It pulverized fortifications on Japan's home islands. The Curtis SB2C Helldiver dive bomber left a trail of wreckage in its wake, the debris and detritus of a devastated foe. Yet, the Helldiver is usually remembered today as an unpopular latecomer to the war, a less than stellar performer built by an aircraft company in decline. After a painfully long gestation, Helldivers flew their first combat mission against the Japanese stronghold at Rabual on 11 November 1943. Official records credit the Helldiver with 18,808 combat sorties in the Pacific War. They are credited with sinking 301 Japanese ships of all types including in part the super battleships Musashi and Yamato.

Of course, 1/700 scale models of the Helldiver have been previously offered by several companies in their aircraft carrier kits. The set offered here actually includes 3 different Landing Gear Down models - One each with the canopies closed, with the canopies open and the wings folded! While photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills, check out the well proportioned model including the fuselage complete with detailed open greenhouse canopy, crew and rear machine gun with the turtle down folded down, the engine cowling with exhaust stubs, wings with control surfaces and tiny machine guns, the tail assembly and even the tiny tail wheel!

While the surfaces are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers), the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene as noted above. The models may still have some powder and oil-like agent on them that needs to be removed by washing in warm water with a drop of detergent added to it.

NOTE: While we currently maintain limited inventories of most items, some items may be "printed on demand", which usually requires 10-15 business days from order to shipment.