Martin Marauder B26B - Airfix 1/72

[giemme]

Wings looking good, Ced!  

Not Tamiya good, but you can't have everything in life...  

 

Ciao

[TJJ]

Nice to see another Marauder build.

I produced four profiles of Flak Bait for Alan Crouchman's book, which was a fun project, but not sure I got all the airframe patches from flak damage!

[Steve N]

2 hours ago, TJJ said:

Nice to see another Marauder build.

I produced four profiles of Flak Bait for Alan Crouchman's book, which was a fun project, but not sure I got all the airframe patches from flak damage!

I just bought that book!  Thanks for your profiles, they're the first I've ever seen showing FB at earlier points in her career.  I never knew that the mission markers were originally yellow.  I want to model her as she appeared on D-Day, but now I need to find (or make) some tiny yellow duck decals, since every decal set ever produced portrays her at the end of her career when they were red. 😄

 

Cheers!

Steve

[The Spadgent]

Wow!!! That was a hell of an update. All looking rather splendid. Chewing through this classic Airfix kit with ease. 
 

Bravo that man. 🙌👏👏👏

 

Johnny

[Steve N]

Nice work on that fiddly landing gear!  Airfix did amazing job accurately replicating the real thing, but it can be challenging getting it all aligned properly.

 

SN

[CedB]

23 hours ago, Steve N said:

I first got to see "Flak Bait's" forward fuselage back when it was on display in the downtown National Air And Space Museum on a school trip back in 1982.  It was a real thrill..I'd first read about her in an issue of "Airpower" magazine a few years earlier, and had already built the Monogram 1/48 kit (as well at the Airfix kit and a truly awful 1960s-vintage 1/72 Marauder from Revell.)  When my wife and I visited the museum in 2008, she practically had to physically restrain me from pummeling the clueless tourists rubbing their grubby hands all over the original paint.  Thankfully, it was taken off display a couple years later and moved to the restoration shop at the Udvar-Hazy Center.  I understand the reason the reassembly is taking so long is because they're trying to preserve as much of her originality as possible, right down to some games of tic-tac-toe played by bored mechanics in the oil and grime on the inside of one of the landing gear doors.

 

The Marauder has always been a favorite of mine.  I've seen the B-26G at the USAF Museum countless times.  The museum is "only" a four-hour drive away (practically in the backyard for us Yanks.)  I was even lucky enough to see a Marauder fly once, back in 1998.  Kermit Weeks dropped into a local airshow unannounced with his early short-wing B-26 (no letter suffix.)  He later took off and headed to the big EAA Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (I was hoping he'd come around and give us a nice photo pass, but no such luck.)  I understand the plane developed engine trouble after arriving as Oshkosh.  It was eventually ferried back to Florida, where it's been parked ever since.  Sadly, I never got to see the CAF B-26C "Carolyn" before it was destroyed in a fatal crash in 1994.

 

I just picked up a new book on Flak Bait, which appears to be the definitive work on the subject.  I've always wanted to model her as she appeared on D-Day in full invasion stripes.  However I've run into a bit of a snag: according to this new book (backed up by photos) at that time the bomb mission tally on the fuselage was painted in yellow, and only later painted over in the more familiar red (she had "only" flown 106 missions by D-Day.)  I've got plenty of little yellow bomb decals on a Kitsworld sheet.  The problem is, I need a half-dozen little yellow ducks to represent the decoy missions.  Oh, the things we modelers obsess over! 

 

Airfix did make one minor boo-boo on the decals that gave me a chuckle: they included Hamilton Standard emblems for the propeller blades, when the Marauder used Curtiss Electric props! 😎

 

Cheers!

Steve

Thanks Steve, more great background stuff  

 

9 hours ago, giemme said:

Wings looking good, Ced!  

Not Tamiya good, but you can't have everything in life...  

 

Ciao

Thanks Giorgio  

 

9 hours ago, TJJ said:

Nice to see another Marauder build.

I produced four profiles of Flak Bait for Alan Crouchman's book, which was a fun project, but not sure I got all the airframe patches from flak damage!

Thanks TJJ  

 

3 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Wow!!! That was a hell of an update. All looking rather splendid. Chewing through this classic Airfix kit with ease. 
 

Bravo that man. 🙌👏👏👏

 

Johnny

Thanks Johnny  It's getting harder (snurf).

 

2 hours ago, Steve N said:

Nice work on that fiddly landing gear!  Airfix did amazing job accurately replicating the real thing, but it can be challenging getting it all aligned properly.

 

SN

Thanks Steve  

A bit of a fiddle but, hopefully, she'll stand straight and level.

[CedB]

Today's progress.

 

I used this black on the 1/48 Spit prop and then washed it with matt black; I liked the effect.

