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Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=856379418100686&id=213417762396858 V.P.

Blackbird Models is to release a 1/144th Consolidated PB4Y Privateer resin kit Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0gQnqipNnV3KfuDxPzhRZqXerzKwL9Gwz33TXFZenoQtwBr1wPwYv1dMQRhxvn5Eil&id=100046220576815 Master V.P.

Hi mates! I've finally finished a project that I originally started as part of the Obsolete Kit Group Build. The kit I chose is the old (and very obsolete) kit from Revell USA of the PB4Y-1 Liberator in glorious 1:72 scale. This kit first saw light of day in 1965, and I can remember my brothers and I building this (and blowing it up) several times in my errant youth. To pay for such past injustice, I was sentenced in my adulthood to think this would be an easy, quick project. Yikes! Project: Consolidated PB4Y-1 (B-24D) Liberator Kit: Revell Kit H-205 (1965) Scale: 1:72 (The Only Scale That Matters) Decals: Iliad Design Sub-Hunting Liberators No. 72001 Decals: Aviaeology B-24/PB4Y-1 Stencils No. AOD72S01 Resin: CMK B-24D Cockpit Set No. 7234 Resin: Quickboost Liberator Antisubmarine Radar No. 72170 Resin: Quickboost B-24 Propellers No. 72329 Resin: Quickboost B-24 Oxygen Cylinders No. 72319 Resin: CMK B-17 Waist Gunners Detail Set No. 7205 (used for the 0.50 Brownings) Resin: True Details B-24/PB4Y Wheel Set No. 72016 Photoetch: Eduard Big Ed B-24D Set No. 7252 Paint: Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, Gunze H54 Non-specular Sea Blue, Gunze H56 Intermediate Blue, Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black, Gunze H95 Smoke Grey, Alclad Klear Kote Flat Weathering: Pastel chalks Swearing: Loud and often Improvements/Corrections Removed all rivets; re-scribed all panel lines (they were already engraved, but inconsistent - not sure I improved it!) Replaced kit flight deck and nose gunner/bombardier station with CMK resin set and details from Eduard PE set Added all guns (resin stock and PE cooling jackets) and equipped with PE ammo belts Eduard PE colour seat belts in all stations Added port cheek window (not in kit) Scratchbuilt front landing gear structure from plastic rod and PE Main landing gear wells made from Eduard PE Scratchbuilt entire waist gunners area including fuselage structural members, floor, and gun supports Waist gunners area detailed with PE and resin oxygen cylinders PE ammo belts realistically draped from overhead ammo box into waist guns Added relief tube to port waist gun area (really!) All guns have PE gunsight (and I no longer have any eyesight!) 83 grams added up front to prevent tail-sitter! Waist gunners window panels made from film sandwiched in PE pieces Modified engine housings so propeller would be in correct position; replaced kit props with Quickboost resin Replaced wheels and tyres with True Details set (had to make the resin tyres not look flat) Added main landing gear retraction strut; detailed all landing gear with PE brake lines and oleo scissors Added radome in place of belly turret Scratchbuilt interior of top and tail turrets; replace kit clear parts with vacuform Replaced kit canopy with vacuform; added bulged side windows; added vacuform astrodome Replaced Fowler flap actuators and posed flaps in landing position Lowered elevators slightly; posed ailerons in off-neutral position Added PE deflectors forward of waist gunner windows Used decals to represent tunnel gun windows (because I forgot to put holes in the fuselage!) Added radial panel lines on both sides of each vertical tail with pencil Weathering by post-shading with paint and pastels; chipping on props with silver pencil Gear doors from Eduard PE Scratchbuilt forward pitot probes from styrene stock and hypo needles Added all antennae: Marker Beacon (underside of bomb bay catwalk), Command, Liaison, ADF, Sense, and one more that I have no idea what it is! 0.005" Nitinol wire used for aerials. Elapsed time: Approximately five months (too freaking long!) You can find all the details in two WIP threads, Part One in the Group Build, and Part Two in the normal WIP section. On with the pictures! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed this crazy obsolete kit build! A few in-progress shots: Cheers, Bill

"Thunder over Flagstaff" was the name of the event yesterday, though early on, the only thunder to be heard was accompanied by lightning and heavy rain.... In fact, the local peaks had their first dusting of snow this season: Nevertheless, I felt I needed to put in an appearance, as this is my only chance to attend any sort of aviation event this year. An annual occasion (and more correctly a fly-in rather than an airshow), normally the military supports the event - in the past, we've had F-16s, F/A-18s, T-45s and AV-8Bs, as well as numerous helicopters over the years. Alas, there was not a single military aircraft to be seen this year, and precious little else as the inclement weather across the state decimated the fly-in. When we arrived, there were just two aircraft on the display ramp, including this nice CJ-6: Parked on the GA ramp were a couple of interesting aircraft amongst the usual spam cans - this very nice Embraer Phenom: ...and a Mitsubishi MU-2: This took off later - very noisy! As a regional airport, there are two (yes, TWO!) commercial flights a day, in and out, operated by SkyWest as part of the American Eagle program, using the Bombardier CRJ-100: As no-one seemed to know what was going on and little was happening, we were on the point of giving up the lost cause, when this happened: Woohoo! The world's last flying PB4Y Privateer, accompanied by a full-scale replica Spitfire IX! So, our patience was rewarded. We helped the Spitfire pilot (an acquaintance of my friend) park his steed, had a nice chat with him and one of the Privateer crew, then called it a day. An interesting morning, but it is a shame that the weather ruined the event, and the lack of military support was disappointing. I am hopeful things will be better next year.