Back to the bench

Wow truly at a loss for words on this build. Just to have the stamina and determination for such a long project is impressive, but to execute at this level is really amazing! I actually learned a lot about the real aircraft looking at your build thread. Your photography is also amazingly well done and it allows us to appreciate the meticulous detail work even more. I will be looking back through this build thread again and again, both for pleasure and to learn scratch building techniques. Congratulations on completing such a daunting project and thank you for sharing your amazing work.

 

Thank you for your kind words!

When I started this project 10 years ago it was only going to be the nose section back to the top turret!....I made a display stand for it and put it to bed. I was then encouraged by other model makers that I should continue down the fuselage to the tail!....so what was to be maybe a 2 year project turned into 10 years!....it has been an enormous challenge for me as some of the areas of the B17 I wasn't sure if I could actually replicate! ....but.....All done now and I'm not sure if I would take on such a huge project again!....we shall see!

Wow truly at a loss for words on this build. Just to have the stamina and determination for such a long project is impressive, but to execute at this level is really amazing! I actually learned a lot about the real aircraft looking at your build thread. Your photography is also amazingly well done and it allows us to appreciate the meticulous detail work even more. I will be looking back through this build thread again and again, both for pleasure and to learn scratch building techniques. Congratulations on completing such a daunting project and thank you for sharing your amazing work.

Hi everyone

This is it!...............the absolute FINAL post I will make on this 10 year project! 

In my last post I was talking about the display aspect of this model and what was the best way to display this B17G  ....I gave it considerable thought and finally decided that the best way would be to make it as simple as possible.  I  came up with a simple idea of just placing the ball turret on a clear plastic stand (actually its a small plastic cup!)....it sort of gives it a floating kind of look!...ish!....I didn't place it underneath the fuselage because it just obscured the 9 months of work I did scratch building it! 

I wanted to place both bomb bay doors on so I had to be sure the fuselage sat high enough off the ground to clear the very large bomb bay doors!  So to that end I had to revamp the display stands. There are 4 in total...2 on the front section and 2 at the rear. The rear section stands had to be way higher as the tail lifts up towards the rear...I built these out of reinforced balsa wood (plastic covering) and cocktail sticks! 

I have left an 8 inch gap between the front and rear sections so that you can peer down into the fuselage both front and back and of course as you probably know the top half of the fuselage along its entire length has viewing points to see the interior.

So that is what I did......but first......something was really bothering me about the aluminum skin on the front section back to the radio room. It seemed to be a tad wrinkly here and there. I know exactly why...its because 10 years ago I constructed the front fuselage section completely in a different way to how I built the rear section 8 years down the line!......plus the joins on each section were showing through!.......no it was no good!.....I just had to re skin the front section. .............

Fair enough! 

Gary

GAF

I'm impressed by your attention to detail, but one thing bothers me.  Wouldn't they have removed the guns and ammunition before stripping the aircraft down?  It looks incongruous with guns and ammo and no wings.  Still, nice work!

Gary

 

Thanks for your input Gary....

My intention right from the start was to make a study of the B17 fuselage as a cutaway showing as much of what there was internally...like a kind of anatomy of a B17G .This is why I have modeled the fuselage with most of the top section missing along the fuselage and so it isn't something you would see in a hangar for example....I hope that makes sense!...cheers! 

I'm impressed by your attention to detail, but one thing bothers me.  Wouldn't they have removed the guns and ammunition before stripping the aircraft down?  It looks incongruous with guns and ammo and no wings.  Still, nice work!

Gary

modelcrazy

I don't know why I haven't see this post before 

Great work Foz!

 

Thanks a lot!

I don't know why I haven't see this post before 

Great work Foz!

Hi there to all!

OMG!

I really can see the finishing post now!...In this last week I have been at this B17  every day trying to move it along!

Of course here in Bulgaria we are experiencing dangerous weather warnings of extreme high temperatures....like most of Europe I guess...most days 42C plus /107F...and so I had to vacate my workshop as it was far too hot in there and move into the bedroom as I have aircon there!...So I had to find an old table and take some tools from my workshop to the house (workshop is in another building from the house) and get on with the job at hand!

