LetLetLet ~ Warplanes
Let Let Let - Warplanes => Ground Forces => Topic started by: Second Air Force on January 24, 2011, 04:10:14 AM
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I started a project today that I've wanted to work on for many years. As many of you know, Monogram/Revell include a bomb trailer in each 1/48 B-17 kit. The parts are a good starting point to work from, but much can be done to make the trailer more accurate. Here's a photo of a pair of trailers servicing Develish Snooks in India:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DevilishSnooks.jpg)
It so happens that I have one of these trailers at my home that we're restoring. Here is a photo of our trailer. We are missing some parts such as the fuse/fin box that goes on the front and the rails that held the bombs on the trailer, but it is otherwise just as it was issued in WWII. I've got a restoration thread here if you're interested: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=25585&hilit=bomb+trailer
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_2455.jpg)
In this photo you can see the principal parts of the 1/48 trailer. I've removed the rail moldings on the deck, the hitch and front suspension support, the rear axle pieces and the fuse box. The new rear axle, hitch, front suspension mount and box are in white or aluminum color. The rear wheels are pretty accurate right out of the box and the front wheels can be used with some work. I did open up the holes on the rear wheels so you can see the brake drums through them as on the real thing:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6054.jpg)
And a view of the scratchbuilt box and hitch/suspension, including the new leaf spring made from styrene strips, with the "stock" trailer for comparison.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6060.jpg)
This is a nice break from working on the Y1B-17 model, and it doesn't take up nearly as much room on the desk! :-jump
Scott
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I like your project, it's really an excellent idea!
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Very interesting project...Something totally different. :-clap
Keep us posted.
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This is missing bits in our modeling- great idea mate!
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Even better than the bomb trailer in the B-17 kit is the Cletrac aircraft tug in the B-24! The Cletrac is actually pretty nicely detailed but still needs some detailing. I may rob one of those out of a Liberator kit and add it to this thread later.
Scott
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I hacked together the leaf springs for the rear axle late last night.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6062.jpg)
This is proving to be fun to build. It's the first model I've built that I could walk outside to see the 1/1 version for reference! ;)
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It going fast and smooth and I enjoy that it is full scratch work from basic plastic material :-ok
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The front axle support was the next project on the little trailer. This was made from pieces of a B-29 main landing gear scissor link, aluminum tubing, and brass wire for the coil springs. After it was assembled the entire trailer was mocked-up on the desk in order to check for the correct attitude, and it came out just about as it should. Measuring the 1/1 trailer paid dividends when I laid out the parts on the model. After the front suspension was constructed I finished the hitch assembly with more parts from the spares drawer and some .020 safety wire for bracing on the hitch tube.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6102.jpg)
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Look like real thing :)
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Well done!
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Will this be painted as trailer 1 / 1 whose picture you posted, or? :-think
For now,looks perfect,as Srecko says,like a real trailer. :-clap
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The plan for paint is a simple olive drab scheme with Second Air Force (heavy bombardment training in the continental U.S.) markings from McCook Army Air Field in western Nebraska. The full sized trailer that we're restoring will eventually become part of the small McCook AAF museum that we're members of.
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I stayed home today because of a snowstorm, so some work got done on the trailer. I could have painted the thing if it wasn't so cold in the shop! The first photo shows the "brake drum" inside the wheel half and the opened holes in the outside half. When it is assembled you'll be able to see the drum through the holes.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6139.jpg)
It's ready for paint in this photo. There will be a few little detail parts to add and I still need the material for the rails that go on the bed.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6145.jpg)
S
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Nice progress thanks to the snow in your area :))
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:-clap :-clap :-clap :-clap
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I had the airbrush out to paint the nacelle interiors on the B-17 project so I shot a coat of O.D. on the bomb trailer. I slid the tires on temporarily for the picture--they'll align corretly when we get to final assembly. :-dal I'm stalled on this until I can get to the hobby shop for Evergreen channel stock for the bed rails. No one was open this weekend because of the sloppy roads. :-roll
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6213.jpg)
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Wonderful work mate!!!
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I like it!!!
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Wonderful work!
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Here is a photo of a couple of bomb rails. There are a total of thirty-one parts in each one of these. This model is a really good research project for the real trailer I'm restoring. I will have to make a set of these in 1/1 scale someday and it was nice to build small ones first!
