The kit parts are set beside a Monogram 1/48 SBD-3 Dauntless (built long before Hasegawa or Accurate Miniatures were options).ġ1th Image: The next few photos show some modifications I made to the kit parts. It is about two inches longer in wingspan and fuselage length than Monogram’s 1/48 B-17G kit! Sometimes photos do not communicate how big an object is, so I am showing a few parts beside a ruler and in my “average size” hand.ĩth through 10th Image: These images show another perspective on size. The first photo shows the only image of White “12” I have been able to find, and the second shows Ensign Leppla with his Coral Sea rear gunner ARM3c John Liska.ĥth through 8th Image: Did I mention the model is big? Boy is it big. He was killed in air combat during The Battle of Santa Cruz on October 26, 1942, although he was credited with the destruction of a “Zero” fighter during that mission. Enterprise/CV-6) to fly Grumman F4F-4 “Wildcat” fighters.

After Coral Sea he transferred to VF-10 (U.S.S. During The Battle of the Coral Sea he was credited with shooting down a total of four aircraft, and is considered one of the most aggressive pilots to ever fly a “Dauntless”. He was awarded a Gold Star (in lieu of a second Navy Cross) for participating in bombing attacks against a Japanese aircraft carrier at The Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, and shooting down two Japanese “Kate” torpedo bombers while performing CAP duties for his task force on May 8, 1942. He was awarded the Navy Cross for participating in a bombing raid against Japanese shipping at Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea on March 10, 1942. Lexington) and nominally assigned to Ensign John Leppla. It was eventually assigned to VS-2 (U.S.S. Navy in 1940, and 29th off the assembly line at the El Segundo, CA plant. This has several errors, but shows the plane I am building.ģrd through 4th Image: White “12” (S/N 4547) was part of the first batch of SBD-3’s ordered by the U.S. Enough small “talk”…let the building begin.ġst Image: The excellent box art is shown.Ģnd Image: The kit’s Painting and Marking Guide is shown. The main book reference I am using is the excellent SBD Dauntless in detail & scale by Bert Kinzey. I just want to be able to enhance what is provided in the box, and hopefully help any other “Dauntless” fans that may consider building this kit. My goal with this project is to only make minor modifications and additions. The kit includes decal options for two aircraft (listed below): It does not include any photo-etch parts or seatbelts. 30 caliber machine gun(s) for the radio operator. It includes parts for both a single and double. The two main tires are black vinyl plastic. It includes metal screws (to help attach the main sub-assemblies), metal pins (for the movable connections) and metal hinges (for the movable wing dive flaps). It was packed very well, with multiple mini-boxes to protect the more fragile parts. The kit is molded in light gray/clear and has about 325 parts. I will be as honest as possible, but I am a huge SBD fan, so Merit already has brownie points for making this. As I build it I will highlight the good, the bad and the ugly. The detail and accuracy of Merit’s SBD-3 (in the box) is incredible, but it is not a perfect kit. I bought their Bell X-1 aircraft, and promptly sold it on e-bay because it was a very plain, poorly made “toy”. This kit is in no way comparable to the 1/18 scale plastic model kits that Pegasus is producing. Getting around the “working features” will create some challenges, but make no mistake-Merit has produced is an excellent plastic model (even for this large scale). They just transformed the display model into an injection plastic model you can build, that still includes the working features. spring loaded landing gear, moveable canopies/guns/wheels/flaps, etc.). That display model has many working features (i.e. The kit is based on Merit’s “pre-built/pre-painted” SBD-3 display model that they have been selling for the last couple of years. That is why everything about the kit looks so much like Trumpeter. It appears Merit created their own kit design, but then contracted Trumpeter to do the manufacturing and packaging. I could be wrong, but from what I have read Merit and Trumpeter are two separate companies, although they do have a business relationship with each other. I do not believe this model is an up scaled duplicate of Trumpeter’s 1/32 scale SBD-3, but they are similar. This is a brand new kit from a new model company. I am starting this thread to share the building process of my current model project, Merit’s 1/18 scale SBD-3 Douglas “Dauntless” (famed U.S.

1 18 dauntless dive bomber