Messages

4921

Warplane Art / Re: Italian P47 remake

« on: March 15, 2010, 03:04:39 AM »

Letipapa,

Here are two of my most treasured artifacts from my boxes of spares:

The B-25 is from the Doolittle Raid Hornet aircraft carrier (the first ship model I built) and the vertical fin is from my first-ever aircraft kit, the old Revell B-24. Apparently I felt that I had to use ALL the decals on the sheet! I keep both of these parts at my modeling desk and have for many years. I still remember the fun I had building both of those kits and the satisfaction of completing them. I often look up at them and remember those times as a kid!

Sorry I hijacked this thread, Santynus-I often don't know when to stop talking! 

Scott

4922

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

« on: March 14, 2010, 04:59:52 AM »

This change of the nacelles length -

I learned a valuable lesson on the engine nacelles. When I originally started planning to build this model many years ago I thought I had studied the dimensions quite thoroughly. I knew the fuselage was 18" shorter in front of the wing and that the back of the airplane was entirely different, but I thought the wing and nacelles were more-or-less the same as the later airplanes. Only after I started measuring a factory three-view drawing did I realize the differences in the nacelles. I am thankful that I didn't find this out after the wings were glued together or it would have been quite a problem. You can never have enough information on a conversion project!

Scott

4923

Warplane Art / Re: Italian P47 remake

« on: March 14, 2010, 04:10:56 AM »

"big box of remains" this sounds so good , that I now officially proclaim ( ) that I am adopting the same name for a very small beginner's box of similar stuff.

  I have a box of decals and boxes of parts and pieces of kits I built as a kid. I've been building models since around 1965 so there is a pretty large amount of remains to dig through. The extra stuff certainly comes in handy, though!!!!

Scott

4924

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

« on: March 12, 2010, 07:48:24 AM »

Next was the #2 and 3 nacelle interiors. The 299 and YBs used a totally different engine/nacelle support structure than all the later models. On the B and forward the nacelle is fully monocoque with the skin, stringers, and frames supporting the entire load. On the 299/YB there is a truss from the wing structure to the firewall that supports the engine mounts. Here are a couple of reference photos to show the truss. The bottom picture is the development of the Y1B-17A showing the early turbocharger mounting on top of the wing.

Here are both nacelles with the trusses constructed. All the plumbing and other details will be installed just before the wing halves are glued together. The long white half-tube at the top of the nacelles is the trough that housed the exhaust system on the real airplane.

Here are the ring cowls in progress. I simply removed the engines from the cowl flap section and glued the cowls to the flap rings. There is some reshaping of the front of the cowls that I will do on the lathe later.

The o.d. ring is from the first B-17 kit I ever built, just after Monogram released it. I decided to incorporate it just for the sake of nostalgia.

Scott

4925

Warplane Art / Re: Italian P47 remake

« on: March 12, 2010, 07:18:31 AM »

Santynus,

I have to agree with you on the serial color. It appears that both black and white (or very light grey or sky) were used on the Thunderbolt IIs in the Pacific. The airplane restored at Hendon has them in white, but I don't know exactly how accurate the markings are. I still think I have a couple of good photos around here that might be of some help. I'll keep looking. I do have a photo of several razorback Thunderbolt Is in the SE Asia scheme and their serials are black.

Scott

4926

Warplane Art / Re: Italian P47 remake

« on: March 11, 2010, 08:18:57 PM »

I found my old Monogram decal set in the "big box of remains"......

It appears I had an accident with red paint thirty-five or so years ago! No problem though, I'll use the roundels and fin flash and figure out the rest of the markings later.

Scott

4927

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Late war Bf109

« on: March 11, 2010, 07:36:13 PM »

Excellent news on the numerals!

I've been mostly inactive with my modeling hobby for the past few years, but seeing people help each other out with things like this is one of the wonderful aspects of scale modelers.

S

4928

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Late war Bf109

« on: March 11, 2010, 06:48:12 PM »

No.1,

Give me a measurement of the height of the "5" and I'll go through my (very old ) decal collection. I don't know if I have anything there that would help but will be glad to search. I HATE having a model nearly finished but lacking one item.............

Scott

4929

Warplane Art / Re: Italian P47 remake

« on: March 11, 2010, 06:45:21 PM »

All wonderful!!!! In my youth I built the last RAF machine from a 1/48th kit. I still have spare decals in my collection, and I might just have to build another!

