B-17C/D W.I.P. ...

Top o' the page. Have a soda on me!

Yeah, the hole is painted over so it won't be seen. I drilled a new hole in the fuselage 1/4" to the right for the placement of the commander's blister. That puts the blister directly over the right rear seat.

Well, I discovered something about this Academy kit today. I have a second kit and I have been trouble-shooting the waist window fitment issues I'm having on this NMF B-17. It's become apparent to me that the waist windows should have been glued in BEFORE the fuselage was closed up. So, I've decided to finish this kit with the waist windows out/deleted. As seen in the movie "Air Force", the windows are taken out so the guns can be used in combat. I have a picture I found of John Garfield firing a .50 cal. in the waist window of a B-17, so I have a pretty good idea as to how to make the change work. As the great Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say: "Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something — if it ain't one thing, it's another." Eventually this kit will be finished and I'll be able to move on to something else.

I'm sure it's going to look awesome no matter what the windows look like. Can't wait to see more photos. Also, nice Saturday Night Live reference! That was from the era of that show that my parents always said "had the best cast", and I'm inclined to agree. 

Thanks, Rocker. I've spent the afternoon pulling out the tabs I so carefully glued in earlier and I've been using a #10 X-acto blade to smooth the areas a little since now the inside of the waist area will be visible. I also glued on the underside gun tub. I did glue the waist windows into the other fuselage so I won't have that issue in the future. Thanks for looking in.

This is how I now plan to deal with the waist window situation. I found this image of John Garfield in the waist window of what appears to be a B-17A or B. The windows are smaller and more organically shaped than on the later C and D B-17 models, but the intent is the same. Of course, John Garfield won't be there but the machine gun will be in the window in the stowed position.

Frank, that is a movie set photo.  The B models were rebuilt mostly with the same features as the C/D's.  The waist positions are the same between re-done B's and C/D's.

http://www.airplanesofthepast.com/images/airforce-archives/b17b-flying-fortress-esler-field-la-air-force-archives.jpg

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Opland/4442.jpg

Well, I had to pry the canopy off today. It didn't sit very nicely and didn't glue on very well. Doing some sanding and shaping of the glue edges to get it to sit better and have more surface for glue to work. I know this model will look nice after it is finally complete but it is certainly problematic. The lesson I am learning is that of patience.

Richs26, I understand that earlier models of the B-17 were upgraded to C/D standard but the photo does give me a reference as to how I'll be opening the waist windows on my kit. The photo of the #2 aircraft seems to show where the old windows refitted with the newer windows. Brrr! And it was winter at Wright Field.

Another still from the movie. Inside the red circle is a handle that holds the window in place. Turn the handle and the window slides out. The semi-circular front piece remains in place. That portion of the window has a wind deflector that can be opened so it's easier to move the gun in the slipstream.

 

fotofrank

Richs26, I understand that earlier models of the B-17 were upgraded to C/D standard but the photo does give me a reference as to how I'll be opening the waist windows on my kit. The photo of the #2 aircraft seems to show where the old windows refitted with the newer windows. Brrr! And it was winter at Wright Field.

 

That photo of B-17B #2 is 38-216 which belonged to the Cold Weather Test Detachment at Ladd Field, Fairbanks, Alaska.  The photo was taken during the winter of 1940/41 during a visit to Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska.  It crashed at Lovelock, Nevada enroute to Wright-Pat in February, 1941.  B-17B #1 also belonged to the CWTD which was the only combat used B model which flew during the Kiska/Attu Blitz of the Japanes landings.    Click on this photo on this article on #1, 38-215, Old Seventy, to see a clearer picture of the new C/D waist windows.

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3348747-old-seventy-requiem-for-a-b-17 

And the C/D windows have 2 latches, not just one, but as it happens on the web, I can't find the Boeing photo of the C waist now. 

Had to make a trip up to Harbor Freight for a couple of clamps. I had to re-glue the seam forward of the bomb bay as the seam had come unglued. Notice that the gun tub is now attached. The guns will go in after paint.

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Smeared on a bunch of Perfect Plastic Putty to blend the canopy into the fuselage. Whoever invented that stuff needs to get some sort of commedation. It's just great!

Richs26, do you have any build pictures of your B-24/LB-30 build? I'd like to see how you are modifying the B-24D fuselage and engines to make it an LB-30. The CAF's "B-24" is actually an LB-30. I think it was part of the first batch of B-24's built and shipped to England under Lend/Lease. Of course, the CAF ship has windows down the sides and a single .30 cal. in the tail, the airplane's only armament, I think, and no bomb bay doors.

I was building an LB-30/Lib MkII long nose following this one modeler's method here on Flickr (pgs 16-17).  AL 613 is one of the 150 LB-30 MkII Libs requistioned by the USAAF. Many were converted to C-87's after their combat use was done as B-24's came on strength.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/arienautics/page16

I cut out the wing and was going to use PBY-5A cowlings from Quickboost with 4 metal Aeroclub (I think) 11' 3" Curtiss-Electric toothpick props.

Then I discovered this conversion kit from Hannant's which seems they are out of at this time:

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/liberator-mkiii-academy-9272-magna-models-m9272-aircraft-modelling-conversion/product/?action=prodinfo&art=76258

The CAF's Diamond Lil is a B-24A which was the same as a Liberator I.  It was part of the original British order, serialed as AM-927.  It was damaged before delivery so it was repaired and bailed back to Consolidated.  It was then converted into a C-87 prototype shuttling parts between Consolidated plants.  For Diamond Lil, 3 scale feet would have to be removed from the nose length.

Love the progress shots, Frank. It's interesting to look at these earlier B-17's and compare them to the F and G variants. There's some similarities, but a lot of differences. I never realized how many windows there were above the nose!