 

 

Note the tape which I think is the right width for prop tips.

I just have to remember to do the yellow first!

 

As Giorgio said above, not Tamiya fit:

 

 

 

Sprue gloop, both thick and thin, used to fill the gaps and missing edges:

 

 

Next step?

Decal number one please (you have to do that in the 'bank announcement voice').

It's the i/p.

I assumed it would be the right size.

As Brent said, you know what 'assume' does don't you? It makes an a** of 'u' and me.

 

 

This far down I want to get things progressing so I'll touch up the edges.

 

How do you open these little pots without getting the paint all over your fingers?

 

 

I have a tinfull of them.

"Waste not, want not" my Mum used to say (having been through the war and rationing).

Sometimes you just have to get on with it.

 

The clear parts are, what's the word for it… blobby?

They're also tapered if you look really closely:

 

 

Still not flush on the outside but if you put them in upside down they're worse.

 

Almost ready for close up:

 

 

See anything wrong here?

 

 

I haven't painted the rear gun position.

There's a window missing.

It went that a way:

 

 

Spent a while looking for it but to no avail.

ClearFix or equivalent will be used later.

[giemme]

Another kit putting up a fight, it would seem...  

 

Steady going, though, Ced

 

BTW, I can't believe that blobby thing above is a clear part!

 

Ciao

[Trumpton_Orbital]

2 hours ago, CedB said:

Spent a while looking for it but to no avail

Fear not, I have a fool-proof way of locating it:

 

1) Put on your biggest, heaviest pair of shoes or boots

2) Walk around your modelling space for a few moments

 

The missing item(s) will soon make their presence felt 😀. Great progress by the way.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul.

[Keeff]

Or alternatively, remove shoes and socks and walk about .... a sharp painful sensation may reveal the location of 'blobby part,' 

 

Looking good and progressing well ..... keep up the good work! 

 

Keith ☺️ 

 

 

Edited September 5 by Keeff

[81-er]

Nice progress with this one as well, Ced. It's not Tamiya quality, but it's also not awful for a 50-year-old tooling.

 

James

[CedB]

17 hours ago, giemme said:

Another kit putting up a fight, it would seem...  

 

Steady going, though, Ced

 

BTW, I can't believe that blobby thing above is a clear part!

 

Ciao

Thanks Giorgio  I know, blobby blobby!

 

16 hours ago, Trumpton_Orbital said:

Fear not, I have a fool-proof way of locating it:

 

1) Put on your biggest, heaviest pair of shoes or boots

2) Walk around your modelling space for a few moments

 

The missing item(s) will soon make their presence felt 😀. Great progress by the way.

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul.

Thanks Paul  

Crunch crunch…

 

16 hours ago, Keeff said:

Or alternatively, remove shoes and socks and walk about .... a sharp painful sensation may reveal the location of 'blobby part,' 

 

Looking good and progressing well ..... keep up the good work! 

 

Keith ☺️ 

 

 

Thanks Keith  

Ow ow…

I did have another look for the missing part but it's gone.

For now!

 

4 hours ago, 81-er said:

Nice progress with this one as well, Ced. It's not Tamiya quality, but it's also not awful for a 50-year-old tooling.

 

James

Thanks James  

Better than some old Airfix I've tackled but certainly no Tamiya!

 

 

For example, where are you supposed to put the weight?

 

 

The bombsight is in that gap  

I've ordered some lead weights so we'll see.

 

The sprue gloop is quite hard to sand but it carves beautifully:

 

 

I've started a dry fit so I can test the weight:

 

[The Spadgent]

Looking like an aeroplane.  Those seams looked a bit much but the goop has done its job. 🙌

 

you’ll find the missing bit. Just pretend you’re not looking for it then. Huzzah! 
 

🫡🤪

[giemme]

1 hour ago, CedB said:

The sprue gloop is quite hard to sand but it carves beautifully:

Luckily, you have all the tools you need for the job....   

 

Ciao

[81-er]

I'd go with having the weight in the compartment behind the cockpit (navigator or radio op station?), plus you can always shoehorn some into the front the nacelles if needed. Paint any going into the airframe in interior green and you'll never see them with the limited windows

 

James

[Steve N]

Are you planning to use the big dome on top of the fuselage?  I'm not sure why Airfix included it..I've never seen a photo of it in place on an operational Marauder.  It was usually just a flat, solid hatch (also provided in the kit.)  As designed, I believe the hatch could be removed and the dome swung into the opening, but it seems it was rarely, if ever, used. 

 

SN

[Chuck1945]

Slightly off topic but this discussion reminded me about reading in the Mighty Eighth that the 322 BG ( initially part of the 8AF) earliest missions suffered higher than expected losses but one of aircraft that did survive the early missions became Flak Bait. @Steve N I somehow I missed Crouchman’s book, but now have it on order.

