tomprobert Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 I've been working on this project on and off for the last year or so, and finally applied the finishing touches this weekend. The HK Models kit needs no introduction and was for the second time, a joy to build. Having seen a few of these kits made up as war-beaten WWII aircraft, I wanted to do something a little different, and thus decided to build this version as a modern day warbird. Most preserved Forts in natural metal gleam like a mirror - something that terrified me, so I went instead for the Experimental Aircraft Association's 'Aluminum Overcast' which is operated from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which is actually painted silver rather than being in NMF. Being a Vega block 105 aircraft, she never saw combat, as it was actually built too late to see service in WWII, and instead went straight to the boneyard as 'surplus' before being bought in 1946 by Universal Aviation for aerial mapping purposes. It was sold again in 1947, this time as a cargo hauler which required numerous modifications, before once again taking on the role of aerial mapping platform in 1949, spending 12 years in the Middle East. By 1966 another sale ensued and the B-17 was used as a chemical sprayer back in the US, before its final role which began in 1966 as an aerial tanker and fire bomber. After retirement from this role in 1988, she was purchased by the 'B-17s around the World Foundation' and subsequently donated to the EAA, where a thorough restoration to WWII configuration began. She's been touring the US since 1994, and proudly wears the colours of 398th BG which flew from Nuthampstead during the war. Although she's 95% authentic in comparison to her WWII counterparts, she does carry a full, modern avionics suite, as well as extra passenger seats in the rear fuselage, radio room and flightdeck for those lucky enough to enjoy a flight in her. The upper turret is just a dome with dummy barrels fitted to improve access to the flightdeck, but the ball turret is fully operational. I carried out the simple modifications to the HK kit to bring it up to 'warbird' status by scratch-building the passenger seats, removing and filling the radome on the top of the nose compartment, adding the modern aerials seen on the aircraft and leaving out the top turret mechanism. Armour plate was removed from the pilots' seats, and the flightdeck oxygen system was also removed. I painted the interior olive green as the original, as unlike her wartime sisters she's painted internally. Wooden floors and ammo boxes were recreated using the superb HGW decals, and a final touch was a scratch-built rear access door and entry step as well as a ladder stored in the bomb-bay as often seen when these Forts are on tour. Decals came from KitsWorld, and paints were automotive acrylics. Boeing B-17G-105-VE s/n 44-85740, civil reg. N5017N 'Aluminum Overcast' DSC_0058 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0065 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Removing the nose radome: S1030377 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Interior progressing with scratch-built passenger seats etc: DSC_0008 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0082 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0087 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0092 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0094 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0101 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0108 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0117 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0120 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0136 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0147 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0154 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0157 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr DSC_0160 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr And the picture that inspired it all: Srenco-B17 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Thanks for stopping by, Tom 37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 You love a B-17 don't you...... Looks great though Tom! Also is the civvie reg hidden under the tail? Would like one of these but it's to rich for me atm... One day though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight_Flyer Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Looks great and close enough to the real plane. I can't imagine how big this model must be in 1/32. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jusjay Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 (edited) Looks awesome the details are brilliant. Great job! Edited October 4, 2015 by Jusjay 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 (edited) You love a B-17 don't you...... Looks great though Tom! Also is the civvie reg hidden under the tail? Would like one of these but it's to rich for me atm... One day though! Yeah can't get enough of them! Yes the registration is on the fuselage under the stabilisers, as well as 'EAA Oshkosh'. A water bomber version would be right up your street... Tom Edited October 4, 2015 by tomprobert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Yeah can't get enough of them! Yes the registration is on the fuselage under the stabilisers, as well as 'EAA Oshkosh'. A water bomber version would be right up your street... Tom The only type I'd build... Ideally need an B-17F though, but could make one from a G with certain mods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 The only type I'd build... Ideally need an B-17F though, but could make one from a G with certain mods Depends which one you wanted to do I suppose, but as far as I know there were only a couple of Fs used as water bombers; the rest were late-build Gs like the