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

That is Duxford's bird? Yes?

B-17 Guy

Wildchild,

Negative sir. The revellogram B-17G is a B-17G, early to mid production. The late F, early G thing can get confusing. The last 86 vega produced (dont hold me to who built them) F models had chin turrets. Somewhere along the line it was decided that with the chin turrets being added there was no more need for the cheek guns, so they were deleted. However, they figured out that was a dumb idea and added them back in, at the production level. I've seen plenty of pics of G models without either enlarged cheek windows or bulged cheeks, pretty much telling you that is an early G. But alot of these had them added in the field anyway to bring them up to date. The 86 F models I mentioned had the bulged cheeks and chin turrets, but the nose cone was the pointier F model nose cone. And I think (dont quote me), the bulged cheeks on them, were reversed position of what the G had.

ahhh gotcha. thanks for the clarification! i am going to add some pics here in the next few minutes of some forts i started re-working about a month ago.

No problem WC. All this info on that aspect of B-17's is a PITA to keep track of, then add in that vega did the bulged cheeks/enlarged nose windows differant from boeing and douglas, man, pain in the @ss. Makes me feel bad for the guys who had to work on the 1:1 scale forts during the war.

Looking forward to som pics!

i got this kit (silver bird) about 6 years ago for my 12th birthday and built it primarily as a ceiling hanger, so please excuse the lack of added detail in the blown-away areas...thats what i've started to do now........as well as replace machine gun barrels, prop blades and other parts. i added the "burn" marks on the starboard wing about a week ago. lesson learned here: young over zealous modeler+motor tool+shep paine "how to" sheet= bad day for a Revellogram B-17G

 "Milk Run Mable" was a real B-17 with different nose art and i forget what squadron it flew with. i used extra decals from the revellogram 1/48 b-26 (also a b-day gift) to add the pin up.

 i have a feathered prop for No.4 engine but the blades need to be re-attached...moves have not been gentle to this bird.

 this "chipped paint" below i actually made on accident. i was removing the original decals with tape, and apparently the paint didnt want to stick...pretty good lookin accident if you ask me.

 this kit (OD fort) is a kit i din in two weeks to show a buddy the basics of kit building. i am converting it to a 92nd BG B-17 (although the aircraft itself will be fictitious)

 Ancient revellogram decals apparently eat paint....or something like that.

 More will come as i breath some new life into these kits. coming back to an old build with greater skills can be a blessing and a curse: i will enjoy making these builds better, but i cant believe how bad my build quality was back then lol. humble beginnigs eh?

Regards,

        Logan.

Update on Liberty Belle:

Very nice bigfoot! What paint did you use on the fuselage?

pzl66

Very nice bigfoot! What paint did you use on the fuselage?

Thank you! I used Testors Gloss Metalic Silver in a rattle can. It gives a similar appearance to the finish of the restored Liberty Belle (rest in piece). Now i just need to decide glosscote or dullcote for the final finish,

I'd go with a gloss or semi gloss.  Metalics look better that way.  And they are more realistic when shiny.  I usually use Chrome Silver Model Masters enamel spray, over a black primer.  Speaking of which, does anyone have an online source that has black primer?  I ran out and can't find any except acrylic primer.

Rich

bigfoot01

 

pzl66:

 

Very nice bigfoot! What paint did you use on the fuselage?

 

 

Thank you! I used Testors Gloss Metalic Silver in a rattle can. It gives a similar appearance to the finish of the restored Liberty Belle (rest in piece). Now i just need to decide glosscote or dullcote for the final finish,

Bigfoot, I'd wait to do any final finishing on the fuselage till you have it glued together. This kit doesnt go together like a tamiya kit. I promise you will have to do seam work on this kit. Always better to paint the fuselage after its assembled, windscreen installed etc. The windscreen alone is a pain in the azz. Trust me.

Thanks for the advice B-17 Guy. I did a dry fit with the opaque fuselage half and it fit perfectly, I did a dry fit with the transparent half and it definitely has some alignment issues. It was challenging trying to modify the tail with the Cheyenne tail gun. I used the opaque half to experiment, then used it as a template to cut the transparent piece. It is a challenge not to mess up the transparent half.

B-17 Guy

Bigfoot, I'd wait to do any final finishing on the fuselage till you have it glued together. This kit doesnt go together like a tamiya kit. I promise you will have to do seam work on this kit. Always better to paint the fuselage after its assembled, windscreen installed etc. The windscreen alone is a pain in the azz. Trust me.

