Douglas SBD 3/4 Dauntless - CHROMA SERIES

Plastic model kit of an SBD-3/4 Dauntless from Border Model's brand-new CHROMA series, featuring pre-painted parts.
 

• 1:35 scale
• Includes complete interior
• Clear parts and photo-etched (PE) parts included
• Decals for 3 marking options
• Includes 2 types of external stores (drop tanks/bombs)
• Figures NOT included
• Unassembled / partially pre-painted
• Paint and glue not included

The Chroma Series:
The Douglas SBD-3/4 Dauntless is a real highlight for any modeler—but a "full interior" variant brings with it a tremendous amount of detail. The cockpit, interior spaces, structural components, and numerous small parts require not only clean assembly but also elaborate painting. This is exactly where Border Model's Chroma series comes in: pre-painted components provide a significant portion of the color scheme right out of the box.

For Beginners: Detailed modeling without the stress of painting

A Dauntless with a fully detailed interior can seem quite intimidating to beginners at first. Numerous individual parts must be identified, assembled, and then correctly painted. With pre-painted components, this initial hurdle is significantly lowered.

From the very beginning, you can focus on what makes modeling fun: assembling parts, discovering details, and watching an impressive model take shape step by step. Many time-consuming painting steps are already done—without the need for airbrush equipment or extensive paint collections.

For Professionals: More time for details and weathering

Experienced modelers know that with a "full interior" model, painting the numerous interior components alone can devour hours. Priming, applying base coats, highlighting details, masking, and then reassembling everything—all before the actual weathering process even begins.

The Chroma pre-painting process handles a large portion of this time-consuming foundational work for you. This leaves more time for what turns a good model into a unique masterpiece: fine detail painting, washes, chipping, oil paints, grime effects, and authentic signs of aging.

And this is precisely where the Dauntless shines: the pre-painted interiors provide an excellent foundation upon which you can build your own custom finish.

Not "real" modeling? Think again!

Of course, the Chroma Series is bound to raise a few eyebrows: "Pre-painted parts? That’s not real modeling!"

But modeling isn't defined solely by the hours spent with a paintbrush or airbrush. The real challenge lies just as much in precise assembly, handling the myriad details, and the individual styling of the finished model.

Pre-painting doesn't take the modeling process away from you—it shifts the focus. Instead of spending a huge chunk of your time base-coating hundreds of individual details, you can concentrate on construction, refinement, and weathering.

Especially with a "full interior" model like the Dauntless, this makes something possible that would otherwise quickly become a test of patience: building an extremely detailed model while still having plenty of time left for creative detailing.

The advantages at a glance:

Detailed interiors come pre-painted: The cockpit and other visible interior components receive a convincing color base right from the factory.
Reduced painting workload: No need for the laborious priming and painting of numerous small or hard-to-reach parts.
Ideal for beginners: No extensive paint collection or airbrush equipment required to achieve impressive results right away.
More time for weathering: The pre-painted components provide a perfect base for washes, chipping, grime effects, and custom aging techniques. Extremely thin paint application: The pre-applied base coat remains fine enough not to unnecessarily obscure engravings or intricate details.
The best of both worlds: The elaborate, detailed assembly remains intact, while time-consuming standard painting steps are significantly reduced.