1/48 Monogram B-17G Flying Fortress

I started the Flap Pockets before I left last week.  The pockets were completed on 1/31/11

After some filling and sanding, I decided to slap some primer on the wings and see how bad they are.  WOW, do I have a lot of work to do.

Cheers

Have not had time to do any work on the Fort.  I'm still spending my weekdays in Grand Rapids.  Oh well..  There is light at the end of the tunnel, and I am employed.  Life is good.....

When I started doing the flaps, I decided that I needed to make the wings look a little more realistic.  It lacked rivets.
This is what a B-17 wing really looks like.  Thousands of rivets and their not flush!

Last week I received a package from Archer Transfers.  I under estimated what I needed so I will probably have to order more.  I'll complete the first wing, then order more.

These are applied just like Decals.  No worry about silvering because I'm painting over them anyhow.

Thanks for looking

HOLY CRAP! This just went to THAT level!!! HAHAHA!!!

Awesome job, Rob. Those Archer rivets are great ... use them myself....

Lanc- I got the Archer's for my Vis-B-17 (one day)- I calculated $100.00 worth would do it!

And thats only with 1/2 a fuselage to do!!

LOL.  I bet you could get enough to do a 1/48 F and G, or one 1/32 kit for  $229!

krow113

Lanc- I got the Archer's for my Vis-B-17 (one day)- I calculated $100.00 worth would do it!

And thats only with 1/2 a fuselage to do!!

I have not had a lot of time to work on the Fort.  I've been working 70+ hours a week, I had the flu the beginning of this week.  Enough excuses...  Back too work in the shop.  Still working on rivets on the engine nacels.

Cheers

You have the patience of 50 ordinary men... that is amazing! I cannot wait to see that detail all painted!

New guy here, I am working on a 1/1 scale B-17.  I am an A&P mechanic working on the CAF's Texas Raider in Houston.  http://www.gulfcoastwing.org/  I supervise the volunteers so that the work done on the plane is legal. 

I am at the plane at least 2 days a week, so if you need photos of some particular area or have a question just holler as I will be following this thread as the workman ship is just fantastic. 

Keep in mind that Texas Rader was produced at the end of the war and then went into the Navy as one of the original AWACS.  It then was used for mapping and the airframe has been highly modified. 

One of the questions I saw in the discussion was interior of the rudder/tail painted or was it bare aluminum.  Answer is on TR all interior was zinc chromated, don't know if this was because it was in the Navy or if this was done at the factory. 

Terry 

Seeing this work in progress makes me want to jump on my two B-17s in my stash.  I know they won't turn out this well but the inspiration is great.

On a side note, talk about an incredible swing in the opposite direction!  One moment everyone is bemoaning kits which are covered with hundreds of rivets and they're being sanded off.  Now we've gone to the other extreme of buying after-market rivets to put ON a model kit!  LOL!

Eric

New Guy here again, I also have the parts manual and the Boeing engineer drawings and can post them if needed.

Terry

I'd love to see the engineer drawings!  Please post or send me an e-mail!  Thanks!

Eric

PS.  Welcome to the forum!!!! 

Looking forward to the tech manual pics!  Thanks for sharing progress........is there every a 'right' time for starting a 1/48th scale B17????  

echolmberg

On a side note, talk about an incredible swing in the opposite direction!  One moment everyone is bemoaning kits which are covered with hundreds of rivets and they're being sanded off.  Now we've gone to the other extreme of buying after-market rivets to put ON a model kit!  LOL!

I was thinking the same thing, guess you got to keep the after market guys going.

Look who's back. The B-26 has been gone for a month, I finally got the shop cleaned up, I'm not traveling anymore (for now) so it's back too work. I want to get this done so I can start a new project......... More on that later. Try and guess.....

The RH Wing rivets are complete. I need to figure out a way to mask the fibre optic wing tip lights so I don't primer and paint on them. Any ideas?

Onto the Left Wing.

Rob! Glad to see ya back at it! I was just reffering someone to your thread today.

Maybe try a bit of elmers glue to mask the lights. I use it on the inside of my fuselages around the window frames and anywhere else I dont want paint.

Lancair IV

 

 

 I need to figure out a way to mask the fibre optic wing tip lights so I don't primer and paint on them. Any ideas?

 

How about a small dab of Elmers White glue to cover. After paint, just pop off the dry glue with the tip of a no.11 blade.  I've tried that on the ends of roll cage parts that attached to other parts of the roll cage. saved alot of scraping off paint when assembling a NASCAR chassis. Also effective on the attachment points  of gear legs , bracing , etc.

BTW Awsome work !

Howard

I'm just lurking a bit on this build, but I have a method I do that's much faster.  It's probably more useful before you button everything up but I always leave a bit of excess fiber sticking out, just a mm or so.  then after paiting, just cut it back flush with the surface.  Since you are already done with the assembly, just use some liquid mask.  Ambroid is a bit easier to get back off afterwards.

Hope this helps.

Rich

daddy1

 

Lancair IV:

 

 

 

 I need to figure out a way to mask the fibre optic wing tip lights so I don't primer and paint on them. Any ideas?

 

 

 

How about a small dab of Elmers White glue to cover. After paint, just pop off the dry glue with the tip of a no.11 blade.  I've tried that on the ends of roll cage parts that attached to other parts of the roll cage. saved alot of scraping off paint when assembling a NASCAR chassis. Also effective on the attachment points  of gear legs , bracing , etc.

BTW Awsome work !

Howard

Glad you're back at it! Can't wait for more!

Back Lancair !!!!!!!!!!!!

On page 79, left paragraph in "Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Owner'e Workshop Manual" by Graeme Douglas, there is a statement that, "A wooden walkway allows crew access arount the turret to the rear of the aircraft."  I have not found references to wood floors in anything else.

Had the book with this in when i was younger, started my love afair with the fort.

Also found this

Dunno how accurate they are, but it shows the tail section quite well.

Thanks Scropiomickey.  Those are great. .

I tried Elmers Glue. Sure hope it works ........ I added the removed panel lines to the LH wing and smoothed out a few bad areas then primed it before I apply the rivets. The RH wing was primed, and with a litte more work, it'll be ready for paint.

Left Wing

Right Wing

Have a good week.

Sneaky Pete, all the floors in the 17 are wood.  Approx 3/8 plywood.  in the nose and flight deck and radio room they are flat, but aft of the ball turret they follow the curvature of  the fuslage.   They also narrow the further aft they go. 

Terry

Great looking build,,,,

Thanks for sharing!

amazing build!

looking forward to see more !!!

I received the rest of the rivets today.  Should have enough to finish the model now.  I really under estimated when I started this part of the build.  If I hadn't started adding the rivets, this puppy would have been done by now! 

I have a 4 day weekend and if it rains, I'll finish up the other wing.  LOL  It's going to be 80 and sunny.  Just watch!!!! 

Ill trade you, its 46 here today. im so effing cold its not funny.

LOL! Only a modeler would hope for rain on the 4th of July weekend...

Right wing rivets are complete and the the LH Flap is ready for primer.

Cheers

It's good to see some more progress on this one.

Lookin good. Can't wait to see more.