The SBD Dauntless was a famous US Navy WW II dive bomber manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the main carrier-based scout/dive bomber for almost all the war. The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The type earned its nickname "Slow But Deadly" (from its SBD initials) during combat service, it possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics from the perforated dive brakes, good defensive armament, and ruggedness.
The most produced version, the SBD-5, was produced mostly in the Douglas plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This version was equipped with a 1,200 hp engine and an increased ammunition supply. Over 2,400 of the 5,396 SBDs that were built were SBD-5’s.
The model is from the Academy Models SBD-5 1:48 scale kit. I added Eduard cockpit Photo Etch (PE) details, the Eureka WW II aircraft carrier deck to display the model and some figures from the Tori MF-03A WW II Carrier Deck Set. Like the Accurate Miniatures TBD Avenger, the build took some patience as the instructions were more sketches than accurate drawings. I also found some helpful YouTube videos to find the correct placements.