The Little World

As this is the first Curtiss Helldiver I have built, I could approach it with a fresh mind. The history of the type seems to have been a mixed one – initial failures and disappointments and then solid success against the Japanese fleet. It had its time and place and filled it well.

I must say that the Sword kit was a pleasant reward – as long as you do not let a short-run kit Czech-mate you with its lack of mounting rails or location points, you can get on. I avoided much of the PE for this one but did put in the resin parts provided – and found that they were simple enough to cut off and install.

The lack of pilot and gunner figures is the only flaw I see with many of these kits . I would cheerfully pay for their inclusion or for a big bag of generic aircrew that could be painted up for duty in whatever airforce was on the bench at the time. As it is, I hoard my pilots – if a civilian airliner kit gives me two, I only ever use one. Ditto the bombers.

And one thing with the SB2C – as it was designed to go on a carrier’s elevator, it is short enough to fit on my storage shelves easily. It may have had dodgy handling because it was too short, but I’m not flying it about the room.

Purists and experts may wonder about the red dive brake and flap interiors. I have no idea whether the US Navy put them on SB2C’s or not. But I was not about to pass up a chance to add them to this build. If I had my way there would be red dive brakes on every 737 in Australia, plus the local Star Track vans and my Suzuki.