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All,

Got started finally this week on my Y1B-17, based on the Rare Plane kit. I have removed the major parts from the backing sheets, sanded them down, and opened windows, turret locations, cockpit and wing-mounted landing lights. A couple pictures:

Box.jpg

major parts removed from plastic sheet:

Y1B-17majorparts.jpg

windows, turrets, cockpit, wheel wells and landing lights opened:

moreprep.jpg

I have acquired a couple of Eduard sets for selected interior parts and some True Detail wheels/tires. I also have an old MPC B-17G kit for props and possibly landing gear.

My hands and drilled and sanded out for a couple days!

Now for some of that Soju my daughter brought back from Korea.

Jeff

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That is going to be one great looking model. :thumbsup:

I didn't know there was a Y1B-17 on the market.

Does anyone make an injection mold version? regardless I'll watch this one with great interest- then maybe I'll can give a vacuum type a try. Good Luck!

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The closest injection-molded equivalent would be the Academy B-17B. But even that would require a fair bit of surgery and scratchbuilding to make it into a Y1B. A gentleman did just that a few years ago and cleaned up at the IPMS National Convention.

SN

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I had a late start. A couple other projects, some house work, etc., etc, and lots of cutting and sanding, yuck!

As far as the Model 299, I was still looking for photos of the landing gear, the major difference, along with the R-1690 Hornets for motors. I found a couple more photos showing the landing gear and also found I had a C-47 kit from which I might be able to take the landing gear. The C-47 is to be a donor for a B-18 vacuform build, so no issues. I hope!

As far as vacuform kits, after you separate from the backing sheets they are similar to low-pressure kits from the Czech Republic and other similar companies. The smaller kits are often complete and don't require much scratch building.

I use to have a photo of the flight deck looking from the instrument panel back towards the bulkhead in front of the bomb bay. I can't locate it now, it may be in a book in a box buried in my garage. If anyone has any photos of the interior and/or the wheels wells for the Model 299, they will be greatly appreciated. I have all the photos I could find on the web, just could use some new ones.

Your encouragement is greatly appreciated.

Jeff

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Almost forgot. The Rare Plane kit is the only one available for the Y1B-17 and Y1B-17A. There was a fellow that converted a 1/72nd B-17B. I have a copy of his article from IPMS/USA Journal as a reference.

I found both of my kits on Ebay. One came with some wings from a B-17 E/G kit. Those wings are needed f you want to build the Y1B-17A (B-17A), which was a test bed for different turbocharging options, resulting in the system used starting with the B-17B. If I build the Model 299 I might be able to convert a B-17B kit as the Rare Plane kits come with two sets of transparencies for the bulged turrets.

Jeff

Edited by Ranger74
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VERY INTERESTING indeed!

Jeff,

I don't have any interior shots other that internet downloads... errr... borrowed pictures from the net. I looked through the two books I do have, and nothing there either. Sorry mate.

Mark.

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VERY INTERESTING indeed!

Jeff,

I don't have any interior shots other that internet downloads... errr... borrowed pictures from the net. I looked through the two books I do have, and nothing there either. Sorry mate.

Mark.

Mark,

Quite alright. Thanks. After I made my entries above I went and dug out my Academy B-17B kit and found a picture in the instructions. I now plan to use some parts from that kit as guides for the cockpit and bombardier station in the nose. That may have been where I saw the picture I referenced.

Jeff

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Made some progress trying to figure out where the flight deck would fit. The problem with vac kits is the lack of ledges, markings, etc., of where interior parts go. Had to use some photos and some cockpit side walls from an Eduard B-17F set to align the floor. Built some seats and modified the floor.

This photo shows one of my tool sets that is essential for 1/72 airplane modeling, a set of mini files I acquired at a model railroad show. They are about half the size of my regular files.

files.jpg

And just for info is a comparison of the early B-17 fuselage to a B-17F

comparison.jpg

After seeing Mark's interior framing on Little Miss Mischief I decided to check one of the "turrets" for interior visibility and found out I may need to improve the interior waist aft of the radio room.

Mark, I saw your demo on how to bend the framing material, still not completely sure how you get the frames to bend that way, but I will experiment.

Jeff

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  • 3 weeks later...

After ten days off for a trip to Killeen (Ft. Hood), Texas, to see my oldest son ans his wife. He is now in Afghanistan and my daughter-in-law is at our house. That was followed by a sinus infection, not a good time to be handling glues and sharp blades! :jaw-dropping:

I took a break from the fuselage to work on the wings. Started work on the exhausts that run down top of nacelles:

exhaust2ndtry.jpg

exteriorexhausts.jpg

I found I had planned the firewalls for the inner nacelles so had to make a send "step", which actually helped support the firewall between the two steps. The forward step will also help support the motor:

firewall.jpg

It took a long time of repeating steps of sanding and dry-fitting to get the nacelles closed around the firewalls.

