Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

[draken35]

I'm really impressioned by your work...

[Sall]

I really don't know what to say...

[Second Air Force]

I finally purchased some clear plastic that is pliable enough to vacuform the nose cone. Everything I'd tried earlier didn't pull down to the mold tightly at the bottom. Here is a first attempt at the nose and radio room blister just after molding them:

Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

[No.1]

So join progress is next?

[Second Air Force]

So join progress is next?

I wish it were, No.1! I need to add all the structure inside the aft fuselage next. The gun emplacement details also have to be built and then fitted to the fuselage halves. I am thinking about adding the waist blisters to the side of the fuselage halves prior to glueing the halves together so that I can get the details inside more easily. The upper and lower blisters will have to be built-up and installed to the fuselage after joining, especially the lower one since it sits on both the center section and aft fuselage.

Another consideration  is the right-hand crew entry door. The opening is right on the joint between the Koster and Monogram fuselage halves. I will have to be careful to build the opening without weakening the seam between the two parts of the right fuselage section.

All of the headaches   are not yet over, but at least the transparency problem is substantially conquered.

Scott

[Second Air Force]

Here is a quick sample of a nose piece with the ball installed. Someone wondered if it would be hard to cut the opening in the clear nose cone so I did this prototype. I didn't clean up any edges since it was just a test-shot, but the process went about as I'd expected.

Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

[No.1]

This is very hard and tricky task!! Congratulation

[draken35]

Splendid!

[Sall]

Great!

[Second Air Force]

Just so y'all don't think I put this back in storage, here is the first bulkhead for the aft fuselage. This one is a stiffener only. The next bulkhead forward will actually be visible from inside the fuselage. Then there are a pair of bellframes further forward. After all the bulkheads and frames are in place the former rings, stringers, floorboards, etc. can be installed.

Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

[No.1]

You will made the rest elements from plastic shapes?

[Second Air Force]

So join progress is next?

A quick update--I painted the inside of the #2 and #3 nacelles this morning, and the joining of the wing halves is at hand. These will be the first parts of the project to reach a stage where I can glue something together permanently.

[samuraj77]

As I said previously, this is outstanding effort.
Great work 

[Sall]

Great!

[Second Air Force]

I restarted work on the waist gun blisters this evening. I must get these fitted and design the inside framing of the openings before I can finish the interior work on the aft fuselage.

Here is the first "practice" blister after cutting out the opening. Making the opening is turning out to be tougher than I had thought it would be. After I am satisfied with the shape of the opening I'll use another blister to provide the moving portion of the perspex. The moving part of each blister will be a separate project that should provide me with a headache.

Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

A couple of photos of the blister taped to the fuselage. Notice that the aft crew entry door opening has been cut. This goes into the Monogram fuselage just a little bit but it isn't as tricky as I feared it would be.

Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale

Boeing Y1B-17 Project--1/48th Scale