1/48 B-17 Group Build...ALL INVITED TO JOIN!

Was able to once again make some progress on mine.  Since the weather still is not cooperating and that I found some seams still needing a little work, I moved on to the main landing gear.  Here are some shots of the new landing gear.

This is the original and new main landing gear side by side.

Here's the new landing gear in a borrowed part from another B-17 kit to help with alignment while drying.

One more shot of the main landing gear.

On a side note, now that it is October, its official, two years and I'm still working on the same B-17!  Though I am aiming for a November completation date!

No problem vetteman42, I was excited to see them myself.

Looking good B17Pilot, I'm very close to the prep stage before painting on mine.

I know this post is useless because there are no pics, but the visible B-17 should be, barring any epic disasters, making her world debut this coming saturday.

She's painted, buttoned up and weathered.  Just need to do some minor touch-up painting along a repaired seam, add the miscellaneous external PE and paint the formation lights and she's done

-Fred

Gigatron wrote:

I know this post is useless because there are no pics, but the visible B-17 should be, barring any epic disasters, making her world debut this coming saturday. She's painted, buttoned up and weathered.  Just need to do some minor touch-up painting along a repaired seam, add the miscellaneous external PE and paint the formation lights and she's done -Fred

Useless he sayz! USLESS !!!!! Yeah right ! IS A VERY USEFUL CRUEL TEASE IT IS ! Geeze I been waiting for Fred to finish and get pictures posted, now he tells me I gotta wait till Saturday ??? The unmitigated nerve, bad Fred bad  

B-17 pilot......Dont feel bad, I'm coming up on 2 years myself for my 2 forts. I mostly have little stuff to finish, this is where I always get tripped up for some reason.

FMM, thanks for the pics. I'm kinda confused, the wartime pics show her as NMF but she sits today in OD/NG, I dont get that. I must also admit that it sort of bothers me to see pics of her in the air like so few of them do anymore, knowing that she is going to be preserved statically, never to fly again. I'd almost rather see wright-pat get on the no where near airworthy forts for staic display and send shoo shoo shoo baby some where she would fly again.

Ok, how about a few older teaser pics, just to whet your appetites?

This should everyone over until this weekend.

-Fred

Fred, yeah very nice, I've seen that kit in the hobby shop before.  But haven't gotten it.

B-17Pilot, I to would love to see Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby fly again.  Like at the Dayton AirShow, I know the one of the 17's be restored is Memphis Bell, but can't remember what's the other ones name?

Richter111, feel free to hop aboard when you want to start your Fort's.

Dayton is doing the Memphis Belle at the moment, followed behind her is the only surviving B-17D "The Swoose."  I think both are being work on at the same time, but more priority is being given to the Belle.

 I am with B-17 Guy, let Shoo-Shoo-Shoo Baby fly again!  Writ-Pat as two other (very rare) Forts that will never fly again that can be used for static display. Let Shoo-Shoo-Shoo Baby Fly!

Hans, PM inbound.

Pilot.....Especially seeing as how she FLEW there under her own power.  

is the cat still in one piece ?

So far...  But his "package" is is going to be a lot smaller next week...   He also took out my "Ralston Trainer" SNJ and my Tigercat dio, "Feeding the Cat"...  

Here Hans I'll lend you this...

I AM thinkin' cat would make a decent fajita... They're higher in protine than dogs too.. (Learned that on MANswers th' other night..)

Here's the Tigercat WIP, Vetteman..

Hey thanks Hans, you went and read my mind was gonna ask if you would send me a pic of it.

Himmmm smoked kitty ??? interesting idea there Bondoman

FeldMarSchall Model wrote:

Sorry to hear about B-17 Hans. I'd vote to see Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby to fly again!

Oh, it'll happen.. The recovery dio's too good an idea to let die...  I just hate the idea of spending all that money on another over-priced Tamiya Duece & 1/2... Oh, BTW.. The plane's name is "Bad Check" (it always gets returned)...

I might be able to salvage the 'Cat, Vetteman... It'l have to be bellied-in, the gear's shot to hell, but other than that, everything's fixable... Might save the SNJ too, but it's kinda shaky... The castor gear got hammered badly, and fixing it will entail a repaint..

Have any of you other Fort builders noticed any fit issues with the nose glass?  I attached the glass last night and I noticed it doesn't sit flush with the sides.  The fuse halves are together as they should be, but I'm still seeing about 1/8" of fuselage on either side of the glass.  Top/bottom fit is flush, but either the glass is too narrow or the fuselage is too wide.  But considering the other fit issues I've had with the clear side, I wouldn't be all that surprised.

-Fred

I found a history page about the Monogram B-17 Fort.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/B17G.html

Well, at least I know I'm not going insane

breaking it apart to shim is not an option at this point.  I've already modified too many other pieces to get it to fit thus far.  I already shaved off all of the locator pins.  Whoever R&D'd this thing, never thought to try and build it with the clear half, before sending it out for production.

-Fred