rossm Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 As most of my builds are stalled for various reasons I thought I'd do a quickie and an Italeri B-57 turned up on ebay with the Airwaves resin conversion for the RAF Canberra. As I'm into B-57s at the moment using just the front fuselage from the conversion to make an RB-57A seemed a good idea. I can't settle some of the details though...... I think the RB-57A had the rotating bomb bay ? Photos appear to show the US ejection seat but it's hard to tell - does anyone know for sure please ? Was the cockpit interior black or grey ? The seat appears to be grey but the rest looks black in photos. Thanks in advance for any help, Ross 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 45 minutes ago, rossm said: As most of my builds are stalled for various reasons I thought I'd do a quickie and an Italeri B-57 turned up on ebay with the Airwaves resin conversion for the RAF Canberra. As I'm into B-57s at the moment using just the front fuselage from the conversion to make an RB-57A seemed a good idea. I can't settle some of the details though...... I think the RB-57A had the rotating bomb bay ? Photos appear to show the US ejection seat but it's hard to tell - does anyone know for sure please ? Was the cockpit interior black or grey ? The seat appears to be grey but the rest looks black in photos. Thanks in advance for any help, Ross I think @canberra kid would be the man to answer your question, if he isn't too busy stripping his kitchen/bath of fixtures to use for his next modeling project! Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 Aircraft did have the rotary bomb bay, early Martin aircraft had a seat made by Aircraft Mechanics, these were later replaced by ESCAPAC seats I think? Pretty sure John will be along with all the correct info Julien 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 6 hours ago, rossm said: As most of my builds are stalled for various reasons I thought I'd do a quickie and an Italeri B-57 turned up on ebay with the Airwaves resin conversion for the RAF Canberra. As I'm into B-57s at the moment using just the front fuselage from the conversion to make an RB-57A seemed a good idea. I can't settle some of the details though...... I think the RB-57A had the rotating bomb bay ? Photos appear to show the US ejection seat but it's hard to tell - does anyone know for sure please ? Was the cockpit interior black or grey ? The seat appears to be grey but the rest looks black in photos. Thanks in advance for any help, Ross Hi Ross As Julien says, The A models did have the Martin rotary bomb door, the seats were manufactured by Mechanics Inc, the seats in the Italeri B.57B are correct(about the only thing that is) but a bit on the small side, the Airfix ones are better, the interior is grey or gray as the Americans would have it. If you take a look at my EB,57A build this is what you need to do to build an A model Martin Canberra, EB.57A build also take a look on my site for cockpit seat and airframe details here Canberra SIG. I hope that helps? John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 5 hours ago, canberra kid said: The A models did have the Martin rotary bomb door, Yep, and the RB-57A's had the cameras installed in the bomb bay, so they retained the rotary bomb bay. See the attached links. Mike http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b57_2.html https://books.google.com/books?id=8w6wi6T1TU0C&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=RB-57A+cameras&source=bl&ots=HgJ2h-BaFR&sig=ACfU3U3LQki80Lb7A6NlhS-4lwdryC_GSQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6tbqU4_XnAhVRRqwKHTulDtIQ6AEwBXoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=RB-57A cameras&f=false 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Thanks @72modeler @canberra kid @Julien I did have a look around your site, John, but maybe not in all the right places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 27 minutes ago, rossm said: Thanks @72modeler @canberra kid @Julien I did have a look around your site, John, but maybe not in all the right places I know, it is a bit shambolic in places, I'm far from being a web designer! It's sort of grown organically, but I have tried to apply some sort of logic to ths layout. The B.57A cockpit details are in the Cockpit Album seats in the Seat Album, I think the camera installation is in, well it's in? I'm not sure off the top of my head but it's there somewhere but other than the Camera fit all you need to know should be in the EB.57A build. I'm more than happy to fill in any gaps or questions you my have. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 17 hours ago, 72modeler said: Yep, and the RB-57A's had the cameras installed in the bomb bay, so they retained the rotary bomb bay. See the attached links. Mike http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b57_2.html https://books.google.com/books?id=8w6wi6T1TU0C&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=RB-57A+cameras&source=bl&ots=HgJ2h-BaFR&sig=ACfU3U3LQki80Lb7A6NlhS-4lwdryC_GSQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6tbqU4_XnAhVRRqwKHTulDtIQ6AEwBXoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=RB-57A cameras&f=false Hi Mike @72modeler Two good links there, the first one is the better of the two, in the second one it says the RB.57A had a wingtip mounted pitot, this is not so, the prototype B.57A and a small number of long nose A models did but the production B and RB.57A's had the pitot in the same position as the early B.2's. Also it says the cameras were in the bomb bay, again this is incorrect, the camera suite was in a dedicated air conditioned compartment partly created by the shortened Martin bomb bay door to the rear of the bomb bay. The armament was removed from the wings and the space could be used for photo flashes, though they were not used often, it was more usual for the photo flash bombs to be carried in the bomb bay. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 (edited) John, That's what confused me, as I read descriptions on three different websites regarding the RB-57A camera installation; two saying the installation was aft of the bomb bay, and the third stated it was in the bomb bay, but all three stated that the rotary bomb bay/doors were retained. I didn't see how a camera installation in the rotary bomb bay would work, as I think cameras need to be fixed behind an optically flat viewing window, and the bomb bay would not be stable, and more than likely would not return to the same exact position each time it was cycled to the "open" position. Not being an engineer and certainly not being as well-versed as somebody I know, whose name I won't reveal, but his initials are Canberra Kid, I opted to post the links and let the big dogs chew on it! (If I had known this information would come in handy 60 years later, I would have paid more attention to the RB-57A's of the 363rd TRW we had at Shaw AB, SC when we were stationed there; I could have asked my Dad to step outside his office and take some photos of the Canberras on the ramp!) They sure were mighty purty in their gloss black paint and red checkerboard fins! (The 363rd traded their RB-57's and RF-84F's for RB-66's and RF-101's while we were there...it was a glorious time for a young plane spotter, let me tell you!) Mike Scroll down to the small 363rd RB-57 photo and click to see a larger image- bet they really could maneuver without the tip tanks! https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Shaw_Air_Force_Base Edited March 1, 2020 by 72modeler corrected spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Thanks Mike @72modeler Lovely photos, I'm jelious, it must have been fantastic, not just Canberra's but all the other fabulous types! You're right about the impracticalaties of mounting cameras on the door, the speed the bomb bay door rotates would mess things up big time! Although they did it on the Buccaneer, perhaps the Blackburn bomb door rotated at a more pedestrian rate? Bomb bay mounted cameras and sensors did make an appearance later though on the Patrica Lynn RB.57E's, but in this case the doors were more like pallets with pre loaded sensor suites, these were built up by GD in Fortworth and flown out to SEA to be fitted to the aircraft, this way the doors could be preloaded with the very latest in IR and optical kit, very clever! The RB.57E's provided over 80%of Tac Rec in SEA from the start of the war to the end! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 (edited) On 2/29/2020 at 8:35 AM, canberra kid said: I know, it is a bit shambolic in places, I'm far from being a web designer! It's sort of grown organically, but I have tried to apply some sort of logic to ths layout. The B.57A cockpit details are in the Cockpit Album seats in the Seat Album, I think the camera installation is in, well it's in? I'm not sure off the top of my head but it's there somewhere but other than the Camera fit all you need to know should be in the EB.57A build. I'm more than happy to fill in any gaps or questions you my have. John Found another drawing of the cameras https://ipmscanberrasig.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=168843924 Couldn't see any photos of the windows. This project may grind to a halt as the Airwaves nose is smaller in diameter than the Italeri fuselage. Annoyingly in long term storage I have an Aeroclub nose and a Frog B(I)8 with the fuselage cut to accept it - only the nose is larger diameter than the fuselage. I'm thinking that the noses and their intended fuselages need to be swapped but there will be a delay until I get to the storage. I better check your build to see how you did it................ Edit - looks like you were in 1/48 and able to start with an RAF bomber version, no nose job required! Edited March 1, 2020 by rossm Update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 8 hours ago, rossm said: Found another drawing of the cameras https://ipmscanberrasig.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=168843924 Couldn't see any photos of the windows. This project may grind to a halt as the Airwaves nose is smaller in diameter than the Italeri fuselage. Annoyingly in long term storage I have an Aeroclub nose and a Frog B(I)8 with the fuselage cut to accept it - only the nose is larger diameter than the fuselage. I'm thinking that the noses and their intended fuselages need to be swapped but there will be a delay until I get to the storage. I better check your build to see how you did it................ Edit - looks like you were in 1/48 and able to start with an RAF bomber version, no nose job required! Ha! Ross you've discovered yet another of the many quirks of the wofull Italeri kit, the fuselage diameter, but it sounds like you may have found a workable fix. The Camera bay had just one large window for all the cameras to shoot through, I do have some drawings in one of the T.O.'s so when you get to that stage give me a nudge and I'll dig them out. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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