There was a demon that lived in the air.... 1/48 X-1 and B-29 Mothership 75th Anniversary FINISHED! And a "small" Post Script

[LorenSharp]

It's hard to see but I also put a retraction winch for the "elevator" to the X-1 door. The elevator I'll add last.

Then finally for this episode I installed the nose gear doors.

Tomorrow I'll begin adding the B-29's decals and start the process of mounting the engines, cowlings and props. Not a whole lot left to do. I may just have this finished in plenty of time. 

[Pete in Lincs]

Loren, I thought you might like this picture...

Bell X-1-3, aircraft #46-064 (known as “Queenie”), being mated to the EB-50A Superfortress ‘mothership’ for a captive flight test at

Edwards Air Force Base, California, on 9 November 1951.

 

https://64.media.tumblr.com/e0a73038ade5729acc45fd5b8f276583/bc49701c71a050f9-fd/s500x750/a8ed7a7306aa165996f522caa7b8f4801afcb7fb.jpg

[LorenSharp]

28 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Loren, I thought you might like this picture...

Bell X-1-3, aircraft #46-064 (known as “Queenie”), being mated to the EB-50A Superfortress ‘mothership’ for a captive flight test at

Edwards Air Force Base, California, on 9 November 1951.

 

https://64.media.tumblr.com/e0a73038ade5729acc45fd5b8f276583/bc49701c71a050f9-fd/s500x750/a8ed7a7306aa165996f522caa7b8f4801afcb7fb.jpg

Thanks Pete. I have the  B/W version somewhere in all my stuff. The colour version will make an excellent addition.

[AdrianMF]

I like the foiling - I guess nothing looks like bare metal so much as bare metal!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[LorenSharp]

4 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

I like the foiling - I guess nothing looks like bare metal so much as bare metal!

 

Regards,

Adrian

Thanks Adrian. I think so too. Metalizer paint is ok, but nothing has the sheen like the real thing

[billn53]

Wow! You're really moving along, now!!!

[LorenSharp]

24 minutes ago, billn53 said:

Wow! You're really moving along, now!!!

Thanks Bill. Not much longer

[dnl42]

On 10/7/2022 at 1:19 PM, LorenSharp said:

 

That looks mahvalous!

Seriously, this is amazing work. 

[LorenSharp]

On 10/8/2022 at 7:18 PM, dnl42 said:

That looks mahvalous!

Seriously, this is amazing work. 

Thanks glad you like how its tuning out so far.

[LorenSharp]

Didn't get a whole lot done over the weekend. I did start adding the decals, then  began adding the engines .

The cowl flap actuators were added first then a test fit with the engines and cowlings. I have to go and trim some from the back of the engine to get the cowling to fit properly.

The prop also required drilling out a larger opening to accommodate the prop spindle

So a little more added and a little closer til completion.

[Pappy]

G'day Loren,

 

This is really progressing well.

 

I feel your pain ref getting an accurate colour reference as the surviving examples are all different. I have the Squadron Signal book and it has colour pics of extant examples and one thing that struck me was that perhaps there was no standard, or at least that the specs changed as the war progressed. If the subscrontractors were making bits  they would finish these items to the specs provided, which may have varied i.e ZC  or some passivated finish. At the factory. they would assemble the aircraft using the provided sub-assemblies which may havebeen in difeerent colour finishes. I don't think that they were concerned that some modeller would be scratching their head nearly 80 years later!

 

The other thing that many people don't know is that ZC is not an actual colour but a corrosion preventative treatment which has pigment added so that you can see it. The density (and hence colour) can vary between a pale yellow to a darker green. It is also highly carcinogenic as it contains hexavalent chrome. This may be another reason why restored (vice preserved) examples feature different colours.

