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CONTINUATION OF MY 1:20 SCALE SCRATCH BUILT B17G (RADIO ROOM)


Fozzy

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Sorry about the first two photos guys!...I accidentally deleted them off  postimage hence breaking the link!......I will down load them again!

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Yes Simon!....human and a berk!!.....I'll down load them tomorrow as I'm off to Bedfordshire....night night!

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On 5/29/2019 at 12:24 AM, Fozzy said:

as I'm off to Bedfordshire....night night!

Shouldn't that be "Berkshire"? 😉

 

Ian

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi guys

 

Well it's been nearly a month now since my last post what with family staying and this and that etc etc( you know the drill...getting in the way of modelling!)...but finally I'm now back at dealing with this B17G!

 

...and it was time to tackle the complicated ball turret hanging system!.......After looking at loads of confusing photos of the task at hand I decided that the only way to replicate it was to try and break it down into small stages.....wasn't going to be easy ...but then that's the challenge I guess!

 

So I started with the frame work and the bits and bobs at the bottom that fits onto the turning mechanism above the ball turret...here's a few photos......

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(1).jpg

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure.jpg

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(3).jpg

 

I was about to attach the upright tube ( plastic flag stick that luckily was the correct scale!) when I noticed that I would have to adjust the walkway that goes around the turret as it was too large and I would never be able to continue with the hanging structure!.....annoying as I had to take of the glued floor carefully off and then re shape it and then replace it and make good!...any way after that problem was solved I had the next problem of repeatedly placing the top section of the fuselage.... as a dry run fit ....to see if the tube aligned up correctly with the ceiling connection!....that I have to say took some time and patience!...of course in the process I knocked of the radio ops seat and some radio stacks from the radio room floor!...I have left them off for the time being whilst I deal with this nightmare!

Once that was all sorted I gave this section some paint after first placing some cables and wiring on....here are some photos......

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(2).jpg

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(4).jpg

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(6).jpg

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(7).jpg

 

Ball_turret_hanging_structure_(8).jpg

 

Now......I could have left it there!.......but I think you know me by now😉

 

The B17G had a system for carrying extra ammunition that fed automatically into the ball turret....after looking at photos I decided to at least have a go at it and if it was too complicated then I could just not bother with them.

Basically it was two ammunition cans suspended above the ball and bolted to the frame work.Being two cans they of course had to be symmetrical...and that is something I find difficult to do...especially the round feeds that were like  S- shaped channels! The rounds were made by cutting small gauge wire to size (at least 50!!) and the glued in between 2 pieces of the S-shaped feeds.....some of the rounds could be seen through inspection ports....hence bothering with making the rounds!

Any way here are the pretty rough looking examples of the ammunition cans and feed chutes....will look better in situ and with paint on....I hope!

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting.jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(1).jpg

 

It was time to attach the ammo cans to the hanging structure.......

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(2).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(3).jpg

 

The next task was nearly impossible to do and that was to make the lower supports for the cans.....it took ages but got there in the end!.......all I had to do now was to paint it all.....

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(9).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(4).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(5).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(6).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(7).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(8).jpg

 

Ammunition_cans_and_fitting_(9a).jpg

 

OK

So that is as far as I have got so far.

I still have to make a couple of ammunition belts and the oxygen tank for the turret and then I can think of closing the two halves in preparation for the external detail!

 

I have to say although challenging this part of the build was ......I thoroughly enjoyed myself!🙂

 

Till the next post....take care guys!

 

Fozzy

 

 

Edited by Fozzy
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8 minutes ago, brianthemodeller said:

Your attention to detail never ceases to amaze me!

 

For interest, how did they get the ammunition from the two emergency boxes into the ball?

Cheers Brian....

 

The rounds were gravity fed through the S-shaped chutes which were then in turn connected to the top of the ball and into the round boxes inside the turret....bloody clever I think!...1940s etc!

