and on page one of the instruction booklet it has color callouts. For GSI Creos Hobby Colors (Gunze Sanyo), all the color codes start with a "C" but GSI color charts show all codes starting with an "H". And color callout C351 just says "airplane". I think it refers to green interior color but that's no help. Anyone know what the correct green is for the interior?

Also the Vallejo color callouts are all 900 series paints but I can find that either.

The Tamiya color callouts also do not correspond to the Tamiya color charts.

I feel like I'm not reading something correctly.
goodn8
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Berlin, Germany
Joined: October 12, 2008
KitMaker: 709 posts
AeroScale: 651 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2017 - 12:39 AM UTC

Quoted Text

... For GSI Creos Hobby Colors (Gunze Sanyo), all the color codes start with a "C" but GSI color charts show all codes starting with an "H". And color callout C351 just says "airplane"....



As for the mentioned Mr. Hobby colors:
"Mr Color solvent based paints matched for WW2 US Army, US Navy & RAF Aircraft Interiors, contains;

C351 FS34151 Interior Green

C352 FS33481 Zinc Chrome Yellow

C364 BS283 Grey Green

Thin with Mr Color thinner or Mr Color Levelling thinner"

the "H"īs are water based, but you can find the same colors and they are very nice.

Thomas
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2017 - 01:00 AM UTC
Patrick,
The Devastators all had Aluminum clear coated, or Aluminum Dope interiors prior to the start of the war. All Naval aircraft was supposed to have their cockpits repainted DDG (Dark Dull Green), and the neutrality exterior paint scheme changed to the two tone early color camo scheme. Interior Green was officially called for by the Navy till late 1942 when the change happened to the aircraft coming down the assembly lines. The interior colors certainly weren't a priority to combat crews, rather the exterior was and keeping 'em flying.

The issue is that by May/June 1942 not every aircraft was repainted. And after Midway the remaining Devastators were pulled from front line service and whatever paint the carried was how they were left.

Joel
pnance26
_VISITCOMMUNITY
California, United States
Joined: January 22, 2016
KitMaker: 766 posts
AeroScale: 103 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2017 - 03:54 AM UTC
Unfortunately, there is no way to compare the H (water based) with the C... some colors have no H equivalent.

But that won't be a big problem, I hope.

Thanks for the help!
 _GOTOTOP