Accurate Miniatures 1/48 TBF-1C Avenger | Full Build 

My uncle Richard flew these in WWII. He and his crew were shot out of one and crashed landed another on the deck of their carrier. I built one of these a few years ago for him and he loved it. He's 102 now and still regales us with some of his war stories. Can't keep a good man down.

My friends make fun of me because every time I buy a model, I always say, "It's for a diorama." Of course, I have yet to build a diorama, but hope springs eternal! 😁 Great build.

Fantastic build!! So glad to see it put together! Quite unlike my other one that has been half assembled for a few years😂!

Thank you for 50 minutes of great entertainment. Great model, fantastic video.

Outstanding work! A not very known bit of trivia: I "discovered" when I researched this a/c for my own build, is the that TBFs/TBMs in the tri-color scheme had the "Intermediate Blue" used only on the vertical stabilizer/rudder and the dorsal fin that connects the latter to the fuselage. All the other vertical surfaces and leading edges of the wings and horizontal tailplanes were painted with a "graded tone" obtained by spraying the Sea Blue directly over White: the resulting color was very similar but not identical to the Intermediate Blue painted parts proper. This difference was barely noticeable on new aircrafts and/or well maintained ones while it became virtually undistinguishable in more weathered ones. I don't have the foggiest idea about why it was decided to paint them in this way, but these are the facts... all Google-able with pictures and official painting schemes and guidelines of the era. Maybe they just wanted to complicate the life of future scale modelers... Who knows?😅 (It goes without saying that this is no criticism to your build in any way, shape or form. I just meant to offer this rather obscure bit of information on which I stumbled upon quite by chance for educational purposes only.🙂)

Excellent build, excited to see whatever you decide to build next!!

Stunning.. thank you.

Excellent build Brett! Accurate Miniatures are good kits. I've built a few of the Mustangs. Trent gives you a big thumbs up on this one!! 😊

That's extraordinarily good! Really interesting to watch and such a thing of beauty in the end. 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻

Excellent job! It looks amazing!

Looks great!

Amazing work, thank you!

amazing job. love it.

Awesome as usual mate!

Beautifully executed!

Wow, this is a fantastic build! One of the best i have ever seen and definitely your best video yet. Keep up the good work.

A very well made kit, really it was fun watching you build this model. Cheers

Great build. I ordered the kit. I did the revel kit when I was a kid. I love this plane.

Amazing result and great video. I only discovered AM recently and share your enthuasim. Thanks

Looks great 😊

Excellent work 👏

One of my absolute favorite aircraft, and you do a superb job on the painting, construction, assembly, narrative and video! Thank you, Brett, for bringing it all together. It is a tremendously large and impressive aircraft, especially on the ground...got the chance to check one out up close at the 70 years of flight, at Nellis AFB many years ago and to watch if flyby, low and slow was damned impressive.

That looks fabulous especially the three tone paint job.

Just amazing tuto👌🏻😉thanks

Great build, loved it!!! I built one of these back when they were first released by Accurate Miniatures. I recall how in Aww I was on the amount of detail and the crispness of it all. These kits set a new standard in that regard. They were amazing for that time. I also purchased their B-25 kit when it was first released, which I still have in my stash (with a bunch of after-market stuff for it). It was $50 MSRP. That was a lot of money for a 1/48 model kit back then. Perhaps I’ll finally build it some day before I leave this world.

Really enjoyed this one, thanks. In many ways that kit looks very similar to the Accurate Miniatures kit. (which I have still to finish after all this time..) Thanks to your little video I may dig it out!

Have this model coming in the mail soon because of this video. Avenger is one of my fav torpedo bombers so thank you for convincing me to build my own one

Nice job and excellent work

the Pilot figur , absolut amazing paintet ! . 23:00

awesome build!!!

Nicely done👍👍

Fantastic work 👍👍👍

Nice work, thanks.

I like how when you experience a issue with the decals or instructions you go to other forms of info you dont get all frustrated you just look at it as a learning experience and use it on other projects your not easily intimidated that way

Beautiful!

I have the exact same kit (Academy re-box) and I added an Eduard Photo-etch set to it. The mask that are included are nice and I especially like the included torpedo. Mask and the torpedo is what sold me and the price was less expensive than the one without the masks and torpedo! I was thinking of adding some tubing for the hollowed wing guns. Great work!

Your figure painting is exceptional!

The Avenger is a beautiful aircraft, I have the British version by Hobbyboss, same scale but it has a few problems with the turret, it doesn't fit very well but the rest is fine. Amazing paint job !!

Excellent!!!! Thank You!!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Very nice job! Like you, I built this many years ago (in the Atlantic scheme). I think it was the first model I painted with an airbrush. I’ve just picked up another one to see if I have improved at all so this is very timely.

I had never heard of Accurate Miniatures until about 2001 shortly after I came back to the hobby. I'll have to check out one of their kits.

