B29 Build Progress

Glad to see you getting somewhere on this one. =]  I just recently got to see "Fifi" at the CAF tour here in New Orleans a short while back.  Got tons of photos that I can't wait to use when I finally get to that monstrous build ...sometime just before never.

Good luck! =]

Just keep on pushing, both the model and the rehab. It looks good!

mississippivol:  thanks, I'm looking forward to the end result but not the rehab

I hope your surgery and recovery are successful! Great job so far on your build.

A short sitrep:  it is beginning to look like an airplane again!  I finished closing up both bomb bay doors, and installed the cockpit glass and nose bubble.  I mounted both the horizontal stabilizers and the wings, and filled the seams  using the acetone smoothing trick and a Q-tip.  Makes it go much more quickly than just plain sanding.  I also completed masking all the glass.  I have not yet painted the glass cockpit ribs with the interior color (so you can see them through the glass as the interior shade of green).

Current photo:

Untitled by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

Next step is to wipe it clean of oils and fingerprints, cover up the wheel wells and other holes, and prime it.  I am going to try a spray can of primer this time around rather than the airbrush (due to the large size of the model) and see how that comes out.  If it works well, then I may do the same for the gloss black coat.

I am going to have knee replacement surgery on Tuesday and will be out of the net for a few days while in the hospital.  Should have plenty of time to work on it once I return to the house (assuming I can get up and down stairs!)

cheers, Bob

Shipwreck:  yes, this is the replacement B-29 for the one I dropped.  Had a four month hiatus for other stuff, and I'm now back at it.  Onward and upward!

cheers, Bob

So, Bob, is this the new project that you are working on now? I am sure that you will find that the experience of building the first kit will be invaluable on this build. We are all watching you. Good luck!

Cbaltrin: no, I am not finished yet.  Summation of the last 300 posts is: how I got started on a specific B-29 to give to an old friend; being an exact replica of his bird from 1945; the tips, tricks, techniques and education gained as I built the model over 9 months; till I got it 93.4% completed and dropped it, and had to start over again with a new kit.  

it's worth a read, if I do say so myself.  Lot's of helpful advice in there.  Grab a cup of coffee or a beer and give it a go!

cheers, Bob

test 2, test 2, test 2...

Untitled by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

end test 2

Yup, that seemed to work.  I guess the original picture size was too large to put in without some software deciding it had to be rotated.  When I cut the picture down to 800 by 600, they both rendered perfectly.  I'll continue to post them smaller. 

cheers, Bob

Test, test, test...

Untitled by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

end test

well, that seemed to work.  I selected a smaller picture size from Flickr, 800 by 600, instead of the full scale size.

Test, test, test...

Untitled by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

end test

well, that seemed to work.  I selected a smaller picture size from Flickr, 800 by 600, instead of the full scale size.

I'm having a similar problem with Photobucket. Not sure what's causing it, but I know it does this before the pics make it to the forums. Great job on the B-29. BTW.

Fly-n-hi:  thanks, me too!  I mean about the part about being glad to be back.

I glued the bomb bay doors shut in the forward bomb bay today.  Photo below:

In the aft bomb bay, I installed stringers in a similar manner as they would be in the real aircraft, following the curvature of the fuselage.  The purpose of the stringers is to give the bomb bay doors something to rest on when closed.  You can see an example in the photo a few posts back, from July.  In the forward bomb bay, I tried something different, and installed stringers that ran from front to back instead of following the curvature of the fuselage.  It was easier to install and seemed to work just as well.  

I also repaired some minor damage to the cockpit area.  One instrument panel had to be re-glued, and the stick on the other side as well. 

Untitled by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

I note that both photos show to be rotated 90 degrees from the way I inserted them.  Does anyone know why this is suddenly happening to my inserts from Flickr?  Never happened before. 

cheers, Bob

Sorry about the problems but I'm glad to hear that you will be getting back to this build soon.  I'm interested to see how she turns out.

He's baaaaaack...

The last four months have been a disaster of sorts in that I was unable to get to the workbench at all.  Started with a nice week-long vacation in early August (love cruising to Bermuda!), but when we returned, Herself's mother, who lives with us, took a turn for the worse.  Alzheimer's is a horrible disease.  The upshot was that a combination of caring for her, some of my own health issues which thankfully were resolved, and some business travel thrown in for good measure, all kept me away from Sweet Sue.  Everyday I would pass by the workbench and see her sitting there and vow to get back to her but until now, it hasn't been able to happen.

So, when we last left for commercial break, I was closing the bomb bay doors.  The rear set is now closed and puttied, and I am closing the front set today.  I plan to use the same technique, of putting in a strip styrene reinforcing mechanism, then gluing the doors to it and puttying them.  I guess Revell never intended for them to be closed because there is no rest inside for the door to set on when shut.

