Aires Aerobonus line continues to pump out great add on sets for dioramas for kits and the latest release is a set of Compressed Gas cylinders in 1/32 and this time specifically acetylene tanks. The set has four casting blocks of materials. two of the blocks are the tanks with four bodies being provided. the remaining two block have the options for each tank. There are four closed tops and enough hardware to make the tops open and have gauges. the instructions show you both ways and the decision is the modelers.

Construction is simple. Cut the tank from the casting block and sand smooth. For the closed tank, cut the lid off and sand smooth and glue on the top of the tank. For one with the pressure regulator, cut the regulator and dial off and glue those on the tank as shown in the drawing.

The Douglas TBD-1A was a one-off aircraft built to compete for a Dutch requirement in 1939 for a float plane bomber, the Netherlands being blessed with a vast inland sea from which to operate. The Dutch were not interested and the aircraft was sold to the Navy for testing at Naval Air Test Center (later this center would outgrow NAS Anacostia and NAS Patuxent River would be built). The Navy had no need for a float plane version of it carrier aircraft, yet the Navy found the TBD-1A to be a stable torpedo and bombing platform, with the oversized floats only diminishing air speed by 20 knots. So theTBD-1A was reassigned to Experimental Squadron Two (VX-2) at NAS Quonset Point in Rhode Island (part of the 1st Naval District) where it would support the Newport Torpedo Station in the testing of aerial torpedoes. Since it was a float plane and could be closer to the action, the aircraft operated from an air facility at the south end of Gould Island in the Narragansett Bay off Newport, RI.

History

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft, manufactured by Curtiss Wright Co. and the first flight was March 1940. There were 36 C-46 delivered to the JASDF and they served as JASDF’s main transport aircraft. Serial numbers 140, 143, and 145 were converted to C-46ECM and served with the Electronic Warfare Training Squadron of the Air Defense Command. Each of these three aircraft were configured differently resulting in all three aircraft having different antenna locations. C-46ECM No. 143 is on display at Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park, and No. 145 is on display at JASDF Iruma Airbase.