Small Scale Military Headquarters

The folks at Merit kindly sent me their reference documents on the single gun rationale. I am posting the images here, cropped for the relevant content. See VS-2's after Action Report for May 8th, 1942; Liska posed with his single .30 cal. After spending a day going over all the Dauntless and Coral ...

Hi Jim, Let me say upfront I love my Merit SBD and as a longtime (1976) WWII buff and modeler, it is clear that your team did your homework on this model. The twin machine gun / single machine gun question is simply a point of curiousity and discussion. I don't think the model is wrong or needs the ...

Hi guys,

Here's the passage; the full Leppla/Liska account is at the DHP if you want to read it.

I'm re-reading Stanley Johnston's wartime account of the Lexington during his stay on that ship during the Coral Sea battle. It's titled THE QUEEN OF THE FLAT TOPS. According to Johnston, Liska's rear weapon was a twin 30 caliber, not a single mount. I'm not saying this is fact, I'm saying this is w...

This CS Dauntless is fantastic and I only dreamed it would someday come true. I think $169.00 is reasonable for a model of this size and detail. Manufacturers and retailers need to make money. We are used to low prices and failed companies. With those low prices we sometimes got spotty quality and s...

I have an "on-going" detailed assembly review on the Diecast Hangar Pub, linked here:

http://tdhp.49.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?f=271&t=12958

I would love to see a Val dive bomber in 1/18.

My Merit Dauntless went together really well tonight. Photographed just about everything and am processing the pics as we speak. I'll post my review on the Diecast Hangar Pub and the Diecast Aircraft Forum either tonight or tomorrow night. I will post links to those reviews here. This model is engin...

Thanks for the review! So this thing actually exists, lots of people will be impressed as we get the word out.

Cory is this a future Merit release?

Confirmed shipment to my house by FedEx: due the 19th.

If you're repainting the Sakai Zero, try to find some planview drawings or photographs of mid-1942 Zeros. The hinomarus on Zeros for that timeframe were typically smaller than what is commonly modeled. So check the Guillow's 1/16 sheet. I have two Zeros for repainting and I think I'm going to mask a...

FedEx is telling me I'll get it Monday 6/18.

Your Corsair is looking great! You're making it into something special. And you're motivating me to give mine a do-over.

Here are some photos. http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jacket_01/Picture043xxx.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jacket_01/Picture023xxx.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jacket_01/Picture097xxx.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jacket_01/Picture064xxx.jpg http://i53.pho...

Hi guys, I was lucky to find this rare, prebuilt gem for $69 today. It is missing its gunner's turret hatch but I can either make one or ask around for one. I knew about the missing hatch when I bought it. This is a very nice late production version with no zimmerit, ambush paint, metal gun barrel a...

Thanks guys. I guess if 1/35 pre-builts were profitable they would continue them. I love the models they did release, Dragon set a standard with them and I'd have loved more. Tamiya's Masterwork line barely makes it to USA shops and that leaves us with few large scale, high-quality options.

Regarding Dragaon's pre-built 1/35 display models... does anyone know if Dragon is going to release subjects beyond what's available now? For example, a late war Tiger II without zimmerit, or the Panzer IV family, or Allied subjects?

Anyone know?

How about scale thickness tires for 1/18 planes like the Corsair and Thunderbolt? Those would sell.

Inspired and artistic display. Beautiful.

As a Coral Sea pre-order customer, I am interested to know if the propeller tips will be red/yellow/blue as seen on some Coral Sea SBDs? Also, product packaging is important. Anyone who's familiar with how the 1/18 Corsair was packaged (I know this wasn't a Merit product) knows that the propeller hu...

I have pre-order this also. I agree with Ara this is probably the only shot at an early paint scheme. Now if only they would make a "yellow wings" I would have the "yellow wing" Dauntless in 1/144, 1/72, 1/32, and 1/18 Franklin Mint has a very nice 1/48 yellow wing SBD. I think the 1/18 Merit SBDs ...

I've pre-ordered this version as well. I think it's the only shot at getting a version with the red dot in the center of the stars, which I like. Anything early 1942 USN is desireable in my book. Plus in the 1/18 world, there is no garauntee of future liveries.

The dive flaps on Merit's site show the center dive brake having red paint on the inside. I've never seen photo evidence of the red on the center brake. I have seen a color photo with the outboard flaps' interior red but the center painted gray. Anyone know for sure?

n/t