Northrop BT-1 Beta Test in 1/100

[gomidefilho]

Well friends!

I start test build of Murph's Models Northrop BT-1. The first version of famous time war SBD Dauntless. Beside Advanced design at the time, the BT-1 is a weak performance and have some problems of handling. 54 airframes are produced of early version BT-1 and after problems the project are redesign for BT-2, but at the time Northrop bought by Douglas Aircraft and the new version is called SBD-1 and 2.

Murph's Models presents a unique paper model at this time of this plane, the scale is 1/40 but for my test as always I reduced for 1/100.

The model have three versions: VB-6 Squadron, USS Enterprise, CAG Airplane of USS Yorktown, both used in late 30's and hack aircraft in blue grey scheme war time.



The model is a typical desing from Aaron fuselage made with formers and separate tabs. Textures are great with precise colors. The engine is a simulation like Fiddlers Geen style.

For me the major difficults is in wing fairings and fuselage machine gun recess area.

I start the build from wing central formers note I cut the fuselage gluing area for better adesion of fuse because is a fusion with central wing section with fuselage, the cut is for easy gluing because form a semi-rigid section, better for adjusting,




All white edges are painted with acrylic colors, for blue gray I made a mixture...





The wing need a precise gluing in this case the tabs are in outside section of wings I start the build for this section alignment with central formers...





After external sections dry I gluing central wing, each by each section, for preserve the cross section of wing.



The results at the moment, note the gray area is need a cut of adjusting the fuselage.





Soon new updates.

[MichaelS]

Christmas in March! Thanx so much to Aaron and Pericles

[Butelczynski]

Now this will be interesting thread.Interesting model+your process of building it make a good combo.
What kind of glue are you using?

[gomidefilho]

Thank's my friends!

A small update. All wings are completed...

[gomidefilho]

Originally Posted by Butelczynski

Now this will be interesting thread.Interesting model+your process of building it make a good combo.
What kind of glue are you using?

I use some kinds of glue, look.







The major bottle is a Mercur white PVA Glue (a improve white glue like Elmer's glue but designed for handcraft work) is my all purpose glue and I use for most of gluing.

The green bottle is a silicon glue or foam glue, I use for gluing big areas or areas in paper for non deformation gluing.

Yellow bottle is a scrapbbok white glue, is very similar a liquid cement in plastic modelling in use, but is not suitable point by point glue (like tabs), but is very usefull for laminations or for gluing separate tabs.

And finally is a CA glue, I use liquid and very viscosity kinds for cluing non paper materials (wood, wire) and for strong point gluing (like undercarriage legs), in other cases I use for made a dopping or vitrification in paper.

For last I use for gluing the edge of wings this Scotch tape point glue, is a gluing tape like double face, but the layer is only gluing and is very strong gluing but not admit errors.

[MichaelS]

Pericles,

I hope you do not harm yourself but I know you will go without eating and sleeping until these splendid machines are finished.

[umtutsut]

Originally Posted by gomidefilho

Thank's my friends!

A small update. All wings are completed...

Just noticed this. Which version has (presumably) aluminum lacquer upper wings and the red dot national insignia? Not the Yorktown CAG plane AFAIK. I believe all the pre-war CAG aircraft, regardless of type, would have orange-yellow upper wings with no wing stripes.

Thoughts?

Les (The Voice of Authority)

[umtutsut]

OK, I see where the 1/72 plastic Valom kit shows aluminum lacquer upper wings for the Yorktown CAG bird -- but that would be a most unusual scheme. Unfortunately, I can't find a pic of the actual aircraft.

Les (The Voice of Authority)

[Don Boose]

I do not have authoritative information on this issue, but the images below seem to support the idea of the upper wings of the 1941 Yorktown Air Group Commander's aircraft having natural aluminum or silver-painted top wings.

The first image is from page 282 of William T. Larkins, U.S. Navy Aircraft 1921-1941, Concord, CA: Aviation History Publications, 1961. No way to tell for sure, but the top wing appears to be the same color as the fuselage.

The second image is a screen shot of the instruction sheet of the Czech Model version of the BT-1 (1/72 Northrop BT-1 (1942) || Plastic aircraft kits scale 1/72 || CzechKits.com). Since it is an illustration, it is not authoritative, but it does show silver or natural aluminum top wings.

Does anyone have any more reliable documentation on this?

Don

[Butelczynski]

I'm much more interested in whatever happened to build.I'm guessing corrections are needed.