tomprobert Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Simon, Let me know the diameter of each main wheel you have, and I will check them against the Aerodata plans I have - they are regarded as being pretty accurate. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 (edited) Thanks Tom. The Minicraft kit wheels/tyres are 20mm in diameter, the Radial Engines & Wheels ones are 18mm, and the True Details ones are 19mm. Cheers Simon EDIT - according to this website: http://www.questmasters.us/B-24_Page_7.html the tyres are 56 inch, which works out at 19.75mm at 1/72...hmmm Edited October 8, 2014 by Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 (edited) While I mull over the wheels conundrum, on with painting the fuselage. Primed and pre-shaded, Neutral grey undersides done and masked off ready for the OD uppers: Â Â Â Â As with the wings and rudders, I've added some fading to the fabric-covered control surfaces: Â I'll let it dry overnight, then give it an overall coat of thinned Xtracrylix gloss varnish to seal and protect it. It dries a nice semi-gloss sheen, and also gives a nice hard finish to protect the paint while I get on with furnishing out the bomb bay. Cheers Simon Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Simon, According to the Granger plans I have, the main wheels are 9.75mm... Hope that is of some help? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Simon, According to the Granger plans I have, the main wheels are 9.75mm... Hope that is of some help? Tom Thanks Tom - 9.75 or 19.75...? 19.75 is 56 inches at 1/72.Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Thanks Tom - 9.75 or 19.75...? 19.75 is 56 inches at 1/72. Simon Sorry - I missed off the 1... they're indeed 19.75mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Thanks Tom - looks like the True Details ones are the winners.... Cheers Simon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 (edited) Hmm, curious. I've just given the fuselage a thinned down coat of Xtracrylix Gloss Varnish, and it's got patchy 'milky' areas all over the place: Â Â I think I put too much on at once or it wasn't thinned enough, but hopefully a coat of diluted Olive Drab will hide the milky bits without covering up the pre-shading. I knew it was all going too well... Cheers Simon Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byron Boyd Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Hi Simon, If the gloss varnish has dried completely, you might try a light sanding with a 16 thou Micromesh, or something similar first. Alternatively, you could cut some really thin plastic squares to cover the spots, then airbrush them slightly darker than the overall color(s) to simulate battle damage repair.... Byron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Thanks Byron. I think I'll leave it overnight to dry completely, then try a micromesh. Plan B is a fine mist of OD to cove the milky patches, then Plan C is the 'replaced damaged panels' look! Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Sorry to hear of your paint/varnish problems. Looking great otherwise. Roger l Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I actually think the spots of milky effect add to the weathering. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I actually think the spots of milky effect add to the weathering. I was just going to post the same thing! And I'm glad that the True Details tyres won - they look the nicest. But I think you should sand down some of the "bulge" in the sidewalls at the bottom, otherwise the tyres look more than flattened - they look flat, as in out of air. I sanded them down on my PB4Y build, and I think it makes a world of difference. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) So, out with the milky milky (anyone remember Hugh Dennis' character from the Mary Whitehouse Experience on BBC2 in the early 1990s...?). Anyway, back on subject, a fine mist of very diluted OD solved that one. without affecting the pre-shading: Â The fuselage is now ready to have the bomb bay fitted out: Â I've cut away the central portions, and I'm building the central walkway which should fit in the gaps. A strip of corrugated plastic card, with some thin strips either side: Â Which will drop in like this: Â and the bottom will be finished off with another strip of plastic card: Â The bits and bobs for the bay itself are pretty much done. Here are the central cross beams, bomb racks and the canvas screens fitted to the racks: Â I need some bombs for the racks, but will check the 159 Sqn ORB to see if it says whether they were using British 500lb or US 500lb bombs. More soon... Cheers Simon Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanja #66 Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Amazing. Every time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 More excellant progress, really enjoying watching this come together Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Just a small update today. I've decided to make some proper landing lights for the undersides of the wings. I've glued some clear sprue inside a length of plastic tube, then sawed off a couple of pieces about 1mm thick, sanded them to a flat. smooth finish, and dropped a globule of Humbrol's clear varnish on each of them: Â The varnish flattens slightly as it dries, and gives a good impression of the convex lens of the light. And I've invested in a set of Quickboost B-24 hubs and props. They're much finer than the kit's items, which are also afflicted by quite a lot of flash: Â I'm not sure why you get four prop blades for each hub, though? The set includes a jig to get the prop angles correct, but the problem is, the jig makes the prop diameter much too big. Here's the jig with a Quickboost prop in black and yellow, and the kit's prop on top: Â There's a good 4 to 5mm or so difference, making them too big in diameter overall. All the references I've found state that the B-24 was fitted with 11 feet 7 inch diameter props, which equates to 49mm at 1/72, and the Minicraft ones are spot on size-wise. Not a problem in itself, but I'm glad I checked... More soon. Cheers Simon Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byron Boyd Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I can't tell for sure from the 2nd photo, with the Minicraft hub over the QB, but the 1st photo looks as if there is a lot of shaft at the base of the QB props to play with or adjust the length... Byron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Indeed Byron, the base of the Quickboost prop blade shaft has plenty enough spare to adjust the length of the blade. However, if you use their jig, it places the blade in the wrong place, as shown in the second photo. An easy enough fix, but a potential problem that may catch out the unwary... Simon Edited October 15, 2014 by Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I used the Quickboost props for my PB4Y build, and I removed a few mm of the shaft at the bottom of the blade. It's the blades that are wrong, not the jig. Once you have that adjustment made, the props are quite nice. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted October 18, 2014 Author Share Posted October 18, 2014 (edited) A quick update for today. Now that I've elected for the True Details wheels, I have a slight problem. They are designed to fit onto the Minicraft main wheel legs, which have the centre of the hub moulded into them. As I'd already removed that part from the legs in anticipation of using the REW ones, I need to replace the centres of the TD wheel hubs. I wasan't too happy with the TD wheels' outer hubs anyway, so I'm intending to try and use the TD wheels with the REW hubs, which look much better. I though the easiest way to do this would be removing the centres of the TD wheels, and chamfering the reverse of the REW hubs to fit. The original shape of the reverse of the REW is centre bottom, and above it the chamfered version, and the hub fitted to the wheel on the left: Â I used a countersink bit to remove the TD wheel hub, and although the REW hubs are slightly smaller, they should look okay. As Navy Bird mentioned in Post 138, the tyres are bulged to give a weighted look, but they look like they're down on pressure. I've thinned the sidewalls down a tad - here's the original on the right, and the thinner one on the left: Â I've also started on the bomb bay. Here are the central support cross beams fitted, with the red crank handles fitted to them. I assume they're manual handles for opening the bay doors? Â Â More soon... Cheers Simon Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace From Outer Space Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Very very inspiring work Simon, just superb! Cheers Viv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka1878 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 i've picked up late on this but have an interest as my grandfather flew in Liberators - its a cracking piece of work and really looking forward to the finished article. Really impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Stunning attention to detail in the bomb bay, can't wait for the next instalment! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidcurrie42 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Truly stunning work Simon, Have you seen this product for weighting aircraft? http://www.deluxematerials.com/scaleliquidgravity.html Looking forward to further updates John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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