New Merit 1/18 DAUNTLESS DISCUSSION

[Buckyroo]

Just got the box from Fedex and couldn't wait to open it. The DETAIL is off the chart. The rubber wheels instead of the hard plactic shocked me. Then to open the wheel well and hydrolic hoses. Nice!! Worth every penny. Great Job Jim.

When I went assemble this beast I ran into a snag on the wing where it meets the front fuselage. One corner by the leading edge is hanging up. See Photo.



Anyone else run into this? I planned on cutting it down with an exacto, but wanted to see if anyone else has ran into this issue. Everything else went together perfectly.

Mine went together looking quite like the photos here. Persistance and TLC got everything in place just fine. What a wonderful plane.

[aae83]

Dear All

Just wonder how many of you really want to see a correct early war USN crew for your SBD-3?

Jim

I would want 3 sets.

[jlspec]

Dear All

Just wonder how many of you really want to see a correct early war USN crew for your SBD-3?

Jim

I would want 3 sets.

I would probably get 3 sets also. 2 for sure for the Coral Sea and Midway SBDs and one for a future "Yellow Wing"

[CW4USARMY]

I'm in for sets. How many depends on how many paint schemes Merit comes out with

[CW4USARMY]

Just got back from the beach and the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola...

Gosh, wish you had told me you were in P'cola. I woulda had you pick up a dining room set from my dad so I could come pick it up from you. You're only an hour from me as opposed to five and a half to my dad's.

You were up for hauling furniture, right?

I could have took the truck and trailer down. Hell, I almost needed it with all the beach chairs and crap we bought!

[Grognard]

Put mine together last night. I agree this is a nice looking AC and the paint job really sticks out sitting amound the other navy planes.

Only negative was the tail wheel was broken off in the box.

Wings were a bit tight, and I want too sure if I would damage an antenna or something trying to force them together.

Otherwise, very satisfying piece.

[tmanthegreat]

Went by my local Hobbytown USA store today and they had 3 Merit Dauntlesses, price $179. I think I got mine a little cheaper online, but glad to see them available locally. Hopefully they will sell quickly!

[aferguson]

anyone have any flying mule discount codes they can pass on?

[BLACKSNAKES]

UPS delivered my Dauntless a few hours ago

Jim@Merit, you guys knocked it out of the freaking park! By far the best 1/18 bird I have ever seen! Keep up the quality and detail and keep 'em coming Merit.

This one plane could bring 1/18 back to reality. Expensive; Yes. Worth it; Hell yes!

Blacksnakes

[tmanthegreat]

Was just looking into the depths of the interior on my Dauntless model and noticed that the radio boxes were not installed! They should be behind the pilot seat bulkhead and below that compartment roofing and antenna, as you can see in the photo below:



I can see the points where the piece should have been mounted...

My question is are they missing on anyone else's aircraft?

No real big deal as they would be very difficult to see and even if I had replacement parts, I really couldn't install them as the MG ring, seat, and other parts are in the way.

Again, just curious as to whether they are missing on anyone else's aircraft.

[YT]

Mine came today, I haven't had a chance to unbox it yet, but it does look great. As excited as I am, I have to say I just can't stomach these new price points for 1:18. At least Merit is giving us new stuff vs the BBI repops.

[flyboy_fx]

I didn't pre order because I figured they would not end up selling them. DAMN IT!

[dragon53]

AFERGUSON:

The Flyingmule promotion code for a free model with any order of $150+ expired on June 19.

[Coreyeagle48]

Greetings

Mine does not have the radio boxes either.

Corey

[tmanthegreat]

Mine does not have the radio boxes either.

Thanks Corey, now I feel better. If two collectors with two randomly-selected models on either side of the country don't have them, its probably safe to say the piece probably wasn't installed in the factory... Not sure why as I can see where it would have attached deep in that recess behind the pilot's seat.

Luckily its not something very noticable, especially with a figure in the gunner's seat. Perhaps it will be there on the Midway version.

Radio or not, don't get me wrong as the Merit Dauntless is still one fantastic piece

[Ara]

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

[jlspec]

Thanks for the detailed review and pictures

[flyboy_fx]

Where can I still get one?

[aferguson]

lots of places still have them, and some are still waiting to get them. aikens, greatmodels.com, aviatornut, motorpool, flying mule, militarytoyshop, bigbadtoystore, legendshobbies to name some.

just do an internet search for 'meriit dauntless' and you'll find lots of sites that carry them

[tmanthegreat]

lots of places still have them, and some are still waiting to get them. aikens, greatmodels.com, aviatornut, motorpool, flying mule, militarytoyshop, bigbadtoystore, legendshobbies to name some.

Weren't there only going to be 1000 of this type made? I'd be curious to know how many various retailers are getting in. My local hobbystore has 3 (likely it was initially 4), but what about larger dealers such as Badcat, Flying Mule, Aikens, etc? Seems like that 1000 batch would run out pretty fast... That is assuming there are 1000 people in the country that would collect them.

[aferguson]

well apparently Merit is sold out of them but that doesn't mean the etailers are. I'm sure by late summer or early fall they'll be gone. Most people don't like to preorder and many people are still findiing out about them. And they're not inexpensive, so it doesn't surprise me there are still lots around, especially given the relative obscure nature of this paint scheme.

I'm sure they'll be making several thousand of the Midway ones, which will be the hottest ticket and then any subsequent repaints, like Guadalcanal, will be 1000 each probably.

I could have added Badcat, Diecast supermarket, Pam's Dream and Foxhole to my list, though i think badcat is sold out. There are also several small etailers that are carrying them, whose names i forget.

[Ara]

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 shoddy research into the mold designs and paint jobs.

I will gladly pay Merit this price for future WWII aircraft. That's what value translates to.

[Ara]

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 what was published. Drawings in that book also show the twin mount on the Dauntlesses.

Johnston wasn't just a casual reporter either, you can read the original 1942 printing in my review here:

http://tdhp.49.forumer.com/viewtopic.ph ... 8&p=164151

[YT]

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

Thanks, that's great!

[Yoxford]

Ara, great review of a great new model!...as for the twin vs single .30 cals the Dauntless book by Berritt Tillman shows the planes were shipped from the factory with a single .30 in the rear and not untill the SBD-5 did they ship from the factory with the twin .30s....the twins were however, as you stated, added in the field... So the Coral Sea 2-S-12 DID have a single .30 at least for a while, for sure, and may have had twin .30's by Coral Sea...but all the refrences I have state Liska used a single...but who really knows 100% for sure. Merit has delivered us a fantastic model and either dual or single .30's are fine with me.