Boeing Build

Engine work has started.  The #2 engine exhaust on the Minicraft kit is a bit puzzling.  On the real airplane all three engine exhaust diameters are identical and yet on the Minicraft kit the center engine exhaust has a smaller exit diameter - and that's before you put part #32 on which makes it even smaller!

2015-06-24 09.17.13 - annotated by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-24 09.20.22 - annotated by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

Next up: build the thrust reverser actuator fairings for all three engines.

Oops, typo, thanks for catching that.

modelcrazy

That 's going to be a great looking 27 B1.

Are you sure?  It'll be a pretty bad looking 727, but a great looking 767! :)   

I worked on my 727 engines a bit last night. I'll post pics when I get a chance.

That 's going to be a great looking 27 B1.

Well I have been slacking on taking pics but besides the usual steps of adding nose weights and gluing the halves together here is where I am at. I am currently doing seam work and smoothing out the surface in prep for primer.

I have some gouges to fill from sanding mistakes and level out the windows.

Still some serious sanding to do on the windscreen.

As she sits now.

Decals arrived yesterday, Still waiting on winglets from Contrails models. 

Love to have you garzonh. I'd personally go with the 29. A 1/72 scale would be a 24" WS, a respectable size. You can avoid all that Alclad by building the Academy "Old Battler" in OD.

Hmmm..   ... this looks interesting... I have never build a civilian plane...actually it would be my second plane...  So if I join in, i will be building out of my comfort zone...which also would give some rest from the WWII armor.... 

I'm looking at the already in progress kits and I'm no way itsy bitsy skilled to you guys... 

If I do join, I'm betweeb the "SAS 747 cut away display plane" or the "B29 1/72 scale", that would be HUGE...probaly would need 3 bottles of Alclad....hmmmm... 

What do you think???

Craig

Not much to the pit, but I doubt you'd be able to see much in 1/144 scale anyway. Nice looking BUFF.

I finally found some time to get started on my B-52.  I washed the parts on the tree, seperated the parts from the trees, and began painting and glueing some of the parts together.  Things are progressing smoothly so far.

Craig

I added the rear cockpit bulkhead.  Not much to the office.

Coming along very nicely.  I follow the same technique.  Rather messy (especially when you do wet sanding), but actually a lot of fun.

RobGroot4

I have no idea how people work with white plastic, I just can't see it well enough!

Me neither! It's just part of getting older :) 

In reality the white plastic does make it very hard to see any flaws.  That's the reason I didn't do to much fine sanding until after getting a coat of Mr. Surfacer on it.  The previous photo I posted shows the primer with all the putty applied to the flaws... then, when you sand out the primer then you can really see where the previously invisible imperfections in the plastic were:

2015-06-22 20.37.08 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

I'm looking forward to the Super Hornet photos :)

Lockon,

 Awesome work on that airliner.  I have no idea how people work with white plastic, I just can't see it well enough!

 I should have a small update here shortly on the 1/48 Hasegawa Super Hornet I'm doing.  It'll be in VFA-137 livery and I've started the AM cockpit but haven't gotten terribly far yet.

Groot

Sounds good Jeremy. I am anxious to see them.

Steve

I've gotten a start on my project for this build and as a crossover on another.  WIP pics to follow soon, I am biting the bullet on this and not doing just one F-15E, but two F-15E's.  I've got the offices of these birds started and will get some pics added shortly.  Going to be doing this as a simultaneous build, with each aircraft representing a different squadron from Mountain Home AFB.  One will be the 391st FS Bold Tigers, the other the 389th FS Thunderbolts.

Oh I'm excited to see the finished product . What a great job so far Lockon.

Thank you modelcrazy and B_one_fixer :)

Back from the paint shop and getting some putty work done:

2015-06-22 00.24.54 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

Next up: engines and landing gear

Great work on the intake re-shape !

WOW! That's some incredible work lockon.  Holy smoke!

work continues with the shaping of the 727-100s oval #2 intake (vs round intake on 727-200)

Original round intake show below was heated and pinched into an oval using a C-clamp.  A thin strip was cut out of the top of the intake to make it appear more oval.

2015-06-20 00.12.29 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

Since the kit intake wasn't being used a substitute had to be found - luckily a bit of clear heat shrink tubing was the perfect size.  Shown inserted, glued and cut flush:

2015-06-20 19.03.16 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-20 19.05.35 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

A new intake lip was made from scratch using thick Plastruct sheet:

2015-06-20 22.44.51 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-20 22.46.20 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-20 23.24.26 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

It is glued to the fuselage and shaped:

2015-06-20 23.27.44 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-20 23.35.45 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-20 23.49.48 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

The new oval intake for #2 engine. 

2015-06-20 23.50.58 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

Wings joined ready for 1st primer coat. The kit intake is visible in the background - aside from being round which is incorrect for the -100, it is far too small for a -200 - off to the scrap box it goes!

2015-06-21 01.30.20 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

The wings halves where also significantly thinned prior to gluing them together in order to reduce the leading edge thickness (no photos of that, sorry!)

Thanks MC I should be getting on the B-52 this weekend. Yea, it looks like fun.

Ken,

Like I posted in you're WIP thread, I'm interested in following your 47. The 52 looks like it should be some fun.

Alan,

That's really taking shape, and looking good.

Here's where Im currently at.  Sort of the boring stage of the build.  

Nose weight, upper and lower fuselage mating:

Had to sand the wings smooth.  Its a Hasegawa kit, but its not without imperfections.  I also decided to fill the spoiler panels with superglue as they are on the exaggerated side, and lightly re-scribe them back on.

After sanding the fuselage smooth, I lightly scribed the panel joints using flexible plastic sheet as guide.

Great work Lockon. That would scare me too.

Anyway, here are my beginnings

The Mash Chopper

And the B-52

[

That's unbelievable lockon. I can't even tell.  

Fuselage cut and joined

2015-06-19 01.29.33 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-19 02.51.13 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-19 02.52.10 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

2015-06-19 03.21.08 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

Hey Steve, no I have not decided yet.  I'm trying to get a few things out of the way before I figure that out.  :/

Man this is going to be interesting. I don't have the nerve to try a mod like that. Keep the pics coming.

Work has begun.  Cut marks for the -200 to -100 conversion:

2015-06-18 02.08.22 by Lockon Photo, on Flickr

The staggered cut on the front is a trick I learned somewhere that helps keep the cut sections aligned better.

I'm not yet sure how I'll change the -200's round #2 inlet to the -100's oval inlet... it could be major surgery; however, I may just approximate it by thinning the sides and cutting out the top and bottom of the opening a bit.

Updated my friend.