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

Just saw this on ebay.  A Pro Modeler B-17 for $100.  I know I wouldn't fork over the 100 for it, he must think he's got a money maker, cause the highest I've seen them go is $70. Not even factory sealed.

Wonder if'n anybody is foolish enough to buy it!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pro-Modeler-B-17-Flying-Fortress-1-48-/350371261329?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5193c12b91

I have seen the p.m. kits go for 140 -170 $ No one saw the 2 Teknics 1/48 fig sets on there  recently ,they went for 70 $ for the pair .Usually they are good for over $100 each! I am not sure if ebay is a good price indicator.

modelchasm

Redman ... your 17 is looking outstanding! I really like the paint chipping on the cowls and wings. Care to explain your method?

 

Hey thanks modelchasm. I appreciate it. Yup she's all done! What I did for the paint chipping is this.. Lay down a nice enamel, or laquer base layer of silver/aluminum. I then use acrylics (for everything else) on top for the camo scheme. When its good and dry I take the tip of my sharp tweezers and pick/scratch a tiny hole in the acrylic paint. I then get a piece of good old masking tape, lessen the tack slightly and stick to the model covering the hole. Depending on how big of a chip you want is how hard you press the tape down. I do little chunks at a time. You need to be gentle though, because if you press the tape on too hard you can end up lifting too big of an area. For the tiny tiny chips I use a silver Prismacolor pencil. Hope that made sense.

For my next model of a weathered B-25 I am going to do the same as above, however try the salt technique instead of tape.

I was actually thinking that you used tape! ... That's awesome!!! I think you've really perfected that technique, and using the pencil is a great idea too. I'm definately going to have to put this trick to use on my 1/35 Chinook that I'm working on. Just a little worried about pulling off too much paint is all ....

Not a big fan of the salt technique myself, but am always interested in seeing how it comes out!

IMHO, with salt you run the risk of it not coming off... Rubber cement masking for chipping effects is less risky... 

Bomb Bay is complete.

Cheers

chewybr

and heres some pictures of a diorama i built a few year ago, just before i stopped building models all together

 

Man, that looks a lot like the B-17 In The Pink, that was featured in that booklet in Revell's 1/48 scale B-17 kit. (am I right?) It looks great.

Lancair - that's one amazing bombbay!! Nice touch on the emergency gear extension ports.

Looks like my Fort made it into the reader's gallery last month.  They didn't even let me know!  Forgot to check till now. Here's the link:

/media/p/1303690.aspx

B17Pilot

Looks like my Fort made it into the reader's gallery last month.  They didn't even let me know!  Forgot to check till now. Here's the link:

/media/p/1303690.aspx

Outstanding and well deserved! 

Yes it is Shepard Paine's In the Pink B-17 dio, but its down my way...I made this dio 8+ years old. this was my 1st dio for a aircraft. so i figured i would try and do something I liked and from some one who is awesome artist in are field

O.K. I see now. It's your version of the In the Pink diorama.

 Mabe I out to try and find myself a copy of that booklet, and give it a shot. Gosh, I havn't seen it in years, and knowing my luck, it probably has been thrown out. I remember enough on how to make bullet and shrapnel holes, but not much else.

 I wonder if it was in the Fine Scale Modeler at one time, or if Revell still supplies it with their B-17 models.

Thanks for filling me in on your dio, chewybar

PDF of Instructions.

Thank you DIvision 6.

I'll save up for a B-17 model for myself, and I'll join in on this build.

[ by budget is tied up for the forseeable future, and a trip to the hobby shop is unlikely for now, but I'll get there eventually]

wonder if it was in the Fine Scale Modeler at one time, or if Revell still supplies it with their B-17 models.

Revell supplies you with a copy of the original dio tip-sheet in the kit...

Here's a link to a bunch of  Shep Paine's diorama tip-sheets...

http://sheperdpaine.atspace.com/index.htm

Thanks Hans Von Hammer...I really like picking up books that Shep Paine wrote and pictures of his dio....

Thanks Hans.

I remember when I was around 5 years old, I got a Revell B-17 with the instruction booklet. I didn't know if they were still around or not. I'm glad to see that it's still in there.

