Army_Air_Force Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Further progress from tonight, around 6 hours work. The nose section floors and formers are now together, with the structure opened up below the bombardiers seat. His seat has been added, but modified from the kit version with a new back rest fitted to a shorter support. The navigators table has been added, but with a new support, and it has been thinned quite a bit from the kit version. The styrene plugs filling holes were trimmed and sanded tonight, and blocks of styrene added to form the canvas boot around the base of the control columns ( yet to be trimmed to shape ). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 A number of things were wrong with the kit instrument panel, so a new one has been made and is awaiting trimming. Here's a view of the nose section which has been cut out by ground crews to fit to another bomber. The remains of some stringers will be visible, and it will give a much better view into the partly gutted nose. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 The former behind the top turret has now had its door opened. The opening on the bomb bay side was slightly different to that on the cockpit side, so the structure was sanded off the cockpit side, and will be replaced in the correct position later. Another error in this Academy/Airfix kit is that some parts are for earlier versions of the Fortress. These include the control wheels, but no late mark wheels are included. To correct this, the angled horizontal members on the wheel were cut out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 New styrene rod cross pieces were glued in to replace the angled ones. With the canvas boots trimmed, the first control column is glued in place, but with the control surfaces removed and cables slack, the wheel and column hang lifelessly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 WOW Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks! I must say that working with parts this small, in the case of the control wheel a little less than 1/4 inch, is pretty taxing on my fat fingers. When I was a kid building 1/72 scale, the planes seemed huge, so now I've been mostly building 1/48 scale, but as I said earlier in the thread, I wanted a cheap build that I could get done in the 6 month limit. It's going to be challenging and entertaining in equal amounts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kostucha Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Looking really good Stephen, as mentioned before. Great work on cutting out the floor up in the nose above the chin turret. The work is nice and clean. I know what you mean about small fiddly parts... memories of the Stuka still haunt me with things like that radio. It is certainly coming along nicely! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Prop Duster Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 This is so Cool. for once the cockpit is not the first part to be started. :unsure: But is is fair the say you are building a model if all you do is cut parts off a model? - boy do I have alot to learn p.s. realy nice work Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 That's a good question! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 It got to 1am before I stopped this morning, so didn't have time to post the updates, but there's time now before I go to work. The new instrument panel and pedestal were fitted to the cockpit floor. The navigators seat from the kit was replaced with a scratch built version on the welded swing arm that hinges from the table support. It was a fiddly little piece to make, and is a bit oversize, but looks ok. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 The cockpit side of the bomb bay former had some structure added and the cut out in the top of the former filled. I'm not sure why this cut out was even there? It is possibly to clear the top turret as either the bomb bay or top turret hole are slightly in the wrong place, causing the former to sit over the edge of the turret hole. I'll correct that later. I also decided to remove the leading edge ahead of the fuel tank I've removed. That will let me show some spar structure and possibly the ribs above the fuel tank. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Finally, the wing fairings were filled to complete the fuselage shape inside, plus other depressions around the waist window and other glazing. These will all be sanded flush to give a smooth interior for detailing. The back of the fin strake was also filled to give a flat surface to join when the fuselage halves go together. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kostucha Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Stephen, it's looking really good! I can start to picture just how she's going to look. Great work up front! Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 Started on the radio room tonight. Details added to the bomb bay former and a new radio room/waist former and floor made. The racks on the former are empty, the radios having already been salvaged. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 The filler in the wing roots and window frames was all sanded down tonight as well. These just need a wet sand to leave them ready for detail.. I also started on the structure around the radio hatch opening where the gun ring fastens to. Since the glazing will be removed, it should be fairly easy to see the radio room detail through the opening. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kostucha Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Looking very very good. I like the idea of having so much removed to expose a lot of the detail. Really, this one will have a lot of character to it, that's for sure. Cheers! Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 No progress on the Fort today, been too busy with work, see below..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kostucha Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Very very nice! I keep going back to the link you sent me about the RR... I'm thinking down the road when the little man is my age when my dad built me (and mainly for him) the 12 x 12 train table (HO), that I will be keeping the tradition going. You Sir, are certainly a man of many talents! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 ......You Sir, are certainly a man of many talents! and the odd one is useful! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Prop Duster Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Less talking, more cutting- how else can I justify my time reading this forum? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kostucha Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Hahahaha... Wow, pushy! Come to think of it Stephen, Steve might have a point - it'll take us a heck of a lot longer to make a hanger queen, or put up LMM in a 'hanger' than it took the actual mechanics to turn a bomber into a Hanger Queen, or to put LMM back together. But, it is a fun process! Cheers, Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I've put the ship to one side and I've got the B-17 on the bench as we speak, working on the radio room rear former and roof. Also been filling and sanding the insides of the fuselage halves. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kostucha Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Ohhhhh, that sucks. Hahahaha. Of all the work done so far, it was cleaning out the 1/48 fuselage halves on the inside that was the least enjoyable. I don't envy you right now. What modifications are you going to be doing to the radio room? Bulkheads 5 & 6 going to be completely stripped? RO's chair missing? Can't wait to see the progress! Cheers, Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 The table is there, and all the wooden shelves for the radios, but the radios have gone, chair missing, rear roof glazing gone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Army_Air_Force Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Something tells me this would have been easier in 1/48!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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