Minicraft Models initially released the Avenger in its WWII debut guise with a red-and-white striped tail and the Navy insignia with a  red dot in the center.  At the Battle of Midway, the center dot was painted out to be sure there was no confusion with the red “meatball” insignias of  Japanese adversaries and the red-and-white-striped stabilizer was quickly replaced with regular early WWII sea camouflage.

Minicraft Models #14731:  1/144 TBF Avenger.  We like the box art!  Minicraft kits always come in very sturdy boxes as well.  Some of us collect models faster than we can build them and you don't need to worry about this box getting squashed if you happen to stack a few other models on top of it.

Minicraft is really good about protecting kit parts, clear ones in particular, with separate plastic bags.  That awesome pre-decorated canopy will arrive at your workbench in perfect condition.

Minicraft’s latest release of the Avenger has a late WWII color scheme utilizing glossy dark blue with white markings.  It’s a striking finish with contrasting white markings and a the kit provides a choice of two different airplanes.

Another perk of the original kit is the clear windows used on fuselage sides and bottom.  It's nice to have that extra un-decorated canopy as well.

Minicraft’s 1/144 Avenger kit has always been one of my favorites of their WWII series.  The “glass” has always been a strong point on the kit with a very nice canopy and gun turret.  If the original kit had a challenge, it was was executing the canopy framing.  When I built my early Avenger, I meticulously masked the canopy lines in phases and it literally took me several days masking and painting a few lines and letting them dry before masking and painting a few more.  Minicraft has completely eliminated this tedious work with their new pre-painted canopies!

A pad-printing process known as “Tampo” is used, which allows a 3D object to be printed from a two-dimensional image.  One pre-decorated canopy is included with the kit, and the original “glass” is also included.  I’ve inspected a number of newer Minicraft kits and in addition to the marvelous printing,  Minicraft has somehow perfected a process of removing the canopy from the clear part sprue very cleanly.  Out-of-the-box, they are gorgeous and ready to put on the model eliminating what was previously a chore.

Two decal options provide a choice of Late-WWII airplanes.  Both will provide a striking model!

​The round gun turret includes decal markings to portray the framing there.  The framing is clean with the clear areas of the decal blanked out so the finished canopies will be crystal-clear.  The fine resolution and precise registration of the Cartograph decal sheet allows this.

Cowl flaps and the exhaust were well-executed in the original tooling.  Also, note the engraved line for the crew hatch.  The vertical stabilizer is molded as a separate part.

None of the other single-engine models in this series have so much "glass!"  Take a close look at that pre-decorated canopy.  It will save you quite a bit of tedious masking work.

I don’t recall a bigger single-engine model in this scale and it’s quite a bit bigger than even a P-47.  The prop is nicely executed and a spinner without prop blades is included if you want to portray the aircraft in-flight.  The landing gear is particularly nice on this kit as well and the option is included to portray the model wheels-up.

On the left are gear doors for the wheels-up option.  Center are gear struts with the doors built-in.  Installing these is a breeze!

This gun is a fairly simple molding, but it looks great inside that rear turret.

The prop was nicely done on this kit!

The kit goes together easily with no major fit or construction issues.  You may want to have a little putty on hand to deal with some minor gaps and seams, but I recall that the kit has no major construction bugaboos.
 
If you’re in the mood for a single-engine model that goes together quickly and easily (but looks like more effort was involved), this model is your ticket.  It was a great kit before, but the addition of the new pre-printed canopy makes it even better.  Dem Brudders give this one an enthusiastic four thumbs up!

BONUS CONTENT:  A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE PLANE AND THE MODEL

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of WWII, Minicraft Models first released its series of 1/144 aircraft models.  These kits were so successful that by the late 1990’s, Minicraft was on a roll with brand-new releases of 1/144 kits coming out on a routine basis, a pattern that continues to this day.  Among those first releases was the TBF Avenger.  I had been hoping to get one of these in 1/144 scale for a long time, and happily bought that first issue.  It was an enjoyable build, and included here is a mini-gallery of photos showing off this model.

These photos are from a model built from Minicraft's first issue of the Avenger.  These decals are not included in the latest release (#14731), but we thought you might enjoy seeing what the model looks like in its early 1942 guise.  We suspect that some of you already have this kit.  The Late-War version will look great displayed with this older one; why not pick up the new release today!

“Rides of the Presidents”

​In the past, Minicraft Models offered a number of aircraft used to transport presidents of the United States.  Aircraft of sitting presidents from FDR through Bush 41 have been portrayed by various Minicraft kits.   The VC-25, a converted 747, was introduced in 1990, while George H.W. Bush was president, but he was the last to use VC-137C SAM 26000, a converted 707, which was a Minicraft kit.
 
Another model produced by Minicraft was actually flown by a president—more accurately, a future president.

Dem Brudders what-does-it-have-to-do-with-modeling Trivia Fact:  President H.W. Bush ("Bush 41") was left-handed.  His term followed Ronald Reagan, who was also left-handed!

President George H.W. Bush was one of the youngest Navy pilots when he received his commission in 1943, just before his 19th birthday.  During an attack on Chi Chi Jima in 1944, Bush’s TBM Avenger was hit by anti-aircraft artillery.  Even though his plane was on fire, Bush released his ordnance over the target, scoring hits.  Bush and his 2-man crew managed to make it a few miles away from the island before they had to bail out due to the fire.  Unfortunately, one crewman did not make it out of the plane before it went down, and the other's parachute did not open.  After four hours in a rescue raft, Bush was picked up by the USS Finback, where he remained for a month as the submarine continued its assignment.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MINICRAFT MODELS FOR PROVIDING US WITH THIS MODEL TO REVIEW.  CHECK OUT THE THE ENTIRE LINE OF MINICRAFT MODELS AT MINICRAFTMODELS.COM