Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 I have started my entry which is the Academy B-17E (Fortress II boxing). I gave the decals away some time ago but have sourced a set from a Frog kit. It started as an OOB build but I have already drilled out the turbocharger intakes on one wing and started to box them in. Pictures of progress to follow soon. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Welcome Ray, we're glad to have you aboard too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 Thanks V-P! Here is the first update. The kit has been in the stash for quite some time I have some Eduard stuff to throw at it I am not sure I will use the cowls yet, I will see how much different they are to the kit supplied ones. I started with the wing dihedral issue and added some 10 thou strip to the top of the mounting point, and more on the other side, about 30 thou in total Cockpit went together and I only noticed a boo boo after I started painting it I also cut out the correct right-hand waist gunner's window Next was the turbocharger intakes, and finally some paint The boo boo was that the kit comes with 2 sets of bomb bay bulkheads, turns out I used the wrong ones and am in the process of filing them down to make them fit in the fuselage 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 One stupid question from a metric part of the world: how much is 10 thou or 30 thou in understandable units ? I´m close to buying an Academy B-17 kit next! V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: One stupid question from a metric part of the world: how much is 10 thou or 30 thou in understandable units ? I´m close to buying an Academy B-17 kit next! V-P Well, we are metric as well you know, 🇦🇺 though I started school before we went decimal and had to learn imperial measurements and then try and figure out the decimal system, Anyway, 10 though is just over 0.25mm and 30 is 0.76mm 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 20 minutes ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said: Well, we are metric as well you know, 🇦🇺 though I started school before we went decimal and had to learn imperial measurements and then try and figure out the decimal system, Anyway, 10 though is just over 0.25mm and 30 is 0.76mm Ah, thousandths of an inch then... now I see, thanks! Does the kit really need a different amount on the starboard and port sides? That´s bad... V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 V-P, you obviously have not built a Minicraft B757 kit, the wing roots on that kit are a dog's breakfast! Yes, I added 0.25mm to both sides first and the right wing tip was well above the top of the fuselage, later kits may be different. I was made aware of the difference on another build thread somewhere else and noticed mine needed the extra attention to one side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canso65 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Thanks for posting how you corrected the wing dihedral. I've been pondering this over for a while now. You are making great progress. Looks great! Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 I have been beavering away on the build until I had to start masking the clear parts. I started with the Eduard mask set but I soon found out that the glazing on the E model is far more complex than the F/G the sheet is designed for. I did manage to use the Eduard sheet for the ball turret but it was back to the hard way for the nose glazing and upper turret. The turbocharger intakes were finished and wings fitted and filled I thought I had more in progress shots but I suppose the camera decided I didn't want them AGAIN! Time to button it up 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 I had to patch together the Eduard mask pieces for the G nose cone too though I had the proper G set. It appears they wanted me to mask and paint the seams that were actually glued/bonded/whatever in real aircraft, but not metal and not painted. Just proves that not even the Eduard, the Halfgod to some of us, isn't perfect. If I was now about to buy my first B-17 I'd probably pick the Academy kit. They look nice ones to build. V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 4, 2018 Author Share Posted December 4, 2018 The fuselage is together with some adhesive help And I started on prepping the Quickboost engine and cowls. Though after a very poor attempt at removing the poor block from the first cowl I will not be using them on the build. The kit ones look ok to me Engine 'backing plates added to the wings And after the glue had set some liberal application of putty to the seams 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 Some slow progress, I can't get into this build. everything seems to be a chore at the moment. I got most of the clear parts in and masked and then hit those areas with some interior green. I think I may have painted the ball turret too dark a grey. Not sure how to tackle correcting it at this stage Also started to paint the engine parts The round of interior green exposed some more seam filling which has been done, next to sand that lot and repaint. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom216 Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Liking the progress. Hang in there. mojo may wax and wane, but it is always there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Thom216 said: Liking the progress. Hang in there. mojo may wax and wane, but it is always there! Thanks Thom, once I have all the masking and priming down it should be a downhill run 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Hi Ray Great work, I have this kit as well, but had no idea of all the challenges it came with. Your build will be ideal to follow when I finally get round to building it. Already looking forward to the next instalment cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 2, 2019 Author Share Posted January 2, 2019 Thanks Pat, you got me mid-update! Not much progress to report, well actually all the transparencies have been installed and the underside neutral grey painted. I realised the Tamiya Neutral Grey is darker than other brands so I have used Gunze Neutral Grey for the rest of the underside and have had to brush paint the already painted and unmasked ball turret the new colour (not a very good job mind you!). I also had a compressor problem, the tank blew a hole in it as I started painting the underside, it had rusted out from years of moisture and sludge build up, I am able to still get enough pressure from the brush with the hole though. But problem was that I don't have any Olive Drab paint, so off to the LHS tomorrow to stock up. I have had the comperssor for over 10 years so it has provided good service I have plugged the hole in the compressor tank with some leftover milliput from another model I was working on, I think I will reinforce it with something, perhaps wrap some tape around it just in case it becomes a high-speed projectile if it lets go when the tank pressurises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 6, 2019 Author Share Posted January 6, 2019 Well, I have finally pulled the digit out and made some progress and taken some pictures! Here everything is in place and ready for some paint, I am not happy with the nose but I will live with it after some putty here are the different shades of neutral grey, Tamiya on the ball turret and Gunze for the surrounds I plugged the hole in my compressor tank with Milliput and after a test run it is holding pressure, so some more paint went on The engines are almost ready to go together as well Touch ups, another green to go on and it will be ready for some decals 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Well done Ray Looks like you are back on track for a finish, I will need to get my digit out with my own build. The end of this GB is fast approaching ! cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 Some more masking and painting done Masking off and a gloss coat down The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed and title change. Numpty here painted the undersides neutral grey rather than light grey. I thought that looks a lot darker than the other builds here, oh never mind it will lighten. Anyway I was not going back to remask and spray the underside, so it will now be a Pacific Theatre aircraft rather than European theatre. I need to touch up the props and engines due to overspray, but the finish line is getting closer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 14, 2019 Author Share Posted January 14, 2019 Final touches in progress, Decals to go on and masking to come off I just hope the decals play the game or I will have to rely on the spares box for an anonymous aircraft 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 It looks like you´ll be having a when you remove the masking and uncover the masterpiece! V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share Posted January 16, 2019 Well, I did that last night and the use of masking fluid was not the best idea. A lot of painful clean up required. I also flat coated it and I think I added too much. I will have to mist some gloss over it. The good news is the Frog decals performed flawlessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 20, 2019 Author Share Posted January 20, 2019 I had a few 'puckering' moments in the final stages but it is almost finished. It still needs to be flat coated again after a near disaster, but that can wait a couple of days so I can figure out a graceful way to do it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Well I've been a CCR fan since my late teen years (found their music after John F made his solo comeback) and all I can say is, this B-17 model really matches the expectations its glorious name demands . V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Done 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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