Because I have exposed the top of my ball turret for viewing purposes the connection wont be seen but I have built it so you can see the rounds in the ball turret boxes.....the emergency round feeds I will hang up on two pegs as I hope you will see in my next post!....cheers mate!

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That looks terrific Fozzy!

 

I could have used those photos while I was doing my ball turret.

My B-17 stuff is done but I will keep watching this thread for the craftsmanship anyway!

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13 minutes ago, Tzulscha said:

That looks terrific Fozzy!

 

I could have used those photos while I was doing my ball turret.

My B-17 stuff is done but I will keep watching this thread for the craftsmanship anyway!

Cheers Tzulscha!....Yes I saw your B17....and I thought my 1:20 scale was large! ha ha!.....good job...well done!

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Afternoon guys!

 

This post will finish up all the interior detail I needed to do before closing both top and bottom halves of the fuselage and then I can proceed to finish off the detail on the exterior of the fuselage.

 

So what needed to be done was the ammunition belts from the emergency ammunition cans and the oxygen bottle for the gunner.

I'll start with the ammunition belts.....By using just paper and wire I'd thought I would show you how I went about this task ..photo by photo...

 

1. The first task was to cut 4 pieces of paper to the length/width of the belts....I used paper as it will bend like a real ammo belt...

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system.jpg

 

2. As you can see I then cut all 4 pieces..(you will see in the next few photos why I did this!)...

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(1).jpg

 

3. I then got some garden metal wire twine (I chose this as it looked the right scale for the rounds)...

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(2).jpg

 

4. This then had to be straightened using a flat piece of metal rolled across the top of a length of wire......

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(3).jpg

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(4).jpg

 

5. After measuring the width of the pieces of paper I then had to cut... (loads!!).... of pieces of wire which would replicate the rounds,....laborious task!...although I don't actually mind doing it!!

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(5).jpg

 

6. These were the super glued onto 2 of the 4 strips of paper....

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(6).jpg

 

7. Then the other strips of paper were glued over the top of the rounds  This is the time that I bent the paper to the shape I needed....

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(7).jpg

 

8. A couple strips of paper were cut and glued to both sides of the belts to make them look more authentic and I then painted them.....

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(8).jpg

 

So now all I had to do was super glue one end of the belts to the ammo cans and hook up the other ends on a couple of posts....(the reason for this is that because I have exposed the top of the ball turret I couldn't glue them to the entry point of the turret!)...here are a few photos of the task complete......

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(9).jpg

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(9a).jp

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(9b).jp

 

The last task to do before closing the two halves was to scratch the oxygen tank for the gunner.

I have so far made loads of oxygen tanks for this project so I just made them the same way as before....and that is a sanded down piece of balsa wood with plastic strips glued to them!......here it is....

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit.jpg

 

I then glued the tank onto the post and made a couple of paper straps ....to replicate the securing straps!

 

So here is the finished Ball turret connection structure......

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(1).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(2).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(3).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(4).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(5).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(6).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(7).j

 

So now its at long last time to place the top to the bottom!!..ha ha!

 

about_to_attach_the_top_to_the_bottom.jp

 

I am now getting close to the end of the Radio room section of this B17G....the external detail will now have to be thought about before proceeding......so I'll see you all the next time around!

 

Thanks again for looking in

 

Fozzy

 

 

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I couldn't for the life of me see how the emergency ammo containers could work, until I studied your work a little closer and realised that they rotated with the turret. That's quite incredible to think that I could figure that out from your model!

 

Ian

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Thanks a lot guys!

 

4 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I couldn't for the life of me see how the emergency ammo containers could work, until I studied your work a little closer and realised that they rotated with the turret. That's quite incredible to think that I could figure that out from your model!

 

Ian

Thanks Ian.....Its un believable the amount I have learnt my self about the B17 by doing this project...staring endlessly at photos trying to get it right!!!

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Some days, some threads the impossible becomes

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(5).j

 

Beyond belief


We see it done, watching avidly on the way

 

Then this just beggars belief

 

Wow and thanks Fozzy, we b'ain't worthy mate

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