I'm also going to be eyeing those booklets on the link. I have been eyeing a B-25 in Michaels, just wanting to do something different, and the booklet on the B-25 being salvaged for parts is something I would like to try.

wow. thats alot for a b-17 1:48 scale.. ugh those are the decals ive been looking for I guess they stopped producing the decal sheet just to buy

Does anyone have and good photo's of the inside of these b-17's looking for the wireing ref in the pictures

Be more specific, I doubt you will wlre the whole bird, ie: bbay , cockpit etc.I have extensive refs and am gonna do the visB so let me know I may be able to provide. Do you have the hydraulic and cable refs?

im looking for the harness wireing that ran threw the whole plane. ive seen phots of the hydraulic calbe and wiring for the wheels but that really it

im not going to wirer the whole plan just the main wiring. and wires for the comm in the plane

Cockpit and nose section started today.  Lots of resin to be fitted.  Does anyone know if you can heat resin to bend it?

Cheers

Lancair IV

Cockpit and nose section started today.  Lots of resin to be fitted.  Does anyone know if you can heat resin to bend it?

Yes, you can. It's easily done like plastic. Just use a hair-dryer to soften the resin, and bend it back into shape (Or, bend it into the shape you need)

A word of warning, though: it's really, really easy to over-do it, and you can warp the parts too much, or (worst case scenario) burn the resin parts, and wind up with a flaming, melting ball of plastic

 [It happened once with my heat gun. I wasn't paying atention, and the plastic started to burn and smoke. Luckily, it didn't catch fire]

Here is a pic that may help ,I will go through my refs tonight regarding wiring.

Lancair - Good luck with those True Details cockpit and nose sections.  I put those in my 17 and had one heck of a time getting them to fit.  A lot of sanding later and the fuselodge was able to be closed.

One of the best illustration books out there is B-17 Flying Fortress, Roger Freeman / Rikyu Watanabe  Crown Press.  This book has great illustrations of the B-17G.  Colored prints of cockpit and nose, full cutaway drawing, bomb bay, landing gear, tail wheel, and other stuff.  I just looked on Amazon and there are 26 ranging from around 3 bucks to a 130.  It is a must have for the B-17 modeler, because you cannot build just one.  There is also a monster of a book called The Great Book of  World War II Airplanes.  This book has all the B-17 illustrations plus other bombers and fighters of WW II.  I think you will shell out your life savings for that one.  I hope this helps you out . : )

Railfan 233

Lancair IV:

Cockpit and nose section started today.  Lots of resin to be fitted.  Does anyone know if you can heat resin to bend it?

 

Yes, you can. It's easily done like plastic. Just use a hair-dryer to soften the resin, and bend it back into shape (Or, bend it into the shape you need)

A word of warning, though: it's really, really easy to over-do it, and you can warp the parts too much, or (worst case scenario) burn the resin parts, and wind up with a flaming, melting ball of plastic

 [It happened once with my heat gun. I wasn't paying atention, and the plastic started to burn and smoke. Luckily, it didn't catch fire]

Thanks for the tip.  I tried the heat gun tonight.  I heated the part for less than 5 seconds and it was soft enough to push into shape.  With a little luck and bad weather, I might have the cockpit done by the end of the week.........LOL

I'm glad it worked out for you. I normally use this methood for simulating crash damage on 1/24-25 scale cars (with great results) and I've had some sucess with re-shaping warped parts.

It can also be used to do some of the work that a candle is normally needed for (i.e. bending prop blades to simulate belly landings on an aircraft, or heating sprue for streaching, if your heat gun has a "locking trigger")

If you need bad wether, come to my neck of the woods in North Florida. we have plenty of it for the next week or so.

Adding more resin to the nose section.  It's going to take a lot more work to get her ready for paint.

Cheers

WOW! Those TD parts look nice, Rob! But w/ all that resin, I bet that 17 weights a ton when done!!!

I have one more 17 to do (besides the one I've been working on for 3 years). I want to do a full cut away, similar to the above drawing, so I might looking into the TD sets....