by George Grasse

WINGS MODELS 1:48 SCALE VACU-FORMED MULTI-MEDIA KIT WMK019 OF THE NORTHROP BT-1 CARRIER-BASED BOMBER OF VB-5, U.S.S. YORKTOWN c. 1939

WINGS MODELS NORTHROP BT-1 KIT # WM48019 BOX ART

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NORTHROP BT-1 MULTI-VIEW DRAWINGS

These Northrop BT-1 drawings were taken from Naval Fighters Number Ninety, Northrop BT-1, by Steve Ginter, and can be found in that publication on the inside  of the front and back cover. 1

 

NORTHROP BT-1 U. S. NAVY BUREAU NUMBERS

A total of 54 Northrop BT-1 carrier-based bombers were completed and assigned U. S. Navy Bureau Numbers 590-643.  Two went for testing: 590 and 627.  Sixteen were built as spares for the two squadrons.  Of the remaining 36 aircraft, 18 were assigned to Bombing 5, USS Yorktown, and 18 were assigned to Bombing 6, USS Enterprise. 2

 

THE BT-1 MODEL TO BE BUILT

The model will represent "5-B-6" Bureau Number 0596 of Bombing Five on the USS Yorktown.  This photo was taken from Steve Ginter's Naval Fighters Number Ninety, Northrop BT-1, page 60.  Note the anti-glare panels on the backside of the propeller.  Note that the BuNo is not "0596". 3

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS #1a and 1b 12 December 2013
FUSELAGE INTERIOR: The kit is quite basic and lacks cockpit detail.  As a substitute, I used Aires 4214 1:48 SBD-3 Dauntless Cockpit Set as shown above.  I added components that could be identified in cockpit photos in Ginter's book.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #2 17 December 2013

THE FUSELAGE AND ENGINE:  After several dry runs of inserting the to-be-finished cockpit (above) and the engine, and knowing I could drop them in later, I cemented the fuselage halves together.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #3 22 December 2013

THE WING:  The kit's wing consists of one full-length lower section and two halves for the upper section.  I started drilling out the holes in the dive flaps knowing this will take some time.  There is a Dauntless dive flap photo-etched sheet available but it does not fit this wing, being too short in the critical outer pieces.  I used the kit's landing gear housing after cutting away the opening.  With wheels down, I will use the kit's landing gear struts but will have to scratch-build the front "doors" and hydraulics.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #4 17 January 2014

ATTACHING THE WING:  This photo shows my crude cut-out of the fuselage wing root location and the wing roots which results in a poor fit.  Both were successfully joined using super glue, plastic cement, and a couple of rubber bands.

  

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO 05a 20 January 2014

THE PUTTY:  This photo serves to show the extent of the plastic putty work at the wing root.  This is the fourth putty application before final sanding.

  

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #5b 20 January 2014

TAIL WHEEL, LANDING GEAR STRUTS, AND THE TAIL HOOK:  After sitting with rubber bands for 24 hours, model was ready for putty and quite a bit of that.  I used Vallejo's VJ 70401 Plastic Putty and, after each application, I used 150 grade and 400 grade sandpaper.  It took four attempts to fill my gaping wing root gaps and I paid for it with these repetitive putty applications.  Between applications, I glued the metal landing gear struts in place (the wheels are not attached yet).  I knocked off the kit's tail wheel from the housing, fashioned my own wheel from tube stock, and braced the wheel with a "U" shaped piece of thin copper sheet.  I then drilled out the top of the housing to take a brass pin and glued the sub-assembly the the fuselage as shown above.  Later, I fashioned the tail hook from brass rod and glued it in place.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #6 24 January 2014

ALUMINUM OVERSPRAY:  The BT-1 model is oversprayed with its first coat of Tamiya's TM 86512 Bare Metal Silver.  After it dries thoroughly, a second lighter coat will be oversprayed as a final finish.  When that dries, the fuselage and underside of the wing will be masked off so the upper surface of the wing can be painted yellow.  Later, the tail unit will be painted red for aircraft of U.S.S. Yorktown's air group and BurNo 0596 marked Bombing 5's black 5-B-6 and will have the lower half of the cowling painted white.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #7 3 February 2014

YELLOW WINGS - RED TAIL - WHITE COWLING:  The area around the wings was masked off.  One coat of Tamiya's spray TM8046 Light Sand was applied to the upper surface of the top wing.  When dry, one coat of Tamiya's spray TM8034 Camel Yellow was applied over the tan.  A second coat finished the job.  Touch up will be hand-brushed with Misterkit's MKUS17 Orange Yellow (ANA614). The tail unit was brush-painted with Model Master 1705 Insignia Red, two coats.  The lower half of the cowling was brush-painted with Model Master 1768 Flat White, two coats.  The only decals applied at this stage are the U. S. national insignia using Yellow Wings decals from their 48005 set Pre-WWII U. S. National Insignia, Red, White, and Blue Stars Part 1.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #8a 17 February 2014