The end result being that I have completely finished all the internal detail , joined the top and bottom halves together and managed to skin the entire rear section!....so all in all I am really pleased!

Last post had me fitting the waist guns into the perspex windows but the very last detail after 10 years is to make the ammunition belts that feed the guns....so here are a few photos...

The ammo belts have to be able to twist and turn from the ammo boxes to the guns so I had to scrap the belt I had previously made as they wouldn't bend without snapping in half!.....so I decided to use slivers of aluminum from a Coca Cola can to make up the shape I needed to go from the ammo boxes to the guns!....you follow me?...probably not!....so here is a photo!......

In this way I have it bent to shape before I super glue all the hundreds of rounds...(cut pieces of wire...took all afternoon!!)

This next photo shows some of the rounds on the belt.

All I had to do then was enclose the rounds in the belts using strips of paper which when painted will hopefully look the part!

Here is the port MG

....and a couple of shots looking at both Waist guns from the rear....

Now came the part that I had been dreading for months and months and that was gluing the top and bottom halves together!

So here we have in the next batch of photos the fuselage all skinned.

To finish off the rear section , all I have to do now is spray some markings including the USAF insignias.....and that will be that!

Kingslug

Beyond amazing.....

 

Thank you!

Beyond amazing.....

Hi all!

Another few weeks have passed and time for another post!....done quite a bit so it will be a big post!

I have finished both waist guns except for the ammunition belt which I will have to think about as it won't be easy!

First off I had to make the swivel mechanism that holds the gun in the perspex....so this first photo shows the wooden stick I will use!....just thought you might like to see the stick!!!!

Next photo shows the 2 plates that the swivel mechanisms are bolted to...

here we have it glued to one of the window frames....

The next photo shows a dry run of the fitting of the MG....and looking at it I must remember to take the sight post off the end of the barrel as that's for the MGs without the compensating sights on!

I rummaged through my collection of clear plastic packaging and found a suitable piece to make the perspex for both windows apertures.

I already half built the guns a few weeks back and now it was time to finish them off....

....and here they are completed ....

I had to do a little research on the K-13 Sperry Compensating sights that I wanted to add to these guns....so after searching the internet and gathering the photos together I started out on the sights...

I glued both guns onto their mounts through the perspex and added a little more detail ..like the control cables (that I haven't a clue what they actually operate.....something to do with.... adjusting ...something!!) ....

Going to have to rack my brains now for a solution on how to make the ammunition belts bend and twist from the ammo boxes to the guns.....so see you next year!

Hi to all!

I have been busy in the last week or so trying to get this project moving on to completion...even though I have had a few distractions like mowing oceans of grass in my garden and keeping the Tax man off me!

However I did manage to start on what will be the very last of the interior detail of this fuselage.....and that is the waist gunners positions.

I haven't done a lot but every little helps to get me closer to the end!...as I believe Mr Tesco's would say!...although it has got absolutely nothing to do with him!

I started by cutting all the pieces of wire to represent the rounds that will go into the ammunition boxes (you can see the top layer in the box if you're wondering why I would do that!)

The boxes were made out of plastic card and the rounds were placed in the top.....

After painting them this is what they look like....

After looking at a few hundred photos I checked to see what equipment was needed for both gunners . ...oxygen bottles....oxygen regulators and their indicators...flying suit heater units ...intercom boxes...bail out alarm bell  and a matchstick!!!

The last 4 photos show the equipment in place....

That's all folks!

.........And another bit done!

I have to say I am flagging a bit!...finding it difficult to continue with this project. I guess I have been slogging at it for years now and really can't wait until it's all done! I am trying to get it complete before October comes as I am off to the UK and would like to try and take it with me on that trip....I don't know...we shall see!.....talking to myself here!

