LetLetLet ~ Warplanes
Let Let Let - Warplanes => Aircraft Modeling => Topic started by: Second Air Force on August 09, 2011, 03:57:18 AM
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I've been sitting on this project for a while now (1981) and seeing the profiles No.1 has been doing in the Artwork forum inspired me to get a start on the kit.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7626.jpg)
I originally wanted to do a gun-nose J but this kit came with the normal glass nose. I started to scratchbuild a solid nose from green putty and kit pieces but it didn't show much promise. That led me to stuff the whole thing back in the box and it's been there since. Recently I found a gun nose in the parts box from a model I broke up and it got me revitalized. Finally I purchased an Aeromaster 345th Bomb Group decal sheet last month so here is a quick first update.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7624.jpg)
You can see the red gun nose on the left (I painted it the wrong color on my original model :-roll) and the green putty attempt on the right of the box.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7623.jpg)
If any of you have built any of the 1/48 Mitchells you know how much weight it takes to keep the nose gear on the ground. A trick I figured out years ago is to seal the engine nacelles forward of the gear and fill the cavities with lead shot. This works well as it transfers some of the weight to the wings, right in front of the gear. There will still be a need for more weight in the nose, but it won't be so hard on the nose gear by distributing the lead this way. Here's one of the nacelles with the white bulkhead glued in place. Everything in front of the bulkhead all the way to the firewall will be filled with lead.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7376.jpg)
This is a low-priority project but I'll update it when I can.
Scott
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Low priority or not, this will be nice to see :-clap
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1/48 :-eek One more huge machine from your side! :-clap Excellent! :-clap :-clap
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Yes, it is a large one when finished, and I don't really have a place to display it! My cabinet is full now so I'll have to get creative for storing this and the B-17 if I ever finish it......
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Maybe you can pay more attention to this two huge birds. B-17 and B-25 becouse they are so interesting. ;) It is only my oppinion! ;)
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You have always nice projects :)
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Maybe you can pay more attention to this two huge birds. B-17 and B-25 becouse they are so interesting. ;) It is only my oppinion! ;)
I agree with your opinion, Sall--the Fortress has always been my favorite bomber and I've read stories about the B-25 (Doolittle Raid books in the early years of school) since I was a little guy. My only problem with the Mitchell is to figure out where I'm going to put it when it's complete, and the Y1B-17 remains a long-term project.
Perhaps I can make more time for the B-25 if I don't start any others for a few weeks!
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Place for put it is the lightest thing. Just start works on those two projects. Do what ever you want,but it is my advice to you. :-flo
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I hear and obey! :-salut An update perhaps tomorrow...... :-wave :)
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Okay, a small update.
First things first was to assemble the weighted nacelles to the wings and apply a bit of filler. This kit has some gaps around the wing/nacelle joints that requires CA glue and then putty to correct. Then I taped the fuselage halves together to make certain that the halves weren't warped from thirty years of being in the box.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7632.jpg)
Here's the nose before I started removing the old paint. I don't really remember constructing this one, but I used the standard glass nose with a new tip. I think the tip may be a P-61 radome. It then just took some reshaping and filler to get the shape just right. This will be an interesting sub-project to rebuild--the flaws aren't as evident with the parrot head paint scheme.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7633.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7634.jpg)
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Nice effort you did before with hand painted parrot ;)
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Nice to see progress here! ;)
Good start. From something you must begin! ;)
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Nice effort you did before with hand painted parrot ;)
Thank you :-flo, but I painted the feathers red and they should have been green :-red. It's a good thing I didn't build that airplane for contests!!!!!! Back then I had only a black-and-white picture to go by and I blew it big-time......Incidentally, that paint is so hard that I have given up on stripping it. :-wall I'm going to sand the paint and use filler to smooth the surface.
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Fuselage halves, then joining of the major sections. I'd forgotten how quickly this kit can be assembled, especially when the interior had been painted thirty years prior....... :-jump
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7649.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7650.jpg)
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Thirty years :-clap Long term preparation :-ok
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Very detailed! I like it very much! :-clap :-clap
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Thirty years :-clap Long term preparation :-ok
It's not exactly the right interior color, either, but don't tell anyone....... ;) I'm building this just for the fun of it.
Sall, this is a typical Monogram kit from that era, with pretty nice molded in detail, at least enough to make it "busy" looking if you wish to build an out-of-the-box kit. Some of the boxes and fire extinguishers are quite flat and scratchbuilt/resin/photoetch parts would be a plus, but it is a fairly relaxing model to build as-is.
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In between projects for the next LLL magazine I managed to get primer on the seams of the Mitchell. I was surprised that I didn't have more voids to re-apply filler to, and this thing has a LOT of gaps at the wing-to-fuselage joint and around the bottom of the nacelle-to-wing junctions. A bit of filler, some more primer, rescribing some panel lines and it's off to the camouflage shop.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7712.jpg)
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Very good progress mate :-ok Go for paint shop :))
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Great! Go forward! :-clap
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I've had a few minutes extra to devote to the Mitchell. All the seams are now filled and primed and the cowlings are being fitted. The nose piece is taking a bit of extra "bodywork" to repair some areas where I didn't do such a good job the first time.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/005.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/006.jpg)
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I like it!! Very nice! :-clap :-clap
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Well done!!!