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6241.jpg)
I also worked on the tires. A good friend mentioned that the originals looked like they came from a child's toy so I decided to put them on the lathe for some tread. First the tread face:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6239.jpg)
Then, the sidewall:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6240.jpg)
Next I had to narrow them down a bit on the sanding block to get the scale width. Here is a nearly-finished wheel next to an original Monogram part:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6249.jpg)
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For a long time I did not see that somebody use sanding/turning machine to do any part! This is great refresh for me :-clap
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:-eek :-eek :-eek :-eek
I don't know what to say!?
Great,great,great...Great! :))
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For a long time I did not see that somebody use sanding/turning machine to do any part! This is great refresh for me :-clap
I was so fortunate to get that lathe. A friend of ours, when we lived in Texas, asked me if I wanted a Unimat. An elderly neighbor of his had passed away and my friend was helping the family sell some of his tools. I paid a relatively small amount (I forget how much, $50 comes to mind) for the lathe and it came with a full set of tools and adapters. I used it to machine aluminum when we had our aftermarket model car parts business. Now it is back in "semi-retirement". It's been very handy for the B-17 nose and these tires.
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Stunning but excellent work!
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Now that the trailer is almost finished it needs something to pull it, courtesy of an old Monogram B-24 kit:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6303.jpg)
I thought the Cletrac was detailed somewhat better than it really is. This is going to be a pretty big project. One nice thing is that the real tug has rubber tracks and the kit parts look pretty close. The chassis and wheelsets are going to be a LOT of work.
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I neglected to put up a photo of the finished bomb trailer. It's been sitting on the shelf waiting for me to build some bombs but I need the room, so into the display case it goes...... When I finished the trailer I went ahead and built a bomb stand and hand cart. The stands were sometimes used to hold the bomb while the fins and fuses were installed, and the hand cart fits into the stand to transport the bomb to the airplane. The hand carts were also quite handy for other uses, including changing radiators on P-51s.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6496.jpg)
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And final result is great!
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Thanks!
I'm waiting to weather the trailer depending upon whether I will display it in some type of diorama setting. I've got a couple of ideas floating around in my head that might be interesting. I've been thinking about buying a Tamiya 2 1/2 ton GMC truck and converting it to a Chevy M-6 bomb truck, the perfect companion for the trailer.
Incidentally, the bomb stands were shipped to the combat zones strapped to the trailers as a set.
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I like this very much! :-clap
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Splendid! I like it!!!
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I kept a list of all the little pieces that it took to build the bomb trailer and it came to 289 parts not including the bomb stand and three-wheeled cart. The trailer as it comes in the Monogram/Revell B-17 consists of the eight pieces shown below:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6510.jpg)
Now, on to the M-6 bomb truck......!
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Really different, almost like two different subject!
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Wow!What a big difference!One more prove that your work is extraordinary! :-clap :-clap :-clap
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I broke down this morning and ordered a Tamiya GMC ten-wheel truck. I'll convert it to a Chevrolet M-6 bomb truck just like this one:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DevilishSnooks.jpg)
The airplane is Devilish Snooks and the photo was taken at the 40th Bomb Group (VH) base at Chakulia, India in '44.
The truck and bomb trailers were used as a set and my trailer looks lonely sitting by itself. :-roll
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So you have a full time job just to get in order work on early B-17 kit :-ok
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So you have a full time job just to get in order work on early B-17 kit :-ok
I've been ignoring the B-17 for a while, haven't I? :-paper Once I started on the rear fuselage I ran out of energy (enthusiasm). Doing the group builds and finishing the little trailer on this thread have been good distractions from the "big" project. I probably won't work on the bomb truck or the Cletrac tug until I get more done on the Fortress.
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Anyway, you doing all of this excellent :-ok
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I've said it before on other threads, but it's because of you and everyone else on LetLetLet that I've been inspired to finish some of these projects! :-flo
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Thank you for this nice words mate :-flo
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We were working in the yard and garden this morning and I pulled the real trailer out of its winter parking spot. Here are three pictures of the two trailers together to finish up this thread. Next I have to make the 1/1 trailer look like the 1/48th version!!!!!! ;)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6636.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6638.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6639.jpg)
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Nice photos.Thank you for material! :-flo :-ok
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Big one and little one :))