1/48 Hph B-36 SAC Part1

[LorenSharp]

1 hour ago, bar side said:

That bomb bay is looking great Loren

Thanks barside. It's not perfect but I"m pleased with its outcome so far.I m thankful some of my hairbrained ideas for adding detail actually worked😁

 

 

[LorenSharp]

After getting over a nasty bout of flu bug, or shore leave both seem to have the same aftereffects, the further adventures in the realm of magnesium overcast continue. I think I've got the fuselage metal look corrected. Model master metal enamel doesn't like AlcladII.

so after sanding back a touch, re-adding a fine coat of the Alclad and sealing with clear lacquer, I let that cure for a week then a fine mist of MM buffable aluminum plate.

Leaves a very good metal look, drawback the finish will come off on your fingers and can't be sealed. goes from realistic metal to looking like it was coated with a bottle of 40 yr old silver Pactra paint.

[LorenSharp]

From there, going back with my trusty mechanical pencil on the seam lines and bringing out the detail . noticeable on the white more that the aluminum.

I'll add further exhaust patterns to the Horizontal Stabilizers once I attach the decals. Speaking of which, since the kit gave decals for 42nd BW(Heavy) Loring AFB Maine. Not the Group I need, so experimentation was the order of the day. I seriously considered painting the Wings logo  but instead I chickened out and created it in my 3d Program  rendered it out then finished it and the stripes for the gear doors and tail in Photoshop. Now after watching the flight sequence in Strategic Air Command more times than I can count, there was ne little gem I did add in addition, if you look closely at the gear hubs they're painted  with the old Army Air Corp roundels. This wasn't standard and only used for the aircraft in the movie.  So as an homage to the crew and Aircraft 15374. I recreated them as well.

At present they have one coat of clear lacquer. 2 more coats more  then with luck I'll add them tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

[LorenSharp]

While the paint was curing on the fuselage I forged ahead with the starboard wing.

Some weeks ago I had masked off the white portions and applied the Alclad Black base.

The bare white areas will have the metal foil attached there.

Instructions call for the base to be glossy all over, but I found if I fluctuate how much I coat it helps in giving a more realistic look to the variations in texture.

[LorenSharp]

I set the wing aside a couple of weeks to fully cure before adding the metalizer.

In the photos its not as noticeable. On the underside I masked off for the panels covering the exhausts. then coated with a touch of burnt metal and pare burnt metal. sealed then a fine mist of aluminum.

When I get the rest of the foil added and the flaps attached then I'll add the exhaust markings.

[LorenSharp]

I'm doing some experiments for the top of the wing in the walkway areas to do an non-skid surface. As big as this plane is I may be able to paint the markings in the "dust" the wet paint with either talcum powder or diatomaceous earth, I'm not sure if I can get my colored chalk scraped off to a fine enough consistency. So we shall see. In addition to the wing I started work on the props.

The prop tips on the rearward facing side were divided into three parts. I though of printing those stripes but for expediency I used a fine tip permanent marker.

I brought out the details of the hub with a watered down mixture of old fashioned India ink.

[LorenSharp]

For those wishing to build one of these another word of warning. Nachtwulf brought to my attention a "slight" irregularity in the jet pylons...

on the left is the kit supplied, on the right after I made the corrections with some plasticard and Milliput. sanded down  finished with glazing compound and rescribed.

Thank you Nachtwulf for noticing this! The other is the directions call for the mounting holes to be drilled Instructions say to drill at 14 and 28mm from the leading edge

that would be where the smudges are. I corrected for the actual premarked spots in the pylon. More like 16 and 42mm respectively. their way would put a crimp ones day when the time came to attach.

[LorenSharp]

Did do a little paint work to the aft ends of the engine pods.

Heated metals again burnt and pale burnt metal with an added touch of transparent blue. I have some transparent violet on order, when that arrives, a little bit for colour. Then finish up with foil and add stripes to the front portion.

 

[LorenSharp]

Welp,With a bit of a slog I think I MAY have the Fuselage to a near finishing point.I added the aircraft markings

Since I wanted this to be the aircraft from the movie, I changed the tail numbers and added the personalized markings of the aircraft . The stripes on the tail I printed out on decal paper and went online to find the 11th BW(Heavy) Logo "The Gray Geese"

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by LorenSharp

[LorenSharp]

The no step decals on the tail are a bit out of scale which is strange, the walk between the lines messaging was the right size. But I got a chance to use some old floquil oily black I've had for ages to put on the horizontal tail surfaces for the exhaust streaks.

 

[LorenSharp]

I did come up with a method for the textured walkways on the spine. My original thought was to sprinkle the "grit" on while the paint was wet but the tests did work the way I wanted no noticeable change in look and very messy. so I went back to old 80's way of texturing a ceiling and mixed a combination of talc and diatomaceous earth to the very watered down paint and lightly brushed it on. Sand would have been the perfect medium but the grain is too large couldn't locate any finer and SWMBO wouldn't let me used the coffee mill to make it finer, Can't imagine why.🤔

Instructions called for using the black walkways lines provided but the fuselage area from the color phots I've found show outlined in red. So that what I did with some automotive pinstriping tape.

Then drill out small indentations for the spine formation lights. a drop of transparent blue and bright white sealed with another drop of Kleer to make it show up.

