In Box Review of Monogram 1/48th Scale U.S. TBD-1 Devastator
Carrier-based Douglas Torpedo-bomber
Kit no. 7575
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of 1974.
I paid a whopping $2.26 for mine back in the 70's at the K-Mart store that went out of business here in town at the mall.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of 1974.
I paid a whopping $2.26 for mine back in the 70's at the K-Mart store that went out of business here in town at the mall.
HISTORY:
In 1934, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics requested designs for a new torpedo plane. The Douglas TBD-1 met all the requirements for replacing the planes in use of that time and was accepted.
In 1937, the TBD-1 Devastators went into Navy service as the first all-metal, low-wing aircraft with hydraulically powered folding wings. At that time, it was the most modern and efficient aircraft of its type. It could perform steep reversals of a low air speed and with perfection, execute the high speed dives used during the early part of the torpedo run.
The TBD-1 carried a crew of three - a pilot, torpedo officer or bombardier, and rear gunner/radio operator. They sat in tandem under a continuous transparent canopy which had sliding sections over each cockpit. For torpedo missions in WWII, only a crew of two was used.
The Devastator served as two different versions, a torpedo plane and bomber. As a torpedo plane the doors under the front of the fuselage were closed and the torpedo was held by a special cradle. While as a bomber, the doors were opened to enable the bombardier to sight through the windows in the bottom of the plane.
The specifications of the aircraft were a wing spar of 50 feet, length of 35 feet and a height of 15 feet 1 inch. Weighing 5,600 lbs. empty, 9,289 loaded, the TBD-1 had a fuel capacity of 180 gallons. With a climb rate of 720 ft/min. the maximum speed was 206 mph at 8,000 feet and a minimum of 55 mph.
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 engine the TBD-1 had a range of 435 miles with its torpedo. Like all naval aircraft for this period, it had flotation bags in the wings that could displace 3,431 pounds of sea water.
The U.S.S. Saratoga (CV-3) in November 1937, received the first Douglas TBD-1 Devastators. TBD's also served on the U.S.S. Lexington, Yorktown, Enterprise, Wasp and Ranger.
Devastators saw action in the Pacific on February 1, 1942. In the Battle of the Coral Sea, the SBD's had their greatest success by aiding in the sinking of one carrier and seriously damaging another. On May 8, 1942 during the Battle of Midway, the Douglas TBD's saw their last major action.
Following that, TBD's were used for training new pilots and mechanics or as practice planes for fire-fighting crews.
This accurately detailed model was designed from authentic drawings and photographs. Technical information was supplied by McDonnell Douglas and the U.S. Navy.
In 1934, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics requested designs for a new torpedo plane. The Douglas TBD-1 met all the requirements for replacing the planes in use of that time and was accepted.
In 1937, the TBD-1 Devastators went into Navy service as the first all-metal, low-wing aircraft with hydraulically powered folding wings. At that time, it was the most modern and efficient aircraft of its type. It could perform steep reversals of a low air speed and with perfection, execute the high speed dives used during the early part of the torpedo run.
The TBD-1 carried a crew of three - a pilot, torpedo officer or bombardier, and rear gunner/radio operator. They sat in tandem under a continuous transparent canopy which had sliding sections over each cockpit. For torpedo missions in WWII, only a crew of two was used.
The Devastator served as two different versions, a torpedo plane and bomber. As a torpedo plane the doors under the front of the fuselage were closed and the torpedo was held by a special cradle. While as a bomber, the doors were opened to enable the bombardier to sight through the windows in the bottom of the plane.
The specifications of the aircraft were a wing spar of 50 feet, length of 35 feet and a height of 15 feet 1 inch. Weighing 5,600 lbs. empty, 9,289 loaded, the TBD-1 had a fuel capacity of 180 gallons. With a climb rate of 720 ft/min. the maximum speed was 206 mph at 8,000 feet and a minimum of 55 mph.
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 engine the TBD-1 had a range of 435 miles with its torpedo. Like all naval aircraft for this period, it had flotation bags in the wings that could displace 3,431 pounds of sea water.