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And soon will be combat ready ;)
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It's been a long time since this got any attention on my bench. Neutral grey was mixed and in the airbrush for a different project so the undersides got camouflaged today. Perhaps more next week.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_8655.jpg)
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Hey mate, I almost forget this project :)) Nice back on project :-ok
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Nice! I'm glad to see that it's not "dead". :)) :-clap
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Never dead, but sometimes in hibernation!
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I was thinking about this project and B-17 few days ago. ;) Telepathy. :-flo
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Hibernation... Some of my kits are knowing that too...
Nice return, Scott!
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Thanks, y'all.
Interesting telepathic work, Sall--I have actually done a little sanding on the wing seams of the Fortress in one of my last modeling sessions while I was waiting for paint to dry on a different project. I'm starting to get a feeling that I'll be working on the YB again soon.
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We would like to see progress, but take your time... ;) :-flo
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It's time to pick up on this B-25 again. Hopefully I can finish this without long interruptions now that the main painting is done. Though you can't really tell from these pictures, the sides are in olive drab and all the top surfaces are oversprayed in faded O.D. This model will represent a SWPA veteran and the paintwork was faded a fair amount.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9185.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9186.jpg)
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I like how it looks with this paint. ;)
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Nice paint work :)
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I haven't sprayed such a large airplane in a long time--this takes a lot of paint to cover all the surfaces! :-eek
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There isn't much time to spare for this project right now, but some of the small bits got some attention in the few minutes available.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9190.jpg)
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Looking good Scott :-ok
Ernie
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Yes mate,very nice. ;) :-clap
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:-ok
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Now time for clearcoat and decals, then the final push to completion.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9199.jpg)
This needs to be finished so the desk has room for a new project. ;)
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Nice, nice, nice!! :-clap :-clap
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Lucky you- there is not decals as on MiG-21 :))
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:)) :))
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Lucky you- there is not decals as on MiG-21 :))
:) :) :)
I applied almost all of the decals in 1/2 hour!
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I like builds like this one- relaxed and with absolute pleasure to build ;)
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:-ok
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I like builds like this one- relaxed and with absolute pleasure to build ;)
Yes, this has been a really relaxing model to put together, even though I started it in 1981! :-roll :-eek No deadlines, no need for lots of research, just a cup of coffee now and then.
All of the decals are on and I'm finishing up the weathering tonight. Perhaps this will be ready for photos sometime during the weekend.
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Can't wait for photos mate! :-jump
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Maybe on Sunday, Sall--it's almost finished now! :-ok
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:-tri
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Very near the finish line so here is a pic of the bottom. Still some dirt and dust to add before flipping it over for the final time.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9204.jpg)
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Exhaust gases look nice, is there any oil leaks? Can't remember that I see them
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I like this US green paint for bomb bays. ;)
Looking very nice! :-clap
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Thanks, all. Photos tomorrow.
Sall, I don't remember the manufacturer of that bomb bay green as it was painted in the early eighties when I started this kit. :-wise Most of the interior had been sprayed then and I didn't change anything when I re-started the build last year.
No.1, it must have oil leaking somewhere--there are two Wright radials on it! :-eek I did a light wash of oil staining around the cowl flaps and underside of the cowlings after this picture was taken. Actually, the R-2600s didn't seem to leak nearly as badly as some of the other Wright engines of WWII. I have a great book here with loads of photos of 345th Bomb Group Mitchells and oil staining isn't too pronounced on most of the airplanes.
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I know that you take attention on all details mate :-ok
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Here are a few photos of the B-25J:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9213.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9215.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9216.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9218.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9222.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_9224.jpg)
This airplane, 43-36199, was a B-25J-11 and served with the 345th Bomb Group, 501st Squadron. She had the eight-gun nose installed as a field modification, hence the lack of camouflage on the nose section. This mod made the airplane roughly equivalent to a B-25J-22. Notice, too, that the fuselage side gun packs have been removed and that the fuselage was unpainted where the fairings had been. These packs were usually removed when the gun noses were installed. The right rudder had been replaced (see next paragraph for a possible explanation) and the Group insignia was not repainted. The model depicts the machine shortly before its final mission.
On the mission of 28 April, 1945 this airplane was attacking shipping near Saigon and hit the mast of one of the target ships. Seven feet of the mast stuck in the horizontal stabilizer before finally coming loose. 1/Lt. Ralph E. Blount and his crew limped the airplane back home 700 miles with damage to the tail and one nacelle and the airplane was repaired to fight again. On 11 July the airplane was damaged by flak off the coast of Formosa. The crew got her home to Clark Field for a successful belly landing. The damage was considered severe enough that the airplane was written off.
It took me three decades to finish this, but I hope y'all find it of interest. Just for "old time's sake" I used the top turret from a long-gone B-25H that was scrapped and the nose is from a different J that's also broken up.
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Very well done mate, I like it!!! :-ok
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Top work and your explanation is so nice regarding to the specific subjects on this kit :-ok
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Nice work, subtle :)
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Mate,your work is magnificent!!! I like it very,very, very much!!! :-clap :-clap :-clap
About gun bay-i think that you have use similar color on your F-106 bomb bay? :-think
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About gun bay-i think that you have use similar color on your F-106 bomb bay? :-think
You're probably correct on that color, Sall. I probably (I'm not certain for sure since it's been so many years) used a Humbrol interior green on this bomb bay and it isn't too far off from the FS34151 that I used on the F-106. The modern color is a little less bright than on the B-25 but I couldn't see any reason to repaint these parts.
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;)