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'Memphis Belle' B-17f Revell 1/72


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Having returned to modelling (that auto-corrected as meddling, probably more apt) after a really long break I bought this some time ago and held it in the stash, remembering it as a 'special' model that needed me to hone my skills before starting. I was not wrong. I started it with some trepidation after seeing several stalled builds on BM and I now understand why; Revell have obviously used the same molds for the 'F' and 'G' variants and this, IMHO, causes more problems than it's worth, especially as they have forgotten to amend the instructions in some places.

Anyway, enough of my moaning, there's enough of that in the WiP. I present for your pleasure the 'Memphis Belle'. Built OOB except for some scratched ammunition belts for the waist guns (not up to Fozzy standards) this was a challenging kit and I'm only reasonably happy with the results.

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697FF6CB-6ED3-4157-A880-128D34667C88_zps

C0D93ECA-BA8C-4B04-8962-41B7316890B8_zps

2EA31B55-F7E0-4F76-9E49-87DF2B6CC3DD_zps

B1387263-C21E-4AAD-92DB-0377EB4A83B0_zps

And some shots of the interior, for those of you who missed the WiP;

fec19d3e-9af3-4c4c-a560-849ace7f976a_zpsE1504E88-3B1B-439D-A788-D30DBFE63FE3_zps

BD492389-E505-4805-B3F4-4E8D349EE8C3_zpsB730D28E-3561-44A4-8CFD-253D2D9D7839_zps

48CB0A2E-9A00-422B-A425-3D4A76A5C214_zpsD441BB5F-E325-463C-A2F9-87A7DD314807_zps

Mixed feelings as you can probably tell. I may build another B17, just not the Revell one.

Thanks for looking.

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All those interior details are so impressive Ced, pity it wasn't one of the "invisible" series, with plain, clear plastic, on one side. But she looks great, and your background really sets off the build nicely.

Cheers,

Mike

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Thanks Mike - very kind :)

Stew that's a really kind comment and really appreciated Sir :)

Thanks Cookie - I was pleased with the way the exhausts turned out.

Thanks Knight_Flyer - I wondered why they were grey on the top!

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Well Ced I know that you can only see the faults on your own models, but from what I can see, I'd be happy to have built that B)

Cheers,

Stew

+1 if my Miss mischief turns out half as well I'll be pleased

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The kit is a mess and requires tons of modification to get a proper B-17 of it. Shame on Revell and Ivo Bras who designed it in this day and age. Nice painting though.

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Thanks Simon (and Rose!) - it's not a bad build in terms of fit so, if you avoid the 'nose problems', you should enjoy it. Cue for a song: "If I can help somebody, as I roll along..." :guitar:

Thanks Beard, Jon and Chris - very kind. I have dobbed some MicroSol on one of the inspection cover transfers this morning and I'll report results back in the WiP.

Thanks Josip - I've just updated my stash to show this completed and scalemates says this is a 2012 "with new parts". The 2010 re-tool has the cheeks and front turret parts by the look of it but, thinking about it, had I known these were going to be a problem I could have used my 20/20 hindsight to sort the problems out. That would just have left the ball turret clear parts, the waist gun ammunition boxes and the top turret gun mounts to sort out. :hmmm:

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She looks fantastic Ced. All your hard work and patience has paid off in spades. The finished item is inspiring me to build my G model and with all the info from your wip it should be an easier build. :goodjob::goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob:

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Great modelling work, CedB! Looks really impressive and your WIP will be a great source of information and advice when I start my "Belle".

Like you, I returned to modelling after a long time away and this kit was just the second one I bought, after deciding to return. It still is in the stash, waiting for my abilities to improve.

Like I said in my last reply to your WIP, you're being too harsh on yourself, because the end result is very good :goodjob:

Cheers

Jaime

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What a star! I love all the detail you have added which is just superb. As for the problems with the kit well I think that shows even more the quality of your work.

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Thanks Greg - get your 'G' out and do a WiP! I really like the way BMers join in to help with problems and make the thread more entertaining :)

Thanks Jaime - it sounds like you did the same as me... judging by your WiPs I would say your skills are far better than mine - go for it! :)

Hi John - I didn't replace the controls, I think they'd been replaced on Belle and that's why they're not OD on the top. Probably. What's next? Already started Spitfire Vb here.

Thanks Ian - you're too kind, much appreciated :)

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Apologies logical - I will try harder and, with a bit of thought and effort, hopefully I can pull it off :D

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Well done and a good looking one, apart from the ugly glas nose. But that's not your fault. It looks like a pair of glasses with +35 dioptres. Shame on you Revell.

Edited by bbudde
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Thanks Jaime - it sounds like you did the same as me... judging by your WiPs I would say your skills are far better than mine - go for it! :)

CedB, thanks for the kind words :blush: but I still struggle with basic things like treating seams and making moulding marks disappear... :banghead:

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Ced,

Looks good, agree with the comment about the thickness of the nose cone especially when you produced all that great interior detail.

Kept out of your WIP on the basis I know nothing about funny foreign planes!

What next? Perhaps something with rigging to keep you challenged!

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Thanks bbudde - I know what you mean about the nose... although I don't know if anything thinner would support the guns. It's all a bit of a mess up front actually - no room for a person amongst the four guns, chair and bombsight. :)

Jaime I'm still struggling with seams too (as you've seen) but we'll get there!

Thanks Leonl - glad you liked it :)

Hey BB! I've started an Italeri Spitfire here. No rigging but it is pirate to build!

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