The Build - Jet engines, landing gear, propellers, paint wings, main assembly - December 17, 2015
Lots to do in this session.
I started off by building the jet engines in their nacelles. There are two out board jet engines underneath each wing, both in their own nacelle on each side.
...and they are way out there under each wing...I mean WAY out there.
I assembled each nacelle and then painted them, with the distinctive red front on each nacelle.
Then it was time to build the landing gear. I did this by first gathering, assembling, and painting the ten tires. These are large tires, the main gear standing around 6' tall each, four of these large tires to each main gear.
Once those were built, I then assembled and painted the landing gear themselves, and the doors (including the bomb bay doors). I then painted and assembled the propellers for each of the six piston engines.
All of these various parts and assemblies were looking good and so then it was time to fully paint both wings. There is a specific portion of the underside that is flat white, with the rest being silver.
So I painted the wings and let them dry, and then added the main landing gear and their doors.
Once this was completed I added the large wings, with their landing gear to the main fuselage.
The model has adequate support for these large wings, nevertheless, because they are so large (and also because of me having to notch the supports in order to make room for the access tunnel through the bomb bay), the fit had to be manually held tightly in place for several muinutes on each side to minimize seam issues...which I did.
Once the wings were dried (and I let them dry almost 24 hours), I then went ahead and added the jet engine nacelles with their support to each wing, and the bomb bay doors.
After doing this I had to make up for my fogetfulness.
I had intended to add some lead weight behind the forward cabin bulkhead (between the main cabin and the bomb bay) to ensure that the model sat properly on its landing gear. Unless you add such weight, the model will want to tip back as its center of gravity would be behind the main gear.
But I forgot.
To make up for this, I added a total of twenty-six pennies, ten in the bomb bay, ten in the nose gear bay, and then another six in the nose cockpit behind the crew stations. I could reach all of these. I used some reguilar super glue to glue these together in groups of five and three, and then painted them appropriately before setting them in place with more super-glue.
Twenty six pennies is what it took me and the aircraft sits perfectly.
In the bomb bay, once I get the 1/72 scale Thermo nuclear bomb, wou will not be able to see them. They can also not be seen in the nose. If you turn the plane upside down, you can see them in the forward gear bay...but they are not too noticable even then.
Once this was all done I added a dull coat and then added the main canopy, the nose canopy, and then the six bubble glass canopies at each observationn/gunner's station.
With all of the assemblies added and with the canopies added and the glass at the gunner's stations, the structural part of the model aircraft is complete.
That is one HUGE aircraft...and she is looking very good.
Over the next session or two I will be placing the numerous decals on the aircraft. The walk ways are long and intricate on the top of the wing.
But, at this rate, I am now hoping to be complete by Christmas.