yardbird78 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I have had two of the old Monogram B-36 kits in the stash for a whole bunch of years, so I decided to put a couple of other projects on the back burner and build one of thesemonsters. The kit is intended to be an RB-36H, but the kit decals are wrong and useless anyway because of age. I found some aftermarket decals for an RB-36E from the 5thStrategic Reconnaissance Wing, 72nd Bomb Squadron that was at Travis AFB, California from January 9, 1951 until September 30, 1958. The first B-36's that Convair builtwere the XB and YB-36 prototypes and then 21 B-36A bombers. The A models didn't really have a combat capability and were used for crew training. After a couple of years,Convair took all 21 of the A's plus the YB-36 prototype back to the factory, disassembled and modified them, then reassembled them as RB-36E Recce Birds. The biggest modswere turning bomb bay #1 up front into a pressurized camera compartment and filling bomb bay #4 with ECM and ELINT equipment...I am pretty fired up about this build as I have wanted to do a B-36 ever since I was a kid. The question now is, "Can I keep the fire going long enough to finish a large, difficultproject". I bought two of the Pavla resin kits for the gun turret bays and will use them for both upper gun bays. I will open up the very large side oblique camera windows andsmaller tri-metragon windows on each side as well as the three vertical camera windows in the belly of the camera compartment. Bomb bay #2 will get 40 of the AN-M26 photoflash bombs, while #3 will get a scratch built 3,000 gallon auxiliary fuel tank, a new "communication tube" down the left side and hopefully some more added detail. Both levelsof the forward crew compartment will get some added detail and I am hoping to scratch build the entire photo compartment interior. Now I have to see if I can live up to mydreams. The Kit Box I started simple with the wheels and struts The Pavla AM turret bay boxes and pieces. The only real difference between the forward and aft turrets is that the aft bay has a one piece cover. The upper and lower forward crew compartments, the fwd & aft bomb bay bulkheads and the radio operator's panel at the rear of this area. This overlaps the gunbay unit by about 1/8 inch, so I will have to modify that somehow. The forward gun bay tub. It requires a HUGE hole to be cut out. This shows the camera windows and crew observation windows cut out of the right side. The left side is stock, but won't be for long. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) RB-36E Update #1 The bomb bay fuel tank held 3,000 gallons and was jettisonable. I made the top and bottom out of the outer main gear doors from an Airfix 1/72 C-130 and scratch built the endpanels. I still have to build the sides and reinforcing straps that go around the circumference. Communication Tube that runs from the forward crew compartment to the aft in the regular bomber, but skips the pressurized camera compartment in the recce birds. It is made out of 3/16 brass tubing Add the bomb rack main frame and pressure bulkheads (not glued in yet) Add 20 of the photo flash bombs in bomb bay #2. Add the aux fuel tank in bay #3 and the wing spar. I intended this to be the floor for the camera compartment, but it didn't turn out very well. Back to the drawing board. Edited February 15, 2016 by yardbird78 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Wow! I can't wait to see this take shape! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Always wanted to build one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Beema Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Many years ago I did an out of the box build - never finished it but I remember I needed a huge amount of weight put in between the rear of the cockpit and forward Bombay to prevent it being a tail sitter.. Don't forget it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 One of those 'Ãœberkits' from my childhood that was never within my reach. I had to satisfy my modelling habit with series 1 & 2 kits from Airfix and if I was really lucky, a series 3! I don't think I've ever seen one of these built up so looking forward to seeing the end result too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driver66 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Never owned this kit but looking at your build but lots of memories of wanting one as a boy come flooding back. I do like old monogram kits, they have an ability to capture the real aircraft and this subject still captures my imagination. Cheering you on from the sidelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planebuilder62 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Warbird make some nice B-36 decals that settle down well over Alclad. Regards Toby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Great to see you tackle an ambitious project like this, good start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 Many years ago I did an out of the box build - never finished it but I remember I needed a huge amount of weight put in between the rear of the cockpit and forward Bombay to prevent it being a tail sitter.. Don't forget it!!! Thanks for the tip. I planned some weight under the floor of the forward compartment, but I will add even more. Warbird make some nice B-36 decals that settle down well over Alclad. Regards Toby I have the Warbirds sheet with all the walkways, No Step warning and so forth, plus another for the particular aircraft I am building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) RB-36E Update #2 My eyeballs are rotating to the back of my head from working with the tiny instrument decals, so I thought that I would post an update to the Beast. This is the pressure bulkhead between the backend of the camera compartment and the front end of bomb bay #2. The hatch in lower right is the entrance to the "Communication Tube" that ran between the front crew compartment and the onein the tail. It wasn't present in the camera compartment so that the guys in there could go to the front or back of the plane. The hatch on middle left gives access to the bomb bay. The windowtowards the bottom is so they could monitor what was going on in the bomb bay without depressurizing the compartment. The items on the top shelf are electronic components and the center andbottom row are instruments and controls for these "black boxes". I have applied a few decals and need to put on several more. The silver disc in picture #2 is how the bulkhead looked when Istarted working on it. The decal sheet with the 1/72 instruments and controls is by Mike Grant Decals. This is the jettisonable auxiliary fuel tank that goes in bomb bay #3. I finished the construction and put on a coat of primer. It still needs a finish coat of green. See the you