1/48 Revell Early B-17G Flying Fortress COMPLETED !!!

I have the very same kit in the stash so I'll be watching and learning.  I do like your interior green color and ty for posting.

an oldie, but a goodie! Cant wait to see what you'll do to it! :)

Be looking forward to this, the green looks good to me.

You don't see many G's in none NMF scheme, so that should make a change.

Ooh I can't wait to see this one. Great start so far. I was just poking arund a B-17G two weeks ago, and your color looks spot-on.

-BD-

Good job on the interior Bk. I did this one when it first came out as "Little Miss Mischief", half OD and NMF so this can be an option to keep the Alclad cost down. Had it for many years and finally sold it on Ebay 12 years ago for some good $. I've heard that the 1/72 Revell release is a smaller version so I just may grab one at the next show.

Revell's 1/48 J Liberator is very nice too. I did that one all NMF as "The Dragon and his Tail". That was one crazy colorful art work.

Thanks guys I appreciate the kind words. 

I just noticed in the photos that the colors are different. In fact with the exception of the two cockpit side panels, painted interior green, all the other colors are the same, but lighting must have made them look different. I still have to detail paint all the panels and switches and do the floors in wood and NMF. I just painted it all at once to keep the other colors that go over them uniform.

I'm quite motiviated to build this one. 

PJ, I like the dual scheme idea. I'll look into that.

BK

I remembered during my build of the Monogram B-17G build, how you graciosly posted the your future works of your three B-17G's.  I'm excited to see this come together.  Will you be using your PE and resin kits you purchased or are these aftermarket items in reserved for the two other Flying Fortresses? Any way sir an excellent start to a historical aircraft.  

Toshi

I've decided to build "A bit O Lace" in its worn and weathered, battered and repaired condition. Should be fun.

Update. I've been moving painfully slow through the interior, painting and detailing till I get it where I want it. There are certainly plenty of inaccuracies throughout but all that will be hidden when I close it up. When I do my visible version I will be attempting to correct much of that and it will take a great deal of time.

Yesterday I managed to get the primary portion of the cockpit assembled. I spent most of the day applying the PE, which really made the pit look good but those bits are CRAZY small and very difficult to work with. Not perfect but it looks decent to my eye. I won't get much more done till next week as the Weekend Madness begins tomorrow and I'll be absorbed by that till it's over. Thanks for looking.

BK

This shot shows you how small many of the bits were on this instrument panel. They were quite difficult to work with.

That DOES make a difference!  I've put off finishing a 1/35 scale kit with PE because of the tedium of working with the tiny little parts.  I'm about to get back into it, but sure would like to know exactly what process/tools you used to manipulate all those tiny parts. 

I'm using my magnifiying visor, suture pickups, wooden toothpicks with different sized ends, etc.  Please share your technique.  Thanks. 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

I am glad I finally got caught up on this.  Look forward to what you do with the old girl.  

Joe

I use the same sorts of tools you are using. I used to use CA glue but switched over to white glue. It's easier to apply and can be removed if you don't like something. It dries clear so you can't see where you've applied it once it dries. Crystal Klear canopy glue is what I use and I apply it with toothpicks. I use small tweezers on the parts and hope I am not shaky that day. Mostly it's just taking the time to do it, which makes me nuts, but the results are usually worth the effort.

BK

Nice to see this thread. I purchased the same kit last week with the intention of building it with the IAF 69 Squadron markings.

I note there's quite a bit of aftermarket PE for this. If you (or anyone else reading this) were to recommend the top two or three, what would they be?

BrandonK, what are the other B-17's do you have and will you be working on those back to back?  Will you be using the resin kits for this build?  I'm so excited for you, more than you can imagine.  This brings back fond memories of my "Visible B-17G" with Eduard PE items.  I recall how you posted your B–17 kits to show forum members what you have as far as future WIP.  You're the man BrandonK!

Toshi

I dont have an answer for that yet, when I get my other B-17 done with all the goodies I'll have a better idea.

BK

Haven't made it that far yet. Still working are getting the interior together. I'll let you know when the time comes.

BK

Toshi, all the goodies, and more, plus loads of scratch work will go on the visible one. Most likely not for some time as I can see that build lasting 2 years. No joke!

BK

Update: Slowly making progress on A Bit O Lace. The interior is finally done and all the test fitting is complete and she'll go together without too much fuss. The glass is all masked, that was fun , and it is all installed. I used Micro Crystal Clear to secure the glass in place and fill the gaps. OH, and about those gaps, good Lord!! Many of the side windows fit pretty well, but the front corner windows and the two above the cockpit, not good, not good at all. 

The fit was so far off, the glass was too small, that I very nearly gave up on them and was ready to use a Squadron set. But, I think now that I have used plenty of Crystal clear to fill in the edges and hold the glass, they appear to be ok. We'll see about that when I try to pull the masks. It's too bad that the openings and the glass are so far off. Otherwise the kit's overall fit is not all that bad, given its age.

Anyway, here are some shots as I test fit it all. I'm waiting for the Crystal clear to full harden before I commit to closing it up. Hopefully, I will have it closed sometime today.

Thanks for looking,

BK

Brandon,

That's coming along nicely!  I must admit, lighting certainly plays a part in color perception (especially on a computer monitor).  The interior cockpit color in your close-ups looks entirely different from those taken some distance away.

Your wood paneling is pretty good too!

Gary

That's a gorgeous interior.  really nicely done, especially the wooden parts.  it almost makes me want to start on the one in my stash.

Interior details look nice!  I'm always skeptical I'll get glue all over the prepainted photoetch parts.  What are you using for the Cheyenne tail turret? 

GreenStyrene48

Interior details look nice!  I'm always skeptical I'll get glue all over the prepainted photoetch parts.  What are you using for the Cheyenne tail turret? 

 

I am just using kit parts for this build, nothing fancy. I wouldn't have even done the PE on the instruments but I had a set so why not. The kit part will have to do for the tail gun on this one.

BK