Hello All:
I hope I can still get in on this forum. I just picked up a 1991 B-36 that I plan to model as City of Fort Worth. My dad and his best friend invented and designed the first alternator drive for the B-36. They both worked at Sundstrand. It was a $20 million contract in 1948 and put Sundstrand squarely into the aviation business. The alternator drive was, I believe, the first alternator-style device for generating on-board electricity. Prior to that planes used batteries or, I suspect, generators. The alternator drive allowed the variable speed from the engine to be converted to a constant speed output and thus efficient electrical generation. Thus, the B-36 has some emotional attachment to me. I even have his chromed B-36 desk ashtray.
I have a second attachment because I used to have business at GD/FW on a monthly basis and cruised past that B-36 every time I visited the plant. Truly a beautiful plane.There was also a great BBQ joint near the entrance. Thus, the City of Fort Worth seemed a natural.
I already have the diecast wheelsets by Scale Aircraft Conversion, the decals by Warbirds, the antenna wire by EZ Line, and plan to pick up the Click2Detail closed bomb bay doors (I'll be building wheels down).
I have a few questions.
1. What is the best color to use for the cockpit? I've visited the Virtual Tour of cybermodeler online and the green almost has a blue cast. Is this real or is it just a bad white balance during the photo shoot or band rendering on my monitor (I know cameras and monitors tend to lean towards the blue). I would suspect the color should be olive drab. If so, any particular Testor color?
2. Should the landing gear bays and landing gear doors (insides) be olive drab too, zinc chromate green, or something else?
3. I saw a previous posting that says Testors Metalizers are hard to mask over. Is this true? If so, are there any tips for making it easier or better. I plan to use Tamiya masking tape.
Thanks for your assistance. All 28 pages have been a great read.
Regards,