B29 Build Progress

Alclad II may end up being your best friend.

Well, I apoligize for the short delay while I figured out how to post photos (with help from talentless, thanks very much!).

As I was saying, the size of the fuselage is enormous:

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IMG_0155

IMG_1418 by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

The shot above shows the cockpit about halfway finished.  I have the seats in, the Norden bombsight and the control columns, but not the instrument panels or flight engineers station. I used a single drop of white glue on the bombsight to simulate glass in the optics; I was very pleased with how that turned out.  As I said in the opening I have been away from modeling for awhile and I am trying to get the rust out!

IMG_1431 by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

The above photo shows the cockpit mostly completed, with the instrument panels and flight engineer station in place.  Revell uses a decal for the instrument panels and the engineers station, so I painted the background flat black, put on the decals and snugged them down tight with some Solvaset.  Worked perfectly and they are very realistic in my view.  I have an excellent reference book of a B-29 walkaround by Savage; it has great interior photos of a rebuilt B-29, which I used as a guide for the various colors in the cockpit. 

IMG_1434 by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

This shot shows the flight engineers station.

photo 3 by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

A view of the radio rack.  It is a shame no one will ever see this once it is sealed up.  I am using the opportunity tp refresh my skills, even it it won't be visible at the end.  Also, because my friend *** Baker would not want it any other way!

photo 3 by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

Her I have started on the fuselage interior.  I did the bomb bay as a steel color (not Alclad, though) since it was not painted in the usual dark green.  I have not yet picked out any of the details on the sides of the fuselage.  Sort of pondering how to paint the long, thin wiring in a light gray.  It is molded onto the side of the fuselage and might be hard to paint. 

Apparently I screwed up the photo and put the radio rack in twice.  Let's try that again:

photo 1 by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

Nice work so far!

Very nice.  What did you use for your interior green?  I like it.  Thanks for posting.

Joe

nicely done. I love detailing the interior but its always a shame putting the fuselage halves together knowing that work wont be easily visible! can't wait to see more

Nice work.  The interior color looks closer to olive drab than green from my screen.

Thanks.  the interior color is called Dark Green, as per the instructions in the kit.  I know it looks like olive drab in the photos, but it isn't.  I was surprised to see that as well, because in reality is loks more like the zinc chromate aircraft interior color than OD.  This photo might be more accurate (different lighting, perhaps?)

In fact, I notice the differing shades from the piece on the left to the circular bulkhead on the right, but they were both sprayed with the same color moments before. 

Excellent work.  I hope mine looks as good when I start on it.

Thanks, Viejo.  I think this is the easy part; I am most worried about the fuselage seam, and the natural metal finish.  I think I will use Alclad over a coat of gloss black.  Haven't picked out a shade of Alclad yet, though.  I don't think I mentioned it yet, but this is a straight out of the box build.  I am still thinking about how to display it for my friend.  A wood base with an acrylic cover appeals to me.  Another issue I am thinking over is how to transport it across country to get it to him.  All in good time.

cheers, Bob

Couple more photos of the latest progress.  My son has now inspected the photos, and he suggested that I post these.

image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

Now working on the remainder of the interior.  Bomb bays, and start of the bomb load.  I plan to use the bombs as a place to practice puttying and filing the seams away, so when I do the fuselage I am practiced.

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image

Those bombs, by the way, are actually olive drab, to compare with the dark green interior.

I try again, to see if they get embedded this time instead of just linked:

image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

Nice work, be nice to see it later on with something to give us an idea of the size.

In the picture above, of the fuselage, the large squares on the background mat are 1" square, with the small squares 1/2".  It is a monster.

Cheers, Bob

That's showing 16" of fuselage.  I bet total is a couple of feet.  And if this is how you do just getting back into it, I can't wait to see the full wind in your sails.....

Thanks, Viejo. That was kind of you.  I hope the fuselage seam and finish work come out ok!  I guess it is about 24" long total.  I'll measure it when I get back home on Monday.  Cheers, Bob

I got back to work on the model after a few days off to celebrate my son's birthday with he and his family.   I picked up by completing the bomb load (it is 12 bombs, appears to be 500 pounders).  Then I did the central gunner station, where the two spotters sat in plexiglass blisters, and the top gunner who sat in a steamed plywood chair (not steel, like the others) in a blister on the upper fuselage.

The idea of dipping the clear parts into Future floor polish is new to me; it apparently came into vogue after I left the hobby.  I did it for the few clear parts I have installed to date (one small side window and the two blisters on the sides of the fuselage)  I have to say I am impressed with how well that conveys the appearance of glass!

Forgive me for posting so many pictures of it, but I thought it was cool!  I also took a photo of the view from the inside:

This is what the gunners station looks like:

And this is it when installed:

You might notice that I did not paint the bunk beds arrangement that were included in the kit.  This was because they cannot be seen at all when the fuselage halves are joined.  I am surprised they went to the trouble to make them. 

Am off to a lengthy trip as a part of the day job, so won't be able to get back to the build until around Thanksgiving.  More to follow then.

Cheers, Bob

Oh, and Bish:  it is 24" tip to tail.   I threw in a photo of one-quarter of the bomb load, just for fun.  The bombs are olive drab, in contrast to the dark green of the aircraft interior parts.

Ah! Monogram´s beautiful B-29! The first topic that caught my attention after getting on here.

Great work so far, congrats!

That is a really nice looking build.  I made one back when I was in high school, and it did not come out anywhere nearly as good.  You have wet my appetite for a big beautiful Monogram bomber in the future.  Thanks.

John

Great work.... you'll do that kit justice. I have one that I'm going to someday build as my uncle's B-29

If any of you are looking to avoid doing the NM on a B-29,a found a set of decals for o.d.,fully armed birds from Illiad Decals.

Misspelled,it is Iliad Decals.