I learned that on the first B-17... Lucky me I was able to fix it but live and learn..

Well the weather's been playing havoc with my other projects, so more time on the B-17D.

The holes have been filled, need a couple of more swipes with the sanding stick, but that's no big deal.

Damn fine job your doing bringing that D model back to life pilot!

B17Pilot

Well the weather's been playing havoc with my other projects, so more time on the B-17D.

The holes have been filled, need a couple of more swipes with the sanding stick, but that's no big deal.

I guess I missed something. what happened to the "D"?

Well, my project just got ugly. My plan was to build a "visible B-17" in the markings of Liberty Belle. I am at the point of getting ready to close up the fuselage. To avoid doing anything to smear up the transparent half, i have been using the extra opaque part for dry fitting. Well I decided to test fit the transparent part, and found it is terribly warped! I can get the nose end to line up perfectly OR the tail end, but not both! I am afraid of messing up the clear half or the already painted other half by gluing and clamping as I go, so I need to un-warp it before I close it up. Any ideas that won't wreck the transparency? Here you can see the warped clear half versus the nice and flat half it is suppossed to join with:

HELP!

I have a simple way to fix it.  First glue the tail end of it together, but the back area only.  Don't put any glue on the front half.   Then let that dry overnight and the next morning do the front at use some extra strong elastic bands and/or clamps to hold it down while the front dries overnight as well.  This should force the fuselage half to conform to the proper edges and shape.  I did this with a couple of kits with misaligned  fuselage halves and it's always worked for me.

bigfoot01

Well, my project just got ugly. My plan was to build a "visible B-17" in the markings of Liberty Belle. I am at the point of getting ready to close up the fuselage. To avoid doing anything to smear up the transparent half, i have been using the extra opaque part for dry fitting. Well I decided to test fit the transparent part, and found it is terribly warped! I can get the nose end to line up perfectly OR the tail end, but not both! I am afraid of messing up the clear half or the already painted other half by gluing and clamping as I go, so I need to un-warp it before I close it up. Any ideas that won't wreck the transparency? Here you can see the warped clear half versus the nice and flat half it is suppossed to join with:

 

HELP!

Thanks Sparrow, it looks like thats the route I am going to take.

bigfoot01

I guess I missed something. what happened to the "D"?

 

OK, I'll recap. I got it off of ebay a few years ago broken in two.

 I glued the two fuselodge pieces back together and discovered it was missing its bath tub gun turret and it developed these holes:

 So I started at the nose and am working my way back to the tail fixing everything that needs to be fixed.  I've added additional seats that are in the shark tail versions of the -17, but not in the E-G models (see previous pages).  I am now on the waist gun section making it look like it should.

B17Pilot

bigfoot01:

I guess I missed something. what happened to the "D"?

 

OK, I'll recap. I got it off of ebay a few years ago broken in two.

 I glued the two fuselodge pieces back together and discovered it was missing its bath tub gun turret and it developed these holes:

 So I started at the nose and am working my way back to the tail fixing everything that needs to be fixed.  I've added additional seats that are in the shark tail versions of the -17, but not in the E-G models (see previous pages).  I am now on the waist gun section making it look like it should.

Thanks for bringing me up to speed!

I love the paint what brand of paint is that

Loos like you have much better luck with yellow than I do

About how much paint is required to paint the fuselage? I have a 1/2 oz of Olive Drab but I feel as if it isn't enough.

I would say no because its always better to have extra. You never know what tip of problems your going to run into. When you are air brushing or useing a spy can.

Ghostriderp-47

I love the paint what brand of paint is that

It's this, good stuff but it does require work. I sprayed it with the snj paint, then buffed it with aluminum powder, the really shiny parts were done with a dremel.

http://www.hawkeyeshobbies.com/snj-spray-metal-paints.htm

I would also say no, but it depends on what your spraying, a 1/2 oz bottle is not enough for a 48th scale B-17.

redraider56

Loos like you have much better luck with yellow than I do

Are you spraying it or brushing it?

So this is the vary first B-17 i ever made as a madder of fact this was the second model i every made. As you can see it was fare from anything thing nice. I got tired of looking at it all broken up so im fixing it up with a little twist 

I LOVE night fighters and thought it would be cool to see what a b-17 would have looked like if it would have ever flown night missions.