Matchbox Curtiss SBC4 Hell Diver on Deck

[rtfoe]

Sorry for the delay on this but here are the figures painted and placed on the deck. Notice that there is a sailor yet to be converted in the first and third picture which you will see in the fifth picture.

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I had to check whether at that time the carrier deck crew caps already had specific colors. The figures are tacked down with blu-tac until confirmed to be in the right composition.

Cheers,
Richard

[Steve Jones]

Those figures are beautiful! Adds a whole load of interest to the build. Top marks mate

[rtfoe]

Thanks Steve, I try as much to add figures next to my builds for scale comparison and create life to a rather still looking display.
Here are more shots I took...

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Cheers,
Richard

[Guest]

Lovely lovely lovely.
It's great to see unusual subjects being modelled.

[Guest]

The SBC-4 was one of my favourite Matchbox aircraft, I must have made it 4 or 5 times, as the US Navy, and the RAF Cleveland. Heller also made a SBC-4 ( different moulds ). The Boeing P-12 was also made in several versions. The Matchbox biplanes were all pretty good, the Fury being pretty good. I made the Siskin recently.............. [ATTACH]308527[/ATTACH]

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Sadly this was the model that convinced me that I could no longer do 1/72 aircraft models
justice - too small!
Dave

Superb all the same

[rtfoe]

Thanks Daves...my eyes are getting tired too with these smaller scale.

Cheers,
Richard

[papa 695]

Great work Richard.

[rtfoe]

Thanks Ian, I like these compact dios and the challenge to compose.

Cheers,
Richard

[scottie3158]

Richard,
They finish the scene off very nicely.

[Wouter]

Oh, wow Richard, that's a great model and love the scene. Didn't realize this one was called Helldiver as well ^^

[Guest]

Nice Richard, neat and well proportioned setting.
John.

[rtfoe]

Hi Scottie, yes figures have this effect on finishing. I try as much to use them in settings and as much modifications to them to look natural and not stiff.

Wouter, where have you been? Great to have you back. The Marines first called their Curtiss dive bomber bi-plane a Helldiver and the subsequent Curtiss dive bombers were called that. The one that we all knew well was the Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver which replaced the Dauntless. The SBC4 already had the distinct similarities to the SB2C-4 shape.

John, lots of measuring twice and cutting once with plan drawings to scale used. Some eye balling as well. :smiling4:

Cheers,
Richard

[Wouter]

Well, I have been at work and home mostly, but the summer was way too hot over here to do any modelling. I popped in the forum from time to time but couldn't bring myself to respond to the threads. And I didn't know that. I'm reading a book based on some of the folks in the series 'The Pacific' and one of them was a pilot, he first flew the Dauntless and then the Helldiver...seems most of the crews didn't like this very dangerous aircraft (many got killed during crashlandings on aircraft carriers and during take off as well). Well, learnt a thing or two here, always interesting!

Cheers

[rtfoe]

At the moment I'm like you, can't seem to sit still and build or paint. The Helldiver was nose heavy having a wing set near central to the body. The undercarriage also was stiff. Also it's quite a big bird compared to the Dauntless.
The SBD Dauntless was well loved by its pilots...affectionatly called Slow But Deadly.

Cheers,
Richard

[Wouter]

I know they loved the bird but didn't know the nickname . One of the more fun things about the Helldiver btw is that when they returned and still had bombs the bombs had a tendency to release themselves of the plane when landing on the cv. There are some photos of carrier crew retrieving a bomb on the flight deck. Well, wasn't always funny, sometimes they exploded :astonished: