Kit Cutters Completion Guide

Nick Ziroli Giant-Scale Short Kit

100" SBD Dauntless

Q: What is the SBD Dauntless's role in WWII history?

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the most important aircraft of the Battle of Midway — SBD dive bombers sank four Japanese fleet carriers in a single day in June 1942, fundamentally changing the balance of power in the Pacific. Despite being considered obsolete by 1942, the Dauntless sank more enemy shipping than any other Allied aircraft in the Pacific theater.

The dive bomber that turned the tide at Midway — with working dive brakes, bomb trapeze, and a complete list of everything you need to finish it.

Buy the Kit — $504.00 See Everything You Need

Wingspan

100 in

Length

78 in

Scale

1/5

Wing Area

1,750 sq in

Weight (AUW)

30–40 lb

Power

62–85cc gas

Skill

Advanced

A Legend, Faithfully Cut

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the most consequential aircraft of the Pacific War's turning point — SBD dive bombers sank four Japanese fleet carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, destroying Japan's offensive naval air power in a single afternoon. Despite being considered obsolete, the Dauntless went on to sink more enemy ships than any other Allied aircraft in the Pacific theater. Nick Ziroli's giant-scale design captures that radial-engine dive bomber with one unique feature: functional dive brakes and a bomb trapeze, just like the real thing.

Kit Cutters supplies the precision laser-cut wood. This guide covers the rest: the honest, model-specific list of what you'll buy to complete it, with real sources for every part.

100-inch Ziroli SBD Dauntless giant-scale RC dive bomber in flight

What's in the Box?

Included in the Short Kit

Precision laser-cut wood parts only — ribs, formers, shaped parts
Three-piece wing rib set
Dive brake structure parts
Fuselage formers and shaped parts

Required Separately

Plans / building instructions (buy from Ziroli — copyright)
Spars, sheeting, and stick balsa
Engine, cowl, canopy, landing gear, covering, finishing, electronics
Fuel tank, prop, servos, hardware

Everything Else You Need to Complete This Kit

Model-specific, with real sources. Where Ziroli sells a part directly, that's noted. The Dauntless has more servo channels than most Ziroli warbirds — flaps and dive brakes are separate systems.

Power System

Ziroli specifies 62–85cc gas (Quadra 75 shown on plan). Below is the gas spec plus a researched electric alternative.

GAS — designer spec

Engine	62–85cc gas (Quadra 75 shown on plan). DA-60, DA-70, or DA-85 suit the 30–40 lb weight range.	Desert Aircraft
Fuel tank	B&B Specialties or Dubro tank, sized to engine	Ziroli
Hamilton Standard prop	3-blade scale static propeller kit — period-correct for the Dauntless	Ziroli
Engine offset	Per plan	Per plan

ELECTRIC — researched alternative

Motor	~50cc-class outrunner, 190–230 KV (e.g. Great Planes RimFire 50cc). Proven on 30–40 lb giant-scale warbirds.	AMain Hobbies
Battery	12S LiPo (2× 6S in series). Two packs ~5000 mAh+, high C-rating.	Specialty RC retailer
ESC	150–160A with generous margin	Specialty RC retailer

Heads up — The Dauntless's large round radial cowl is a big air inlet. For electric builds, plan deliberate cooling routing so air flows past the motor and exits. Confirm your full setup in eCalc before buying.

Cowl

Designer sells

SBD Dauntless fiberglass cowl

Multi-layer fiberglass. 6⅝"L · 11"H front · 12"H rear · 11"W front · 11"W rear. Labelled "version 3".

Ziroli

Canopy

Designer sells

SBD Dauntless canopy	Vac-formed .040" PET-G with frames molded in. 26"L · 5"H · 6.25"W.	Ziroli
Canopy rail set (warbirds)		Ziroli

Landing Gear

Retracts or fixed

Main retracts — Sierra	Sierra Giant Scale SBD Dauntless retracts. Struts retract 90° for prototypical angles; straight main struts with 5° axle angle per full scale.	Ziroli
Main retracts — Geartech	SBD Dauntless Ziroli Geartech replacement for Robart. CNC machined in Germany.	Ziroli
Air kit	Robart 157VR Air Kit	Ziroli
Retract control valve	Ultra Precision UP-8 retract control valve	Ziroli
Fixed gear option	Fixed wire gear also detailed on the plan	Per plan

Decide on retracts vs. fixed gear before construction — the wing mounts differ. Two retract options are available from Ziroli; both are SBD-specific with the correct 90° retraction angle.

Servos

8+ channels

The Dauntless requires more servo channels than most Ziroli warbirds — the dive brakes are a separate system from the flaps, each requiring their own servos.

Flaps	4× 120+ oz-in, metal gear, ball bearing (plan spec)	Builder preference
Dive brakes	2× 120+ oz-in, metal gear, ball bearing (plan spec — separate from flaps)	Builder preference
Ailerons	2× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Elevators	2× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Rudder	1× 120+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Gear / Throttle	1× 50 oz-in each	Builder preference

Minimum 8 channels: ailerons, elevators, rudder, throttle, flaps, dive brakes, gear, plus optional bomb drop. Plan for a radio with sufficient channels and mixing capability for the dive brake / flap combination.

Covering & Finishing

Airframe	1 oz fiberglass cloth + ZAP Z-poxy finishing resin (Ziroli's recommendation)	Chief Aircraft / specialty
Elevator & rudder	Iron-on cloth (Solartex)	Specialty RC retailer
Vinyl graphics	SBD Dauntless WWII US Navy Pacific schemes	Ziroli

Scale Accessories

All from Ziroli

Scale 1000lb bomb	Fiberglass scale 1000lb bomb — mounts to the bomb trapeze shown on the plan	Ziroli
Instrument panel	Ziroli SBD Dauntless instrument panel (3D printed, JP Warbird)	Ziroli
Dummy radial engine	Vacuum-formed dummy engine (scale radial look inside cowl)	Ziroli
Pilot figure	WWII US Navy Pacific	Ziroli

Hardware

Wing tube set	Aluminum wing tube and sleeve set (three-piece wing)	Ziroli
Control horns & linkages	Sized per plan; dive brake linkages require careful routing	Specialty RC retailer
Hinges	Flat hinges or Robart hinge points	Robart / specialty

Detailed Specifications

Wingspan	100 in
Fuselage length	78 in
Scale	1/5 (2.4" = 1 ft)
Wing area	1,750 sq in
Weight (AUW)	30–40 lb
Power	62–85cc gas (Quadra 75 shown on plan)
Wing	Three-piece, with flaps, dive brakes, and retracts
Gear	Robart retracts or fixed wire gear (both shown on plan)
CG location	6.5" back from leading edge at fuselage (revised 2017 — supersedes plan)
Cowl	6⅝"L · 11"H front · 12"H rear · 11"W
Canopy	26"L · 5"H · 6.25"W
Min. radio channels	8+ (flaps and dive brakes are separate systems)

Specs from Ziroli's published SBD Dauntless plan. CG revised in 2017 to 6.5" — use this figure, not what is printed on the original plan sheets. The plan consists of five large sheets illustrating all structure, flap/dive brake installation, and retracts.

Nick Ziroli

Pioneer of giant-scale RC aviation, known for meticulous scale accuracy and structural integrity. Ziroli sells nearly every model-specific accessory for the Dauntless directly — including the scale 1000lb bomb, bomb trapeze hardware, instrument panel, and vinyl graphics.

(631) 467-4765 · Plans must be purchased separately from Ziroli (copyright).

Get Ziroli Plans

The Build Journey

Build time for a giant-scale warbird varies with experience and scale detail added. The Dauntless is more complex than a standard Ziroli warbird due to the dive brake system — plan the linkages and servo mounting carefully before building the wing. Treat these ranges as a rough sense of scope, not a fixed estimate.