one above. I think one of the Fs was converted to take RR Dart Turbo-props but was destroyed in a crash, and the other is registered N17W which was converted back to WWII configuration in 1989 to star in Memphis Belle, and then subsequently went to Boeing for a more thorough restoration and is now in Seattle as 'Boeing Bee' - the only potentially airworthy B-17F around (the other is the original Memphis Belle at Dayton - but this will never fly.) The majority of the fire bombers therefore had the staggered waist guns and most of them retained their Cheyenne tail turrets - some had large panes of glass put where the cheek windows were and others were either blanked off or retained the bulged gun mounts - some were a mixture of both! Some also had a more streamlined nose fitted and others just retained their WWII plexiglass bubbles. The only tricky part of converting the HK G kit would be the removal of the chin, top and ball turrets, but look closely at the fire bomber Forts and you can see some were simply given blanking plates that were riveted over the apertures - you wouldn't even need to be that neat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 A fantastic Tom Probert build. Just beautiful. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batcode Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 looks great nice work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metodi Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Simply spectacular... I can't imagine what it looks like in real given its size in 1/32. Sublime job on the clear parts, especially the nose. I would love to know how you achieved such clarity and sheen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 The only tricky part of converting the HK G kit would be the removal of the chin, top and ball turrets, but look closely at the fire bomber Forts and you can see some were simply given blanking plates that were riveted over the apertures - you wouldn't even need to be that neat It was the chin turret that I was worried about, I might just have to use the 'G' then one day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Cornes Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 What I'd like to know is where you keep a model as big as that? !! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Thanks for the kind words, folks. Simply spectacular... I can't imagine what it looks like in real given its size in 1/32. Sublime job on the clear parts, especially the nose. I would love to know how you achieved such clarity and sheen. To be honest I did nothing whatsoever to the clear parts other than stick 'em on! The HK transparencies are stunning mouldings - beautifully thin and very shiny. They are quite tricky to remove from the sprues, but once on they show off the interior nicely. What I'd like to know is where you keep a model as big as that? !! Simon All my big ones live in the attic on some industrial racking that I have set up in the eves. This, along with another 1/32nd Fortress, a 1/32nd Halifax, 1/32nd Lancaster, a 1/32nd B-29, 1/72nd C-17 and a 1/24th Mossie take up the majority of my shelf-space; other smaller models are stacked in large Ikea plastic boxes. Needless to say, the loft is a wife-free zone; to be fair to her as long as the house isn't overrun by kits she says I can do what I like withe the loft. The only one that can't fit through the trapdoor due to it's sheer bulk and angle of the wings is my 1/72nd Boeing 747 - that lives on top of the wardrobe in our spare room! I've still got a 1/32nd Stirling, 1/32nd Short Sunderland and 1/72nd DC-10 in the stash waiting for their turn, and I've a 1/24th scale F-4 Phantom due to arrive imminently... I had to donate a 1/32nd Liberator to a museum, and as I build more larger ones others will probably follow suit... there's only so much room and it's running out quickly! I'd also love to get my teeth stuck into the 1/32nd HK Lancaster when it arrives, as well as 1/32nd E-2 Hawkeye... I think I need a bigger house. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Bigger trap door by the sounds of it I also have the loft to myself, it's great isn't it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 (edited) Damn this thing is simply gorgeous and must be HUUUUGGGGEEEEE. I do love a B-17. Nice job. Edited October 5, 2015 by Rickpadwick1801 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris148 Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 that is a cracking build,superb finish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Beautiful. Nicely done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HL-10 Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Very impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Big and beautiful.What a superb finish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Superb work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I think this is going to inspire further sales of this kit Tom, stunning finish. I'm not normally a fan of very clean finishes, but this is an exception in a big way (pardon the pun!) Cheers Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Beautifully done as ever. I also thought the transparent parts were amazing. Top marks for the kit and builder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancient mariner Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Great build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace From Outer Space Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Hi Tom, lovely work, love the B17! Cheers Viv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wheels Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Really like what you've done by modelling a preserved aircraft> And nice details...the ladder in the bomb bay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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