Ultracast

1/48 TBF/TBM Avenger Flame Dampening Exhausts For the Accurate Miniatures Kit

Stock Number: Cone Shape Type 48194 - $5.95 CDN Finned Type 48195 - $5.95 CDN

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $5.95CDN Each Review copy provided by Ultracast (www.ultracast.ca) Ultracast is known amongst aircraft and armor modelers for their accurate resin accessories for WWII aircraft and vehicles. For modelers of the TBM Avenger, these latest detail sets are a welcome step outside their usual offerings of aircraft details. During the course of the war, Avengers were often fitted with flame dampeners as a way to reduce the glow of the exhaust as they engaged in nighttime anti-submarine or anti-shipping missions. The glow would give away the attacker and also hinder the night vision of the pilot. I have seen period photos of Avengers in both the Atlantic and the Pacific fitted with dampeners. Up until now, modelers have had to scratch-build such devices. Ultracast to the rescue! A flame dampener is not an easy device to easily replicate, especially in 1/48. Ultracast provides the two most common styles that I have seen fitted to Avengers: the Finned Type and the Cone Shaped Type. The finned type is a boxy heat exchanger that fits over the exhaust pipe and dissipated heat through a grille at the end. The cone-shaped device was smaller and dissipated heat through a series of fins radiating out from the cone. Each package comes with a pair of crisply molded dampeners cast on a single block. For $6 (Canadian or US since the dollars are at parity as of this review these are details that will help give your Avenger a more operational appearance, especially when appropriated colored/weathered. If you plan to model Atlantic units or night attack units in the Pacific, these details are a must. I have included some vintage and a modern picture of Avengers fitted with the flame dampeners of the type provided by Ultracast.

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