The
plane: The Grumman Avenger was among the best and most successful carrier-borne
torpedo-bombers of WW2. Her career started in 1942, in the epic Battle of Midway
when some 8 heroic U.S. NAVY crews attacked the invader Japanese Fleet.
In
that bloody attack only one Avenger came back. Subsequently she fought in all
the major sea battles until the end of the war.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The
model: this kit also is among my elderly construction, dated back in the far
1989; since I have sweet spot for the U.S.A. and it's planes, I built this
kit as best as I could. The kit itself is quite good and is a pleasure to
build. The interiors are completely scratchbuilt and includes the whole
crew's figures. I' detailed the Wright-Cyclone at my best and I elected to lower
the flaps building them in all their extension. The
instruction sheet called for (Airfix) "Oxford Blue M27", "middle
blue M11", and "white M10" for the colour scheme to be
applied on. The official modeller's manuals indicates "Non-Specular
Sea-Blue" (Humbrol) HU4 FS 35042, "Intermediate Blue" HU5 FS
35164 and White HB11/34 respectively.
Honestly
I' don't remember which colour I've used for (all in the Humbrol range as usual
for me); they should be HU4/182 and HU5/96 for the upper surfaces but for some
unknown reasons I've painted the undersurfaces in an unidentified light grey
(64?) and I don't remember why I did this choice. The model received a coat
of Humbrol Matt Cote due its "salt exposure" and it's well worn for
the purpose. Because of my inexperience, I failed to use powders for stains etc.
The weathering is not at the peak of my skill, but I did my best.
The
model represents an Eastern (General Motors Group)-built machine of CV 17 USS
Bunker Hill who was hit by a kamikaze, late in the war.
With
this plane I would remember all those men from the USA who died giving us the
freedom we enjoy today. And I hope you
like this little job of mine.
Paolo
De Sanctis
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