Jasonb13 Posted February 24, 2013 Author Share Posted February 24, 2013 Thanks Mish, I'll have to go looking for that build, did you post it on GB? And good advice tomprobert, thanks! I read a few different versions about the bomb bay, but decided to paint the side walls green as I'd already painted the bomb bay itself green. If you're wrong, you might as well be consistently wrong! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Jason I built it last year for the USAAF GB here is the LINK to my build thread. I would recommend the Eduard mask set when you come to painting saved me a great deal of hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Hi Mish, Wow, I love your build, it looks excellent! Would be delighted if I can get mine looking half as good! A quick question, those clamps (are they called Berna Clamps?). Where would I get them do you know? I have some clamps I use but they're not great and need a big flat area to clamp onto, which isn't always possible. And I reckon I'll need them to get my fuselage halves to close. I already got the Eduard masks, no way I was doing this build without them! J. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Thanks Jason. Yes they are Berna clamps and I got them from Paul at Little Cars, they work great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 1, 2013 Author Share Posted March 1, 2013 Thanks Mish! I think my LMS might actually have these, and I think they'll come in very handy, and not just for this build. I currently use spring clamps but then tend to slip off surfaces unless it's nice and flat, so I reckon the Berna clamps might do the job! I have got a little bit of progress done since my last pics, with the Radio Room now done. I'll get some pics of that up tonight hopefully. Next step is masking the canopies, as some of the windows have to go in place before I close the fuselage (and I need to mask the ball turret and top turret before assembly and painting). However, I've a quick question about the rear side guns/windows. I've decided to leave the windows closed, with the guns visible behind them. From looking at the clear plastic for the window, there seems to be 3 sections molded into the plastic. The middle section has some framing around it, and the Eduard mask set has a mask for this middle section, so obviously this is meant to be a window. However, there are no masks for the sections on either side of this middle section, so I don't know if these are meant to be part of the same window or not. Sorry, I really don't know if I'm explaining this well! Basically, with the B-17F, are these rear side windows fully clear (i.e. all three sections) or is only the middle section clear (and the outside sections are painted)? From what the Eduard Mask set is telling me, it's only the middle section that's a window. But a quick look online suggests it should be all three sections? Any ideas? Thanks... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 1, 2013 Author Share Posted March 1, 2013 Isn't it always the way? You search like mad, then ask a question, and then find the answer yourself! As can be seen on this website here, only the middle section was clear, the rest was painted. Nice to have that sorted before I start the masking! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Glad you've got it sorted as that's one I didn't know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 1, 2013 Author Share Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) Thanks Mish. I do tend to build OOB and not worry too much about accuracy, but if there's something simple I can do that makes it more accurate, I'll do it. Hence another question for anyone reading this, but more about that later! Anyhow, as promised, here's the Radio Room: And the Radio Room from the opposite angle, with the Bomb Bay dry-fitted to it: All fairly basic and easy to do, thankfully. Then I got started on masking the various canopies with the Eduard Mask set: The set really is essential if building this kit, it's worth it for the upper turret alone, I can't imagine doing that freehand! But, as mentioned earlier, another question! Eduard give you masks for the nose, so you can paint the 'frames'. These 'frames' can just about be seen here: However, from what the Revell instructions seem to say, you don't paint these frames at all. And from some pics I've found online (here and here) while the shapes of the frames are visible, they don't really look painted, just more plexiglass, at least to my eyes! So what do the BM horde think? Do I mask and paint those frames, or leave them unpainted? Thanks! J. Edited March 1, 2013 by Jasonb13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 1, 2013 Author Share Posted March 1, 2013 One more pic for tonight! Just another dry-fitting of the fuselage, with the radio room in place and the side gunner station done, and some windows in too: I'm clearly ignoring my plan to not worry too much about the inside of the fuselage, as it won't be seen! To be fair to Revell though, this is all OOB and the detail is really good. Next up is the ball turret and top turret, probably not until Sunday though... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 This is looking great mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Taking shape Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 http://framework.latimes.com/2011/06/13/memphis-belle/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Looking good, Jason! V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Thanks! That's weird, I did a post last night but it must not have worked... Anyhow, thanks for that pic John, it's excellent, Using that, and some of the others I've seen, I think I'm going to go with leaving all the frames unpainted, apart from the triangular one around the flat bombsight glass, as that one does seem to be darker. Of course, your pic also confirms what I had my suspicions about, the gun-ports in the nose on the Revell Kit are too low and too wide, but I'm not even going to try to sort that one out! Got a little work done yesterday, and the ball turret is basically done. I'm not 100% happy with it, it wasn't a great fit between the two halves of the ball turret, but it'll do the job. Next is the top turret, and then the tail, and then it's pretty much time to try to get all of it to fit into the fuselage and close her up! I want to get some of those Barna clamps before I do that though, as I know my own clamps won't work with the shapes on the fuselage. Should have some pics the next time... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robw_uk Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 very nice interior - its definitely worth doing - you still get an impression I am sure through the windshield - and you know it is done.... its like hoovering behind the sofa, you know its done but you cant see it ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Thanks Rob, but I never hoover behind the sofa! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) Well, a picture as promised, the upper turret and the ball turret: Haven't bothered gluing the guns (or canopy) to the upper turret, as it can be fitted without them, which should make masking the aircraft for priming easier, at least in that section. Next on the list is the tail section, probably won't get near that 'til Thursday. Thanks... J. Edited March 6, 2013 by Jasonb13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Looking good Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Very nice sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 Thanks Mish & Deacon! Got some Barna clamps yesterday, I'm impressed with their engineering. So instead on working on the tail gunner section, I might close up the fuselage tonight instead. Though, considering how many pieces have to fit in, I might just put all the pieces into one side tonight and let them dry there before assembling the fuselage over the weekend. I might even use superglue to try to get all those pieces in good and tight to aid with the fit... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 Well, here's everything glued into the fuselage side: A tight fit, but it's all there! Speaking of a tight fit, a dry-fitting of the other fuselage side shows some issues. Mainly in the nose, try as I might it's almost impossible to get the two halves to join under the Bombardier section. I've pared away some plastic from the edge of the 'table' etc. but it hasn't helped. I can't even really see exactly where it's 'catching' that's causing it not to close properly. The rest of the fuselage join isn't too bad, needs pressure in a few places but that pressure does join the two halves together. I'm not going to try to glue the two halves tonight, I'll leave it and have a think about that nose section tomorrow. Thanks... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 And this is the point where all that hard work on the interior is lost for ever Don't remember any issues putting the two fuselage halves together on my 'G'. Looking forward to seeing her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 I keep telling myself Mish that I'll still see something through the windows. Maybe if I shine a torch through them! Definite fit issues on mine, and another IPMS Ireland modeller I know had such fit issues with the bulkheads / fuselage that he now has his kit on the shelf of shame, waiting for him to come back to it. I'll just take a scalpel to it again and remove as much plastic as I can to see if that helps. Normally I tend to think that it's 'cos I brush paint, so that makes everything thicker than airbrushing. But at this stage I'm paring away plastic, not paint! I'll see how it goes... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonb13 Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 Well, with a lot of effort I got the fuselage halves together. The biggest issues were in the nose, I did the best I could, but it's gonna need a fair bit of filler (in fact, most of the fuselage seam will). That said, I got some Games Workship Liquid Green as I'd heard good things about it, and at least it's a similar colour to the interior! Anyhow, the pic below shows where I am now, after spending most of today gluing and clamping various sections of the fuselage, and then moving onto the next part. Still have to finish the tail-gunner section and then it's onto the wings and engines! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 And squeeze Nice bit of clamping there Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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