richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hi - I'm currently building a 1/32 B-17G based on the combat models 1/32 vacform 'kit' - essentially just a shell - two fuselage halves. I'm scratchbuilding everything else. I'm about 10 months / 600 hours in so far - I've got build threads on a couple of other websites but they are over 20 pages long. Therefore I'll just post a few pics here as it would take forever to transcribe the whole thing - that way I won't overwhelm you with info lol I plan to do a crashed Fort fuselage, being recovered somewhere in England (or maybe occupied France) - on a 40 foot trailer (also scratched / converted from the Tamiya 1/35 Dragon Wagon kit) pulled by an Accurate Armour 1/35 Diamond T 969 wrecker. Inspiration: basic kit: chin turret takes shape: ball turret construction: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 top turret construction: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Interior work begins - there will be a big hole blown in the fuselage to show off the interior detail: radio room: Instrument panel rear: front: Throttle quadrant: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 hydraulic fluid tank - located in the top turret compartment: tank plus accumulator & mounting bulkhead: more details: control columns: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
strikeeagle801 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Wow! That is truely amazing. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to following this thread. Aaron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phoinix Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Amazing. How many build hours is in that styren? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rraab Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Wow!! The unpainted radio room looks like something from the "Alien" movies...Great detail!! It's almost a shame this will be a 'wreck' , when completed, but what a great Idea! I'll be watching for more posts... -Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 thanks a lot guys! phoinix - about 600 hours so far - I started in March last year here's some more pics - the ones above show the first 6 months or so of build time - I've got several hundred pics, trying to compress them into one post! this is the mount for the top turret: painted up: glass is shattered on top turret: making the required hole for the top turret - note that there will be another 'battle damage' hole just behind the cockpit: radio room gets a lick of paint: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 some oxygen bottles - fixed and portable: seats: area behind cockpit: junction box rear of radio room bulkhead: more detail: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 starting to add some detail to the rear fuselage: cockpit area gets some bits attatched & a lick of paint - plenty more still to do!! test fit of roof and top turret: waist gun ammo boxes - plasticard covered in mahogany veneer: waist guns - Aires resin bodies, Master brass barrels & scratch-built cradles: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 auxiliary generator - found in rear fuselage opposite crew entrance hatch: chemical toilet!!! it was necessary to add some of the rear bulkheads - visible through the open crew hatch...and that bloody big battle damage hole in the fuselage: added some roof detail for the same reasons... internal ribbing under a coat of primer: trailing antenna reel assembly (located just behind the ball turret on the fuselage floor) I wanted to replicate this: and this: so I made a start and chopped out a section of tail: the entire model will be 'skinned' with pewter sheet - so I will have fun replicating all that tortured metal at a later date! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Liberator24 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Incredible! Thanks for sharing such an awe inspiring piece of art!!! -Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 thanks Jim - I'm having fun doing it ! am building the wrecker that will tow the load concurrently but I won't bore you with that at the moment. It's a beautiful kit though - here's what it'll look like unpainted: Also received the Tamiya Dragon Wagon in the mail today! Should be a nice challenge to convert that into an army air force 40 foot flatbed :monkeydance:/> here's the rear fuselage with some basic paint applied: note entry hole for whatever projectile blew out the opposite fuselage - 88 shell perhaps? added some battle debris - an abandoned flak helmet (made from an Italeri spare, scratched liner & ear flaps), 0.50 cal casings and links from Mission Models, and the remains of one of the waist gun ammo boxes from scraps of mahogany veneer... shell collection bags under the waist guns are tight-weave fabric from the offcuts bin at my local curtain repair shop. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 (edited) ball turret test fitted - minus mounting pole & oxygen bottle: these are the Mission Models 0.50 cal shells - ultra realistic, I love them! some abandoned Verlinden maps for the radio room: view through forward crew access hatch - rudimentary detail was added as some of it will be visible - if you peer hard enough with a torch that is: mounts for waist guns: all painted up: they attach like this - plexiglass windows will be scratched & made to fit around them: AND THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR NOW The above pictures represent where I'm up to now...in fact I'm slightly ahead having just joined the fuselage halves together. Another update to follow in a couple of weeks' time hopefully. I hope you like the build & I welcome andy questions and / or comments bye for now! Edited January 16, 2013 by richdlc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
streetstream Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I welcome andy questions and / or comments Damn, my name isn't Andy. But all kidding aside, this build s just too much to take in. The level of detail and the ingenuity is just amazing. take that bandaid for instance. I would have never even thought of that. Keep up the good work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chukw Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I gotta hand it to you, Rich- this thing is the mutt's nuts! Cheers- chuk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benjaminht99 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Simply amazing.... Thanks for sharing, Ben Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Learstang Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Amazing work, Rich! Regards, Jason Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oortiz10 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Geez Louise! Are you serious? Incredible! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 That´s friggin awesome!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnS Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Wow, Wow, & Wow! Incredible scratch building. BTW, where did you find the Mission 50 cal. bullets? Chuck540z3 was looking for some for his P-51D build. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 hi guys thanks for the kind words! Glad it passes muster, especially with you Americans - I know there's a lot of experts on the other side of the pond so I hope I've got it right. Having said that, there's plenty of margin for 'interpretive' modelling - period photos of the interior of the plane are relatively scarce, whereas restored aircraft are ten a penny - there are literally thousands of images available. A lot of mine come from the warbird information exchange forums - for example someone recently posted up a photo documentary of the entire restoration & reconstruction of the B-17 'Mary Alice' at Duxford UK - so there's plenty of scope for superdetailing, and a lot of what's added is a kind of amalgamation of what I've seen in dozens of different aircraft. I'm also a member of the 'Sally B' preservation society, which gives me free licence to clamber all over it at airshows. Anyway I'm pleased you like it....and thanks to whoever mentioned the used field dressing - I just realised that dried blood is actually a browny copper colour, not red, so I'll have to change that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Wow, Wow, & Wow! Incredible scratch building. :jaw-dropping:/> BTW, where did you find the Mission 50 cal. bullets? Chuck540z3 was looking for some for his P-51D build. cheers bud! I got a job lot in the last Squadron sale - i knew they were hard to find so I got a dozen packs I used the bullets & links in my last project (F4U-4 Corsair) - quite possibly the most time consuming thing ever, but totally worth it: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shawn M Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Glad to see you sharing this over here :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Basman Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 This is absolute madness!!! I never seen anything like this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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