SBD3 Dauntless 1942, Flyhawk 1/72
Let me post a Flyhawk Dauntless. I am a Flyhawk devotee by nature, and they have brought us a kit that lives up to our expectations in aircraft modelling. I was amazed to learn that this was their first model aeroplane kit. The aircraft I attempted to recreate was the one called 6B15 belonging to USS Enterprise in the Battle of Midway, which was photographed landing on USS Yorktown after being hit.
For the kit, there were three minor problems I found, one being that the cowling aperture was a little too narrow, and secondly the decals were thinner than I had ever experienced and tore easily(However, the finish looked like paint). The last point was that there were no decals provided for the instruments and I had to finish the gauges by hand. All in all, it is definitely a great kit for 1/72, and I believe it is worthwhile reproducing an aircraft that marked a turning point in history.
Excellent result, let alone for the scale, Naoki!
Super-high degree of realism in build & finish. Special.
Absolutely stunning. Had no idea they made aircraft. I might need to add this one to the stash!
I wish my weathering looked that realistic in 1/35 scale. Beautiful build.
You did great work building & painting this model ! It looks very realistic..,
You are a magician to get this result in this scale. Excellent.
WoW...that is a great build Naoki, @Yamanaka. When I first saw the headline picture I thought it was a 1/32nd scale kit. Your build is very well done and the paint and weathering really make it great.
Truly amazing, Naoki @yamanaka
A wonderful result, especially considering the tiny scale.
Sharp SBD, Naoki!
Outstanding craftsmanship!
Beautiful SBD!
Great work, Naoki, especially in this scale.
I thought it was the AM/Academy 1/48 build. I have a tough time painting dials in 1/48 scale, I can't imagine 1/72.
Beautiful work and very realistic result.
Yikes! If all that detail is in the kit, I'm going to have to grab one of those - she is a real beauty!
Great! I don't know this brand.
Thank you all for such heart warming comments! If you haven't tried any Flyhawk's kits, I believe it would be worth trying some. Although the maker is famous for ship models in 1/700, which I have posted some of them, I do wish they keep developing other airplane models. Actually, Dauntless was their first airplane kit, but so far there is no announce for the second one...