Snafu35

Hello, Enzo. A fortnight later. then? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, Old Scrap' Digging the vents on the wings from the inside is a perilous exercise that I hadn't thought of. I can't wait until the end of the build to see the result! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Cheer up, buddy. Many of us are following your work. I want the end! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello VP, You've done a great job so far. I think we're in for a great race to the finish! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, All. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a like! I'm in the painting workshop. I used a Tamiya TS30 aluminium spray can for beginning. I spray a little paint into the cup of my airbrush, using a plastic tube the diameter of the spray orifice. I can control the paint better this way. Then I used Vallejo Acrylic Duraluminium paint to cover the outside panels. It looks nice, but I haven't mastered this water-based paint, which can be used with an airbrush. I had to strip three times, because you have to be very light on the air flow! And I would add that having a cat near your work is not a good idea, because of the flying hairs... Here's the current status of Sleepy Time Gal this evening: I'd like to paint the rear of the B17 in Airframe Aluminium Alclad/Mig Ammo, then do panels in other aluminium tones. I'll add a dark dull alu tint behind the engines, then paint the ailerons in matt alu. I'll get there... Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello all, Many thanks to reini and Thom216 for your words of encouragement. On my way home from work this evening, I made some progress on my project. Sleepy Time Gal is -finally- ready for painting: Mount'n Ride is not far behind: I've added repeaters to both to add a little colour behind the windscreen: The gap between the windscreen and the upper turret required a bit of sanding work on the B17 of the 381BG. We'll see the result tomorrow after painting. Stay tuned. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good evening Vp This is a great news! Building a four-engined aircraft takes longer than building any other model, especially if we don't have any holidays today to build it. It's really motivating and I hope to finish at least one model by this new deadline. Many thanks to you, Enzo and Vp!🥰 Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good evening, To illustrate the subject of discolouration of the canvas-covered moving parts on painted B17s, I'd like to present three screenshots taken from William Wyler's 1943 film named Memphis Belle: ( This photo is very interesting because you can see a different olive green painted on the outer parts of the wings.) Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, Flyinghorse. An interesting detail can be seen on some of the B17Es that took part in this first mission to Rouen-Sotteville. I'm talking about the camouflage: Most of these B17s were destined for the Royal Air Force. The camouflage colours had been manufactured by DuPont de Nemours to resemble as closely as possible the earth and green tones used by the RAF, but these colours were...inaccurate. We can add that the same colours were used on the P40s delivered to the Flying Tigers in China. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed all that, and the Americans recovered everything they could to arm themselves. These B17Es were part of that recovery. I intend to build another B17E that took part in the 97BG actions, however I will put striped trousers on it. This is the Birmingham Blitzkrig, which was later used as an assembly ship. You can see from the photos of this clown plane that the transparent nose cone is no longer an E model. Have fun in modeling. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello captain, The all aluminium B17 Airfix is an excellent choice, however as Mark says, perhaps you could get your hands on a smaller model aircraft. Murph's videos are very good tutorials, and I can only encourage you to paint aluminium with an airbrush. Here are two photos of the Airfix model I finished for the Kuta event at the end of last year: Your question comes at a time when I'm about to start painting a B17G Academy in the B17 STGB in progress: Welcome if you're passing through! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello Loren, Well done on your successful conversion.👍 And to learn that you build so many models a year astounds me. Are you building ONLY 1:48 scale? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello John, If the GB Navy doesn't come of age, please count me among your august company. I have a pair of SB2Cs to build. And P40s, just like everyone else! 😂 Regards, Eric-Snafu35

I wonder if I won't sign up several times with different usernames to increase the number of people interested in this GB. Am I allowed to do this? 😋 Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good evening everyone, I was a bit afraid of having the same misadventure as Ratch, gluing the two fuselage halves together. The part in front of the upper turret is indeed acrobatic. I couldn't remember how delicate the gluing was at this point on the model. What's more, the fuselage halves didn't fit together very well, so I decided to plane down the rear cockpit bulkhead. The fuselages are assembled, and you can even see that I'm using scotch tape to hold them together while gluing: I actively sand the gluing joints, now. I fill in a few cracks with cyano glue sprinkled with talcum powder. Please note, Vp, that the stinger turrets are resin casts that were made over twenty years ago. I've got a mind of my own, haven't I? I added a shim on each wing to reduce the wings' pronounced dihedral. This wedge is one millimetre thick and thirty-five millimetres long. A shim running the length of the wing root will completely flatten the dihedral. I'll fill the hole with cut shims, then mix cyano glue and talcum powder. Am I still on schedule? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, Dunny, On this side, this model is just as beautiful.😍 The wings on the Academy model are a challenge, and you've done well.👍 Thanks for sharing, Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, Elger It's a wonderful piece of work. It will be a source of inspiration for me. The marks on and under the wings and around the engines are remarkable. The machine gun mount in the glass nose is also a great detail. Thanks for sharing. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

I was also thinking... But your construction remains magnificent, Neil! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

OK, guys, I don't really have to force myself to join you and propose my participation in this working group. Navy blue planes have been a passion of mine ever since I read Buck Danny! I also know how to build something other than a B17, so I won't be proposing a PB-1W. So can you count me among the future participants? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello Daniel, I'm delighted to (re)see your magnificent work on this group build. I was amazed to discover your 1/48 B17. Shep'Payne's B17 and yours are the ultimate stages to reach (for me). I thought I could do the same as you. However, I haven't built my B17 Monograms yet so I won't miss out. I'm trying my hand at 1/72 models! Thanks for sharing (again). Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, VP Yessss! I'm finishing sanding the air intake fairings, and I'm also working on the ball turretS. Academy gives an erroneous interpretation of the window of the belly gunner: The glass is curved and rather small. It's flat, isn't it? So I got the drill bits and a piece of transparent acetate to cut out a circle with a point and a template. Tomorrow I hope to show you some photos of the closed models ready for painting. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

I really like your research and your deduction, my dear Watson. 👍 This subject comes up more and more often when we talk about the marks on the upper surface of the B17's wing. And let's not forget that Wright star engines 'piddle' oil. As always, a photo is the final arbiter. Your representation is very convincing, and really resembles what we see in the photo: I wondered whether my own work was too exaggerated, but once again, photography is the judge of peace. I made a printscreen while watching William WYLER's film Memphis Belle, and this is what you see through the radio window of the eponymous B17 during a take-off sequence: Then, let me come back to the colour of Miss Lace's elevators: are they really the colour you suggest? Aren't they more of a dull aluminium? Cheer up, you'll finish before me! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Okay, Ratch. Go drink a half pint (or a full pint) and come back when you feel better. We still have plenty of time to build our B17. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Bunch of obsessives! (Can I be part of your gang?) Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, VP, I console myself with your speed of construction by telling that you have not yet started the wings! And I'm jealous of you because you're going to have a Mickey ship in your collection. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good evening everyone, I wouldn't want to mortgage the little space I have left for my four 1/48 B17s! I'm building two B17 Academies to try and get the stock down. The second will be the 42-31585 Mount'n Ride from the 323BS/91BG; I like the pin up pose. This B17 was used in combat from 1 February to 16 March 1944. The camouflage will therefore not be very faded. I'll do a crappier one another time. I sculpted the oil cooler intakes with Miliput: I made a small sausage between my fingers, then I put it in place with a sculptor's spatula. The four wings are done, I have to finish the sanding quickly because time is starting to pass quickly! Regards, Eric-Snafu35