amblypygid

Definitely looking forward to this. I've just started my first 1/35 armour in many a year, and my first ever interior, with Miniart's AEC Mk II. I really enjoyed and admired the work in your earlier WiP threads, so this is a must for me!

Looking great to me, Sam.

I'm in, Giorgio, and of course I'd like to see what you make of the engine-out option.

For anyone interested, there's a great little history of how the B-24s ended up in IAF service here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Aircraft/History/927-B24.html#gsc.tab=0

Thanks, Benedikt. Definitely some good stuff there. Seems like a lot of the preserved airframes are ex Indian AF; I had no idea that it operated LIberators after WW2. Thanks, Toby. Yes, I was thinking about tip 1, though the profile doesn't seem to bad at this point. Might be different once the internal etch panels are on, they may act as stiffeners, I think? Must not forget the weight! I just hope it stays that good... Thanks, Jackson. I did check the greenhouse fit and it seemed acceptable, but I shall check again!

Right. Some progress with the yokes, using matt varnish to adhere the etch to the plastic. Not perfect, the columns look too short to me (unless Liberator pilots had long arms) but I'm not redoing them now. To distract me while this was curing, I tested the fit of the fuselage and the transparencies. The design of this kit has the nose section separate to the rest of the fuselage, and it contains noses for both the - D and - J versions. The join is a flat one with no location assistance, and the windshield has to fit as well. What could go wrong there? Well, credit to the design as it works pretty well: I call that a win at this stage. The side windows on the windshield are going to be interesting, though.

Yes. Trying again - left hand column seems to have gripped well, but the co-pilot's column is not cooperating. Strange: same plastic, same etch, same glue, different outcomes. As a distraction I have cleaned off my cutting mat (surprisingly liberating, putting all those half-done bits and pieces, that have languished there for months, out of sight). And then cruised about doing some virtual sight-seeing along the Tagus valley in Microsoft Flight Sim 2020.

Welcome, Hook! The original cockpit looks to be pretty sparse, not much more than two seats, two big yokes, and a plain centre console. I assume Minicraft provided decals for decoration, but really not much can be visible through the Lib's rather small windshield. Eduard provide lots of microscopic photo etchery instead. For the aforementioned visibility reasons, I'm going to add what I can, ignore what seems insane, and not worry if it doesn't quite work out. The instrument panel is easy enough: two layers of etch and one fold. It's a wee bit bigger than the plastic, which might make the fit interesting later on. Not too bad. I was chuffed when I got the throttle quadrant off the fret without damage, but then a mouse farted next door and it paid a visit to the carpet monster for a while. When it returned, the throttle levers look like someone had been using a hammer to control them. Ho hum, no one's going to see them when it's closed up. The chair is, ah, rudimentary. Eduard provide PE harnesses and hilariously impossible-to-attach-looking arms. I hate PE harnesses. Oh, and the yokes. I gave these a go. The plastic is chunky and the tiny etch has to be attached to some spare plastic before being attached to the IP. You'll see my "cunning" plan here: use the original plastic yokes to mount the etch. This is about as good as it got. I cannot get more than one of the joins to stay stuck. And that has also used all the mojo I need to tackle the harnesses. One day, Eduard will sell a mini pick and place robot that cuts up the etch and puts it all together for us. @CedB will of course be the pioneering user.

Thanks, Sam! Must be something in the Cambridge water

Construction, as is traditional, begins with the cockpit and some other fuselage interior areas. Eduard suggest painting most of this with good old interior green, but I had a brief search of the Internet, and the suggestions I saw there were that in the absence of specific evidence to the contrary: Cockpit and forward nose compartment in dull dark green, with tan fabric insulation if present. Turrets in dull dark green. Waist compartment and bomb bay in natural metal. Wheel Wells and landing gear in neutral gray. I have no references on the B-24 at all, so I'm going with the above. I'm seldom hung up on these things, but if you have any thoughts, kind reader, please feel free to share them. But not for the forward compartment as I've already painted that!

