RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Here we go, a little late starting (broken wrist did not help) my entry will be ,following my 1/72nd build theme the USAF (and Eagle Sqaudrons needed a Spitfire with Roundels) in Essex 1939-1945, from the only heavy Bomber group based in Essex the 381st at RAF Ridgewell. My choice was to build the obvious : "Sleepy Time Gal" - just buy the decals or build a slight less obvious but well documented aircraft : "Patches" also known as "Flak Magnet" and "Trudie's Terror" 43-37675. This is the aircraft that was used on the 1997 32c Stamp http://www.381stbg.org/stamp4.php I will be building the new tool Airfix kit - it has been under the bed for a year now - the model I bought on my return to modelling and the reason I caught the bug again (lol the Airfix B-17 Box art has a lot to answer for took me back to being a young teenager!) Box Opened : every thing still in wrapper ! Updates this weekend as I finally make a start 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Welcome, fellow Triangle-L builder 👍. V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 Plastic has been cut and glue been used on cut plastic (not like the old days where almost as much went on my paws!) A relaxing Sunday afternoon was spent on sub assemblies and more parts of sub assemblies Along with the fuselage interior just enough to crack open the airbrush. Now what colour green is that I need ? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 One small priming session later ..... yup the Talon also had its bottom primed ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canso65 Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 You're off to a good start RJ. I'm looking forward to seeing the Airfix kit built. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 27, 2018 Author Share Posted November 27, 2018 Well I am now 11 days into this project and still nothing major actually attached - my usual glacial pace on the upside I have done plenty of painting Cockpit - Side walls Olive Drab to represent the padding not brown as per kit instructions , Floor DDG with some black for the anti-slip mats Fuselage interior sprayed and I have made a start on the wheel well assembly 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 (edited) Very tidy work. Having just bought a current Airfix B17, I'll be following your build with more than a bit of interest. Tony. Edited November 28, 2018 by TonyW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 29, 2018 Author Share Posted November 29, 2018 I thought Airfix were a bit mean to the heroic B-17 pilots - no seat padding !! - Out with the Milliput, I left the padding surface rough to make them look 'lived in' , with the leftovers, let's make some oxygen bottles for behind the pilots seat. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 those yellow oxygen bottles do look striking. Even when looked through the small cockpit windows they will be seen, but not much of their details or lack of it... fortunately so. Maybe my build will also get some very basic blobs. V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 29, 2018 Author Share Posted November 29, 2018 12 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: those yellow oxygen bottles do look striking. Even when looked through the small cockpit windows they will be seen, but not much of their details or lack of it... fortunately so. Maybe my build will also get some very basic blobs. V-P Yup that was my thought , its 1/72nd scale through the canopy windows - it is 3 yellow containers that look like oxygen tanks - I doubt 99% of people looking at these would really notice any lack of detail at usual viewing distance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 I found a "real" vintage oxygen tank sold at eb... quoted with dimensions 12"x24". I wonder if they are correct? That's 4,2mm x 8,4mm in 1:72, which could be made of a 4mm plastic rod (sprue?) with rounded heads and a thick layer of yellow paint. V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted November 29, 2018 Author Share Posted November 29, 2018 (edited) and finally for today , test fitting cockpit parts and placing them into the fuselage. Edited November 29, 2018 by RJ-WobblyHands 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 (edited) The Northeast production line is still moving a glacial pace Dry fitting the interior as it is seeming very snug, with gentle sanding is the name of the game - good old soft plastic , I have made a start the wings finally 1 look at the ball turret convinced me to order a set of masks, I did not fancy a session of making all the masks (When I start my Meng F-35 for the Lockheed STGB please refer me back here .. when I say I will make the RAM masks !!!) On with the photos Dry fitting fuselage : note to self do not glue everything together, fit the ball turret ! The wings , Undercarriage wells. Colours : Vallejo Dull Aluminium , Exhaust Manifold, with a oil wash to make it dirty. Edited December 5, 2018 by RJ-WobblyHands 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 Onto the Ball Turret ... *wishes Airfix had designed it so it could fitted after painting the fuselage* , but never mind lets assemble something the same size as my fingertip lol Before fitting Seat, note for fellow builders , the gun barrels are a very tight fit, I had to remove the paint I already had put on. After a fitting seat Masks arrived today - just in time ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 is it really nearly a month since my last update ... err yes , work , family , christmas and still suffering the after effects from a broken wrist, impacted on my my modelling time... progress has been made over the festive period ( I have this week on vacation !) The ball turret was assembled and painted ... oops forgot to take pictures :( The last picture before the fuselage was joined together Several dry runs and gluing a small section at a time from nose to tail we ended up with this : It is very very snug around the ball turret ! The wings have been assembled and primed ( I chickened out of opening up the vents on top of the wing - I failed badly on a dry run on a piece of plasticard ! I am going to fit the cheeks and tail turret now since I will be painting them - so interior masked ready for primer More soon ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 10, 2019 Author Share Posted January 10, 2019 A little more done - I will have to up the pace a little to get this one finished in time !! Glazed parts added , that rear turret fit !! - nice step thanks Airfix , wish I had done a little more research I have since found several builds have added the rear turret to each side to get a nice fit the fiddle with the seam ! Oh well it was dry fit hell , fudge and fit as best it could fill , sand, fill sand... now I am ready to prime the fuselage , and see if any more filling is required Engine parts assembled and painted 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Update 22nd Jan : Bad me no pictures in Primer!! Wings and stabilisers added and a couple of coats of Vallejo Dull Aluminium added as a base coat. I think it looks better than Aluminium as this is not an aircraft straight off the production line - I plan to give her some patches of aluminium and maybe dark aluminium. She is currently masked up ready for the red tail and wing tips that the 381st sported , then onto engine fitting and under carriage - I will finish this before the deadline !! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) OMG - 2 updates in 2 days She has started getting her 381st Colours added : Red tail and wing tips I have masked off the Triangle on Starboard Wing - Sprayed White , when this is dry I will Mask the L (3mm thickness seems the correct letter width), then spray Off Black - I was thinking Tamiya NATO Black to simulate some fading Oops the Revell Eurofighter of Doom is in the background ! Edited January 23, 2019 by RJ-WobblyHands 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 Well I am mildly shocked how that came out ! I think it passes. Will now get the tail masked up 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 That looks REALLY good, but do I shock you more than mildly, if I suggest the L was actually just unpainted, natural metal that was masked off when the black triangle was painted? V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 10 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: That looks REALLY good, but do I shock you more than mildly, if I suggest the L was actually just unpainted, natural metal that was masked off when the black triangle was painted? V-P Yes and No I debated that several times ... then probably mistakenly looked at a picture in bright sun and it looked more white than NMF , but yes looking again at several pictures of the actual aircraft i see it should NMF (bad me) , the tail markings sometimes the L looks NMF, sometimes white, the numbers and Squadron letter are definitely white. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 I believe they used both white and unpainted. I'm still not certain should I try cutting off the white L from the wing triangle decal in my build. Probably not . V-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Scrapiron Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 (edited) While the NMF on the wing letters seems natural (no pun) because it is simpler/easier to just spray the black, I think the tails that have an overall solid color -- red tails for the 1st Combat Wing (including the 381st BG) and yellow tails for the 4th Combat Wing -- are a different matter. I don't think they would mask off the letter and Triangle/Square and then paint around them. I'd guess the tails got shot the overall color and then markings applied after, leading to white letters. I might be wrong, but that certainly seems like it would more logical process. Edited January 24, 2019 by Ol' Scrapiron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-WobblyHands Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 Its pictures like one from American Air Museum Website - It is now obvious that the wing L is NMF ... but so is tail L when looking at white numbers http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/11680 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol' Scrapiron Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) Interesting things in that photo. I would say you're right that the left two planes are NMF and the two farther away are white. Must have depended on who was on paint detail that day. (actually, I have a theory on why this might be the case) A couple other observations from that pic: The squadron ID "N" on the closest plane is considerably larger than codes on others. The squadron ID "S" on the lower plane is included on fuselage, while other planes do not. ---- Here's a shot of another NMF Fortress from the Group that has white on the tail. Interesting serifed "B" Squadron ID. Edited January 25, 2019 by Ol' Scrapiron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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