That's a great kit.

great job

Very very good job

Great.Build when you like how you paint it.The different blue and Gray nice kit.Have to pick one that goes up always enjoy watching your videos keep up the good work

Fantastic build! I'm sure I have a float plane version from GWH in my stash, must dig it out. Best regards from sunny Scotland, well , a very damp Scotland! Paul

Looks cool 🛩

thats a hell of a TBF!

I watched this as I built my Eduard Zero, such a great video!

Hi Brett. Meng's 1/35 Whippet utilises plastic parts that need bending. This is lovely. The detail is great

Hi Brett, I think many Ooohs and Aaahs are in order. What a lovely build and talk through, I do enjoy your videos and, if it was a long one, well we just got more enjoyment for longer. Win win. I've just become a supporter of your channel, (Thanks for making it easy) so please may I make a request? Pretty please with a cherry on top, could you resume showing us where you add your little Hammerhead decal on your models. I used to really like that bit where you sneaked it in. It's a bit like your Tag, "Brett made me." Anyway, thanks again. My regards, Ian.

I just sold one of those kits not too long ago. Kind of wish I hadn't now 😂. Looks great.

Wow, fantastic build, great commentary and no music, yay.

Grumman was kind of all over the place with interior colors from 1943 into '44. The bronze green had previously been used on the F4F Wildcat and was also used on early F6F-3s. The idea was to use up existing paint stocks before transitioning to the new stuff. From what I remember, on the TBM General Motors went all interior green. Also from what I remember, the purpose of the bronze green was to reduce glare in the cockpit.

Brett, She looks so good. Given that we (RNZAF) flew them your build is timely as I need to add one to the stash for a future Kiwi project, many notes taken, What Ive found with the Academy reboxing they are generally quite a bit cheaper than the likes of the Revell rebox of the same kit.

Another very nice build! I admire your handling of the Ammo Acrylics, after 3 years of trying I gave up on them and went back to lacquers. Maybe you could do a tutorial one day on how you thin and handle the Ammo/ Vallejo paints.

Great job, love your show. I am into putting pilot figures in now, instead of just seat belts, which are kinda fiddly to put together anyway. I think it gives the airplane a lot of character and provides some scale about how big these planes really were. Unfortunately, a lot of manufacturers don't include good, quality pilots anymore.

Great build and lovely attention to detail. I will have to build this later this year. Thanks for the great vids and all the work involved.

Not a critisism but a bit more light on reveal. Great vid.

Recall that color zinc chromate in the old days

Eduard has some bending plastic parts. It's how the gear doors worked on the MiG-21

Very nice kit build aircraft nice plane TBF-1C Avenger i like this aircraft. ❤😊🤩😁😀🤗🤝🇺🇲🇺🇸

Truly amazing, you are an inspiration. I am new to the hobby and am building a 1/24 Dehavilland Beaver float plane. It’s a basic rough kit that is giving me a chance to try some scratch building, which I am enjoying. Does anyone know if there is somewhere I can find a 3 bladed prop and nose cone for this scale? Along with a pilot that doesn’t look like they are military. I’ve been looking but not having any luck.

I believe Eduard's new 1/72 Bf109s have folding plastic for the flaps.

That waas a absolutely outstanding build, it was a kit that was ahead of the times when they came out, congratulations on a job very well done, best regards from Australia, Les

Hey Brett! Love the build! I was wondering what your opinions on revell kits are? I find them kind of hard to work with and slightly lacking in detail but wanted a second opinion.

Nice build, which airbrush thinner do you use for your acrylic paints?

Beautiful model! What did you thin the semi gloss with?

Love the look of the light wash on top. I’ll be building an Academy Bearcat soon and it will have the same glossy blue all over. I really love the Flory washes. Do you think the Flory “Light” or “Dust” wash would have the same effect as what you did? If so, any idea which one you think would be better?

Where did you get the resin weighted wheels from? I'm looking for a torpedo kit as well.

Hi Brett. Can I ask what the citadel wash you used on the exhaust was called please?

Absolutely Stunning work as usual. You've given me a modicum of inspiration to build one of the Avengers in my stash and (hopefully) not screw it up too bad. I have a Lt. George H.W. Bush boxing + a Night Avenger boxing. I need a correct external tail hook + radar pod w/ bomb shackle to turn the -3D Night Avenger into a -3E.

What kind of hand brushes do you use for fine details?

Excellent work, really like your dialog. Not a fan of alot of the background music on some of the other channels.

I had flaking issues with Alclad gloss black base @ 9:05, has anyone had this issue?

💀👍🏻

This kit is next to built it is an old accurate miniature 480120 avenger TBF/M kit,will like to know if mask kit would work on this also, just sub to your channel!

Another supreme piece of work Brett. And the Accurate Miniatures really are what they say. I really like the Avenger and have a thought to twin one with my Hellcat (yet to build) for my Leyte Gulf tribute. Respect from England sir.

Those National insignias were sprayed, they’re not decals??? 🤔

It is soooooo glossy... But fantastic work!

Im in a hole buildwise and don´t get anything done since like January, but watching this makes me want to get that kit out and follow along. Thanks for a great video Sir! :)

Putting the transparent sprue into the chuck of a drill motor will produce a really nice shape for the light.