*done* B-17G-35-BO 42-32025 VP*P “DREAMBABY”

[vppelt68]

Why not build a B-17 with own initials, all of us? No can do, you say . Yes I can!

 

 

Plans for my build have been discussed here in the WW2 Aircraft- section: 

Yes, she´s a 100+ mission survivor (until being scrapped) and a very interesting one to paint! I will travel to London on wednesday and stay there until sunday. I´ll pick the decals and masks I´ll need for her from Hannants, when I visit the RAF Museum nearby, so nothing to show you here yet, except the modified Revell "combat box":

I was given this kit as a birthday present a year ago. It´s been a long wait... Best regards, V-P 

[theplasticsurgeon]

That gave me an idea - that google cruely crushed.

Best of luck for your trip - and the build.

[vppelt68]

I have a decent build plan! I should need nothing in plastic, won´t mess with PE but am tempted in buying a set of those O₂- cylinders in resin . For the decals I shall need Kits-World sheet #KW172109 that has VP, black triangles with white L for the tail and the white triangle with black L for the starboard wing; #KW172005 has white a/c tail numbers and #KW172012 has rest of the white fuselage codes. Missing? Smaller white “P” for tail, below the a/c number, “DREAMBABY” lettering and a pin-up, that there is apparently no good photo in existence. I do have some plans for them already (1. take pics only from the starboard side 2... )! Oh and a base for the paint plan can be seen below:

EDIT: Since doing that, I´ve learned the red empennage is NOT the id for 1st BD, but for the 1st CBW, consisting of 91st, 381st and 398th BG:s. I´ll let that stay that way.

V-P

[RJ-WobblyHands]

That looks like its going to be fun  a real dirty bird made up of 50 other bombers !

[vppelt68]

Actually, I believe that's not the case! There's a lot of variety in her colours because the cheek gun bays, waist gun window frames and the tail gun position have been added post-production line; de-icing boots removed; large wing panels changed and the nmf finish of them repainted; fabric covered surfaces painted or doped with different stuff than metal parts. That gives one colourful aircraft!

V-P

[vppelt68]

But cutting the flaps is waaaay under the 25% limit... I was just removing some excess parts from sprues and it just kinda happened before I knew it (some exemplary and rule conscious GB host I am, huh )

On the other hand, I'll be in London watching Hammers vs. Spurs on saturday and in Hendon and Hannants on sunday, when the building actually should start .

V-P

[vppelt68]

Back home since yesterday! Found a moment to really start my Dreambaby- build, and did it in a most unconventional way. Revell has you sticking those cheek guns out like they were meant to shoot at your own engines. Of course that's due to limits in molding process. Here's a pic

where the upper position is still unaltered, the lower is re-drilled in a new angle, resulting in this

which looks a lot better and is quite a small job. The trip to London included a visit to Hendon RAF museum and a pick up from nearby hobbyshop, for these:

Too bad the smallest, but the most expensive, decal sheet gives me only some triangle-L:s as I hadn't noticed before the warbird in case doesn't have the 45-degree lettering I need. Such is life. Now I have to modify some white R:s or B:s to get enough P:s, but as long as that is doable that's just fine.

And I began painting - the control surfaces! I wanted to try options for faded OD and fabric NG. Or just paint some "independent" parts for the fun of it . V-P

[Thom216]

Man, I wish there was a dedicated model shop close to me where I could just walk in get stuff! Envy!

[vppelt68]

4 hours ago, Thom216 said:

Man, I wish there was a dedicated model shop close to me where I could just walk in get stuff! Envy!

 so you think I would have such a luxury at hand - no way

 

[vppelt68]

EDIT: Copied here a length of text I originally posted at the GB Chat; 

"I have decided to believe that B-17G interiors really were mostly unpainted aluminium. I have continued assembling and painting stuff that goes inside the wings. Quite frustrating to paint silver plastic with Hu 56! I like the way Revell has done the wheel bays and engine nacelles, though I think they have some parts numbers mixed between left and right wing . Or is it me ? I've snapped broken one forward section of landing gear leg. Fortunately the separate supporting arms part should strengthen the assembly regardless of that. About the flaps I cut open; Revell has you add a separate part to upper wing half for interior surface above flaps - and the visible side has half a dozen ejector pin marks, oh why Revell why on that side? It's a lovely kit nevertheless." End edit!

 

Don't we all hate those white roundels, or actually the reason we have to do them? I think one Revell B-17 wing has more parts than some single engine fighter kits!

 

I gave wheelbays and firewalls a watercolour wash. And the flaps got a milder treatment too.

