¹⁄48

AVENGER 93 Loyce Deen 353

Page 2

Here are some more photos of the interior before 353 got buttoned up. I was temped to put in an LED but even with a decent light source this is one of those kits where you can see all the goings on. Naturally, it was left to completely dry before adding the right half giving me time to work on other things, the instrument panel being one of a gazillion. When ever possible I like to add this part last because of getting perfect alignment and ease of masking with certainty that no over-spray will creep in. Most of all for worry the bloody thing wouldn't pop off with all the handling I knew was on the way. The color PE and raised detail look really good and whether you use a PVA glue or Tamiya X22 clear for the lens glass you'll get a super result. I generally use a toothpick and make sure to come straight down into the center, NOT at an angle.

The depth charges or water bombs are in here to mark where a change in direction took place in the type of Avenger that Brian wanted. More on this later.

A delightful little mini model in the kit is the turret. I loved it so much that it ended up being done twice! I'll explain that later too but pealing off the masks from the glass was great fun since they fit very well, save for only a few spots. Seeing inside and out have paint was one of those rare giddy modeling moments. Also, there are plenty of online photos to help you add even more detail on top of what the kit's and the extras from Eduard give you. The only word of caution about adding extra wire and hoses is that the fit is extremely tight. SO much so I had to abandon some of the lesser seen wires. The gun-sight was painted with a heavily diluted Tamiya clear green.

It was time to attach the other half and look for the inevitable filling and sanding work. Remarkably, there were very few places which needed attention and the ones that did were super easy to correct. Some very serious care went into engineering this model in most places, which I can attest to because another identical kit will come in very handy down the road. A touch of filler top and bottom was all it needed and panel lines as well as raised areas fit brilliantly. You may need to slide something inside the crew compartment to push out the bomb bay window bulkhead but I did not sand this area so it could have been my oversight and not the kits.

Gun Turret Part 2 came about after dry fitting it. Normally I wouldn't show this but the directions as to where the forward armored shield plugs in on one side was a little vague and at time looked ok. It was not though and the entire lens, 50cal. stalk and shield had to be removed. It should not rest where the indent for the pin is but the entire width of the pin higher up. As you'll see later the fit of the turret is horrendous (got a fix for that too) but there ain't no way in Ol' Geezer Grumman's 24 hour lube and all you can eat buffet that she's gonna fit the way Accurate Miniatures imply. Just use the old trick of letting some extra thin cement wick around the join on the parts, wait for it to soften up, add a touch more and gently work the parts free... or follow these instructions :)

Originally there was going to be two bombs and two depth charges. That was changed to four bombs and wound up being a single colossal torpedo (not the initial Mark 14). I had already done some bay door and bomb release rigging but very little being it would be covered. This amount was upped with some fine elastic thread now that the torpedo would be displayed separately and the actual bay is festooned with cables. Just a bit of extra detail that the eye notices as depth and richness. Plus it looks kinda cool, urging me to do far more on the next Avenger.

The second photo etch set was for the Flaps. I'd done a couple of similar sets before yet this was on a much larger scale. Credit to Eduard for making the skin detail close and with a bit of problem solving you can come out with something looking worth the effort. There are a few challenges in that most of the triangular supports at the back do not lay flush and have to be snipped and attached individually. Having a mirrored set confirmed this and no mater what I did with the braces they simply would not bend at the connection tip enough to seat right. All they had to do was add a hair more length at that tiny connection and problem solved. As it happened forcing them caused most to break off anyway. What this means is you'll have to sand a rough surface for the CA glue to bite and bind. This, however, was not my primary concern. Eduard allow you to attach the brass flap with the brass wing section with three ridiculously tiny 1 mm tabs and slots. Sure you can add more CA later but by then everything is already primed, painted, clear coated and weathered. Best fix is to touch up the scraped and glued spots after assembly. Also, make certain the trailing edge of the plastic parts that attaches to the brass are super sharp/thin from being filed down otherwise the folded brass will stick up way too proud and look too blunt. (If you need more help and further explanation send me a message and I'll walk you through it as best I can.) Another area that needs attention is the gap between the brass assemblies on the wing. Yes I know tough to see, but if you or some judge is looking in that direction to admire the detail then for sure and certain that wide open gap will get noticed. Quick fix and a bonus is to use a bit of left over cut-away wing. The bonus is you can shave it down to act as a support since you're losing that by cutting the wing and adding the Eduard set. Believe me it's far to springy with all the work to come and any future handling. To get the correct height you simply shave it down little by little until the wings plug in perfectly into the fuselage. Now you have another area of positive plastic welded to plastic connection

It was time to do some weathering and staining on vital parts. Brian wanted a slightly dirty look but not over the top, which can easily be done. I love using oils because I get to control the look by how much is used, or in this case not used. Naturally, you've clear coated in the look you want, in this case a semi gloss. A decent example is with the underside of the landing gear covers. One is finished and the other is ready to be. Yet another example is the staining on the landing gear struts. Start off with a little bit then allow to dry a minimum of 12 hours, 24 is better, so the enamel can gas off. This will allow the pigment to settle smooth to a more even surface and helps it to bind better. Then begin removing the excess with cotton swabs, a soft cloth or a scratch free blue towel type of industrial paper. Then start to feather or blend the oil, adding or removing, to get closer to the look you're after. The final step is to polish or buff off until the ultimate goal is achieved, making certain you have a similar or mirrored part next to the one you're working to get a semi consistent look. Remember, nothing is ever going to be exact in real life, besides you'll like it when there are subtle differences in the finish... more realistic that way. The great thing is if you're not too aggressive with the swabs or cloths then feel free experiment a couple of times. Oils can always be removed with enamel thinners which you're going to need anyway to dilute the oils. And for Heaven's sake buy a decent brand for the best results.