RB-36E Cold War Warrior, WIP

Hello Darwin!

That's looking really good! What's your way to do the instrument faces, with all the dials? What are you using for grey? Thanks in advance and good luck with your build

Paweł

Check my update #2, third picture down.  It shows a decal sheet of nothing but instrument faces that is put out by Mike Grant Decals.  They are available in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale.  I got mine from ebay.  The gray paint is el cheapo rattle can gray primer from Wal Mart.  I have been using it for quite a few years and it seems to work just as well as the expensive primers claiming to be made just for plastic models.

Darwin

Truly impressive work! Gonna follow this.

This has got to be the biggest recce bird ever.

RB-36E, Update #5

I decided to take a break from the camera compartment and do a little work on the gun tubs.  They have a LOT of detail in them but the gun barrels are pretty fragile and the ammo belts are so incredibly delicate that it is essentially impossible to work on them without breaking them.  I don't want to leave them out, but I may have to.  The bulkhead hatch visible in the first photo is for access between the camera compartment and the gun tub, but it should be in the middle instead of over at the side.  The camera operator's control panel is directly opposite this on the other side.

This is the basic gun tub the way it comes out of the box.

This photo shows the bases for the two turrets.  There are two diagonal braces I still need to install for each base.  You can see the pivot hinges at the corners.  They are what raise and lower the turrets.  The long rectangular objects under the bases are ammo boxes.

These two photos show the gun turrets installed temporarily for fit check.

RB-36E Update #6

I managed to get the ammunition feed chutes in place under the turret frames.  I don't want to permanently attach the turrets until this beast is almost complete because they are way too delicate and likely to get damaged.

It is time to shift focus a little bit again and get some work done on the main crew compartment.  There is a fairly large wheel to the aircraft commander's left that is for the nose wheel steering and this is not depicted in the kit parts.  This is my scratch built version of the wheel before and after painting.

RB-36E, Update #7

I have been back working on the 3 forward bulkheads lately.

L-R, forward side of bulkhead 5.0 that divides the camera compartment and bomb bay #2, back side of bulkhead #4.0 that divides the front of the camera compartment from the forward gun bay. (these two were completely scratch built0,  front side of bulkhead #3.0 aka the radio operators station
that divides the forward crew compartment from the gun bay.

Bulkhead 5.0 close up

Bulkhead 4.0, the blue items are supposed to be binders for Tech Orders and black items above them are extra film cartridges and the Camera Operators Control Panel is right center.

Radio Opertor's station at the back of the forward crew compartment.

Looking great sir, really enjoyed looking at all the detail. Very nice!

Fantastic detail.

Toshi

Some really nice dtail in there, i love those blue binders, how did you make those. Some relly great touches.

Bish

Some really nice dtail in there, i love those blue binders, how did you make those. Some relly great touches.

The blue binders and black flim canisters were made by cutting and sanding scrap resin from the gun set.

Darwin

I was thinking it might be somthing like that, its worked out really well.

RB-36E, Update #8

I got out of the crew compartment and crawled back to the bomb bay to do some work in there.   The yellow thingies are liquid oxygen cylinders made from scrap sprue with very thin strips of Bare-Metal-Foil for the mounting straps.  The wires along the lower side wall are supposed to represent the grouped wire bundles. 
The rectangles on the communication tube are the windows for inspecting the bomb bay without actually going into it.

Add in the forward and aft bulkheads for the bomb bay.

Add in the main bomb rack structure.

Then 20 of the AN-M26 parachute flares or photoflash bombs and the 3,000 gallon auxiliary fuel tank cause things to get a little crowded in there.  The tank and bombs are a little crooked because they are not glued in and they shifted a little bit while I was taking the pictures.

Hello!

That looks really nice and busy! How about those wire bundles - will they be left silver?

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

They are white in the real thing, so I am debating about trying to dry brush them white or just leave them alone.  There is very little difference in the looks.

Darwin

Nice detail, Darwin.  Good to see another B-36 coming together, these kits just don't get enough love!

jeaton01

Nice detail, Darwin.  Good to see another B-36 coming together, these kits just don't get enough love!

I think that I am giving this one enough love for a dozen kits.  I have somewhere between 50 and 100 hours in it so far and not even half of the detail I am planning to do.  I still have the right side and top of the bomb bay as well as the bay side of both end bulkheads and something for all the work lights in there.  Then the rest of the camera compartment, forward crew compartment, main gear wells and nose gear well.  Oh, and I forgot to mention the actuating mechanisms for the bay doors.  Someone send for the men in the white coats, I will be certifiably insane by time this is done.

Great detailing on a small scale kit....too small for my eyes! But, overall, this must be a huge kit even at 1/72 scale! Have fun with the rest of the build!   

UKguyInUSA

.....Have fun with the rest of the build!  

I hope so.