OK ...so I managed to get the Tail plane connection area complete...difficult shapes as the fuselage is round of course!....but I also added a bit of detailing as you can see in this first photo......

So I made the simple cartridge shoot for the Cheyenne turret and cut a slice of Coca Cola can for where the barrels go into the turret.

After it all was painted and weathered a tad this is the end result!....I made little canvas bags out of tissue paper to go over the D shape....this was to protect dust and dirt from entering the fuselage ...and saved me making connection cogs!

....and here is the tail section so far!.......

Right then.......the next part is actually the last internal detail that I will ever have to do on this project!....HOORAY!!!

Hi everyone

Here then is the Cheyenne turret finished to the best of my abilities!

The canopy for the turret wasn't as simple as I thought it might have been! A few months back I had made the canopy to fit over the turret detail but when I looked at it more closely I noticed that the small window apertures behind the main front perspex were way to small!....and so started the re designing of the frame....after a few attempts of dry fitting to the fuselage I think I cracked it!

So the first 2 photos we have the modified canopy frame............

All I had to do now ...(which normally takes a couple of days)... place the rest of the Aluminum around the frame. Of course I have to do the entire rear fuselage section but I have to wait until the top and bottom halves are on!

I think my next task is to do the elevator connection detail....so that will be my next post!

Hi,

That looks great

Pat

Hi there..........Speeding along now!

Here is the last of the internal detail of the Cheyenne Turret ...which involved making the gun sight....

So stage 1 was to make the sight platform.......

Next up was the bullet proof glass shield .....I have to say I still wouldn't want to sit behind that!.....

It was then attached to the frame work ......

Now came the real tricky bit!

I then painted the safety glass frame and added a pulley and cables......

The gun sight was then painted......

This was then seated onto the frame and photographed.

Here's my attempt at the gun sight.......

As I was photographing I took these shots from below looking up into the turret as if I was the gunner!.....I thought it might show the cramped conditions the gunner would have to endure for 12 hours in freezing conditions ....I must be going mad!

OK.....so next on the agenda for the next post is placing the canopy frame on top of the turret!

Hi there every one 

Here is the next post on this 10 year post!.......nearly there now...he says!

This post is all about adding more detail to the Cheyenne turret......so here we go.......

These first 4 photos show pieces of wire I have added in and around the turret which is supposed to represent air ducts for de misting purposes....well at least that is what I am led to believe!...and I can't believe it took me all afternoon just to cut the wire into correct lengths and super glue them on...the glue just wouldn't set for some reason...mind you it is Bulgarian super glue!

Once the glue was set I then painted them....the second photo shows the excess wire sticking up that will eventually be set against the frame of the perspex enclosure....

Next up was to scratch all the equipment that will go in the turret.

If someone can enlighten me on why the turret had 2 oxygen regulators I would be very pleased!...no end of research will tell me this reason!....oxygen outlets on either side of the gunner?....who knows!....I bet it's obvious and I just can't see it!

So I then replicated a portable oxygen bottle out of Milliput and plastic...made a little bracket for it and placed it in the turret for the gunner to bang his head on!

So that's it for this post.

Hi guys!

Time for another up date!...still battling on with the Cheyenne turret and this post is all about Ammo boxes ,rounds and seats!

So this first photo is of the two ammunition boxes I made from plastic card. I should point out at this stage that when I mounted them onto the Turret side walls I realized that they were far too long and had to cut them down to size!...1 step forward 2 steps back!.....

So here they are attached to the side walls....

It was time to put some music on and settle down for the afternoon to make the ammunition belts!....Of course I have done this for all the other guns on this project so far and knew it would be a rather a laborious task!

Time to put some paint on them!....

I then placed them onto the ammunition boxes....

I then turned my attention to the outside of the turret.

Both the 50 cals were then glued to the internal frame minus the barrels which I will place on when the turret is complete....

....and the top plate was then glued into position over the guns.....

It was at this stage that I shortened the ammo boxes....what a drag!....my own fault ...I should have studied the reference photos more carefully!

....and painted....

