Monogram 1/48 TBD Devastator

Here's my Monogram TBD, still a terrific kit despite its age. I added lots of scratch-built details, seat belts and a few photo-etched pieces to dress up the cockpit, a vac-form canopy, and enclosed the wheel wells.

The decals from the spares box (I built it about 15 years ago, before Golden Wings came along!) The wing stars and fuselage code letters were taken from various Micro-Scale national insignia and letters and numbers sheets. The VT-6 squadron insignia is also Micro-Scale, but from a 1/72 sheet for TBD's. It's a little undersized, but it was the only one I could find at the time. I'll eventually replace it with a larger version I now have. The aircraft designator and BuNo on the tail were pieced together from some decals in my spars box, and some left-over numbers from an Accutate Minitures F3F-1 sheet. The red wing and fuselage stripes and the thin black pinstripes were from clear decal sheet I painted. I used the kit decals as a template for the wing chevrons and fuselage band.

I have another TBD on my shelf in Coral Sea markings, and two more in the stash. Still tempted to get the Great Wall kit, though. I love TBD's!

7 additional images. Click to enlarge.