Edited January 29, 2020 by LorenSharp
spelling

[LorenSharp]

One of the things I've been dreading on this build is adding the observation bubbles and the canopy/nose perspex. The way the platforms are made for the gunners stations put the gun sights in the wrong position. I added new mounts correcting those anddipped the bubbles in kleer a few times to give a hard coating to protect against ghosting when using the CA glue.

I had originally masked and painted the canopy and nose with aluminum but when I added them finally the color was too dark and didn't match the way I had anticipated. so I recovered in foil to match everything up

I'll still have to burnish the edges down further to smooth them out.

 

[LorenSharp]

Another strange part of the model. This being an B-36H the flat bombardier glazing is painted over because the switchout from a Norden Bombsight to a Hemispheric Bombsight that was place underneath just in front of the nose wheel well on the port side.

Now the instructions tell you to paint over the glazing which is correct, but they neglected to add the sight. Soooo I had just gotten a pair of surgical tweezers which have a clear rubber protective cap. I snipped off just the tip and presto! instant bombsight.

Then finished up with the radome and decaling on the bottom.

[LorenSharp]

So at this point I will set this aside to finish the wings before I come back and add the bomb bay doors, nose wheel, turrets and and antennas last to prevent breakage. Hard to see, but its now looking like a real BIG bomber

 

[gingerbob]

I'm surrounded by 1/72 B-36 bits.  Not attempting anything at all like this masterpiece!

[LorenSharp]

1 hour ago, gingerbob said:

I'm surrounded by 1/72 B-36 bits.  Not attempting anything at all like this masterpiece!

Not sure I would call it a masterpiece Gingerbob, its has a tendency to waffle between Daemon Spawn from Hell and a Nightmare of of Unending Futility that Freddy Kruger was seen racing away in abject terror screaming his lungs out wanting none of it. 😖

[ajmm]

Blimey this is nuts sir. I’ve just discovered this thread and read it through. I’ll second the term masterpiece. The interior was enough to behold, but the finish on the fuselage is just wonderful. Amazing talent. 

 

I should sheepishly add add that I have 5-6 144th B-36s which I have pathetically put off building for want of somewhere to hangar them when they are done. 

 

In short, I am in awe. Please do continue - don’t let me interrupt. I’ll just sit here quietly and gape. 

[LorenSharp]

Thanks ajmm 😊 Were this any smaller I wouldn't be able to try half the hairbrained ideas I've contemplated and done and have yet to try. I'm hoping I'll be able to display it properly when done. It's starting to get... a bit portly in the heft area. so to speak. But either way, make your self at home and pull up a chair I do hope the bar hasn't been raided too badly .The journey shall commence shortly after a brief intermission.... 

[LorenSharp]

OK, now that the Great White Beast is completed I get back to business. White printing its engine nacelles, I went ahead and printed out a the largest Nuclear bomb that any aircraft carried. That was the Mk 17. 24 ft 8 in long and 5 ft 1 in wide. Weighing in the neighbor hood of 44,000 lbs. B-36 was the only aircraft capable of hauling it around. Actually they could carry 2. A greater tonnage than the B-52 can carry. Yield wasn't as big as some others,between 10-15 Mega Tonnes.  And no, that is not one of King Kong's Suppositories. Printing erred though. Even though the object was in the safe zone it clipped the top. Since it was a 37 hr print I'll just use some Milliput to fix the end. Otherwise the print came out fantastic.

 

[LorenSharp]

Further along, Noting error in either instructions or a mis-measurement in making the part, on the Jet pylons there is an exhaust insert going by the instructions should be inserted with just enough to add the P/E vanes. Easy enough I suppose except the insert is the exact same diameter as the exhaust port and is too big. There is not enough thickness on the pipe to thin and not sure that you could drill/grind out the opening enough to fit. So 3 Doors, Door #1- 12 mm brass tubing cut to length, would have to be ordered,not willing to wait. Door# 2- Take measurements, recreate in CAD and Print out resin pieces, EAsy enough to replicate, no resin need to order refer to option 1. 3, Carefully trim part and make 4 thin rings to attach the  P/E to. and remove the base which is also the flame holder and trim slightly to fit into the exhaust. Time frame doable . So there you go. Opted for Door number 3. Not the easiest, but the most expedient.

[LorenSharp]

Having got that done, these Nacelles are solid resin and quite hefty. To reduce the occurence of not only the pylon falling off, but the nacelle from snapping off the pylon I cut some nail brads to use as pins for added strength. When I attach them to the wing I'll probably use 2 part epoxy rather than CA I want them to stay stuck.

I  tried out some Alclad II hot metal colors, Violet, Blue and Sienna to give a slightly heated look.

Then just grazed the tip with exhaust

The intake tips I trimmed a little bit then drilled out the end

Bare metal Foil and a swipe or two with Steel wool to tone down the brightness. The striping i used Automotive pinstriping for the candy cane.

[LorenSharp]

Here from the back

I still have to apply the turbine warning stripe.

[Nachtwulf]

Stop!! My like button is melting!😁

[LorenSharp]

The underneath of the wing almost completed, Foil added, 

Some have mentioned I must have a large build area. I actually don't  1 meter square maybe. I get by  by making my own staging rack to hold the individual components while working on something, kinda like a gun rack.

The upper wing is about 1/3 skinned. The wing behind is next to be worked on.

[SAT69]

I built the Monogram 1/72 B-36 some years ago and was proud of the finished product. It pales hugely in comparison to what you're doing. What an incredible build.