--Another-- Williams Brothers BOEING 247 --UPDATE--20/01/18

[thorfinn]

Inspired and challenged by Moa's recent superb National Parks Airways mod of the venerable Williams Brothers 1/72 Boeing 247...I decided to break out my own kit for a slightly different modification.

The Williams Bros. kit depicts the later-model -D version of the 247 with full-enclosure NACA cowlings and variable-pitch props. I elected to backdate my project to the original 247 configuration with smaller-diameter engine nacelles and wing fairings, and speed rings instead of full cowlings for the P&W R-1340 Wasp engines. I had in mind to depict a particular aircraft of that early production series, so I've also worked up my own set of markings to home-print a set of the decals I'll need.

Although the fuselage will eventually be 'buttoned up' with almost nothing visible, I still had fun with some interior detailing. The kit supplies a basic cockpit with seats, control yokes, console and instrument panel decal; I added a few throttle levers from bits of pie-plate aluminum with white glue knobs.

 

 

 Likewise, the kit supplies very nice passenger seats and a detailed floor-pan for the passenger cabin---correctly depicting the exposed wing carry-through trusses, with adjacent floor cabin heaters that act as 'steps' over the trusses. I used N-scale 'siding' sheet to make tread-plates for those steps---mainly to cover some difficult-to-fill mold-release sinkholes on the top surfaces---and added prominent structural frames (visible in photographs) to the bare cabin walls. Further detail came in the form of luggage nets, curtains and fittings to the cabin walls, and seat belts to the passenger seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I also found correct-to-period magazines and newspapers online to 'shrink down' and scatter throughout the cabin...simply because I could. My tiny passengers can enjoy the 'latest' issues of the Saturday Evening Post...Hearst's International Cosmopolitan Magazine...read 'The Truth About Katharine Hepburn's Marriage' in Modern Screen...or sample the premiere issue of Esquire, 'The Quarterly for Men' with new fiction from the likes of John Dos Passos, Erskine Caldwell and Dashiell Hammett. (Silly, I know...but it's fun.)

Here's the completed interior...and a shot from 'outside' of the curtains, which will pretty much be all that can be seen:

 

 

 

That's the first few days of work. Any comments, questions of inspired ravings welcome.

 

Next up: wing mods.

 

Edited January 21, 2018 by thorfinn

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Looking real good, i like the idea of period reading material. 

[thorfinn]

Here's the engine situation:

The engines and speed rings had been sorted before the project started---'borrowed' from an even older Airfix Ford Trimotor kit (which a/c in 'real life' had the same P&W Wasp engines). I'll have to scratch-build the exhaust collectors, but that shouldn't be too much of a strain.

The smaller-design wing fairings and nacelles represent a bit more of an adventure. Once I'd decided to alter the the wings, the scariest part---as always---was 'the big chop': I cut away the engine nacelles from the kit wings pieces, top and bottom.

Looking through the spares bin for 'cylinders' of suitable size, I found some 1/48 drop-tanks that were long enough and close to the right diameter---and even had the same 'taper' at the wing end. I built up the top sides with an extra layer of styrene sheet, then used Tamiya thin cement to notch them into tenuous position: plenty of 'wiggle' room, to make sure position and alignment matched from side to side. (I had gone ahead and assembled the wings as an entirety: a little harder to work on, but much easier to make sure everything was 'balanced' as it should be.) Once I was happy with the proto-nacelles' position, I judiciously applied super-glue to lock everything into place.

Once all that had firmed up overnight, I started shaping and laying-in styrene sheet scraps as fillets to restore the surrounding wing surface.

Once the big gaps were filled...the usual routine of putty and sand...putty and sand. No photos necessary...You know the drill.

The next big challenge was how to replicate the very-distinctive 'dimpled' louvered panels on the sides of the early nacelles:

I had purposely left some 'depth' on my 'drop-tank' nacelles, figuring it would be easier to attach the panels as separate items...but representing the louvers themselves was a poser. I tried a number of 'trial run' techniques, with several different materials---including my usual 'go-to' choices of pie-plate aluminum and wine-bottle lead sheet---but nothing looked quite right. I was trying something completely different---punching holes with my tiniest Waldron circle-punch---when i realized the answer was literally right before my eyes.

The other end of the punch. The slightly-conical head of the punch would match the shape of the little 'dimples' nearly exactly. Since I presumed the punch had to be case-hardened (or the equivalent) to start with...I didn't think a little tapping with my craft hammer would do any serious damage. After a little experimentation as to spacing and technique, this is what I came up with, using ca. .040 styrene sheet-stock:

Still slightly too large for scale...but close enough for my purposes. Once the dimpling is finished I'll sand the back-side flat...trim the strips to size, then 'roll' them against a rubber eraser with an old screwdriver, to put some 'curl' into the plastic. and attach them in place.

More photos as things progress. Thanks for looking in.

[thorfinn]

Plodding along with my 247 build.

Most major construction done, time for paint. The unpainted duraluminum finish of these early-series aircraft ranged from various shades of, well,  aluminum through lighter and darker dull greys...and period photos show considerable tone differences in adjacent panels from airframe to airframe.

I elected to start with a base-coat of a highly-thinned mixture of Tamiya Aluminum, dark grey and a touch of dark green, misted on in several coats to build up a good base. When cured, I rubbed this all over with an old tee-shirt to smooth any flaws and buff out any bits of crud.

Next I judiciously dry-brushed all over---a little bit at a time---with a wandering mixture of silver and grey enamels to add 'tone' to the monochrome surface, and make it start to look like used metal. Kind of tough to see given the lighting and color range, but here's an example:

Next, the fun part began. I decide it would be easiest to replicate the look I'm after with oils: they're easy to apply and control, and just as easily removable (when fresh) if something goes horribly wrong. Essentially white and black artists' oils, to make transparent grey 'glaze'---with a bit of silver enamel added here and there---applied both with a soft brush, and 'rubbed in' with a cotton swab. I'd mask a panel at a time with Tamiya tape, add the 'glaze' to my liking, and peel the tape away...then even out with the cotton bud, where required. Here's the start, after the first afternoon's work:

 

 

Lest anyone imagine I'm getting too heavy-handed with my paneling...I offer this well-known photo of an early-series aircraft, one of the few views available to conveniently show nearly the entire upper-wing surfaces. Quite a patchwork effect, with precious-little 'shiny' metal in evidence:

Needless to say, I've got quite a few more 'panels' to add, yet. That's the big down-side of oils: even in 'glaze' thicknesses, they'll need a few days to set before it's safe to mask over them.
More to follow....

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

I missed this one!

Cool!!

[thorfinn]

Moa's kind 'jiggle' of this old thread reminded me that I somehow neglected to link it to the RFI.

 

The finished project can be seen here.