Josip

I have only 2 remarks to make: 1. The twin guns in the top turret aren't aligned. 2. The insides of the bomb bay (the doors included) should be silver And personally I'd prefer more color on such a huge model;-) Cheers! Josip

It's nice to finally see it done. However I'd like to point on few things that could be better. - Nearly every F type fort in ETO that I've seen so far had medium green blotches on upper surfaces and wing edges. - the exhaust streaks on the wings shouldn't be so symetrical as they were directed by the flow of propellor wash. - at this stage of war (1943) forts flew with open radio hatch with machine gun, yours is closed. - also it's a shame that you went through such effort on interrior only to close the waist windows. Try to open at least one. - the ball turret has blind sides as Revell forgot to make several tiny side windows. Try to paint some with black or dark gray and gloss them over and finally there's this hideous Revell clear nose that's just too thick. Whenever you feel like replacing it, mail me and I'll send you a vacuform replacement. Of course when I'm done with my G (should be this autumn) you'll be free to point out everything that wouldn't conform with refferences;-) Cheers! Josip

Hello! I need some photos of the real thing. All I've got so far is a single photo in flight taken from the starboard side and several drawn profiles. Was the nose band green or blue? And the fuselage codes? Any info will be deeply apreciated! Josip

You take it right.

Regular MM metalizers for airbrush. Aluminium plate, stainless steel etc... Scooped from the lid with my favourite paintbrush and drybrushed on the primed surface.

Still the nicest of the family and still the best option in 1:72 (from Revell). With quickboost nose cone and wheels. Brushpainted (drybrushed) with Model Master metalizers. Decals from the box. Photographed this afternoon on strong spring sunlight. Cheers! Josip

Mainly Model Master Aluminium plate. Drybrushed on the primed and taped surface.

Here's the progress so far: Josip

AirVallejo OD is too brown for my taste. Try to respray certain areas with that OD mixed with their Russian green for a slightly greener touch. And if you need a vacuformed nose cone let me know. I think that it'd be a shame to use the Revell monstrosity and spoil the good work. Josip

A high quality kit in the hands of a high quality modeler!

It's not the paint that's faulty but the way you airbrushed it. You should have considered the angle of spraying the edge, if you know what I mean. I'm an avid fan of Vallejo acrylics and I'm allways using flattened strips of UHU (white) tac for demarcation. It makes the softer edge.

I'm glad you like it! Sorry, but I can't post step by step pictorial because I didn't take any pictures in the process. But I can describe it with words;-) If I'd have to do it again from start, I'd be doing it like that: - I wouldn't do it unless the surface detail wouldn't be a total crap (I most certainly wouldnt tackle the Hasegawa Liberator) - I'd find myself plenty of refferences and blueprints with rivets'n all - I'd equip myself with a fresh scalpel blade, a good riveter and a fresh roll of milky transluscent Scotch Magic tape The rest is simple: - assemble and glue your model - use putty where necessary but don't bother too much - prime the surface - mark the rivet lines with pencil - start covering various pannels of your model with patches of tape, trim it with scalpel blade using the original pannel trenches (in my case) as a guiding tool - press the tape really good and thorough - you can cover several original pannels with a single piece of tape - use the riveter and start riveting using pencil lines as guides or rivet over covered pannel trenches - use your favourite method of painting to simulate NMF (although it would look great in cammo too) - protect it with several layers of lacquers of your choice Hopefully that way the tape won't dry up and start loosing it's grip. I hope. And don't forget to mention my name when you show your work Josip

Did anyone notice the staggered waist window?

Actually it's ordinary Scotch office tape, painted and lacquered.

Hello! Disgusted by 1:72 Revell kit flaws (most notably with their surface detail) I bit the bullet et voila: What do you think? Maybe it would look better under a coat of Olive drab? Josip

Thank you for your reply. I wasn't aware of that fact. Josip

My main source will be a decent illustrated profile and upper view from wingspalette.com that was obviously taken from some aviation book. However the one and only photo shows some barely visible letters on the lower side of port wing. Our hobby is much about chasing misteries. At least learned about it's name;-) Josip

Hello! I'm about to start painting my model and am dead set on representing the aforementioned B-17. It flew in early 1945 in 486 BG, 883rd Sq, 8th AF. Does anybody have any pictures of the real thing? So far I've only seen one single color picture. Also, what was the meaning of it's name? Thank you! Josip

I'm keeping an eye on your progress and as I'm working hard on a G model Fortress I'd like you to consider some suggestions. Practically all cockpit details is barely visible once that fuselage is closed. Therefore Revell's interior was more than enough. Sure the PE details are gorgeous but are in my experience a wasted effort. All that'll be visible to some degree are the bomb bay and radio room (because the roof hatch is open). As for the nose you should really replace the nose cone with Pavla aftermarket set and use their vacuformed part instead Revell's monstrosity. It'll add immensely to the final look of your fort. Also check up your refferences about tail gunner's clear parts as they're about 2mm too long and the windows aren't as on the original. And finally, PLEASE DON't enhance the allready overdone pannel lines on your model. Keep up the good work! Josip

Oh, it's too late for that now because it is allready glued shut. LMM it'll be.

Well no, because I'm well aware of that. Little Miss Mischief was a late production machine fitted with an early type fuselage and latest window covers. Is there any other known B-17 with symmetrical waist windows and late type covers?

Finally there's one actually done. They seemed to be such a ragen but there are only few posted on forums. I'm glad that you chose Egyptian markings as they look really nice.

Hello fellow modelers! Please help me with my problem. I'm working hard on Revell's not so nice 1:72 B-17G kit (fuselage is allready closed). The big error with this kit are the starboard waist windows which iare moulded symetricaly. That really limits the painting possibilities. Also it seems that 99% of B-17Gs with symetrical windows had an early type 3 piece framed glass covering (which Revell didn't correctly represent at all). Anyway, I've installed late type one piece windows that are correctly represented in plastic and fit a lot better. Now, if I'm to make a correct representation of a real wartime B-17 it seems that I've limited myself to Little miss mischief only, since I can't think of another wartime B-17G with late type symetrical waist windows. Any ideas or refference to another similar fitted B-17would really be helpfull. Thanks in advance! Josip

But of course. I'll have to make a new one as it fell of and got lost.

It was on 10th of March 1953 when two silvery and gleamy science fiction like US built T-33s touched the runway at Belgrade. With their futuristic shape and strange engine noise they made a stark contrast to a gloomy rainy overcast and piston powered ww2 vintage aircraft parked nearby. The crowd was amazed! At last the JRV (Yugoslav Air Force) joined the jet age. Years passed by and the gleamy aircraft were eventually painted in cammouflage pattern and finally were so worn up that it was time to replace with something else. In this instance with domestic SOKO G-2 Galeb trainers. The remaining T-33s were pushed aside and recycled along with other relics. This diorama is at least 5 years old and at the time there weren't any modern kits of T-33. So I made what I could with what I had: Of course Sword or Platz kits would be the choice, but they weren't around. All went well excluding the dreadfull fit of wings to the fuselage and an accident that irrepairable fogged the canopy. What to do with an ancient disaster of a kit and a fogged canopy? Let's make a junk piece of it (as it's allready a piece of junk)! Let's fade it a bit more and make that canopy a bit on the yellow side, find the suitable base, mini railway grass, some Airfix RAF figures and all comparable leftover junk from my stash et voila: Recycle your junked kits!!! Josip