tube video above tosee a full scale B-36 jettison one of these things. Edited February 15, 2016 by yardbird78 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crobinsonh Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Great work on a monster model Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob68 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Built one as a kid, if memory recalls correctly there is not a lot to see inside when built straight from box in the cockpit area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) B-36E Update #3 I have made some progress with the camera compartment and started on the modification to the APG-32 tail radar. This is the front side of the pressure bulkhead 6.0 that divides the aft end of the camera compartment and bomb bay #2. The hatch on the right is the entrance to the communication tube to the rear crew compartment and the one on the left is for access to the unpressurized bomb bay. I am considering it complete. This is the backside of bulkhead 5.0 that divides the forward end of the camera compartment from the forward gun bay. Just starting. Adding the "I" beam at the top, the first shelf and the hatch to the gun bay. ​ ​Adding the shelf and cabinet for the Camera Operator's control panel. Just for a little diversity, I started on the modification to the fairing for the APG-32 radar that controls/aims the two tail guns. The early B-36s had a single antenna/radome and later models had twin antennas. The kit provides the twin antenna version with a much larger and longer fairing. This has to be cut out and replaced with a smaller one. Edited February 15, 2016 by yardbird78 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 This should have been the last photo in the Update #2. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 RB-36E Update #4 This bulkhead 5.0 with the construction finished and the camera operator's panel to the right. The same bulkhead with a coat of primer and the Camera Operator's panel temporarily in place. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 The B-36! Perhaps my favourite aeroplane ever (that and the Tu-95 Bear)! I have a completely unbuilt one out in my garage. I've been very tempted to buy the Pavla gun bays and the only serious disappointment I had when I originally bought the kit some thirty-plus years ago was the absence of the retractable guns. I'll be very interested to see how the Pavla ones turn out. Best of luck on this build! Best Regards, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Well I have the kit, pulled it out of the box a few times over the last 30 odd years I have owned it, then realised I have nowhere to put it when built, so put it back, so good to see someone tackle the beast, let me know if you need any coal to keep fired up, I might be able to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Crickey, the only way this could be more ambitious is if you did the FICON version! Really look forward to seeing this one come along. Bravo, Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 RB-36E, Update #5 I decided to take a break from the camera compartment and do a little work on the gun tubs. They have a LOT of detail in them but the gun barrels are pretty fragile and the ammo belts are so incredibly delicate that it is essentially impossible to work on them without breaking them. I don't want to leave them out, but I may have to. The bulkhead hatch visible in the first photo is for access between the camera compartment and the gun tub, but it should be in the middle instead of over at the side. The camera operator's control panel is directly opposite this on the other side. This is the basic gun tub the way it comes out of the box. This photo shows the bases for the two turrets. There are two diagonal braces I still need to install for each base. You can see the pivot hinges at the corners. They are what raise and lower the turrets. The long rectangular objects under the bases are ammo boxes. These two photos show the gun turrets installed temporarily for fit check. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurrantBunbury Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 This is looking very promising. Lovely work on those instruments and electronic wotsits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 RB-36E Update #6 I managed to get the ammunition feed chutes in place under the turret frames. I don't want to permanently attach the turrets until this beast is almost complete because they are way too delicate and likely to get damaged. It is time to shift focus a little bit again and get some work done on the main crew compartment. There is a fairly large wheel to the aircraft commander's left that is for the nose wheel steering and this is not depicted in the kit parts. This is my scratch built version of the wheel before and after painting. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 RB-36E, Update #7 I have been back working on the 3 forward bulkheads lately. L-R, forward side of bulkhead 5.0 that divides the camera compartment and bomb bay #2, back side of bulkhead #4.0 that divides the front of the camera compartment from the forward gun bay. (these two were completely scratch built0, front side of bulkhead #3.0 aka the radio operators stationthat divides the forward crew compartment from the gun bay. Bulkhead 5.0 close up Bulkhead 4.0, the blue items are supposed to be binders for Tech Orders and black items above them are extra film cartridges and the Camera Operators Control Panel is right center. Radio Opertor's station at the back of the forward crew compartment. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Great progress and excellent attention to detail. I look forward to seeing the next instalment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardbird78 Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) RB-36E, Update #8 I got out of the crew compartment and crawled back to the bomb bay to do some work in there. The yellow thingies are liquid oxygen cylinders made from scrap sprue with very thin strips of Bare-Metal-Foil for the mounting straps. The wires along the lower side wall are supposed to represent the grouped wire bundles. The rectangles on the communication tube are the windows for inspecting the bomb bay without actually going into it. Add in the forward and aft bulkheads for the bomb bay. Add in the main bomb rack structure. Then 20 of the AN-M26 parachute flares or photoflash bombs and the 3,000 gallon auxiliary fuel tank and it starts getting a little crowded in there. The tank and bombs are a little crooked because they are not glued in and they shifted a little bit while I was taking the pictures. Edited March 24, 2016 by yardbird78 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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