The U.S.S. Saratoga (CV-3) in November 1937, received the first Douglas TBD-1 Devastators. TBD's also served on the U.S.S. Lexington, Yorktown, Enterprise, Wasp and Ranger.
Devastators saw action in the Pacific on February 1, 1942. In the Battle of the Coral Sea, the SBD's had their greatest success by aiding in the sinking of one carrier and seriously damaging another. On May 8, 1942 during the Battle of Midway, the Douglas TBD's saw their last major action.
Following that, TBD's were used for training new pilots and mechanics or as practice planes for fire-fighting crews.
This accurately detailed model was designed from authentic drawings and photographs. Technical information was supplied by McDonnell Douglas and the U.S. Navy.
THE KIT:
Monogram is an old prolific model company based in Morton Grove, IL. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. In later years they have become associated with Revell.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped flimsy tray and lid type box. My kit is very crushed.
The box art shows a color photo of the model made up with 2 ground-crewmen and a pilot standing by it. Posed against a white background.
The TBD-1 is bare-metal, with a red cowling and yellow wings and tail it has a small black letter "E" under the cockpit and a fuselage code of black 2 white -t- and black I over a red fuselage band. Black U.S. Navy under the elevators and a small black 0300-TBD-1 high near the tip of the rudder, black wing walks and is carrying a torpedo that is white with a red nose.
One crewman is standing with his arms raised. He wears gray pants and a green shirt. The other crewman is on the wings he has his left hand on the cowling. he wears medium gray pants and a light gray shirt.
The pilot is standing near the tail he wears a yellow life vest, pilot helmet with goggles and is carrying a board with some paperwork on it in his left hand and has his right hand on his pistol holster. He has gray pants and a green shirt.
One side panel of the box has 3 color walk around shots of the model made up. Two are the box art scheme and the third is of a TBD-1 that is overall blue with red and white horizontal stripes on the rudder flap sides and round U.S. stars. It has a black fuse code of 8-T-I.
This is followed by features of the kit: wings fold, prop spins, machine gun moves, highly detailed with authentic decals, includes tips for making dioramas.
Monogram is an old prolific model company based in Morton Grove, IL. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. In later years they have become associated with Revell.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped flimsy tray and lid type box. My kit is very crushed.
The box art shows a color photo of the model made up with 2 ground-crewmen and a pilot standing by it. Posed against a white background.
The TBD-1 is bare-metal, with a red cowling and yellow wings and tail it has a small black letter "E" under the cockpit and a fuselage code of black 2 white -t- and black I over a red fuselage band. Black U.S. Navy under the elevators and a small black 0300-TBD-1 high near the tip of the rudder, black wing walks and is carrying a torpedo that is white with a red nose.
One crewman is standing with his arms raised. He wears gray pants and a green shirt. The other crewman is on the wings he has his left hand on the cowling. he wears medium gray pants and a light gray shirt.
The pilot is standing near the tail he wears a yellow life vest, pilot helmet with goggles and is carrying a board with some paperwork on it in his left hand and has his right hand on his pistol holster. He has gray pants and a green shirt.
One side panel of the box has 3 color walk around shots of the model made up. Two are the box art scheme and the third is of a TBD-1 that is overall blue with red and white horizontal stripes on the rudder flap sides and round U.S. stars. It has a black fuse code of 8-T-I.
This is followed by features of the kit: wings fold, prop spins, machine gun moves, highly detailed with authentic decals, includes tips for making dioramas.
The other side panel has a one-paragraph history of the TBD-1, Over the copyright date of the kit of 1974 and Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL. Made and printed in the USA, followed by a color photo of the model made up in the box art scheme with its wings folded and a repeat of the kit's features.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 medium gray trees, a clear tree, decal sheet, assembly instructions and diorama building instructions by Sheperd Paine, who did a number of dioramas of Monogram kits back in the 70's and a small accordion folded catalog of Monogram kits.
