The Little World

In all my model building career I have never built a Douglas SBD – the Dauntless – not even as a kid when there were Aurora and Monogram kits. For some reason I have held off doing so now. But a visit to Hobby Mania – a smaller retailer here in Perth – ended the drought. Mainly because the manufacturer was entirely new to me and I am trying to build from as wide a range of makers as I can.

I am at a puzzle, however. It is confuse. Is the people who making this kit in Poland or are they Japanese? For I see clues to each mystery as I open box. What is for true to see in here?

1. Kit box has Made In Japan on outside.
2. Next line outside has an address in Katowice .
3. Writing on outside in German, French, etc. as well as Czechoslovakian and Polish.
4. Decals are from Cartograf.
5. There is a ” Made In Japan ” paper inside separate bag containing clear parts.
6. The instruction booklet refers to the aircraft as a ” Douglas Dountless “…

I’m not calling shenanigans, but I suspect that the basic model is an older Hasegawa model remoulded and re-boxed. It has a higher price than I’d expect from Hasegawa in the shops, but then I haven’t seen a Hasegawa SBD here ever. Perhaps I should just be grateful that it is so nice and shut up and build.

It’s well moulded – I see only the faintest flash on the trailing edge of the tail and everything else looks pretty crisp. Ejector pin marks on the main tyres, but they’ll be easy to fix. Gear legs look good.

I note, as well, that they are fussy enough to include separate windscreens and noses for the SBD-4 or SBD-5. I fancy the earlier one in Guadalcanal colouring. My only disappointment is that it doesn’t have open dive brakes as I would have liked to show the red linings.

We’ll see if favourable first impressions can be carried through. I’ve seen the new ” Midway ” movie and that’ll speed me up.