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1/48 B-17G -> B-17F Conversion Issues


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Hey all,

 

I'm just getting back into the hobby after a decade or so absence, and right back in the deep end, too -- I'm just about to kick off a 1/48 B-17F my grandfather flew in as a gift for my dad. But in planning the build, I'm running into two major issues:

 

1) The aircraft in question, 42-6098 of the 95th BG, had the bulging cheek guns, so I'm thinking I'll start with the G kit, cut out the chin gun, and either patch the hole with sheet styrene, keying off that Paul Budzik article from back when, or, alternatively, cutting up the Memphis Belle kit and installing the lower part of that nose. Has anyone done this, or have an idea of which would be easier? I'm fairly certain at this point I want to use the G kit as a base, as it's got the interior detailing and a lot more aftermarket resin and PE to work with, and use the ball turret from the Belle kit, but am open to other ideas!

 

2) This is the major issue I'm having, which is the nose cone, which had a single gun mounted in the center. The Belle kit has that aircraft's custom two-gun mount; the G cone is too short; the Koster "Nose-Job" kit has proven impossible to track down, and ditto the Paragon YB-40 conversion, which would work, too. So it seems like the only option left is trying to make my own vac canopy, but I have no idea where to even begin with that. Any ideas or help on this front would be majorly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

 

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Part of it depends on how accurate you want to be. The G "cheek guns" are not correct for the late F models. As 42-6098 is a late Vega bird, the right side is correct but the left side window extended further back. It goes 1 frame further aft and the fairing itself has some subtle differences. Here is another F-45-VE bird (42-6087, "Royal Flush" of the 100th BG):

 

pxw4eAp.jpg

 

You would naturally have to change the forward floor as well but that is not too difficult.

 

The nose is a bit of a problem. I have been working on modifying the Belle nose by filling in the gun ports and making the cutout for the center gun. Worked on it last winter and have been too busy this summer to finish it. But I think it is doable. Do you have any experience with vacuforming? If so, you could make the nose as I described and you should be able to make a form for that left side nose window without too much trouble and just use the G fairing. 

 

Another detail that is of interest in this photo is you can clearly see that the interior of the nose does not have the fabric lining that was present on most F models (look through the aft window). Apparently Vega deleted that on these later aircraft.

Edited by 100th BG
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Thanks so much for your help! I'll probably extend out that left-side window, which shouldn't be too tricky. I've been weighing the possibility of vacuforming a new cone (reading through Paul Budzik's old article on this left me feeling like it'd be very easy and very difficult at the same time), but have never done it. The process itself seems simple enough, but making the form to mold from feels a little bit beyond me. What were you using to fill the gun ports in the Belle nose? 

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I have used just regular filler. Need to seal it with some paint and see if I can smooth it out. Then see about chopping a hole in it. There will be quite  bit of trial and error (lots of errors I suspect :rolleyes:) involved but I think in the end it will be worth it. Summer is winding down, should get back to it.

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