The trees are not cello bagged. They fit the box tight in all 4 directions. Trees are not alphabetized nor illustrated in the instructions. They do however have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. This means careful search of the trees to get the right parts for each assembly. Bad move Monogram!
The first medium-gray tree holds: the fuselage, upper inboard wing panels, DF loop, antenna and joy stick (7 parts)
This kit contains 4 medium gray trees, a clear tree, decal sheet, assembly instructions and diorama building instructions by Sheperd Paine, who did a number of dioramas of Monogram kits back in the 70's and a small accordion folded catalog of Monogram kits.
The trees are not cello bagged. They fit the box tight in all 4 directions. Trees are not alphabetized nor illustrated in the instructions. They do however have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. This means careful search of the trees to get the right parts for each assembly. Bad move Monogram!
The first medium-gray tree holds: the fuselage, upper inboard wing panels, DF loop, antenna and joy stick (7 parts)
The second medium-gray tree holds: the outer wings, main wheels, cockpit combing, air scoop, propeller shaft, engine parts, pitot tube, torpedo wing mount etc. (25 parts)
The third medium-gray tree holds: the torpedo, crewmen and pilot figures, bulkhead, cockpit floor, seats, cowling, bulkheads for inside the wings, landing gear legs, bombs, propeller, elevators, machine guns, etc. (41 parts)
The fourth medium-gray tree just holds the one lower wings center section.
The clear tree holds the cockpit canopy sections and small fuselage side windows (9 parts)
The decal sheet for the 2 versions in the kit.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 11" x 6 1/2" page format.
Page 1 has the history of the TBD-1 over Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL, the copyright date of the kit of 1974 and MADE IN USA.
Page 2 though 6 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
Page 7 & 8 is the painting and marking instructions, showing three 3-views:
1. The box art scheme (already described above) It is a TBD-1 with VT-2 aboard the U.S.S. Lexington.
2. A TBD-1 that is blue gray above a light gray undercarriage. It has very small black lettering on the top of the rudder TBD-1 NAVY 0308 over a narrow white bar. It is a TBD-1 with VT-6 U.S.S. Enterprise in what is said to be Combat Zone markings.
3. A TBD-1 in medium-blue over light-gray undercarriage, with black fuselage no. 8-T-1 and red and white horizontal bars on the rudder flap sides. It is with VT-2 U.S.S. Hornet in what is called pre-war markings.
Propeller blade colors are shown (blue or black with blue, yellow and red tips and colors for the torpedo (gray with a red nose).
The diorama instructions by Sheperd Paine is next. It is a single sheet printed on both sides in 8 1/2" x 11" format.
Page 1 has the history of the TBD-1 over Monogram's address in Morton Grove, IL, the copyright date of the kit of 1974 and MADE IN USA.
Page 2 though 6 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
Page 7 & 8 is the painting and marking instructions, showing three 3-views:
1. The box art scheme (already described above) It is a TBD-1 with VT-2 aboard the U.S.S. Lexington.
2. A TBD-1 that is blue gray above a light gray undercarriage. It has very small black lettering on the top of the rudder TBD-1 NAVY 0308 over a narrow white bar. It is a TBD-1 with VT-6 U.S.S. Enterprise in what is said to be Combat Zone markings.
3. A TBD-1 in medium-blue over light-gray undercarriage, with black fuselage no. 8-T-1 and red and white horizontal bars on the rudder flap sides. It is with VT-2 U.S.S. Hornet in what is called pre-war markings.
Propeller blade colors are shown (blue or black with blue, yellow and red tips and colors for the torpedo (gray with a red nose).
The diorama instructions by Sheperd Paine is next. It is a single sheet printed on both sides in 8 1/2" x 11" format.
It shows a diorama of a TBD-1 crashed into the sea. Two crewmen are helping each other to a inflatable life raft. Very detailed as to how Sheperd did it.
The small accordion-folded kit catalog and decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
Very nice detail with raised panel lines. Flaps are all molded solid.
Highly Recommended.