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]

Since everything is nice and glossy. which makes adding decals soooo much easier.

The only thing left to do on this part will be to add minimal weathering. just enough to give some definition, but I'll do this later after it's set for a few days and I can give it a a couple of coats of glass to seal the decals in. 

So that means it's time to finally start on Mom. Or I should say The Wrath of Mom. I can just hear William Shatner now..... MOOOOOOOM!!  OOpps sorry wrong movie reference, Dan Ackroyd at the end of Dr. Detroit, proclaiming his sequel, which didn't happen,

Dr. Detroit II, The Wrath of Mom. If you think I'm kidding, it's at the end of the credits. So there's some movie trivia.

[LorenSharp]

Starting with the nose bay/ cockpit, A lot of work will need to be done. I've built this model a number of times in the past, so this time,  the only major detail I'll add  will be to what can be seen, Cockpit, gear bays and especially the launch, bomb? bay

And right off the bat I can see the front can really use some help. Unfortunately, you can't get the P/e Set for the front area. At least not without spending an amount that would cripple most 3rd world countries. That means doing some 3d printing.

The printer is chugging away as we speak and should have something more in a day after cleaning and assembling. 

So stay tuned for more fun and frivolity.

[dnl42]

Nice!

 

Love the broomstick

[LorenSharp]

While the Printer was happily chugging away I took care of some large piece business. Namely cutting old turrets and portions of the bomb bay away. Not to mention prepping for the flaps and engine woork later.

First off mark what ain't needed.

 

The only opening not covered over is the navigators  astrodome

 

[LorenSharp]

Lots of cutting and messy plastic shaving later...

Before when I filled these holes in I used a plate inside and filled the hole with Auto Body filler and sanded(a lot) to get smooth. This time I'll try to do better and see if I can make an impromptu plug from either plastic or just measure everyhig and print a breeter plug. Which ever will be easiest,

 

[LorenSharp]

The insides though will need a lot of work and updating, First off, I've been working out how to make the diamond shaped insulation blankets on the bulkhead walls.  @Martian a while back came up with the idea of using foam plates that have a similar kind of pattern when he did his Lynx. Unfortunately, foam plates here don't have that type of pattern. But I did experiment with just a foam plate and used the back side of an x-acto knife to make my own pattern. Although it worked the plate wouldn't curve properly to conform to the inside of the Cockpit. Close but no cigar. So what to do? think,... think... then a AH-HA! moment. Aluminum foil. Folding over the foil so that I have 3-4 layers, I smoothed that out as much as possible and then used the same idea as with the PLate, but instead of a knife I used a straight edge and a tooth pick. annnnnd.... Viola'!

Easily conforming to compound surfaces, right amount of "puffiness" and most importantly, cheap.

Now if water based acrylics are used the metal surfaces would need to be cleaned with IPA to remove any grease and will need an application of primer to make sure the paint sticks, but other than that. Success!

[LorenSharp]

The other area that I wanted to add better detail to is the Bomb/Drop bay

I removed all the ribbing sanded down and re-skinned with .010 plastic sheet.  then added the beginnings of the frame work. There are several larger  frames that have "lightening" holes in them. These I printed out.

Cabling, wiring and additional equipment boxes will have to be added to both the bay and the cockpit along with the lengthwise framing.

[LorenSharp]

The cockpit also has had some improvements added as well.

I removed the back half of the flight deck , the area around the navigator and radiomen's station. Reason being m since there is no turret, the hump in the floor wasn't necessary and I also skinned the floor at the flight engineers station.

Since I don't have Eduard's Cockpit set, I'm going to see if I can improve on the interior so that it will look better than if I had access to that set.

First I need better seats for the pilot and co-pilot and better Instrument panels. The kits seats are way too narrow or my liking. and the panels are at best "clunky"

I didn't add dials or anything like that to the panels as I have  a ProModeller decal set with those panels

[LorenSharp]

I removed the bomb aimer's stand, The copilot released the X-1 at the Pilot's command.

I was going to make a new partition between the pilot/co-pilot and the Flight Engineer, byt I saw a 360 view video of the 2nd flying B-29 "Doc" and that area had bracing but no partitions. So Thiufght that was different and will allow for the Flight Enginnerstatin to be seen as well. I just mad a new rack for some electronic equipment.

[LorenSharp]

 A lot of fine bits still need to be added especially at the Flt Eng Station, wiring m cabling, and hoses still need to be added and whatever else deviltry I can come up with at the spur of the moment. Especially in the drop bay. Then it all needs painted but progress is occurring. and now that this is the only project in the queue, all my attention is focused on this.  More information definitely forthcoming. So stay tuned!

[Martian]

2 hours ago, LorenSharp said:

The insides though will need a lot of work and updating, First off, I've been working out how to make the diamond shaped insulation blankets on the bulkhead walls.  @Martian a while back came up with the idea of using foam plates that have a similar kind of pattern when he did his Lynx. Unfortunately, foam plates here don't have that type of pattern. But I did experiment with just a foam plate and used the back side of an x-acto knife to make my own pattern. Although it worked the plate wouldn't curve properly to conform to the inside of the Cockpit. Close but no cigar. So what to do? think,... think... then a AH-HA! moment. Aluminum foil. Folding over the foil so that I have 3-4 layers, I smoothed that out as much as possible and then used the same idea as with the PLate, but instead of a knife I used a straight edge and a tooth pick. annnnnd.... Viola'!

Easily conforming to compound surfaces, right amount of "puffiness" and most importantly, cheap.

Now if water based acrylics are used the metal surfaces would need to be cleaned with IPA to remove any grease and will need an application of primer to make sure the paint sticks, but other than that. Success!

