Small Scale Military Headquarters

1/72 Dauntless.

I'm getting a little weary of the endless stream of HM Dauntless models with open dive brakes. Once in a while would be fine, but not every model. Has anyone had success closing them...my understanding is that they are photo etched parts and could be squeezed shut.

aferguson wrote:1/72 Dauntless.

I'm getting a little weary of the endless stream of HM Dauntless models with open dive brakes. Once in a while would be fine, but not every model. Has anyone had success closing them...my understanding is that they are photo etched parts and could be squeezed shut.

Yeah, I have closed the divebrakes on the Dauntless and Helldiver. Just use a flat razor blade to press the divebrakes into the closed position.

thanks HW!

aferguson wrote:thanks HW!

You're welcome, just be careful because the razorbalde can nick the paint if you get it too close to the wing. Use the razorblade though to keep the flap straight when pressing it closed.

It's not like HM couldn't make them with dive brakes closed. They made five closed and nine open, but they are not in sequence and random, unlike the Helldiver with only the first couple closed.

I have four of the closed SBD's if you count the Banshee and the last offering with them opened.

Probably get at least one of the next prewar with them open. There's already a lot of colors and business going on with yellow wings and the red open dive brakes will just add to it more I suppose.

I've seen the conversion with less than nice results though and it was never explained how. Good to know it can be done correctly if you're careful.

Dauntless wrote:It's not like HM couldn't make them with dive brakes closed. They made five closed and nine open, but they are not in sequence and random, unlike the Helldiver with only the first couple closed.

I have four of the closed SBD's if you count the Banshee and the last offering with them opened.

Probably get at least one of the next prewar with them open. There's already a lot of colors and business going on with yellow wings and the red open dive brakes will just add to it more I suppose.

I've seen the conversion with less than nice results though and it was never explained how. Good to know it can be done correctly if you're careful.

Yeah, I don't understand why HM makes so many with the dive brakes open, probably because many people like them that way? I don't know but I have closed a few on mine just because I don't care for planes with dive brakes open that you can't put into a dive on the stand.

both of the new yellow wing Dauntlesses coming out (blue trim and red trim versions) have brakes open. I was figuring one of them would be closed but nope, both are open.

Do all the little holes in the brakes line up well when the brakes are squeezed shut, HW? What about the brake under the fuselage...will it close all the way or will it spring open slightlly, since there is no way to 'over rotate' it a bit because the underide of the plane is in the way. I could see the springy-ness of the metal of the dive brake making it spring open a bit....if you get my meaning.

aferguson wrote:both of the new yellow wing Dauntlesses coming out (blue trim and red trim versions) have brakes open. I was figuring one of them would be closed but nope, both are open.

Do all the little holes in the brakes line up well when the brakes are squeezed shut, HW? What about the brake under the fuselage...will it close all the way or will it spring open slightlly, since there is no way to 'over rotate' it a bit because the underide of the plane is in the way. I could see the springy-ness of the metal of the dive brake making it spring open a bit....if you get my meaning.

It's been a while since I did this mod, but I seem to remember that the center dive brake will close all the way if you press hard near the bend and I couldn't tell you if the holes lined up or not. Btw, don't over rotate the P/E too much or you will snap it off.

Thanks again, HW.

Another option i read about was to just close the upper dive brakes on the wings. That way, the plane is configured with its flaps down and can be posed landing and or taking off. I may think about doing that.