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Coastal Command Fortress IIA done

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  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Coastal Command Fortress IIA done
Posted by jeaton01 on Thursday, June 11, 2009 10:38 PM

Did this one for the Navy Air Wing GB, which at this time is doing RN airplanes.  It's the Academy 1/72 kit which is very nice.  A little grief with the dihedral angle but only a little.  I made up a remote belly turrret with Apoxy Sculpt.  Mostly Model Master paints, Extra Dark Sea Gray/Dark Slate Gray over flat white.  I weathered and stained it with Tamiya Smoke and ground up gray pastels.  Most of the framing on clear parts is decal strips with a little paint by brush added.  The nose transparency fit was not so good but some careful sanding to reduce its diameter and a little filler on the fuselage bottom hid it pretty well.  More details at the Navy Air Wing GB.

 

 

 

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    July 2007
Posted by scorpr2 on Thursday, June 11, 2009 11:19 PM
I really like it!  That's something we don't see on here too often.  Nice job!
  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: UK
Posted by antoni on Friday, June 12, 2009 5:26 AM
 jeaton01 wrote:

Did this one for the Navy Air Wing GB, which at this time is doing RN airplanes. 

 

Err. Like Fighter Command and Bomber Command, Coastal Command belongs to the RAF not the Royal Navy.

Also, The udersurfaces of the fuselage and wings were painted gloss white, only the fuselage sides were matt white.

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Rhode Island
Posted by jmabx on Friday, June 12, 2009 7:28 AM
She looks great! I really love the colors... classy!

Jeremy    Propeller

    

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: A Spartan in the Wolverine State
Posted by rjkplasticmod on Friday, June 12, 2009 7:51 AM

Very nice build John.  Not a kit you see built up very often.

Regards,  Rick

RICK At My Age, I've Seen It All, Done It All, But I Don't Remember It All...
  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Friday, June 12, 2009 8:43 AM
Always liked that camo scheme... Nice work on a rare subject..

  • Member since
    June 2007
Posted by Porkbits on Friday, June 12, 2009 11:16 AM
That's a sweet paint job! Great contrast between the camo/white. Awesome build, sir.

PB
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Carmel, CA
Posted by bondoman on Friday, June 12, 2009 1:06 PM
 antoni wrote:
 jeaton01 wrote:

Did this one for the Navy Air Wing GB, which at this time is doing RN airplanes. 

 

Err. Like Fighter Command and Bomber Command, Coastal Command belongs to the RAF not the Royal Navy.

Also, The udersurfaces of the fuselage and wings were painted gloss white, only the fuselage sides were matt white.

True on the CC, but the CAG has expanded the GB to include the CC, for variety. I'm building a Whitley, so info abt gloss vs. matte would be most useful.
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Northern KY
Posted by mucker on Friday, June 12, 2009 1:08 PM
John, you're a machine lately! Beautiful build in very rarely seen colors for that bird. Thanks for sharing.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: League City, Texas
Posted by sfcmac on Friday, June 12, 2009 8:20 PM
 Very Spiffy Admiral sir!
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Merton, Wisconsin
Posted by bigfoot01 on Friday, June 12, 2009 9:50 PM
Very nicely done, looks awesome.

John 

 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: South Central Wisconsin
Posted by Daywalker on Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:02 AM
Nicely done John, don't see enough Forts in those colors. Thumbs Up [tup]

Frank 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Canada / Czech Republic
Posted by upnorth on Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:10 AM
Beautiful! that is my absolute favorite look for a Fort. Nice, clean and smooth with camo that really suits it.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:30 AM

Thanks for the appreciative comments, everyone.  I'm glad you like this one.  I recommend the kit, it's a good one to build.  There are just three spots to look out for, the fit of the nose transparency, the fuselage top between the cockpit glass and the top turret, and the dihedral angle which will be too great if you do not adjust it by sanding the fuselage sides at that fit.  Also, the color call outs are not correct for the upper colors.  According to the Harleyford book Fortess IIA's in CC service were dark slate grey/extra dark sea grey over white.

Antoni, you noted the white should be gloss on the bottom, do you have any info on where the division line is between the gloss and the matt white?  Anything that helps get it right is always welcome, it was rather difficult for me to determine what the proper colors are for Coastal Command airplanes, there was so much variation.  It would be easy enough to gloss up the bottom if I knew the demarcation between the two sheens.

