SB2C Helldiver, Brazilian Navy, 1947

[pyro-manic]

OK, here's my first entry! I'd started this build a little while ago, but it fits with the theme, so I'll finish it in accordance. Might not be eligible for voting, but I don't mind.

Here's the back story:

HMS Indomitable is transferred to the Brazilian Navy in January 1946, after the ballistic missile attacks on Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo in late 1945. Renamed Bahia, she begins Antarctic operations in August, after training and working up in the South Atlantic with elements of the USN and RN. Equipped with Hellcats and Helldivers, begins operations against the Axis by harassing shipping and patrols, before moving on to attacking shore installations as they are discovered. Ho229 all-weather fighters take a heavy toll on the attackers, but the main missile assembly base is finally located and put out of action in March 1947, as the Antarctic winter begins. With harsh weather preventing the Axis forces from reactivating the facility, the Allied force build-up continues unmolested and the facility is finally destroyed by the USAAF with a nuclear weapon (dropped by B-36A) on August 18th, 1947.

I'm using the old Airfix kit, which has lots of raised surface detail, rivets etc, and the canopy doesn't fit well at all, but I think I've got most of it looking decent now. I added some bits of metal tube for exhausts, as the originals were just shapeless lumps on the cowling, but apart from that it's OOB. Paint will be a modified USN Atlantic scheme, with more grey and less white. Brazilian roundels and rudder stripes will finish it off.

[Cliffy B]

*Grabs popcorn* 

Extra points for going with an Arctic scenario 

[buzzbomb]

Nothing like looking at a good brazillian

[Taiidantomcat]

nice idea 

[pyro-manic]

Progress so far. Model is together, cockpit painted and canopy masked. Huzzah, you think, time to paint! Wrong. This is not a good kit, because of two reasons - firstly, the kit is moulded with separate outer wings, in case you want to fold them, but they do not match up well with the centre wing section, requiring an awful lot of filling and sanding to look even close to decent. I'm getting close, but it's still not quite right. Secondly, the canopy doesn't fit. OK, all the bits are kind of the right shape, but they just don't line up, with either each other or the fuselage. I've spent an awful lot of time going over every single joint, trying to fill it with superglue or filler depending on the size of the gap, and then sanding the bejeezuz out of it to try and smooth it off. MOST annoying. Still, nearly there now, and then I can get on with the fun/scary part - painting! I'm going for a variant of the USN's Atlantic scheme, and there's no way in hell I'm brushing all that white, so I'm going to break out my airbrush for the first time and try it out on this.

[Cliffy B]

Oh man, all...those...rivets! 

A coat of paint will work wonders for that old kit.  Looking good man