Variable Geometry: the Swing Wing GB

pordoi

Woohoo!!  Oddmanrush has begun!   

That does look like a nasty gap; but you know that any kit that you start as a relaxing OOB build will eventually present a problem like this.  What gets me is watching detail get sanded away when smoothing a seam like that.  My re-scribing technique stil needs improvement. 

Good luck with the Tornado. 

 

Don

 

   on all of it!

I started a little weathering on the bomb bay and gear bay doors.   I started with a light wash of a mix of black and burnt umber.  Almost used as a filter.  When that is dry I will do a pin wash of raw umber and maybe a streak here and there.  I don't want to overdo it.  I will snap a few pics of each step and show the progression.

The SAC camo scheme called for the area around where the wings sweep back into the fuselage to be painted white.  I used some decanted Rustoleum paint for that.  Much easier to use that white model paint.  I will grab a pic or 2 of that as well.

I will repaint the horizontal stabs after I finish a few other things.  I at least want to feel like I am moving forward not taking another step back.  Althogh this problem was self-induced.

Kevin, looking forward to your progress photos.  I didn't do anything on the B-1 last week because I needed to get to the LHS for some supplies.  After trying unsuccessfully to mimic the wing shrouds with elastic fabric (didn't like the scale effect and the horizontal striations), I remembered some Evergreen card that I used several years ago to build a barn for a diorama;  called car siding.  It's meant for scratch building old wooden boxcars and can be bought in several sizes.  The sheet that I had was O scale, but like the elastic strips, it seemed too large and out of scale.  So off to the LHS to get HO scale car siding.

This size looked pretty nice, so I cut three strips for each side using the following pic as a guide.

They were painted with a base coat of either Tamiya medium gray or Sky gray and weathered with oil washes in black and burnt umber.  Then dry brushed with burnt umber acylic.  Here's the result;

I'm pretty satisfied with the result.  The only thing left to do is a quick once over the instruction sheet and the model itself to make sure that I didn't neglect anything, then some final photos and this baby is DONE!  Plan is to shoot some outdoor photos tomorrow, weather permitting, of the completed Bone.

Don

Don, they look great. You have done an awsome job on them. So, this stuff is called car sliding, correct.Does that come in a smaller scale than HO as that might be a bit thick for 72nd scale.

Don, that car siding stuff is probably the best you are gonna get with out scribing some regular stryene stock to make it look the same way.  Nice choice!   

Looking forward to seeing the pics of your completed B-1.  I am really looking forward to finishing mine up too.

You ever figure out where you are going to display this monster?

Bish

Don, they look great. You have done an awsome job on them. So, this stuff is called car sliding, correct.Does that come in a smaller scale than HO as that might be a bit thick for 72nd scale.

Yes, Bish.  There is an N scale sheet also; Evergreen #2020 if I remember correctly.  They also make a "passenger car siding" which seemed to be even finer in HO scale than what I bought.  I looked at that sheet but thought the the HO scale car siding sheet (#2037) was a better fit for my needs.  So the HO scale passenger car siding could be another option.

Don

I contemplated on taking outdoor pics of my Bone when I finish it but I am afraid it might look like this 

[View:/themes/fsm/utility/:550:0]

photo courtesy of aviationspectator.com.

thanks Don, i will look into that. If i hadn't see you do this i would never have thought of it and just left an empty gap there. But the extra effort is deffinatly worth it. And i am going to pay more attention to that area on other swing wings.

Is it ok if i copy thgose pics, of your model and the real aircraft onto my comp for future Ref.

Don they came out perfectly Hope the weather cooperates, cant wait to see the finished pictures.

I havent gotten much work on the Tomcat this past week as I have been trying to get a Seahawk finished up. That will be finished in a couple of days then the Tomcat gets my full and undivided attention. Man I have been building slow the past year.

macattack80

You ever figure out where you are going to display this monster?

