The Little World

” My God, Carruthers! They’re sending boys up in crates like those…”

Well, don’t write off the Douglas Devastator TBD so soon. Admittedly they did not have sterling success as fighting machines in the battles they fought…but they did get some torpedo strikes. If the US Navy had addressed the problems of the Mk XIII torpedoes before 1943 the TBD might have made a reasonable show.

As it is, I choose to add it to the Yellow Wing Section of the Air World Museum…sadly, there are no extant examples in full size that might aid my efforts. I have several old images off the internet taken by LIFE magazine in the late 30’s when these were the most advanced torpedo bombers afloat. it was a brief period, but the colours are strong and I find them attractive. I’m always delighted to see evidence of a US Navy plane wearing the yellow wing, and will probably expand my museum to take in prewar Coast Guard examples as well.

Good thing Airfix added pilots in those days. The cockpit could be a little bare otherwise, and the seats are agricultural. The canopy will also be somewhat heavy, but as I pursue the policy of building the kit to the best that it is moulded rather than make it a rack for aftermarket parts, I shall just have to make the best of it.

Surprisingly good seams and fit on this older kit.

And with the colours being added, the life starts to flow into the plane. I’ve already had the first breakage – that silly DF loop in the cockpit has broken under the masking. Not surprising – I’ll replace it with a wire one.

And the marvellous thing is that AIrfix intended this model to have folded wings. I agree, as it is so rare that you can get this in 1:72 scale.