To cut the metal tubing a tube cutter is essential. I found this one at the local Hobby Town:

tubecutter.jpg

A few of these helped cut all of the plastic dust:

hbb.jpg

One thing with vacuform kits is the need to build the structure to mount the landing gear. I've taken the gear from a Hasegawa B-17F. There are minor differences from the Y1B-17, but not really noticeable in 1/72 scale.

I have a plate for the main gear leg and trying to measure out the fittings for the drag legs. I added a Milliput fuel bag as it is visible from underneath.

Jeff

Edited by Ranger74
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Seek and ye shall find. I have found some color photos of all angles of the main gear wheel well. Also found a drawing of the fuel system with arrangement of fuel cells in the wings. HOOAH!

Now off to a trip to Atlanta to deal with work related personnel issues......the fun never ends :thumbsup:

Jeff

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  • 2 weeks later...

FRAGO # 2 to OPORD Y1B-17 Build

1. SITUATION:

a. Enemy Situation: Lack of shelf space for large aircraft on landing gear

b. Friendly Situation: Shawn's build of Fortress III (?) on a stick sparked some long dormant brain cells

2. MISSION. Relook goals of current build :nanner: ,and redirect activity to a plane on a stick. Capture some work to date and use for Boeing Model 299.

3. EXECUTION.

a.Concept of operation: To save shelf space and to make do with available assets currently on the shelf the builder :deadhorse1: changes end result of build from "wheels down, on the ground build" of Y1B-17 to an"airplane in flight"

b. Tasks to Subordinates: aren't any....DRAT

c. Coordinating Instructions: There has never been any coordination on this project, see para 5, below.

4. SERVICE & SUPPORT.

a. Supply.

1. Acquire additional materials for construction of flight decks

2. Acquire 1/72 flight crew, all I have are fighter pilots :nanner:

b. Service: N/A

5. COMMAND & CONTROL. You've got to be kidding, the kits have been in control here!!!!:worship:

Official:

Treadhead in Chief

My plans have changed for the Y1B-17 from being mounted on landing gear to inflight, paint and markings are a closely held secret at this time and maximum security has been implemented. Markings and colors for the Model 299 are in the public domain...there was only ONE and it was NMF. I will need to produce/acquire the registration numbers and Boeing markings as the 299 was a company prototype and never belonged to the Army.

The Model 299 will use some of the work I have already put into the "wheels-down" Y1B-17. The challenge is now how to mount the plane on the stick.....requires some fuselage reinforcement as vacuform kits are not as sturdy as injected kits. Also will require acquisition of "prop blur" blades sets and an appropriate aircrew. All I have in the stash of use pilots are fighters and Navy types. ANy suggestions for bomber aircrew, with saucer cap vs. skull cap (fighter pilot types) will be greatly appreciated.

I was working on closing up the wings on Saturday and hope to complete that today(Sunday). Pictures and comments will follow.

Jeff

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You need a flight crew? Try these out, as soon as they come out in 48th I'm gonna get a bunch of sets of these!

http://cgi.ebay.com/B-17-Flying-Fortress-C...=item5addfc6a9e

B17 Guy,

That is exactly what I need,especially thepilots with the saucercaps.I will haveleftovers as the Y-1B-17 hada crew of as few as 6.

Jeff

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The wings have been put together just needing final seam clean up, next is boxing in the landing lights.....I will wait until the wing halves are glued together on the Model 299 before cutting out the light openings!

Doh.jpg

I cut where the parts indicated.....but I didn't lime them up first before cutting

We can fix it, we have the technology...........sorry, had a flashback

Jeff

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Before gluing wing halves I corrected the wheel wells and installed the wheels, photo sequence:

As provided by kit, the piece at bottom with hole is where I was going to mount the gear strut

wheelwell4.jpg

After I trimmed and re-sized wheel slot so wheel would actually fit

wheelwell3.jpg

With gear installed and the two gear door added. Had to roll the front door around a paint brush handle to get curve to match nacelle curve

wheelwell1.jpg

And the inside... ya gotta build structure with vacuform kits

wheelwell2.jpg

Jeff

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Steve,

I will try and ensure you learn good lessons....as you all don't see most of the start overs :thumbsup:

If you decide to build a vac kit start with a small jet or a single psiton engine aircraft. If you like tween-wars US Navy aircraft, vacs are about only way for many of them.

Jeff

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What a beautiful day after the winter we had here in Tennessee! Actually got some real sunlight today, thought I was becoming a troglodyte. Got the flower beds cleaned out.

Worked on the four engines, decided to use substitutes instead of the vacform ones that came with the kit. I used a set of Quickboost CW R-1820s. I added the ignition harness minus the wires and spark plugs....1/72 is just too small for that, which on this early version runs behind the push rods. I also added the push rods......72 of them :beer4: I now have about 20 little pieces of brass rod scattered all over my building room as they just wanted to jump out of my pliers :o

Below are a couple blurry pics of the first engine before paint

engine1.jpgengine2.jpg

All four after painting, two are identical and the other two are different based on samples I have seen

engines3.jpg

Outside in the garage was my building buddy

buidlingpartner.jpg

Actually, he was out there for the peanuts!

Jeff

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