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Piedmont Triad, NC (USA)
Posted by oldhooker on Saturday, June 13, 2009 11:03 AM

Hi John,

     That sure is an attractive scheme; one you don't see used very often and you sure made it shine!

Beautiful job!

 

Take care,

Frank

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Bournemouth UK
Posted by Luftwoller on Saturday, June 13, 2009 12:43 PM

Stunning work John, really looks like a winner from here.

...Guy

..'Your an embarrassment to the human genus, makes me ashamed to call myself Homo'.
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: St.Louis, Missouri
Posted by nicodemus on Saturday, June 13, 2009 12:51 PM
Beautiful Fortress, thanks for sharing. Great subject and paint scheme. always liked those colors on Forts and Libs as well. got any Academy B-24's? ha ha.. nice job!Big Smile [:D]
a humble ham-fisted modeler in the midwest-
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Canberra, Australia
Posted by Aussie747 on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 8:36 PM

Nicely done John, I have this one in the stash and was going to build it OOB. Was much involved in creating the remote turret?

 

Ray

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 11:22 PM
Thanks.  The remote turret was made with Apoxy Sculpt, Milliput would be as good.  I used the kit base for the ball turret and made it to the same diameter, which looks good according to pictures I have.  It is fairly flat on the bottom with a sight window carved in it.  So it wasn't too hard.  I cut in the 4 small windows, filled them with crystal clear, and found a sighting blister in the spares box.

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    August 2010
Posted by robstitt on Sunday, August 15, 2010 7:13 PM

Nice job!

Have just had a book published on this very subject. The gloss white was specified to be applied from the lower fuselage sides and underneath the aircraft but I suspect this was never done. The idea was to reflect light off the water and make the aircraft less visible to a U-boat under attack. The cowlings were supposed to be painted gloss white stove enamel and there is some evidence this was done.

A couple of items I see missing on the model are the wing and tailplane deicing boots, which were painted with aluminum paint to reduce their visual impact, and the various ASV radar aerials. 

For anyone interested, the book can be found at: http://www.mmpbooks.biz/mmp/books.php?book_id=123

Regards:

Robert Stitt

  • Member since
    August 2010
Posted by robstitt on Sunday, August 15, 2010 7:18 PM

One more item if I may: The lower turret should be a standard Sperry ball turret rather than the earlier unsuccessful solid version.

Regards:

Robert

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Truro Nova Scotia, Canada
Posted by SuppressionFire on Sunday, August 15, 2010 7:20 PM

Superb Fortress!Yes

Always nice to see one in unusual camouflage schemes.

Often overshadowed by other historic battles, winning the Atlantic was the key to victory in Europe.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y211/razordws/GB%20Badges/WMIIIGBsmall.jpg

 

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: North Pole, Alaska
Posted by richs26 on Sunday, August 15, 2010 8:23 PM

John,

Robert is right according to Joe Baugher's database.  112 E's had the remote turret so starting from 41-2393, that would make the last one built approximately as of 41-2505.  The first IIA was 41-2513, RAF serial FK 184, running numerically.  So Swanny's 1/48 IIA is also incorrect.

WIP:  Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 73rd BS B-26, 40-1408, torpedo bomber attempt on Ryujo

Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 22nd BG B-26, 7-Mile Drome, New Guinea

Minicraft 1/72 B-24D as LB-30, AL-613, "Tough Boy", 28th Composite Group

  • Member since
    August 2010
Posted by robstitt on Sunday, August 15, 2010 8:35 PM

John:

The Fortress IIAs (B-17E) and IIs (B-17F) were delivered to Britain with the Sperry ball turret. This was retained until the aircraft were prepared for service in the Azores in mid-1943. At this point they were removed and faired over. The ASV aerial configuration also changed at this time from nose-mounted and underwing homing aerials to nose-mounted homing aerials and fuselage-mounted search aerials.

Robert

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Crawfordsville, Indiana
Posted by Wabashwheels on Sunday, August 15, 2010 8:45 PM

John, Great looking Fortress.  Fabulous effort going off the beaten path to represent a somewhat overlooked version of a great old warhorse.  Gutsy build!  Rick.

 

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Katy, TX
Posted by Aggieman on Sunday, August 15, 2010 9:56 PM

Very nice.  Always liked that Academy kit.  Thanks for sharing your excellent work with us.

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