1/72 Airfix TBM-3 Avenger

Gallery Article by Paolo De Sanctis on June 2 2010

 

The plane: The Grumman Avenger was among the best and most successful carrier-borne torpedo-bombers of WW2.  Her career started in 1942, in the epic Battle of Midway when some 8 heroic U.S. NAVY crews attacked the invader Japanese Fleet.  In that bloody attack only one Avenger came back.  Subsequently she fought in all the major sea battles until the end of the war.

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The model: this kit also is among my elderly construction, dated back in the far 1989; since I have sweet spot for the U.S.A. and it's planes, I built this kit as best as I could. The kit itself is quite good and is a pleasure to build.  The interiors are completely scratchbuilt and includes the whole crew's figures.  I' detailed the Wright-Cyclone at my best and I elected to lower the flaps building them in all their extension.  The instruction sheet called for (Airfix) "Oxford Blue M27", "middle blue M11",  and "white M10" for the colour scheme to be applied on.  The official modeller's manuals indicates "Non-Specular Sea-Blue" (Humbrol) HU4 FS 35042, "Intermediate Blue" HU5 FS 35164 and White HB11/34 respectively.

Honestly I' don't remember which colour I've used for (all in the Humbrol range as usual for me); they should be HU4/182 and HU5/96 for the upper surfaces but for some unknown reasons I've painted the undersurfaces in an unidentified light grey (64?) and I don't remember why I did this choice.  The model received a coat of Humbrol Matt Cote due its "salt exposure" and it's well worn for the purpose.  Because of my inexperience, I failed to use powders for stains etc. The weathering is not at the peak of my skill, but I did my best.

The model represents an Eastern (General Motors Group)-built machine of CV 17 USS Bunker Hill who was hit by a kamikaze, late in the war.

With this plane I would remember all those men from the USA who died giving us the freedom we enjoy today.  And I hope you like this little job of mine.

Paolo De Sanctis

Photos and text © by Paolo De Sanctis