Last week I started the Trumpeter 'Midway Version" SBD-3 in 1/32. This kit has received several reviews which speak highly of the kit. I was hoping to also have a good build experience similar to the review's shared experiences. The box is huge and filled with many parts including rubber tires, photo-etch, and lot's of clear parts but not just for the canopy and lights. In fact I was rather disappointed to discover that the entire fuselage and cowling is all clear plastic. I dont recall any of the reviews I read pointing out this aspect of the Trumpeter kit, but maybe I just chose to ignore that detail. This may not be a big deal to many but it is to me. Basically I do not like working with clear plastic parts due to the brittle, and hard characteristic of clear plastic. It is so prone to cracking IMHO. I just dont like working with it and it creates a strange work experience for me. Nothing much I can do about it so I just moved forward with the build.

As with most builds I started with the cockpit and fuselage side wall details construction. This model is loaded with cockpit detail beyond most kits of any scale, and/or size. The steps related to cockpit build kept me busy for a very long time. Lots of pieces. Unless you are someone who really enjoys super-detailing you should not find the need to add after-market parts to this section of the model. The only add-on purchases were the Eduard Early War Seat Belt kit, cockpit dials decals, and aircraft placards for WW2 US aircraft. The kit does include some basic PE seat belts but you will need to paint them. The kit also includes dial decals for the main instrument panels but not the auxiliary dials on the electronic boxes, radio and side wall detail dials. It also does not include any placards and at this scale these items are needed and will be visible.

Assembly in this area was straightforward and easy with excellent fits. There are very secure methods of attachments built into the kit parts to help place and secure all the cockpit detail. Once basic assembly of the cockpit/side walls were complete I primed all the assemblies and sub-assemblies with medium grey primer with a little flat black added to this mix. I added the black to darken the primer for 2-reasons. 1st the primer matched the color of the plastic and it was hard to apply due to this, secondary I wanted to create a dark based appearance to help with highlighting the base coat of Zinc Chromate.

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Once the areas primed had dried and cured I applied the Zinc Chromate base paint. I 1st applied a light solid coat over the primer. I then applied some pre-shade cloudy patterns of different tones as the next coat and then finally covered this with a transparent coat mixed with 10% paint and 90% thinner. Some of the reviews indicated a small problem with the fuselage halves coming together once the interior detail and cockpit floor are sandwiched between them. I could not wait to test fit this assemble to see if I would have any problems. As you can see from the halves in the pictures they closed up nicely and stayed securely in place with no seams showing without any glue. I did a lot more test fitting prior to this final test to make sure no single piece making up this assembly would cause interference. Large and pronounced locating tabs helped to properly align the internal pieces so that the fit would be secure and accurate.

4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

I don't blame ya about being upset with the fact that Trumpeter didn't at least offer an option regarding the clear fuselage(s). Just gotta be careful with 'em, I guess - bummer!.

After the base colors were applied to internal structures I weathered the interior parts using an enamel dark brown wash thinned and applied with a wide brush. This was left to dry. I also used a small sponge square to apply acrylic aluminium paint to replicate excessive wear and paint chipping to the base paint. I also used a small pointed brush to apply some chipping. I then did more detail painting to specific parts and sections of the internal structures. I installed the main instrument panel and electrical panel to the forward IP bulkhead and completed the wiring process for the individual instruments.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Following all detail painting, and attachment of cockpit sub-assemblies it was time to close up the 2 fuselage halves. This was no easy matter b/c even despite the test fitting there are so many things that can go wrong. This challenge is in regards to the multiple sub-assemblies which must be perfectly aligned in order to fit into the opposing locating slots as the halves are being closed. They are very pronounced and tight locating slots with no tolerance for the parts to be slightly off. I had to attempt closing up the fuselage halves several times before I was assured that all these tabs are connected perfectly. You will know that they are not aligned b/c halves will be difficult to close up. Even on my final attempt I could not get perfect closure without applying high clamping pressure to the seam immediately behind the cockpit along the top. It needed to be held tight by hand for a good 20 to 30min before the Tamiya Liquid Thin cement held it closed. I applied this thin cement along the seams around the whole fuselage after closure. Masking tape was used to hold the seam tight following hand pressure. The end result was a perfect seam without the need for filler. I did get some stress fractures in the clear fuselage skin due to the tight fit of the tabs into the slots and the high pressure needed to close the fuselage. This is why I hate working with clear structural parts.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

More pics of were I left off before moving on to the engine assembly.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.