 

Obviously this is looking at the subject in hindsight and with a modern take on WH and Safety. I remember when I was at the Avalon air show many years ago. Chuck Yeager was the guest of honour and there was a dinner the night before the opening during which he spoke. Great stories, and if you are familiar with his book, many were recalled and some were expanded upon. He did mention however that safety had come a long way since his time in service. On one of his X-1 missions he was ready to launch and was in the X-1, the squibs that release it had been selected but did not fire. There was a risk that they could fire at any instant and that it would be too dangerous to land with the X-1 still attached. The decision was made that one of thecrew would strap on a parachute and oxy mask, venture into the unpressurised bomb bay and just smash hit the release shackle with a 50lb hammer.  It was a different time...

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[LorenSharp]

35 minutes ago, Pappy said:

Obviously this is looking at the subject in hindsight and with a modern take on WH and Safety. I remember when I was at the Avalon air show many years ago. Chuck Yeager was the guest of honour and there was a dinner the night before the opening during which he spoke. Great stories, and if you are familiar with his book, many were recalled and some were expanded upon. He did mention however that safety had come a long way since his time in service. On one of his X-1 missions he was ready to launch and was in the X-1, the squibs that release it had been selected but did not fire. There was a risk that they could fire at any instant and that it would be too dangerous to land with the X-1 still attached. The decision was made that one of thecrew would strap on a parachute and oxy mask, venture into the unpressurised bomb bay and just smash hit the release shackle with a 50lb hammer.  It was a different time...

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

All too true Pappy. It was the golden Age of Flight Test for sure. I doubt that the "Youngin's" of today would be able to hold a  candle to the Party all night, which Pancho's was renowned for, and then suck on oxygen to get rid of the hangover the next morning on the way to the drop and still fly a test vehicle of dubious safety and integrity by the book. But by the same token.  The test pilots of today have more letters after their names for their education levels than Jack Ridley could have ever dreamt of. But its the difference of the eras. Chuck Yeager and his peers lived hard and played even harder, Bourn out from years of coping with combat operations. It's what they knew. I doubt their likes will be seen again. Todays pilots are just as tough but from a different perspective. Too much money is invested in their training and definitely the cost of the aircraft are such there is no place on the flightline for cowboy antics like that anymore.

[The Spadgent]

Another mammoth catch up for me. Looking spot on. The foil works brilliantly and those engines are something else. Really fantastic looking Aeroplane. You’re going to need a big shelf. 👏👏👏

 

 Johnny

[LorenSharp]

56 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

Another mammoth catch up for me. Looking spot on. The foil works brilliantly and those engines are something else. Really fantastic looking Aeroplane. You’re going to need a big shelf. 👏👏👏

 

 Johnny

Thanks Johnny. It's going on the ceiling. The only place big enough.

[VT Red Sox Fan]

Wow, an amazing catch up—I hope this has a spot of honor your shelf—the engines are particularly incredible—best, Erwin 

[Shalako]

6 hours ago, LorenSharp said:

Thanks Johnny. It's going on the ceiling. The only place big enough.

I dare to say as Indy once said, "it belongs to a museum!" That's how much high the quality of this build is. On the other hand, if you have a showcase it would be better to preserve it there for the next generation.

 

As for the kind of pilots we have to day, and compared to Yeager and the rest of the bunch, first of all, Yeager didn't make it to become an astronaut (thank goodness - I.e. aviation won a remarkable aviator) because he didn't have a university degree. Compared to today, when having only one PhD is equivalent to nothing (pardon, for this comment but it's true and it's a long discussion).

 

Secondly, Pancho and the rest of the group had a true passion for aviation, which despite the numbers I don't see it in young cadets - at least in the vast majority of them. Thirdly, most of the young cadets rely on technology and all those "techie gizmos," when Chuck and the rest of the bunch all they had was a rudder stick and an analogue altimeter.

 

Anyhow, it was a different generation from many perspectives and undoubtedly had a much higher quality and integrity as people, NOT just as aviators.