FUSELAGE DETAILS:  1) added the squadron's "Devil" insignia; 2) hand-painted the white carrier landing bar on the tail fin; 3) hand-painted the gunner's step just below the cockpit; 4) added the radio masts; 5) applied black decal strips for the wing walks; 6) mixed 5-minute epoxy in two batches, one colored red, the other colored green for the port and starboard navigation lights; 7) decided to go with an open canopy starting at the front - having a bit of a problem with fit - white putty is surrounding the base to be sanded smooth.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #8b 17 February 2014

LANDING GEAR DETAILS AND A BOMB:  The only parts furnished in the kit for the landing gear are the metal struts.  I made the front cover from scrap plastic sheet and then added plastic rod, brass rod, square plastic, and wire to finish out the hydraulics and supports.  Barely visible is a 500 lb. Ordnance bomb on the center line, an extra bomb left over from the SBC-3 "Helldiver" project.  Wheels are True Details 1:48 SBD Dauntless Wheel Set (smooth tread with bulging bottoms).

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #9a 21 February 2014

MORE DECAL APPLICATION:  1) Put together the "0595" white BurNo from Yellow Wings SOC Seagull decal sheets; 2) applied the "5-B-6" fuselage decals from Yellow Wings decal sheet; 3) Cut and applied white wing chevrons from plain white decal paper; 4) Applied the white "BT-1" from the TBD Devastator decal set; 5) applied the black "5" wing decals from Yellow Wings; 6) the original "Red Devil" insignias fell off the model so I scanned in the image from either "Wings of the Fleet"4 or the "The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Coloring Guide"5, sized it, and flipped it so as to have a left and right image.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #9b 21 February 2014

TWO MORE DETAILS:  Added the prop logo decals.  The left wing landing light was made as follows: I cut open a spot on the left wing's leading edge according to photos, added a piece of clear plastic inside to represent the landing lamp, and covered the area with a curved bit of clear plastic tube.  The windscreen is covered prior to an overspray of stain polyurethane which, among other things, seals in the decals so they won't fall off!  Not much left to do.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #10 21 February 2014

THE LAST DETAILS:  The gunner's ring and the .30 caliber machine gun were now added to the rear cockpit.  With the cockpit areas completed, I added the remainder of the canopy leaving the pilot's and gunner's canopies open.  .005 monofilament charcoal thread was used to string the radio antenna.  Not shown is the antenna lead into the cockpit.

FINISHED PHOTOS 28 February 2013
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ADDITONAL PRODUCTS USED

The following items were used whole or in part to construct this model:

True Details 1:48 scale Kit #48058 SBD Dauntless Wheel Set, 2 Main Wheels

Aires 1:48 scale Kit #4214 SBD-3 Dauntless Cockpit Set

Yellow Wings 1:48 Scale Decals from various sets

Tamiya Spray Paints

FOOTNOTES

¹ Ginter, Steve.  Northrop BT-1, Naval Fighters Number Ninety.  This is the best source available for this aircraft and contains photos, every Bureau Number (BurNo) built, their aircraft carrier designations, plus an abundance of cockpit interior photos.

² Ginter, Steve.  Northrop BT-1, Naval Fighters Number Ninety, page 17.  The "BT-1 Color Schedule" is reproduced here to show the extent to which detail information is available for BT-1 series.  Note "test" and "spare" aircraft.

³ Ginter, Steve.  Northrop BT-1, Naval Fighters Number Ninety, page 60.  The photo shows the BuNo 0602 which was originally assigned to Bombing 6 as "6-B-3".  No explanation is given as to the fate of BuNo 0596, the original aircraft "5-B-6" of Bombing 5.

⁴ Elliot, John M.  The Official Monogram USN & USMC Aircraft Color Guide, Volume 1, 1911-1939, page 156.

⁵  Freeman, Peter. J.  Wings of the Fleet, page 76. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, Richard Sanders.  The Northrop Story 1929-1939.  Atglen, PA: Schiffer Aviation History, 1993.

Doll, Thomas E.  US Navy Aircraft Camouflage & Markings 1940-1945.  Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc. 2003.

Elliot, John M., Major USMC (Ret).  The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Volume 1, 1911-1939. Boylston, MA: Monogram Aviation Publishing, 1967

Freeman, Peter and Mike Starmer.  Wings of the Fleet - US Navy & Marine Aviation 1919-1941, On Target Special. Ardington, North Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK: The Aviation Workshop Publications, 2010.

Ginter, Steve.  Northrop BT-1, Naval Fighters Number Ninety. Simi Valley, CA: Steve Ginter, 2011.

Larkins, William T.  U. S. Navy Aircraft 1921-1941 / U. S. Marine Corps Aircraft 1914-1959.  Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military/Aviation History, 1995.

Stanley, Michael.  Wings Models Northrop BT-1 Photos. Internet page address not known.

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