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

ok ,never mind.....i struck the jackpot and found names for all of them

Actually worked on the ol bird last time I was home.  Finished stripping the OD coat I f-ed up.  Consequently I ended up ruining the cockpit glass and had to rip off the top of the flight deck again.  No worries, though cuz I have another canopy.  Next time I'm home I'll have to do somemajor work and try and get up enough ambition to break out the airbrush again.  I'm close and can feel it, but I keep running into roadblocks.

Most of the figures for the diorama are painted but waiting to be shaded, shadowed etc.  I believe I am up to 16 figures for it.  I keep finding misc items too and now have  plethora of parachutes, duffel bags, flak helmets/jackets, blankets, etc.  I also broke my jeep but I just have to reattach one of the rear wheels.  I can't wait to get this done.  Not just because I want to see a finished product, but so I can move onto another project without this in the back of my mind.

I just noticed on the model that only 1 aileron has a trim tab....is this something wrong, or was this how it really was

Red, they only had the one trim tab on one aileron. So no need to cut in one on the other side.

James

i wasnt planning on it

I'm pretty sure I just got bit by the B-17 bug....again.  I'm seeing a superdetailed F in my future....

Guys I have been following this thread for sometime now and really love what has been going on here, lots of nice builds. I remember someone talking about building "Ole 666" sometime back and thought you all might be interested in this video I ran across, heres the link.

http://biggeekdad.com/2010/10/old-666/

Great link!  Thanks.  I am wondering if I could modily my one B-17F kit for that configuration... Hmmm (grinding sound as gears in head start to move).

Nice Video!....but then Im a knowledge/ video junkie.

I'll be coming into the foray here soon, I havent touched either of my 2 forts in a good while to finsh them. But I'll be starting 2 new ones for a group build in january on another forum, Ill post pics here too. I'm at least in the planning phase again.

B-17 Guy

I'll be coming into the foray here soon, I havent touched either of my 2 forts in a good while to finsh them.

Same here.....looks like around Christmas will be the next time I get to work on mine

I keep trying to get to finishing up my -D, but other things keep getting in the way

Sparrowhyperion

Great link!  Thanks.  I am wondering if I could modily my one B-17F kit for that configuration... Hmmm (grinding sound as gears in head start to move).

You would have to convert the F into an E first, then add the extra guns.  The fixed one in front of the cockpit would be an interesting modification.

Those F models had more nose configurations than michael jackson

True.  I have one of the older late 70s F model kits.  As well as my 2 G kits.  One of the Gs has been started but not much done on it other than some cabin painting.  Does anyone know if anyone ever made a kit of the A or B early types with the small tail and rudder?  My Favorite WWII movie is Air Force about the B17 Mary-Ann in the Pacific theater.  I realize it's probably complete fiction but I would loke to find a kit I could build of her.

redraider56

Those F models had more nose configurations than michael jackson

Academy made all of the shark tail variants (except Model 299 - A) in 1/72 scale.  For 48 scale you will have to get the C/D conversion set from Koster and then backdate that even more.

I didn't know about that conversion kit.  I'll check it out.  Thanks.

B17Pilot

Academy made all of the shark tail variants (except Model 299 - A) in 1/72 scale.  For 48 scale you will have to get the C/D conversion set from Koster and then backdate that even more.

Had a day off from classes today so I did a little reading on the plane that preceded the B-17 I'm building....this plane was "Man-O-War" of the 323rd BS 91st BG (I'm building "Man-O-War II).  I had contemplated building an F model and now decided I definitely need to build one now after reading a story about this plane's  last mission that was written by the copilot of the plane- he was 1 of just 2 crewmembers to survive the mission.  Here's a link for anyone who care's to read the story, but I think it's pretty interesting.   There's a lot of history behind these 2 planes and I think it would make for an awesome collection if I were to make the other one......

http://www.awca.nl/amsterdam/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=171

And a pic of the bird itself (it was the oldest plane in the 91st when it was shot down)  This, along with a fuselage shot is the only pic I can find of the plane, so I'd have to guess on the nose art (it appears to only be the name of the plane) and the nose configuration of it since it was an F.  Since it was an old plane I think I would get away with using the nose that it is the Revell kit.

Ok guys I need some help.  I want to build up a rudder to accurately depict damage on my plane but I can't seem to come across any interior blueprints of the B-17 to show the structure/ribbing of the rudder.  Anyone know where I can find some pics of this?

have you tried searching for battle damaged B-17s?  There plenty out there with tail damage.

Yea I've searched damaged B-17s and even have a pic that I'm gonna model after, but havnt found a pic yet of the full skeleton of the rudder.  I'm pretty sure I'd be able to get away with just making an outline and the ribs with styrene and the covering with something, but I was just wanting to make sure.

this is the damage I think I'm gonna go after

Look on page 52.  A cutaway drawing was posted.  You can save it and enlarge on your computer

Ahhhh, that must have slipped by me, but thats the exaxt picture I needed...Thanks Pilot.

I had come up with a rough sketch of the thing too and it ended up being the exact same, so I'm good now

Theres a very outside chance of a longshot..  Try contacting Boeing.  I have been told a couple of times that they keep an archive.  I'm sure they would help if you explain it to them, and they still have the info.

redraider56

Ok guys I need some help.  I want to build up a rudder to accurately depict damage on my plane but I can't seem to come across any interior blueprints of the B-17 to show the structure/ribbing of the rudder.  Anyone know where I can find some pics of this?

Thanks, but I found what I need

An amazing reference I have is the book "Flying Fortress" by Edward Jablonski. it was printed in 1965, but i havent found a good enough resource to render it obsolete. it has a ton of pictures, and in the back it has many of the structual renderings of the fuselage, wings, engine mounts, everything! and you can get copies for about 25 bucks on amazon.com. i have built 4 1:48 b-17s (my favorite airplane) and added damage to 2 of them, it really helped me with painting and adding detail to exposed areas.

 Hope this helps!

I'm set with the damage now....I tracked down a Teknics battle damage set on ebay a couple weeks ago

That cutaway is a handy one...

I started work on my -D.  Studying it I got a lot more work on it than orginially planned.  Oh well.  Recap:  Got it off ebay in two pieces and a layer of primer on it.  I glued the two pieces together and found I need to replace broken off pieces around the belly tub.  I ordered a set of replacement pieces from Bill Koster, has the clear pieces where shot.  Here's some pics:

How I got the -D

After I glued it back together:

Here's where the some sheet work is going to be needed, the belly tub is going to cover most of it:

After I removed the bad canopy pieces, I saw that I had to do major back dating (and paint fixes) on the interior: (Cockpit first then nose section)

Work has started on correcting the cockpit.  I removed the seats for correction and painted over the green IP. I will have to pull the -G seats out of the nose and replace them with full backed chairs I will copy from the radio section.

If the weather keeps me from my other projects, more work on this will proceed.