Hola, Britmodellers. I took an unplanned hobby break in 2019, but picked up the plastic again a while back. After a few quick builds (a 1/144 EA18G and completing two Arma 1/72 Hurricanes that were largely built but unpainted when the break hit), I thought I'd tackle something more ambitious. I don't know what it is about the waning of the days but I often seem to pluck up the courage to deal with the bigger boxes in the stash at this time of year. I was all set to build the Minicraft B-24J but then a chance ebay purchase delivered the Eduard "Mission Centenarians" boxing of the B-24D to my door. Because the chances of me building two Liberators are so high. Oh, yes. Here's the obligatory box top shot: Ah, so pretty. I'll not post photos of the contents, 'cos I didn't take them before I started chopping them up. Also, the only camera I have right now is my phone, and that's got a crack across the lens. Combine that with my photography skills and things may look a little surreal at times... OK. Big decision #1. There are four options shown on the box, though the instructions have a fifth option (it's an earlier iteration of the fourth option). One of them isn't an actual mission centenarian, so what the heck it's doing here is anyone's guess. According to Mr Eduard, though, it "fits the theme of this release very well". No, it bloody doesn't. Anyway. Two/three are SE Pacific birds in olive drab, two are 15th AF birds in pink sand. For me it's got to be a pink one, and since only one of those options was an actual centenarian, it's going to be the box-art beauty, Chug-A-Lug. I've ordered some Vallejo paint as faded pinkish sand isn't a colour that I already have, and I'm beggared if I'll be trying to mix up enough paint to cover a viermot. This was a 98th Bomb Group airframe, survivor of Operation Tidal Wave (unlike an astonishing 35 of the 48 aircraft from the 98th BG on that raid), and eventual veteran of 105 raids. If you've got this far, thanks, and I hope both that you'll stick around and that the thread provides some entertainment value!

Goodness me. I come back to modelling (and BM) after I don't know how many months, decide that I should really finish off the two Arma Hurris that were part-finished when I started the break, and behold! Here's Ced, magnificently building two of his own and then throwing in a third for good measure. Mine are being decalled, and I have found the decals to be magnificent, settling very nicely indeed with some MicroSol/Set.

Yes, I like it muchly, Stew. Shame about the kit decals but you might be better off anyway with an AM set.

No pressure, Johnny, but looking forward to seeing what you make of this beast.

It's looking very nice indeed. Love the rudder stripes.

That's big, Stew! What drew you to this kit?

That's a striking scheme! I think it'll look great in those colours.

Looks grand, Sam, really nice effect.

Looking forward to this one in particular...

Lovely!

Well, it looks good to me! I too find the canopy colour rather jarring. I have a stalled build of this kit (the 73 Sqn boxing) in the same camo scheme and the canopy there is green. I think I've built three of these now and it's a good choice for a fast build, there's nothing onerous in the construction other than trying not to break that flaming dorsal radio antenna!

Blimey, Tony! That's going to be fun...

Can you justify it to yourself by anticipating a very quick build?

It's a fine kit, GrzeM, and your instructions are 100% clear on the colours (just in case anyone is misled into believing that I can actually follow clear instructions). I'll have a go at repainting those parts, but I'm glad to hear that the shade of brown is a good approximation (it's Vallejo's Model Air Dark Earth, the non-BS version). Very glad that I have a couple of Hurricanes in the stash, I think I might have a go at them next. Thanks, Stephen. It's a testament to the kit rather than my limited skills. Thanks, Stew, that's very kind of you.

OK, I'm calling it done. All the smaller pieces went on without trouble, except the tiny PE ring and post sight pieces, of which the former has disappeared. Again, commendations to Arma for their design; I always worry about how struts will match up but orienting the wing to be level was as simple as one could want, and the struts all fit beautifully. Here it is: Thanks for following along and providing encouragement and feedback!