yardbird78 Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 I love that control panel. Are those instruments some more of the Mike Grant decals? Grandma L Yes, they are. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 RB-36E, Update #5 I decided to take a break from the camera compartment and do a little work on the gun tubs. They have a LOT of detail in them but the gun barrels are pretty fragile and the ammo belts are so incredibly delicate that it is essentially impossible to work on them without breaking them. I don't want to leave them out, but I may have to. The bulkhead hatch visible in the first photo is for access between the camera compartment and the gun tub, but it should be in the middle instead of over at the side. The camera operator's control panel is directly opposite this on the other side. This is the basic gun tub the way it comes out of the box. This photo shows the bases for the two turrets. There are two diagonal braces I still need to install for each base. You can see the pivot hinges at the corners. They are what raise and lower the turrets. The long rectangular objects under the bases are ammo boxes. These two photos show the gun turrets installed temporarily for fit check. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thegoodsgt Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Always a pleasuring seeing someone build the B-36! Steven Brown Scale Model Soup Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Where were you able to get the Pavla sets from. I never can find them online. I got one from Roll Models a couple of months ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanM Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Check your Refs, I think you have your guns on the wrong side of the bay. The guns should fold down with the tops facing each other, not enough room the way you have them. http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Convair-B36/IMAGES/turrets-convair-b36.jpg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) Check your Refs, I think you have your guns on the wrong side of the bay. The guns should fold down with the tops facing each other, not enough room the way you have them. http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Convair-B36/IMAGES/turrets-convair-b36.jpg He's got it correct. The turrets fold down over the ammo bays, there's enough room for them even though it doesn't look like it in his photo. I just looked at the picture in "Magnesium Overcast" to confirm. Edited February 21, 2016 by Grey Ghost 531 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Check your Refs, I think you have your guns on the wrong side of the bay. The guns should fold down with the tops facing each other, not enough room the way you have them.http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Convair-B36/IMAGES/turrets-convair-b36.jpg The turrets HAVE to be over the ammo boxes in order for the ammo feed chutes to connect properly. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanM Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 The turrets HAVE to be over the ammo boxes in order for the ammo feed chutes to connect properly. Darwin I have this set too and thought something was not quite right when I first got it. You're right about having to be over the ammo boxes but the problem is the bay bay is not quite deep enough. If you match the access hatch to the radio room on the other side you'll see it's almost at knee level on the real deal, while on the kit it's almost at shoulder level. Not a big deal with the turrets out but if you wanted to do something different it wouldn't work. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/91/c0/4c/91c04c6c7d99ae22fda093dd432e039d.jpg note the height of the back of the turret. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted February 22, 2016 Author Share Posted February 22, 2016 (edited) I have this set too and thought something was not quite right when I first got it. You're right about having to be over the ammo boxes but the problem is the bay bay is not quite deep enough. If you match the access hatch to the radio room on the other side you'll see it's almost at knee level on the real deal, while on the kit it's almost at shoulder level. Not a big deal with the turrets out but if you wanted to do something different it wouldn't work. https://s-media-cache-0.pinimg.com/564x/91/c0/4c/91c04c6c7d99ae22fda093dd432e039d.jpg note the height of the back of the turret. You are correct in that the single hatch in the gun bay kit is in the wrong location, at least for the RB-36s. The hatch between the gun bay and the camera compartment on the RB-36's is located high and centered left to right. I think that the hatch that you are referring to in the radio room, (looking towards the back) is the entrance to the communication tube. It runs down the left side of the aircraft from the front crew compartment to the rear compartment in the regular bombers and from the front crew compartment just under the front gun bay to the camera compartment in the RB's. If you are in the camera compartment looking forward, this hatch is low and left. The hatch in that same bulkhead to the gun bay is high and center. This is the radio operator's panel, (kit part), that separates the front crew compartment from the forward gun bay, looking aft. The hatch on the lower right is the communication tube, the one on the upper left accesses the gun tub and the lower left accesses the bomb/nav radar equipment This is looking forward at the bulkhead separating the camera compartment (normally bomb bay #1) from the forward gun bay and radar equipment bay. The lower left hatch is the communication