A very elegant solution that Earthling.

 

Impressed of Mars 👽

[LorenSharp]

Thank you O Great Tentacled One👽

[billn53]

I'm amazed at how fast you're progressing, and at the details you've ferreted-out for reproduction. 

[Caerbannog]

Very nice - will follow with interest as I always planned to do this conversion with an Academy Box Car and Eduard X-1 in 1:72 scale 😉 Guess I have the kis in stash since 15 years...

 

[LorenSharp]

1 hour ago, billn53 said:

I'm amazed at how fast you're progressing, and at the details you've ferreted-out for reproduction. 

Thanks Bill. I actually thought I was lolly-gaggin . I was hoping to be a  bit further along than I am. Bending teeny-tiny photo etch that bends about as well as my fingers (Barely at all) has slowed me some what. One of these days I'll join the 21st Century and get me one of those fancy-smancy Photo etch bending tools to make life easier. At least I have some OTJ from doing the B-36. I can steal, borrow, copy ideas from myself for the center part. That's where the bulk of my over enthusiastic detail musings will be allocated. 

 

1 hour ago, Caerbannog said:

Very nice - will follow with interest as I always planned to do this conversion with an Academy Box Car and Eduard X-1 in 1:72 scale 😉 Guess I have the kis in stash since 15 years...

 

Welcome aboard Caerbannog. There's alway room(like Jell-O pudding) for more kibitzers.

[billn53]

21 minutes ago, LorenSharp said:

Thanks Bill. I actually thought I was lolly-gaggin .

 

Talk about lolly-gaggin, I've been working on my next build (Tamiya's 1/48 P-47D) for the past two weeks and all I've managed to do is snip the instrument panel off the sprue . . . . The rest of that time has been spent reviewing reference material, acquiring paint & aftermarket, and figuring out how to add lights, sound, & an operating engine to it. 

[dnl42]

Nice work on the details! 

 

As you're in the US, you might take a look at Costco's Kirkland coffee. The can has a 6 mil vacuum seal that's an outstanding scratch building material as it's easily cut, readily formed, and holds its shape very well! Here's a shot of the seal and the slats I made for a 1/48 Lysander

There's another view of the slats here; the full build album with additional uses is here. I also used the sheet on my 1/48 LCM3

[bar side]

 Nice project Loren.  So an X-15 under your B-52 next?  Sadly Mr Yeager was never a fan of life over her in Suffolk.  Mind you I try to avoid Leiston too

[LorenSharp]

34 minutes ago, bar side said:

 Nice project Loren.  So an X-15 under your B-52 next?  Sadly Mr Yeager was never a fan of life over her in Suffolk.  Mind you I try to avoid Leiston too

However did you guess. That project re-initializes at the first of the year. Since I don't have much space left. (probably from building too many THIS year.) I'm going to try(very operative word try, don't you think?)to limit my self to 2-maybe 3 builds next year. One being that ultimate hanger queen old Balls 8, or was it balls 3, I can't remember and a couple if the FAA GB makes it through the bunfight. And that's it. But between now and then I have 5-6 I want to try to complete before the end of the year.

[LorenSharp]

59 minutes ago, billn53 said:

 and figuring out how to add lights, sound, & an operating engine to it. 

Pfffft. That's easy. just break out the handy dandy Airplane Shrink Ray by Acme( Wile E. Coyote Certified) And if you fall for, swallow, believe  that one I have some top notch swamp land for sale. Cheap. Only used by a little old lady on Sundays.

[bar side]

8 minutes ago, LorenSharp said:

Since I don't have much space left. (probably from building too many THIS year.) I'm going to try(very operative word try, don't you think?)

Surely this lack of space came as no surprise given the size of some of your projects!  I think Yoda had a quote about ‘try’!

Think Balls 8 has a more interesting history, but I guess Balls 3 probably did more early launches

Have to say adding lights and motors is a good way of slowing down a build!

[LorenSharp]

15 hours ago, bar side said:

Surely this lack of space came as no surprise given the size of some of your projects!  I think Yoda had a quote about ‘try’!

Think Balls 8 has a more interesting history, but I guess Balls 3 probably did more early launches

Have to say adding lights and motors is a good way of slowing down a build!

not sure if i can do lights, but i can add a "real-life" engine sound maker from the original '72 scale B-52 from '68. Does that count?

[Pappy]

This is bonkers - I love it!

 

p.s I think George Welch 'unofficially' broke the sound barrier two weeks earlier in the YF-86

 

Pappy

[LorenSharp]

On 9/1/2022 at 10:21 PM, Pappy said:

This is bonkers - I love it!

 

p.s I think George Welch 'unofficially' broke the sound barrier two weeks earlier in the YF-86

 

Pappy

If I remember right Welch's Airspeed Indicator were, as many of that time period, very inaccurate especially at the upper limits near Mach 1. Even Yeager's airspeed indicator had issues, it wanted to read higher than actual, He even noted that in the flight before.

In Welch's case there was no way to prove one way or the other. From the ground no "Boom" was heard as there was in the X-1's flight.  So even though it's mentioned in the history books it's not considered as an actual first breaking of the Sound barrier. Later it was confirmed that the F-86 could break the sound barrier in a shallow dive but that finally happened later in it's flight test.

[LorenSharp]

But speaking of more "bonkerness" (I know that's not a real word)Let's see how the flight deck assembly has turned out.

I did have to print new pilot seats,, new instrument panels, and equipment boxes, made levers, and shelving from scrap flat rod and sheet.

Printed a new Emergency Brake handle set

And printed a navigators radar scope. Not sure if it was on the actual Mothership, but it does fill some empty space.