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1/72 HASEGAWA BOEING B-47E STRATOJET


adey m

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This is the navigator's hole in a preserved B-47 front fuselage in a museum. Note the back of the DOWNWARD firing ejector seat on the right..........yikes

 

So this morning it was time for me to somehow translate what I am seeing in this photo into 1/72 scale in the curved and empty void in front of my B-47.

 

Where do I start ?

 

It finally dawned on me that there is a panel with instruments going across the upper part of the cabin in front of the navigator  This would be ideal for fixing everything to if I can get it right.

 

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First I looked into my B-47 build box of bits which I thought may come in useful.

 

But I then to decided to construct my own using plastic card, round rod and the square section rod in the box above.

 

I constructed the navigator's panel using the same white, black, white plastic card sandwich I used when making the pilots' panels.

 

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The basic navigation panel is in place and I am now trying the table for size and shape. Navigator's seat awaits.

 

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Square section plastic rod awaits for use in constructing the Navigation equipment.

 

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Table and navigation stuff attached to the panel.

 

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Time to try the navigator's seat in position.

 

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Navigator's SEAT ELECTRIC DOWNWARD held in position with Blu Tac.

 

Now where does the navigator go..........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by adey m
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As the cockpit of my B-47 has been progressing I have been more able to relate to photographs of the real interiors and it has dawned on me that I have made an error with the cockpit passageway. The angle of the sloping floor had seemed too steep to me for a while and I have worked out that it is too steep and why.

 

Also the section of floor immediately behind the navigator should be level before a gentle upwards slope towards the entrance hatch.

 

There should be a step down from the entrance hatch which I did not realise in my model........hence the steep angle of my floor.

 

So yesterday I reworked the passageway floor and then added other details that I had missed.........most importantly the chemical toilet................

 

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Reworked passageway floor, chemical toilet and pilot's cockpit step.

 

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Here I am making the guard rails for the electrics cabinets from fuse wire.

 

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Electrical stuff and guard rails in place.

 

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I find that by sketching parts of the interior it gives me an understanding of what is going on.

 

Navigators seat fixed in place temporarily with PVA glue.

 

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Here I have made more accurate control column stalks from plastic rod. I carefully removed the steering yokes from the kit stalks and attached them to mine.

 

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Pilots inserted to get the correct steering columns heights and to check that everything will fit.

 

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This view shows the curved cockpit entrance incorporated into the pressurised compartment wall which had a sliding curved hatch which slid downwards under the cockpit.

 

Edited by adey m
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I managed some more additions to the Stratojet crew compartment over the weekend................

 

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Rudder pedals and pilot's grab handle.

 

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Navigator's curtain................so he doesn't have to see who is using the toilet.................

 

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Oxygen hoses made from fuse wire.

 

I am now ready to start the painting stage. During a visit to York on Saturday I visited Monk Bar Model shop and bought some cockpit green to add to my other greens ............now where is the hairy stick

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I could say: "Not too shabby..."

But it is really super wonderful!

 

JR

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On 3/20/2017 at 11:35 AM, adey m said:

I am now ready to start the painting stage. ...now where is the hairy stick

Right here Sir!

Ready for you to use and abuse me like always.

 

 

 

 

Great stuff and loving the detail being added to the build. I'm guessing that the bomb bay areas will receive a little bit of fettling too?

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This is an inspirational build! I have a B-47 to renovate - its minus one stabiliser, an inboard twin jet pod, a drop tank, undercarriage bays, gear legs and wheels and a bomb bay door!! My other half picked it up at a car boot sale last year along with a tray full of built kits. I reckon the builder didn't take modelling as seriously as most of us on BM do and so this one has been thrown together and daubed with gloss grey paint here and there!! But I like a challenge and I was very interested to see that its possible to get SAC undercarriage, resin seats, resin wheels, vac canopy and resin engine fronts and rears so, all of a sudden, my renovation becomes a bit easier!!

I can make a new stab with laminated card and outrigger gear doors and bomb bay door are pretty straight forward. I think the biggest problem will be decals but I suspect Microscale probably did some once upon a time. I really enjoy renovating 'lost causes' and its interesting to see someone putting so much effort in to scratch building! Keep going and it will soon be done - then you have to worry about where to put it but not really a problem if you've solved the B-36 hangarage issue! 

Best of luck!!

 

Simon

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I like what you've done with the cockpit, particularly the control yokes; they do look much better. The Falcon Clearvax canopy will do wonders, for what is an itty bitty clear piece on a great big silver jet.

 

Makes me want to drag out my shelved RB-47H project. I got the wings and engines done, most of the fuselage as well, but the minimalist cockpit just didn't sit well with me so, i lopped off the forward fuselage and cracked open the nose so i could access it again. Then my data stick that had all the RB-47 pics i took at Wright -Patterson died..... and i just sorta lost motivation after that :/

 

david

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On 21/03/2017 at 00:36, hairystick said:

Right here Sir!

Ready for you to use and abuse me like always.

 

 

 

 

Great stuff and loving the detail being added to the build. I'm guessing that the bomb bay areas will receive a little bit of fettling too?

 

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Here's one for you hairystick............................

 

all the best,  Adrian

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Hopefully the painters will be getting on with the interior soon and I can reduce the construction clutter around the work space.............

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27 minutes ago, adey m said:

 

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Here's one for you hairystick............................

 

all the best,  Adrian

Hahahaha!!!!

Would make a great modellers post card! Those life jackets also look a rather suggestive!

By the way I would get a copyright slapped on that sharpish if it were me!

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Before I start painting the interior I thought I would tackle the retractable crew access ladder.

 

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The retractable ladder was quite a complex and yet fragile looking affair in what appears to be four sections of which three were sliding..........a sort of loft ladder from hell....................

 

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I needed to work out how far off the ground the bottom rung was.  In this photo it appears to be in line with the front wheels axle.

Also I needed to work out how many rungs there were........six are visible before they disappear into the fuselage.

 

The ladder which comes with the kit looks overscale and too long..............I have seen this ladder touching the ground on the odd B-47 displayed at model shows.

 

I had actually started to scratch build my own ladder when I thought I would take a close look at the kit ladder.

 

I realised that if you remove a rung and thin down the depth it actually is okay to use.

 

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A length of strut inline with the wheel axles provides the datum line for the bottom rung of the ladder.

 

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Two hooks made from fuse wire will support the ladder by its top rung and will allow it to be removed if required.

 

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When the model is finally on its wheels the ladder can be hung at the correct angle.

 

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Ladder hung at correct angle 90 Degrees to ground when viewed from the side.

 

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So now I must be at the painting stage surely.....................

Edited by adey m
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Didn't see this thread until today. Means we've got two B-47 builds going at the same time, here on BM!

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2 hours ago, Bendinggrass said:

Do you have a link for the other. Be nice to see it also.

 

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