Where a short kit saves you time

Ziroli's plans include full-size templates for every wood part. The Dauntless's three-piece wing with both flap and dive brake systems represents the most complex wing structure in the Ziroli lineup. A Kit Cutters short kit removes the entire parts-cutting stage.

Plans only (hand-cut)

You trace and cut every rib, former, and wing panel from raw stock, then build.

more time, lower part cost

Short kit (laser-cut)

All three wing panels and fuselage parts arrive laser-cut. Skip straight to assembly.

less time, cleaner fit

The four stages of assembly

Stage 1: Fuselage Assembly

Building the main body — the Dauntless's distinctive greenhouse canopy and rear gunner position.

Align and pin main formers
Install keel / crutch system
Plank the fuselage
Fit the radial engine box / motor mount

Stage 2: Wing Assembly

Three-piece wing with flaps, dive brakes, and retract mounts — the most complex stage.

Build the center section
Build port and starboard outer panels
Install dive brake hinges and servo mounts
Sheet and cap all three panels

Stage 3: Tail Assembly

Vertical and horizontal tail components.

Build the horizontal stab
Build elevator surfaces
Assemble fin and rudder
Final-shape tail surfaces

Stage 4: Systems & Final Assembly

Engine, bomb trapeze, and pre-flight checks.

Install gear & air plumbing
Install bomb trapeze and scale 1000lb bomb
Radio gear and dive brake mixing
Verify CG at 6.5" from leading edge

Frequently Asked Questions

The short kit is laser-cut wood parts only. To complete it you'll also need the Ziroli plans, spars and sheeting, an engine or electric power system, cowl, canopy, landing gear, servos, covering, and finishing supplies. The "Everything Else You Need" section above lists each item with a source.

Yes. The design is originally gas (62–85cc), but builders fly this class on a ~50cc-equivalent outrunner around 190–230 KV on 12S LiPo. The Dauntless's large round radial cowl needs deliberate cooling routing for electric builds. Confirm your full setup in eCalc before purchasing.

Plans are purchased separately from Nick Ziroli at ziroligiantscaleplans.com (copyrighted). Kit Cutters supplies the laser-cut wood; Ziroli supplies the plans and most model-specific accessories.

The Dauntless has three features no other Ziroli warbird has: functional dive brakes (the distinctive perforated flaps that open symmetrically top and bottom), a bomb trapeze mechanism, and a scale 1000lb fiberglass bomb. These are all shown on the plan and Ziroli sells the bomb as a separate accessory.

6.5 inches back from the leading edge of the wing at the fuselage. This is a revised CG from 2017 that supersedes the location shown on the original plan — use the 6.5 inch figure, not what's printed on the plan sheets.

Either. Ziroli's plan shows both Robart retracts and a fixed wire-gear option. Two retract options are available from Ziroli — Sierra Giant Scale SBD-specific retracts or the Geartech Robart replacement. Decide before construction as the wing mounts differ.

The Douglas SBD Dauntless sank four Japanese fleet carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, fundamentally changing the balance of power in the Pacific. Despite being considered obsolete, the Dauntless went on to sink more enemy ships than any other Allied aircraft in the Pacific theater.

100" wingspan, 78" length, 1,750 sq in of wing area at 1/5 scale. Typical all-up weight is 30–40 lb. These figures come from Ziroli's published SBD Dauntless specification.

Ready to Build Your SBD Dauntless?

Buy the 100" SBD Dauntless Kit — $504.00

Prices and availability are subject to change — verify on each vendor's site before ordering. Kit Cutters supplies laser-cut wood parts only; plans and accessories are sold by their respective vendors.

Premium laser-cut short kits for large-scale and giant-scale radio-controlled aircraft builders. USA-based quality craftsmanship for serious hobbyists.