tube and the top center is the access to the forward gun tub. er/blackbird1977/media/Plastic%20Models/RB-36E%20Recce%20Bird/DSC_0058A_zpswzsmrsdm.jpg.html'> This is looking aft at the bulkhead separating the back of the camera compartment from bomb bay #2. The two camera bulkheads are scratch built and based on actual photos rather than illustrations. The lower right hatch is the continuation of the communications tube and the top left hatch gives access to bomb bay #2. Apparently that upper left hatch in the Pavala gun tub is for the regular B-36 and would be correct. Edited February 22, 2016 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Just catching up with this thread. Awesome stuff! This will be a dandy to watch. Regards, Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 (edited) Yardbird....the SAC trained Killers are gonna be drooling when this one is finished....I'm anxiously waiting on each update ;) . I remember in the movie Strategic Air Command when Harry Morgan took Jimmy Stewart thru one of the tubes to show him "the rest of the big see-gar" :lol: ; a great movie if you're an aircraft lover . Edited February 22, 2016 by #1 Greywolf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 RB-36E Update #6 I managed to get the ammunition feed chutes in place under the turret frames. I don't want to permanently attach the turrets until this beast is almost complete because they are way too delicate and likely to get damaged. It is time to shift focus a little bit again and get some work done on the main crew compartment. There is a fairly large wheel to the aircraft commander's left that is for the nose wheel steering and this is not depicted in the kit parts. This is my scratch built version of the wheel before and after painting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aussie_superbug Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Great work so far, I know I'am look forward to seeing this one done, its going to be a big bugger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Pardon my French, but those turrets look bitchin' as does the rest of if, ya done yet? . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) Pardon my French, but those turrets look bitchin' as does the rest of if, ya done yet? :whistle:/>/> . There is a whole lot of runway still in front of this project before it "takes off". There is still a little more work on the camera compartment forward bulkhead, then the floor and vertical camera ports, left side camera ports, interior walls, vertical camera supports and cameras for all positions. I have done a little bit of detail in the forward crew compartment, but more is planned. Then there are 20 something external navigation and marker lights, wheel well interiors and that minor project of bomb bay details, not to mention the rear gun tub and turrets. Every time I get on thing done, my warped imagination dreams up more detail to add or correct. Darwin Edited February 26, 2016 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 RB-36E, Update #7 I have been back working on the 3 forward bulkheads lately. L-R, forward side of bulkhead 5.0 that divides the camera compartment and bomb bay #2, back side of bulkhead #4.0 that divides the front of the camera compartment from the forward gun bay. (these two were completely scratch built0, front side of bulkhead #3.0 aka the radio operators station that divides the forward crew compartment from the gun bay. Bulkhead 5.0 close up Bulkhead 4.0, the blue items are supposed to be binders for Tech Orders and black items above them are extra film cartridges and the Camera Operators Control Panel is right center. Radio Opertor's station at the back of the forward crew compartment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sebastijan Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Great stuff! It's a shame all this work will be hidden... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Great stuff! It's a shame all this work will be hidden... I am seriously considering a removable section of fuselage over the camera compartment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) RB-36E, Update #8 I got out of the crew compartment and crawled back to the bomb bay to do some work in there. The yellow thingies are liquid oxygen cylinders made from scrap sprue with very thin strips of Bare-Metal-Foil for the mounting straps. The wires along the lower side wall are supposed to represent the grouped wire bundles. The rectangles on the communication tube are the windows for inspecting the bomb bay without actually going into it. Add in the forward and aft bulkheads for the bomb bay. Add in the main bomb rack structure. Then 20 of the AN-M26 parachute flares or photoflash bombs and the 3,000 gallon auxiliary fuel tank make things look a little crowded in there. The tank and bombs are a little crooked because they are not glued in and they shifted a little bit while I was taking the pictures. Edited March 23, 2016 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Adam1818 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Wow!! This work is pretty amazing! I think u would be crazy to not have a removable panel to display all this work Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Definitely, or at least some open cutaway windows on one side. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viking73 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Hi Darwin, Any new updates on this great looking RB-36 build? Or are you currently taking a break from it (which I can understand!)? -Derek Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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