 

Back to the scale modelling stuff, does anyone know if there is a vac-formed 1/32 B-29?? The idea of combining the Revell 1/32 X-1 with a B-29 in the same scale is veeerrrryyy tempting, even for an old aviator and scale modeller such as myself!!!!!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Bill 

[John_W]

1 hour ago, Shalako said:

As for the kind of pilots we have to day, and compared to Yeager and the rest of the bunch, first of all, Yeager didn't make it to become an astronaut (thank goodness - I.e. aviation won a remarkable aviator) because he didn't have a university degree. Compared to today, when having only one PhD is equivalent to nothing (pardon, for this comment but it's true and it's a long discussion).

 

I highly recommend the book "Beyond blue skies" by Chris Petty, a fascinating History going from the X1 to the X15 and the various lifting bodies as well.

There were a lot of incidents when it was the pilot's flying expertise that saved the day, not their engineering qualifications.

[LorenSharp]

Well here we go. After much spinning of wheels here and there and dealing with many thing not hobby related I can finally get this project across the finish line as promised in time for this epic anniversary.

After getting all the decals applied it was time to begin adding the last of the little bits.

First the antennas, of which I managed to knock one off as I was taking these pictures and the carpet monster promptly devoured. I'll have to fabricate a new one.

Then the process of adding the flaps, which are held on the most delicate way imagined. both flap are held in place at 5 very small attachment points. I hope they hold.

 

[LorenSharp]

Something I should mention if anyone contemplates foiling a model. Once you have your decals added and they've dried. give everything a good clear coat, sheen at your discretion. Decal don't like to adhere well to foil and will crack and flake off at the drop of a hat, I had forgotten this and in the process of moving the bomber around came very close to losing more than a few especially the national emblems. I used a clear gloss and gave  a couple of good coats After that I did do a little bit of weathering. Polly Scale Oily black for the exhaust stains. You don't see them much on the underside. but on the top came out pretty good.

 

[LorenSharp]

The underneath As I mentioned I used the oily black for staining and some tan pastel powder for desert dust on the wings and tyres.

 

[LorenSharp]

Now I could finally add the "elevator" to the drop bay.

I had printed it out when I printed the fuel dump pipes.

 

[LorenSharp]

After much fiddling I got all the cowlings and props added. My opinion on Metallic Details Cowlings the printing could be a lot better, especially for the price they charge. There were several "missed"  layers. I should have filled them but doing so would have obliterated the panel lines and rivet detail and printed resin doesn't take well to scribing or having a rivet wheel used on them. That and most of the pieces still had their supports(way too many) that constantly wanted to snap off the some of the delicate parts no matter how much care was taken to snip them off. You definitely didn't want to snap them off with your fingers.

I used a little bit of aluminum paint for simulating flaked pint.

Painted the navigation lights with transparent paint and added also.

 

[Shorty84]

What a mammoth project. It will have an impressive presence when finally hanging from the ceiling 👍

 

Cheers

Markus

[LorenSharp]

And last but certainly not least, Added the Star of this little shindig.. the Glamerous Glennis

 

 

Today 75 years ago she and Chuck Yeager zipped across the Heavens into the history books with the shattering of the sound barrier.

 

I want to thank everyone for tagging along with me on this bit of history. Especially all the comments questions and idea improvements. Believe me they helped a lot a couple of times when my mojo was flagging during the build.

I'll have images up in the RFI here shortly. Since this is so large I had make my own tarmac from some foam board sheets. who knows I may eventually make a couple "Edwards" style hangers and then get a photo of all these prototype test aircraft of the 40's and 50's I've building of late. It might make for an interesting Family group photo. But until then, Stay safe, stay healthy, and Model On!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LorenSharp]

13 minutes ago, Shorty84 said:

What a mammoth project. It will have an impressive presence when finally hanging from the ceiling 👍

 

Cheers

Markus

Thanks Marcus. It will definitely take up some space but its far from the biggest on the ceiling.