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Ok, here's my thread finally, not much to start out with but I'll be building 2 forts. The first is a Visible B-17G converted to RAF fortress III, the other is the revell B-17F memphis belle converted to B-17D "swoose goose". A few quick pics to start, I had these posted in the group build thread back in props but I'll post them here for the GB.

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That's where I'm at right now. I'm gonna be delayed a bit in actually plastic, glue and paint together for another week or so. I got a new work bench coming, plus I just got a new chair as I couldnt take another session at the bench with the old one. My butt hurt too much! Suprisingly, the new bench was the wifes idea, I finally said sure, so it's coming. I'm also thinking of getting this wile I'm at it, go big or go home I guess.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-5-hp-58-psi...-kit-95630.html

So all my modelling stuff is sort of packed up for the time being, till the new bench gets here, then it's time to start on those 17's!

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I've got one, and I love it. I put the compressor on anything, and it's whisper queit. With the moisture trap as well it works really well. Whether the project is large or small that I'm painting, the compressor works great. Only thing I watch for - and it hasn't happened as of yet - is overheating from a lot of use. But, as I said, not that it's happened yet. The best part is the ability to control the PSI levels very easily and accurately from low PSI's (the lowest I paint with is 8 PSI), going to larger PSI's (most I've done is 30). It holds the pressure very nicely and I must say, a great purchase indeed.

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Can i get a clear shot of where you cut for the chin radome?

I'll try, but it's gonna be hard to picture. I just cut off the excess, then got closer in and used the outer most edge of what looked like an edge that's supposed to be there. I'll do what I can to try and get that pic for ya.

Mark and pirate, thanks for your thought on the compressor, I'm thinking I might be going to pick one up here in the next day or so if I dont go today.

Chuck1945, me too, on both parts! I am starting to think it may be a bit too ambitious, mostly because of the B-17D conversion kit, we'll see.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, I'm finishing up the new bench but I've got room enought to work with so I started some painting tonight, which is'nt picture worthy but at least it's a start.

Went from this cluster F:

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To this!

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Even put some shelves up so I can finally put some cool stuff up. Nothings done officailly but I can build my 17's finally.

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Shawn, I tried taking a pic of the radome, could not get it come out so that anything could be seen. Flash, no flash, didnt matter.

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Lol @ the mustangs, the stangs are doem for the most parts, all the fiddly bits need to go onto them. And I'm thinking the forts would only want 2 of the mustangs anywhere near them. I had problems with of the mustngs, may end up scrapping it, for know she is pushed off to the side.

It tokk me a second to figure why you's guys were commenting about the mustangs, I only used that pic because it is the clearest one I have of the bench.

Here's a shot or two of the nearly finished mustangs.

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Anyways, those are off the bench for now, I've got the 2 forts for this build plus I'm trying to finish up the other 2 forts.

By the way, the pics from wright pat, that link needs to be in the reffernce thread, I found interior shots of the 299!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so very much for that link, that is saved to favorites now!

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A couple of Captured Mustangs?! Now there's something you don't see every day! (I bet there are a few who are still in denial... "No, No, No... no Mustangs were ever captured by the Luftwaffe"... very cool!

Glad that link helps, and thanks for tossing it up on the reference thread. Making my life easy.

Cheers!

Mark.

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I got a copy of "strangers in a strange land vol I" (squadron signal) a few years ago. Pretty damn interesting book, it focuses mainly on captured allied aircraft and what the luftwaffe did with them. Alot of info I never knew.

They had big scrap yards set up where they would melt down crashed aliied planes and ship the metal in inget form to they're factories.

I got the inspiration to build the captured mustangs from that book, if you'll notice in the mustang pics, the middle guns are faired over. The book never says why they did that, only that they did.

Yeah, that link will come in handy, thank you for posting that. I never thought looking there for refference.

Now I just gotta figure out some of the what, how much and what colors for the interior of the B-17D. Not to mention the major pain in my azz that is the conversion kit, I'm not having fun working with the vac form parts!

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That's really interesting - I noticed a couple Mustangs that had the central gun covered over - I always figured it was either:

A. Save the .50 Cal ammo they had by removing 1/3 of the guns, or possibly, and more realistically,

B. The replaced the .50 with their own MG's, and the feed mechanisms, chutes, etc., called for needing more space than the wing of the Mustang could give - so they left the central position empty to give more space for the inner/outer MG's in the gun bay.

That's just my thought.

There was one account of a pilot from the Tuskegee Airmen where he had a chance to knock out a captured Mustang, but given that it was at the tail end of his escort duties, he was almost bingo fuel, and alone, made the wise choice to head back home.

As for the vacume form kit, would you say it sucks?

Bad pun of the day!

Cheers,

Mark.

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Im saving the vac work for the last thing I do before paint...pretty much next week then.

Depending on which version your doing, you should only be using 1 vac bit.

I say "should" lightly as I dont think any 2 were the same.

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Actually the vac parts I'm reffering to are the D moel tail halves and horizontal tail.

So I'm trying to run ribs and stringers tonight, and every time I lay one into the glue, the break. I've never seen that before. I can take a piece (evergreen strip styrene) and wrap it around my hobby knife handle, but as soon as you put a touch glue on there, snap!

Never had that before.

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Actually the vac parts I'm reffering to are the D moel tail halves and horizontal tail.

So I'm trying to run ribs and stringers tonight, and every time I lay one into the glue, the break. I've never seen that before. I can take a piece (evergreen strip styrene) and wrap it around my hobby knife handle, but as soon as you put a touch glue on there, snap!

Never had that before.

I have!

I get that whenever I try and use THIN CA glue on the stuff. That's why I work with the thick, and then once in position, I'll use a small amount of thin stuff as a final touch. But working with either MEDIUM or THICK stopped the evergreen strips from breaking.

Hope this helps.

Mark.

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Ok, here's what I've got so far.

Rib and stringers for the nose of the D model

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filling the oil cooler wing intakes

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getting my cowls into shape, still need to figure out how many cowls there are.

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Some of the interior bits

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Props, engines, landing gear and a few of the guns

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I gotta get some more work done, I've been slacking!

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