Author Topic: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar  (Read 23725 times)

Offline GregM

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1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« on: January 13, 2013, 06:07:21 PM »
Hello everyone!

Quite some time ago I was invited here by a member, I've been lurking off and on and have finally been able to sign up.  I thought I'd share my current project.  I'm not a beginner but don't consider myself anything more than mediocre, hopefully I won't embarass myself too much!

I had been out of modeling for a handful of years and when I returned to the hobby it was because of of my newly sparked interest in World War II.  One of the first models I built was an Airfix B-29 kit, the B-29 being a large part of my becoming interested in warbirds.  As time went on and I got more builds under my belt the poor B-29 started to look worse and worse against the rest of my collection, so last year I decided it was time to do another one. 

I had another Airfix kit stashed away, but as many of you know it has thousands of raised rivets and panel lines that would need to be sanded off and then the panel lines scribed.  I went searching for a better kit that wouldn't require this, and I found an Academy kit with Bockscar decals.  Perfect!

I started the project last spring, but lack of time and some motivational issues kept me away from modeling for the second half of 2012.  I picked it up again a couple weeks ago and have been making good progress this time.

Here is the kit.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/003.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




Naturally I started with the interior. 

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/007.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




Since nothing aft of the pilot and copilot can be seen through the greenhouse glass and you can't see into the waist I decided to not go crazy with detailing the interior, and I left out everything aft of the bomb bays except for the tail gunner's section.  It took quite a bit of work to get the fuselage halves together even with leaving the large section out of the rear.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/059.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/011-1_zps9edbc669.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




Almost eight months after starting I finally got the fuselage halves together last week!

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/014_zpsf8af179f.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




This same kit is reused for mutiple aircraft so it comes with cuffed and non cuffed propellers, provision for the cannon in the tail gun position, gun turrets, etc.  Since my Silverplate B-29 doesn't have turrets I had to cut off the small fairings around the base of all turret locations.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/001_zpscff6f3e2.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




I made some small tabs with sheet styrene and glued them inside the turret locations.  This will give the turret covers something more to glue to and also prevent me from dropping them inside while trying to get them in place.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/002_zps35a86140.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




As of 1 AM this morning I have the fuselage seams all cleaned up and I'll be putting the turret covers in place tonight, then it will be on to the wings.



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/003-1_zpsebf795f4.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar



http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/001_zps4f0b42f4.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2013, 06:12:47 PM »
Welcome aboard mate and nice to see your first build :) Subject is nice and not seen everyday :-ok

Offline Sall

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2013, 06:16:27 PM »
Welcome here mate!! :-clap :-tri

I like your work!! :-clap

Ps. I have the same putty! :))

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2013, 06:29:28 PM »
Ps. I have the same putty! :))

Use it please... ;)

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2013, 07:12:47 PM »
Hey, Greg! Good to see you here. :-flo

That B-29 is looking very nice. I've got a B-29B started and I'll be interested in your treatment of the turret and blister covers since I have much the same modification on my kit. Mine hasn't seen the light of day since 2007...... :-paper

Scott

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2013, 04:17:33 AM »
Thanks everybody!

I got the turret covers in tonight.  They're all going to need a little work once they're dry but they fit decent.  The side blister covers were molded in clear since they have the small clear opening in the center.   It was pretty easy on mine since the kit came with all the covers.  Scott, are you going to have to fabricate yours?  I got the radome in tonight too.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/006_zps809322a0.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar




I had the wings together back in June but the flaps weren't in, I got them in tonight.  My next step is the nacelles and I have a decision to make.  They molded them without the supercharger cooling slots and it bugs me.  There's a $20 photo etch set that would remedy this but I can't justify spending that much for just these few pieces.  I think I'm going to lay them out and just scribe them but I tried one tonight and wasn't happy with the results.  I'm thinking about making a template I could use for scribing.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/008_zps7b2ddeeb.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar



Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2013, 07:37:39 AM »
Template is good if you can make it. Just take time and you will make it ;)

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2013, 05:22:46 AM »
Last night I layed out the slots on the other side of the same nacelle I first tried on, scribed them and foiled over it to see how it looked and I didn't like the results there either.  I decided to abandon the idea and filled in the lines I scribed. 

Tonight I got the nacelles on.  The wings aren't nearly ready to go on permanently but I had to stick them on just to see it.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/001_zps2e9ff08f.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2013, 07:16:29 AM »
Just keep on mate, next time will be better ;)

Offline Sall

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2013, 11:46:07 AM »
Just keep on mate, next time will be better ;)

I agree! ;) And it looks nice with wings! :-ok

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2013, 05:01:02 AM »
I've got the wings on and all the seams cleaned up, outside of touching up a few panel lines it's ready for covering.  I plan to use a couple shades of Bare Metal Foil but January has been quite unkind to me financially so I can't spend money on foil right now.  The B-29 will be on hold for a few weeks but not forgotten!

Offline No.1

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2013, 07:14:09 AM »
Have you considered to spray it in metal colors?

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2013, 04:36:58 PM »
Yes, but I love the look of the foil and have been hooked on it since trying it the first time.  I'll probably use paint for some of the sections for a color contrast but I really want to use foil for the bulk of it.

Offline Domi

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2013, 06:37:00 PM »
Nice work on this beast!
Domi

Offline GregM

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Re: 1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2013, 05:29:59 AM »
Back to work!  When I finally ordered a couple sheets of foil I went to put them away and found a fresh sheet that I had bought at some point and tucked away.  I could have started foiling a month ago but didn't realize it.  I think I'll have to put in another order before I'm done but I've got quite a bit to work with now. 

I've got about two and a half hours invested so far and a whole lot to go. There are seven separate pieces used in what you see here. 

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy360/WIXerGreg/Bockscar/008_zps77a68f31.jpg
1/72 Boeing B-29 Bockscar


I used matte aluminum for the center section since it's duller on the full scale airplane.  I don't know if it's a characteristic of the matte aluminum or if it's just because my sheet is old but it's more brittle than any foil I've used.