D3A canopy question

Jun 16, 2005 2 Replies
S

I am currently building a 1/48 D3A "Val" dive bomber from Fujimi. The kit canopy is such that it can only be modeled "buttoned up." I am making my own canopy so that I can model the aircraft with the canopy open. My problem is that I want the rear seat open with the rear mounted machine gun projecting out, but I can not seem to find a good picture of what the rear gunner position would look like with the canopy open and gun out. I've not had much luck with Google Image Search. Can anybody help me out? I'm not perfectionist, but I would like for my aircraft to be fairly accurate.



Thanks in advance,



Sean


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M

I think the Val had a 'turtleback' canopy over the gunner's position. That means the section tilts forward into the portion forward of the gunner. That would mean the entire assembly pivots from the base of the first upright forward.

Anyone who knows definitively otherwise can feel free to correct me.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

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M

There were two versions. The D3A1 had the turtleback as described by Bill. The D3A2 and a long half-cone that rotated through 90 degrees to expose the gun. An example of the A2 is on display at the Museum of the Pacific and is pictured in Japanese Aircraft Interiors 1940-1945 by Mikesh. I'm pretty sure the old Fujimi kit is of the D3A1 version.

MB

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