I would like to build a SBD but I'm not to kean on the white painted bottoms. Did the US navy use any other paint schemes? Or did the Royal Navy use them so I could do a british plane?

Thankful for answers and also reference sources.

The three color scheme of Dark Sea Blue, Intermediate blue and White was not implemented until 1943 or so. The US Navy used a two color scheme of Blue Grey over Light Grey from Late 1941/early 1942 until then. Model Master colors that I use are Blue Grey 2055 and Light Grey 1730.

Up through the Coral Seal conflict they used the the 3 color Star and Ball insignia with Red and White Tail stripes (this is my favorite color scheme). At Midway and on, they had deleted all of the red markings to avoid gunner confusion with the Japanese meatball markings...

I can look up some more detailed information later if you need it.

hth

cn

This is a TBD Devestator torpedo bomber, but the scheme is the same as an SBD.

This shows some of the underside, but due to the camera flash, the real color is off


The second picture is more true to color


Jeff

Hi Thomas

re- British use; the Royal Navy received 9 SBD-5s in late 1943 / early 1944 as the Dauntless DB. Mk 1.

They were only used for experimental and development testing - the type wan't adopted for service. A photo of one of the aircraft seems to show the classic US 3-colour scheme. 3 of the aircraft were later taken onto RAF strength, but went straight into storage, so I don't know if they were re-painted.

Hope this helps

Rowan

The Dauntless first flew in 1937, so you'd be correct, I believe, in doing a silver fuselage/yellow wing color scheme with the three color star roundel. IIRC, the tali color was used to identify squadrons, so you could do a quite colorful airplane. Or there's an all gray sceme, as well.

What version SBD are you planning to build?

Some SBD-1 are in NMF with yellow wings.

Here is an SBD-5 in NMF.
http://hmunch.free.fr/fiches_avions/sbd_dauntless/maxi/Dauntless_2.jpg

You can do an Army version of an SBD called an A-24.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/newold/a24.htm
Schemes are OD over Neutral Gray.

Free French has an A-24 in OD /NG with black and white invasion or recognition stripes.