[Steve N]

11 minutes ago, Chuck1945 said:

 I somehow I missed Crouchman’s book, but now have it on order.

I just happened to stumble across it at last month's IPMS USA Nationals.  We actually stopped and visited the actual Flak Bait on the way home. 😎

 

SN

[CedB]

22 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Looking like an aeroplane.  Those seams looked a bit much but the goop has done its job. 🙌

 

you’ll find the missing bit. Just pretend you’re not looking for it then. Huzzah! 
 

🫡🤪

Thanks Johnny  

 

21 hours ago, giemme said:

Luckily, you have all the tools you need for the job....   

 

Ciao

Of course, although if I see something more suitable…  

 

21 hours ago, 81-er said:

I'd go with having the weight in the compartment behind the cockpit (navigator or radio op station?), plus you can always shoehorn some into the front the nacelles if needed. Paint any going into the airframe in interior green and you'll never see them with the limited windows

 

James

Thanks James

Good idea, in the memory.

 

19 hours ago, Steve N said:

Are you planning to use the big dome on top of the fuselage?  I'm not sure why Airfix included it..I've never seen a photo of it in place on an operational Marauder.  It was usually just a flat, solid hatch (also provided in the kit.)  As designed, I believe the hatch could be removed and the dome swung into the opening, but it seems it was rarely, if ever, used. 

 

SN

Ooh thanks Steve, I'll use the hatch  

 

18 hours ago, Chuck1945 said:

Slightly off topic but this discussion reminded me about reading in the Mighty Eighth that the 387 BG ( initially part of the 8AF) earliest missions suffered higher than expected losses but one of aircraft that did survive the early missions became Flak Bait. @Steve N I somehow I missed Crouchman’s book, but now have it on order.

18 hours ago, Steve N said:

I just happened to stumble across it at last month's IPMS USA Nationals.  We actually stopped and visited the actual Flak Bait on the way home. 😎

 

SN

Thanks Chuck and Steve  It's great that this history is still around.

I may visit a museum this afternoon.

 

 

Can't do much until the weights arrive so looking for bits and pieces.

 

I thought I'd assemble the empennage:

 

 

Tricky. 

The elevators get clamped by the stabilisers AND peg into the side so they need to be half assembled then the top stabiliser added then the top of the elevators glued on.

If you see what I mean.

 

All a bit gappy:

 

 

More bits.

I've pasted the cowlings as I need to assemble the props before they go on the wings:

 

 

 

 

[CedB]

The weights have arrived!

Golf club stickies apparently, 3g each.

Instructions say 12g in the nose (where there's no room)

My Physics tells me I'll need more than that if I fit it further back:

 

 

I should be able to fit that in. Hopefully.

 

Also, what's this?

Note to future modellers; don't assemble and paint the tyres like we usually do:

 

 

There's another piece in here  

 

But wait, I have some of that heavy powder.

How about:

 

 

That'll add a bit of weight too.

Nerves shot after that and the Spit 'reveal' so having a rest for a while.

[Steve N]

Looking good!  I'm not sure if you intended to mount it that way, but that upper hatch part is upside down.  It should be flush with the top of the fuselage.

 

SN

[Navy Bird]

Go get some medication capsules (big ones, like fibre capsules), open them up and empty them, then fill with liquid mercury. Lots of weight in minimal space.      

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. Paint them yellow and make believe they're oxygen canisters. 

[CedB]

15 hours ago, Steve N said:

Looking good!  I'm not sure if you intended to mount it that way, but that upper hatch part is upside down.  It should be flush with the top of the fuselage.

 

SN

Thanks Steve  The hatch isn't glued in, it's just there while I'm doing the balancing act! Worth mentioning though thanks.

 

15 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

Go get some medication capsules (big ones, like fibre capsules), open them up and empty them, then fill with liquid mercury. Lots of weight in minimal space.      

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. Paint them yellow and make believe they're oxygen canisters. 

Now then Bill, is this serious or an example of your famous dry sense of humour?  

I was surprised to see that you can still buy Mercury on the 'net but I don't have any capsules… if the lead fails I may rethink.

 

 

Suddenly getting clumsy this morning so thought it best to walk away:

 

[Farmerboy]

‘Walk away’ is a good mind set to have Ced, sometimes it’s the best thing to get out the cave, do something completely different and go back in fresh!

Looking good though, it is one of Airfix’s better models from that era, lots of nice details.

[Keeff]

I can't argue with your decision  @CedB .... have a break, take bug deep breaths, roll your sleeves up and get back amongst it!

 

The progress is good though .... and I hope you get the weight sorted .... 

 

Keith ☺️