Author Topic: B-29 'Haulin Ass' (Read 7354 times)

GregM · « **on:** January 13, 2014, 05:50:04 AM »

Lack of time and motivational issues have kept me away from modeling for the most part of the last couple years. The last things I can remember finishing were a Hellcat and a Griffon Corsair for a 'What If' group build, both of these in the fall of 2011. Hopefully that will change now, if nothing else I at least have the desire again. I've been a member here for over a year and this is the first model I've completed in that time but I had hoped for much more.

Tonight I finished a project for a good friend. He was a career Air Force vet that flew in more aircraft than I'll probably know. He was a radar/ECM operator in B-29's, he also flew in the KB-29, KB-50, KC-97, KC-135, and was in the B-36 and B-52. In the tankers he was a Boom Operator.

I've been planning to do this project for years and just got around to it in October. I had a couple time setbacks which were out of my control and I wanted to have this done by Christmas but I didn't make it.

One of the planes I know he is most proud of was the B-29 'Haulin Ass' which he flew in during the Korean War from Yokota AFB near Tokyo. I had photo documentation of the nose art and was able to fill in the rest of what I needed to know through research.

Here is a color photo of the plane I was able to track down. I also have a couple other photos of it in my collection which you can see on my website by linking through the information at the bottom of the page.

http://www.aviationatwar.com/photo-details.php?id=421

(if this nose art bothers anyone I will take it down)

The kit is the old Airfix with 'Eddie Allen' decals. It leaves something to be desired compared to most modern kits and if you're in a hurry to get a B-29 done I'd recommend another, although that was exactly the situation I was in! With a bit of work though you can turn it into something presentable, but the raised rivets still bother me. If you're ambitious enough you could sand them off and scribe the panel lines.

I had the nose art decals custom done by Josh at bedlamcreations.com. They look great and went on perfectly, as good as any decal I've ever used. I plan to use Josh again in the future.

I was able to find a set of decals by Kitsworld for two other planes in the squadron (98th BG, 343rd BS), so I was able to get the Square H from there. This was my first attempt at Alclad. I learned a few things not to do and have mixed feelings on it, but I know that I can progress on the next projects if I use it again. The rest of the decals are individual letters and numbers from Techmod, national insignias I believe are also Techmod.

Wheels are True Details resin. The wheels in the kit are better suited for a toy.

I wanted to get this post up tonight but I have a couple small things left to do. Tomorrow I plan to clean up the greenhouse glass paint because it's driving me crazy, and I need to do something with the tail gun. The tail guns should have gone in when the fuselage was going together and I didn't catch it. There was too much that needed to happen at that same time, and if the guns had gone in that long ago I would have just broken them off by now anyway. I have a plan that I think will work. I should be able to present the model to George sometime this week, I can't wait to do it and see his reaction.