Hobby Boss 1/48 TBM-3 Avenger
Representing an aircraft from VT-83, USS Essex (CV-9), April, 1945.
A very well engineered kit and enjoyable build. Model Master enamels used throughout and constructed out of the box with the exception of the pilot's seat belts, which are, you guessed it, foil from a wine bottle. No pre-manufactured masks were harmed in the process of painting the canopy framing.
Very nicely finished, Bryan...excellent job! And THANK YOU for posting it. 🙂
Bryan,
Good job. Looks great. You have done the Avenger proud.
Excellent build Bryon. Glad to hear I'm not the only one collecting foil off of wine bottles.
Very nice. Great work on a very cool aeroplane.
Very nice plane. Thanks!
fine looking turkey...exceptional
A bit of a tricky build. VERY well done, Bryan.
Nice job - lovely weathering.
Hello Bryan...Your Avenger build turned out quite well. That's the first completed Hobby Boss TBM that I've seen and you did a fine job with building it and a good choice of markings too. Very nicely done.
Hi Bryan. She is absolutely stunning! How does the Hobbyboss offering compare to the Accurate Miniatures Avenger?
I haven't built the Accurate kit, but by all accounts it's first rate. This one was almost putty-free, flashless moulding and excellent fit. There is no verbiage in the "destructions", so one needs to fit and figure.
Nice build, the paint job is very prototypical.
A well built TBM sir.
Nice work on the framing etc.
Well done sir.
Thanks, all, for the kind comments!
Bryan, what do they give you for the bomb bay? I see the rockets underwing.
Accurate Min doesn't give you the auxiliary fuel tanks you're showing.
A torpedo, two 500 and two 250's, plus an internal auxiliary tank. I went with the 500 lb. bombs as the Turkey had been relegated to the role of a ground pounder since the IJN had little left afloat by late spring of 1945.
Nice model. I have the TBM-1C "in progress" (actually "in stasis" since all modeling stopped shortly into the new year to prepare for the Big Move). It is indeed a nice kit and doesn't need any filler. I have also built the Accurate Miniatures kit, and the two are very comparable in effort, with the HB kit having the option of folded wings, which the AM kit doesn't.
Very neat build, Bryan.
Outstanding Avenger, great job on a sound kit !
Beautiful build, Bryan!