Next step will be to finish puttying the fuselage center seam, glue on the cokpit glass, and then attach the wings and horizontal stabilizers.  

I spoke to my friend (who is to be the recipient of this model) and he has graciously extended me until next summer.  I have a six week convalescent leave coming up (a joint replacement is in my immediate future) and I hope to make huge strides while I am out of the workforce!

Watch this space, more to follow...

cheers, Bob

Shipwreck:  yes, you are correct in that I have 5711 (in fact, two of them! :-)

Let me know if you do need any parts, they are all free to a good home!

cheers, Bob

Bob, I  have the kit no.5711; probably the same one you have. There was a kit no. 5700 that only had decals for the Silverplate Enola Gay and Bocks car. One of our forum members graciously sent me his 5700 instructions and decals. They have been a tremendous help.

Revell offers a couple of approaches to the Silverplate conversion. Both are inaccurate. Some of the kit parts I may modify; but it looks like I will be scratch building. I hope to open the box next week and may change direction once I start cutting; but for the movement, I have more parts than I can use. Thank you for the offer; and as my build comes together or falls apart I may want to take you up on some of those pieces.

The navigators blister was the only one retained (you cannot see anything inside after it except the open forward bomb bay).

Shipwreck:  I know the Monogram model comes equipped with the cover plates that go over the gun turret locations, and I think there is a couple of pieces in the kit that are the fuel cells.  I just happen to have on hand not one but two sets of that stuff in my stash now, since I did not build a Silverplate bird.  If you need anything of that sort of stuff, just holler and I'd send it along.  I am not so sure about the blister locations on the sides of the bird, or the central fire control cell blister on the top rear of the fuselage.  There is also a blister on the top forward section that was used for the navigator's star shots, if I recall correctly.  Don't know if they retained that on the Silverplate versions or not.  

I seem to recall that the earliest versions of the Revell/Monogram model had decals for the Enola Gay and Bocks Car, thus making them Silverplates.

Cheers, Bob

Bob, thanks for the heads-up. I will be closing the rear bomb bay which will contain fuel cells. Most of a Silverplate bomber is closed up, so I will need to evaluate how much time and detail that I am willing to put into an area that no one will see (till it crashes or something). All the turrets and most of the blisters come off a standard B-29 on the Silverplate variant. All that needs a super-structure similar to what you are talking about!

Another tip for those who are considering building the B-29.  In Sweet Sue Version 2.0, I decided to close the bomb bay doors, both to save some time since nothing inside can be seen anyway, and because it made more visible the radome in between them that I wanted people to be able to see (since *** was a radar operator).  However, Revell/Monogram made no provision to close those doors.  As the model currently exists, there are hinges on the doors that work fine when they are opened, but get in the way if you want to close them.  Also, there is no support structure whatsoever upon which the closed doors might rest or be glued to. 

In my model I decided to install some strip styrene support pieces so the doors when closed could rest upon them and give me a place to glue them to.  See photo.  As shown it is not complete; I intend to put three strips per bomb bay, one on each end and one in the center. 

image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr

I have not yet puttied the central seam on the bottom, nor have I filled in the hole where the clear support post is supposed to go. 

Onward and upward...

Cheers, Bob

Nice.  It works great on Squadron green putty but I wasn't sure about Tamiya's product.  

Joe: I'm using the acetone trick, but still using trial and error on how much to do.  It seems to work pretty well, but I still have to sand also.  It reduces the amount of time I spend sanding.

Cheers, Bob

Impressive Bob, what a monster.  Got one in the stash. Maybe someday....  Just curious,  are you using the acetone trick with that putty or sanding the seam old school?

Joe

Oh, right.  I did not understand at first, but I could surely do that and it would be an interesting bird, too.  

thanks, Bob

rch73- Sorry,I meant you could use those decals on the repair/rebuild fuselage.

Reread my post,realized I hadn't stated that.

Your B-29 is looking darn good so far! Cant wait to see more photos!

I crossed that line years ago! :) Bob

Tankerbuilder: roger, I understand how that happens!  No weights this time, I am simply going to tie all the wheels down on a decorative wood base.  

Staybolt: my B-29 is a labor of love for a friend.  Fortunately, I don't have any friends who flew on B-36's.  I would love to see yours, though.  Sounds like a lot of work.

7474: love the pic, thanks!  There is a fine line between perserverance and sheer stupidity...

Cheers, Bob

Ah ;

   You do have to forgive me. I was thinking on two subjects and typing on one .Sorry about that .Note; When you weight it this time build a false ceiling above the crew tunnel .You have about maybe a 1/4 inch for weight, quite a way forward of the wings . That's in height and about an inch or so in length .