Looks bloody uncomfortable to say the least!

See you on the next post..

Tanker-Builder

Fozzy.

       I am still following ya. Now when you put the wingy thingies on her where ya gonna put her?

 

Cheers!

No wings I'm afraid!....Fuselage only and she is going to a forever home in The Miniature Engineering craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad California.

Fozzy.

       I am still following ya. Now when you put the wingy thingies on her where ya gonna put her?

I completed the detail in the tail section right up to the Cheyenne rear turret ...so I guess it's time to have a crack at that!

First things first.....I made the support post and platform for the MGs...as you can see in this photo....

A plate made from plastic card was then built which will eventually sit in position above the guns....

I then painted the gun support.....

I decided that the best way to get the detail done in this Cheyenne turret was to get the 50 cals completed and placed on the support and then build all the other detail around them.

....and with the use of photos added the detail onto the blocks......

Plastic sprue came in handy now for the barrels.....luckily I had just the right size!

Pieces were cut to length and the barrel shroud was simulated by drilling holes along the length of the barrel.....

I placed flash suppressors, made from wire insulators onto the end of the barrels and then glued them onto the MGs ...and then painted them in Gun metal....

At this point I decided to place some detail onto the front end of the turret....I had done it months before but the detail somehow fell off!.....this time super glue was used!!

Adapter- gun mounts were made from plastic and wire and attached to the MGs.....fiddly as hell!!

That was then all painted.

In the next post I will install the MGs onto the support frame but first I have to think about it as I somehow have to get the ammunition link to the guns!

Good afternoon guys!

I do hope that you are all keeping well and safe since the last time I posted.

I just can't believe its been 5 months since I last posted on here!......and 5 months away from my B17G!

I went to UK at the beginning of last December for Xmas and was due to return to Bulgaria mid February but of course Covid put an end to that plan! So as we were all in lock down I decided to wait in UK to have both my vaccinations and I am pleased to say that I have now had both! Whilst I was there I decided to get a few modelling supplies to tie me over and I made a couple of small models.

But now it's time to get on with this B17G..........so where were we?...oh yes!.... working on the tail section.

Hi every one

Well first and foremost I want to wish everyone a Happy belated New Year!.......although it is difficult in these times!

Due to this blasted Covid-19 I am in lock down in UK and won't be returning to Bulgaria and my workshop  for ....who knows how long!.....at least I am with my family but miss battling on with my B17G!

I haven't any modelling equipment here......nothing at all... but am thinking that Amazon might help with that situation!......I'll spend a few quid,... get some sort of starter pack tools and get myself a little 1:72 kit to tie me over!.....haven't done that for years so I am looking forward to it!   

Meanwhile .....I haven't been idle ..... I decided to revamp my website and have got all my model photos in one place....so for those of you who want to take a look.........

                                         https://mfostermodels.wixsite.com/martin-foster-models

So until I return to my work bench and my B17 ......I wish you all the best and please stay safe!

Cheers

Fozzy

Hi guys

This will be my last post for this year as I am off to the UK in a couple of days time to see family and friends.

So another year is coming to an end (glad this one is nearly over!)...and this project still hasn't come to the end! I can't believe that I started this in 2011 with the nose section!....9 years later and I am still working on the tail end!......but realistically I think that I can get it all done next year!.....I do hope so as I really want to move on and build something else for a change!

Here is a photo of the all of the fuselage to date with my expert markings (not!!)....showing you that I am nearly at the tail end!

So now to the correction of the detail in this area..............

From the new photos I noticed that there were not one but two C1 auto pilot units. In a sense I was pleased about this as the one I previously made seemed very long! After doing a bit of measuring I reckoned that if I cut the unit I made in half I could make the two I needed!...it would be just a case of adding some extra detail for the second unit and a bit of tidying up. So I carefully pulled the unit of its tray.....not easy as most of my detail I super glue in!...but never the less got it out without too much damage.It was then cut in half and made into two units........

I also placed all the electrical cables on to the side walls.......