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Total Scratch build of the front end of a B17G!


Fozzy

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Okay......................

Good afternoon Gentlemen of the modelling variety.....after trying to remember how to post on BM I think I have finally cracked it :unsure:

Yes its been some time since I last posted here so I am a bit rusty...so bear with me please.

I have had a rest from modelling for a while but decided to get back to the bench and start a new WIP on my next crazy adventure.

As the title suggests I am going to attempt to completely scratch build the front end of a B17g.....IN 1:20 SCALE!...Mad I hear you cry but those of you who know me from my last WIPs (if the old crew are still around!)..will realize that I am mad!!

As a child I have always been fascinated with the interior of the B17...I super detailed a 1:48 scale plastic kit once...but I only scratch build models now and so I thought .....up the scale.....and lets see if I can scratch every last detail to an inch of its life!!!!!

As I usually do.... I will build this from scraps of this and that and I already have the wife standing by the kitchen bin to pass me odd bits of plastic etc!!

Warning.......there will be plenty of photos I have already started this project about 2 months ago so until I catch up with where I am at today's date ...I don't want you thinking that I have built this this afternoon

So here we go then..................I will attempt to show you (as I normally do) how I will attempt at putting this together.....

CHAPTER 1

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...A bit of Balsa wood and free downloaded plans

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Here are the plans for the 6 Formers that I will use to build the front section of this B17

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Side view of the plan...

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....and the top view.

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The first set of stringers are set on the building board...so there is no turning back now!!!

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All the 6 formers are in place.........

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What!!?........its looking like a boat???....maybe I have the wrong plans? :hmmm:

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Here are some of the stringers attached to the hull of the boat!!!!!

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I am doing this build in two halves. This will make it a darn sight easier to detail the interior....I hope!!...here is the bottom half of HMS Fortress!!!

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...and here is the top half...you can see I have filled areas with block balsa and sanded it in preparation to cutting the windows out.

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Looking forward to seeing this make progress.......totally admire scratchbuilders and this looks like a mightily ambitious project. Im also intrigued by your photo.....if Im not mistaken, that a 660 Sqn Scout at Sek Kong or Seria but I suspect the former since it looks like quite 'open' ground in the background, which kinda suggests N.T. ...Am I right ?. Spent quite a bit of time flying around in these in both HK and Brunei between 88-91 and certainly admired the fact that the AAC crews were prepared to operate single engine helicopters over primary jungle !.

Keep up the good work

Mark

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Welcome back to the land of the living Foz. Looking forward to seeing how this proceeds. That's a good start you've made.

Dave

Hi there Dave...thanks a lot mate...loads to do!! :unsure:

Looking forward to seeing this make progress.......totally admire scratchbuilders and this looks like a mightily ambitious project. Im also intrigued by your photo.....if Im not mistaken, that a 660 Sqn Scout at Sek Kong or Seria but I suspect the former since it looks like quite 'open' ground in the background, which kinda suggests N.T. ...Am I right ?. Spent quite a bit of time flying around in these in both HK and Brunei between 88-91 and certainly admired the fact that the AAC crews were prepared to operate single engine helicopters over primary jungle !.

Keep up the good work

Mark

You have it one Mark!...yes the picture is of me many years ago..1985 till 87 ... looking a lot younger I might add and yes I was with 660 Sqn AAC in Hong Kong as a crewman they might have been single engined but they were a hell of a good Aircraft and tough as old boots for us squaddies!!!!.....thanks for the input on the Fort!

lovely really good idea. are you going to scratch build the rest of the plane eventually?

well...if this turns out ok then I might just do that!! cheers :)

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fabulous work. It would be cool if you built the whole thing.

It amazes me how people create anything from a drawing I would love to have ago. I wonder were one aquires drawings

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In these 2 photos you can see that the windows have been cut out................

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fabulous work. It would be cool if you built the whole thing.

It amazes me how people create anything from a drawing I would love to have ago. I wonder were one aquires drawings

Thanks Rob....All my research including plans /drawings I get entirely from the internet....give it a go!

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Okay............Got to get this cockpit roof sorted......remember that I did all this work in the past 2 odd months....I'm not that fast at modelling!!!

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The way I built the roof is that when the blocks of wood had dried in the previous photos I simply cut it off the top of the Fuselage.............carefully!!.............

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.......and then sanded down to get the shape correct.......this I might add was blasted difficult and the whole project nearly finished on that day!!! :(

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Dry fit time.....always dry fits over and over again when scratch building because we can't blame the manufacturer if the chuffing thing doesn't fit....or looks stupid!

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Gods teeth....you don't know how tiring this is ........posting about 2 months of work!!....you probably are as bored as me at this stage!!!

How ever!!...here is some plastic for you..............

Now then...the B17 had a shed load of rivets....(this is where it gets a bit silly!!) but it has to be done and its a mind dulling process I can tell you!! :suicide:

Hopefully the pictures will tell the story....don't try this at home!

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So this will be the last post of the night as my eyes are giving up on me!!!!!

These few photo show that the fuselage has been skinned and the two halves are temporarily together..............

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I will continue tomorrow with tons of photos showing the same sort of thing!!

Who ever is looking ...I thank you :bye:


Jees! that's looking good.. Hooked!

Glad your enjoying looking at all this crazy stuff!!

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