First layer of Hu 155 on the wings. Painting will be a big job. V-P

[vppelt68]

Lot's of little bits and pieces more or less assembled and painted, but the only progress worth a picture are the wings:

That's Hu 155 for Olive Drab, Hu 86 for replacement panels and Hu 153 for the wingtips. I'm happy with the paints I chose.

Here's a look at the insides of the flap. Hu 56 with Hu 53 details. I'm taking the pics by the fireplace while watching Spurs - Man City. Hence the logs!

Hu 128 for lower surfaces. I think that's a bit too light for Neutral Grey, but I can live with it!

V-P

 

[Thom216]

Good looking pair of wings! Can't wait to see them all dirtied up.

[vppelt68]

Just a pic of the wings and fuselage together to get a general idea of her size - until now the Ju 188 is the largest model I've finished, and boy doesn't she look small next to a B-17!

I need to paint the areas exposed after the de-icing boots were removed. Piece of cake to choose a paint on the upper surface, but how about on the lower, simply fresh unfaded Medium Gray? The fuselage is banded together because I wanted to paint the horizontal stabilizers and the fin red at the same time. I will add the stabilizers now as I can lay the fuselage halves flat on the workbench. It helps in setting them. I have most of the engine components and cowlings painted, and may get to assembling them tomorrow.

I'm not sure how the photo shows the finish on the exhausts, but I like them "in flesh". They are base painted Hu 53 gun metal with Hu 56 alu, 54 brass and 52 baltic blue added here and there. I don't know what an operating B-17 exhaust looks like, but I've seen other heat coloured exhausts enough to like this . V-P

 

 

[Thom216]

The exhausts look good 'in-picture' too,

[Hewy]

I've got this kit and i love that scheme vp, i haven't looked over the parts for quite a while but yours is looking pretty good built up, good show

Glynn 

[vppelt68]

Bit by bit. Engines assembled minus the exhaust collectors, that should be fixed between engines and the exhausts when the big radials are attached (tomorrow?).

V-P

[Canso65]

Very impressive VP. 

 

I really like the colours on your wings. 

[vppelt68]

Yes, I did manage to attach them yesterday. Collector ring to exhaust proper needs some touching up but the fit was surprisingly good. V-P

 

[TonyW]

Looking good so far...

 

The curve of the inboard exhaust pipes looks a whole lot better on your kit than on the Hasegawa/Minicraft  kit I have in front of me. There is a curve to it, but the thing does not flow the way yours does. The pipe on the first issue Airfix version is even poorer, it runs straight back, with no curve at all!.

[vppelt68]

Revell has indeed done some beautiful parts for this kit! V-P

[Thom216]

Nice work on the wings. Good seeing the engines on and the turbochargers look really nice.

[vppelt68]

Thanks Thom216, I like the exhausts too. I´m building my B-17 "backwards" and here´s a look at what the wings look now. Stencils... stencils... and yet more stencils! Now I´m happy with the path I´ve chosen; had I had a finished fuselage nearby I might have lost my patience with all the darn little stencil decals!

Oh the leading boots were also re-painted. I chose Hu 117 as that´s a colour which pleases my eyes, comparing it to the color pic of the 42-32025. Which got assigned to the 381st BG today, btw .

I can assure you the triangle top corner is sharp - it´s just been given a dose of MicroSol and the wet surface just reflects the light that way. The upper surface decals silver a bit but I can´t help it anymore. The thought of covering all that surface with gloss varnish just wasn´t worth it, in my opinion, and I'm willing to live with the results . When the decals are thoroughly set I´ll wipe the wings to get rid of the decal solutions, and then shoot them with Tamiya rattle can matte varnish. The landing gear and wheels are ready to be attached too, but it´s not their time just yet. 

One more pic from below...  And and addition to my original post; one should not think my kit fuselage etc are still untouched. I´ve built and painted some interior parts too, and as I want to add the horizontal stabs before joining the fuselage, I painted them and some areas around them while I had the paints, doing the wings. No, it´s not going to be Lil´ Miss Mischief! I had already added the wind deflectors in front of the waist gun positions, then decided they were oversize and took them off, meaning I had to do some filling and sanding there. Looking like a Fortress?

Best regards, V-P

[Thom216]

Why yes, yes it is looking suspiciously like a Fortress!😀

[vppelt68]

Found a neat way to display the finished wings.

Work continues with the fuselage interior next.

So far so good, thanks Revell! V-P

P.S. No, the bomb bay section is NOT cemented together with the wings, and the props are also "loose".

[Thom216]

Who needs a fuselage anyway..? Turn into the all-wing Fortress.