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Airfix 1/72 B-17G (new tool) as 43-37913 / OR-A / Seattle Sleeper - lost November 26th, 1944.


elger

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11 hours ago, TAG said:

Hey, fellas

 

The "pumpkin" turret replacement for the "stinger" tail wasn't the only mod made by the United Airlines Modification Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. There were also the cheek guns, waist and radio guns, some IFF stuff and other assorted odds and ends.

 

As noted, both the bottom half of the turret and the pumpkin itself were indeed a different shade of metal, here's a pic:

spacer.png

There's actually plenty more where that came from, here's an AWESOME link with tons of period LIFE Magazine photos of the modifications being undertaken at Cheyenne: http://hangarthirteen.org/cheyenne-mod-center/

 

You'll have to scroll about halfway down to get to the stinger being replaced by the pumpkin but all the other stuff is just as fascinating.

 

Hope that helps, keep up the great work on your Fort!

 

Cheers,

 

- Thomaz

What’s that wrapped around the gun barrels?

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1 hour ago, GlueDad said:

What’s that wrapped around the gun barrels?

 

not sure, but I imagine it's some protective covering for the guns in transit from the factory to the modification center to wherever they were going to be deployed. Paper, fabric, or canvas wrapped with some tape

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It looks like the preservative paper that aircraft parts are often shipped in. It's an oily or waxy crepe type paper. We also used it for masking or as a 'barrier paper' to keep debris from getting into nooks and crannies while doing maintenance (and the perforated jackets on the .50 cals are certainly full of nooks and crannies).

 

What really gets me on with that series of photos is just how crude some of the work looks. Seeing those ladies opening up the nose with cold chisels is enough to make me shudder as a former technical inspector. Not to mention the uneven riveting and panel edges. Its like there was a war on or something...

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Engines and tail sections added, and painted the olive drab anti glare panels. I've gone for olive drab for the tail gunner section too.

 

SiznxSE.jpg

 

More of a closeup:

 

epdRYin.jpg

 

Decals next!

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Decals are on. Mostly from the Airfix kit (slightly modified the serial number). Squadron codes are from Kits World (I made the A out of an upside down U because the shape was more accurate than the A on the sheet, and the R is actually the wrong font, but I noticed it a bit late..)

 

7iNQpXF.jpg

 

Next up weathering and finishing. Thanks for looking!

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Finished it! Proper final pictures will follow later this week.

 

4V1iWu3.jpg

 

Thanks for looking & all the feedback throughout this build. Really appreciated it during this build which was challenging.

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