Scott

4930

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

« on: March 09, 2010, 04:21:12 PM »

Here is a continuation of the engine nacelle story. (I did this work last year, so things are not in chronological order. )

The YB-17s used a different design nacelle and engine mounting structure than all later Fortresses. One of the differences was the length of the nacelles. The outer ones are a bit longer than later Forts and the inners are shorter. Here is the beginning of the modifications--cutting off the firewalls and removing a bit of material. I then added material to the outboards to lengthen them the appropriate amount.

The right wing has been modified in this photo. Notice how much closer together the propeller arcs are to one another on the YB wing versus the standard B-17G on the left.

Another feature of the early airplanes was a lack of cowl flaps. The front end of the nacelle is rounded to let the air flow out of the aft end of the ring cowls. Here is the early effort at reshaping the lip and adding appropriate firewalls.

All of the putty you see is part of the work involved in eliminating the exhaust system and various turbocharger ducting on the bottom of the wing.

Scott

4931

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Late war Bf109

« on: March 08, 2010, 06:35:40 PM »

Hmmm.... I had forgotten the supply issue!

Another possibility would be to make masks and spray the two colors. And another: if you had some clear decal sheet the colors could be painted onto the clear and then cut out with the templates. Just a couple of thoughts....

The Luftwaffe used interesting numerals but they can be VERY difficult for us modelers to copy!!!

Scott

4932

Aircraft Modeling / Re: HOW TO: Natural Metal Finishes

« on: March 08, 2010, 05:31:36 PM »

See, I've already learned about a new product!  Keep the ideas coming, folks.

I apologize for not yet doing anything with this thread. I've been trying to figure out how not to bore everyone or tell y'all stuff that you already know all too well.

When I start a NMF project the first thing I have to do is plan. There are some kits out there that have so many flaws that the project would take years just to make the parts fit, much less to get a smooth enough finish for bare aluminum. The second consideration I make is the markings I want to replicate. My NMF methods require that I paint any anti-glare panels, radomes, deicer boots, etc. before the aluminum.

Once the planning and collecting of kit and other materials is done, the building process goes on as with any other kit with the exception of fixing ALL defects in the seams, panel lines, fit of turrets, canopies, etc. Quite often I've just sanded all the panel lines off (especially the raised kind) during the filling process and rescribed them lightly later.

For studying the quality of all my surfaces, and especially the seams, I use a grey lacquer auto body primer, dusted on with the airbrush in very light coats so as not to attack the plastic. I then use the red oxide auto primer and dust on another light coat, just enough to make the surface red. I use this as a "guide coat" to wet sand with 600 grit or so. All the flaws will show through as either high (grey) or low (red) primer. Sometimes I can go back with more spray coats of primer and wet sanding to fill the flaws, sometimes it takes some spot filler to correct the problem. Once I'm fully satisfied with the entire surface of the model I can move on to the final stage, applying the paint and aluminum.

More later,
Scott

4933

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

« on: March 08, 2010, 07:00:55 AM »

Another nacelle update. I had some free time again this evening to devote to the exhaust system so I built the fairing for #1.
One of the little details on the YBs was the exhaust stack that runs at an angle from the engine collector ring up into the exhaust fairing. You can see the #1 exhaust pipe is installed in this photo and the trough for the #2 installation is marked with black ink. The outboard engines used a different routing than the inboards for some reason, and all four angled exhaust stacks are on the right side of the engines. The inboard ring cowls are cut back to allow room for the exhaust while the outboards are not.

And here's a close-up of #1 that shows the exhaust pipe more clearly, with a photo of a "real" #1 nacelle below the model.

I'll have several more tall tales to tell about the nacelles that I must save for later.
Scott

4934

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Late war Bf109

« on: March 08, 2010, 02:22:54 AM »

For some time I will put on side this build until I solve the problem with the number '5'.

No.1,

Have you given thought to cutting your own "5" from sheet decal stock? I have done so on several models with good success. I simply copy the size and style of number I wish to duplicate on my copier. Then I carefully tape the printed figure (on plain paper) onto a piece of the correct color decal sheet and VERY carefully cut the shape onto the decal sheet with a new X-acto knife blade. The grey in your numeral would be cut from grey sheet in the same manner and applied over the white like a lamination. It is a bit tedious, but the results can be excellent with some practice.

Scott

4935

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

« on: March 07, 2010, 04:54:14 PM »

Thanks for the support and interest in this project, everyone! My modeling works at a pretty slow pace due to a lack of time, but it gives me enthusiasm when I share the work with fellow modelers. Once we get the 1/1 scale B-17 flying I hope to have a bit more time to devote to this 1/48th version .

Scott