Well, my best option is to hang it from the ceiling in the modeling room.  Not ideal, but at least it will show the bomb bay work.  Although the AirForce would probably never condone the aerial acrobatics of the DSO hanging onto the boarding ladder while in flight...    I simply don't have a shelf large enough to handle this thing.

BTW, nice shot of the frozen Bone (or should we call it the Buffalo Bone?).  This was cold weather testing, wasn't it? 

Don

Bish

Is it ok if i copy thgose pics, of your model and the real aircraft onto my comp for future Ref.

Bish, you are welcome to use any of my photos.  If you use the shot of the real aircraft, please say it it was reproduced from the Willy Peters B-1B reference book.  Have to say that the Peters book was invaluable during this build.  It's a great reference.

Don

vetteman42

.... then the Tomcat gets my full and undivided attention. Man I have been building slow the past year.

 

Great!  Will be looking for progress reports on the F-14.

As for building slowly, This B-1 took 7 months and for the most part was the sole focus during that time.  I was ashamed to reply to the "2010 year in review" posts because I think I completed one model last year...     But I had fun doing it.

Don

I was thinking of hanging it from the ceiling as well. 

Your DSO could be going for the D.B. Cooper exit.

Yes the pic of the Buffalo Bone, good call by the way, is of the cold weather testing.

The Bone looks great Don. Very nice. I should have the Tomcat started soon. The Osprey is about to get primered so i'll have room on the workbench for it. Don't feel bad Don, i'm just as slow of a builder.

Thanks Don, i'm only going to use it for ref, i won't be posting it any where.

Bish

If i hadn't see you do this i would never have thought of it and just left an empty gap there. But the extra effort is deffinatly worth it. And i am going to pay more attention to that area on other swing wings.

The B-1B cloth covers are based I think on the system used on the Tornado.  Other aircraft I think use different methods to cover the retraction slots; some maybe nothing at all.  I'll have to search for photos of other swing wing aircraft to see what other systems are used.  As usual, check your refs

Don

Thanks for the tip, i will bear that in mind. The only other swing wings i have are a MiG 27, which will probably have wings swept back anyway, the B-1, two F-111's and another P. 1101 at the moment. So i will check each kit as they come onto the bench.

Hard Rain is complete!  I added the finishing touches today by painting the wing lights.  These were not supplied as clear parts but rather just molded into the wing tips.  I painted them first with Tamiya aluminum and then gave them an overcoat of either Tamiya clear red or clear green. 

This model was over 7 months in the making, so I'm going to ask that you indulge me because I snapped about 15 photos from various angles and processed them at a higher resolution than other images that I've posted.  To prevent excessive page load times, I'm going to post about 5 images per page.

As I've documented all along, there were some challenging times during this build, especially with fit of the three different fuselage parts, the fiasco with the Eduard PE exhaust cans, and of course the issue that I had with the wings that forced me to glue them in the extended position.  I also took a fair amount of time scratchbuilding various parts and adding alot of aftermarket parts.  It became sort of a never ending quest, since I had put so much time into this that I couldn't justify takling short cuts towards the end.  Would the elastic strips have sufficed for the wing shrouds?  Sure, but the Evergreen parts look better and are more accurate.

I planned to take outdoor photos in natural light, but it is raining here in Louisville today, so I set up a table indoors.  There are a few errors, most of which I think that I mentioned during the build (but maybe some that you see that I didn't).  So please feel free to comment and criticize.  Here are the first 5 pics. 

Don

Hard Rain, part 2:

Don

pordoi

 

Don

Wow, great lookin' bomber Don! I really like the addition of the crew member climbing into / out of it!

Looks awsome Don!!! Great build of the Bone.

Hard Rain, part 3:

That's all, folks.  I really enjoyed this B-1B build and all of the comments and encouragement that I received from you Swing Wing participants.  Now I can sit back, relax, and nag those of you who are still building    No names mentioned right now, but you know who you are...

..., Oh! and also try to find a place in my modeling room to hang this monster from the ceiling.

Don

That is totally awsone Don. And that white around the cockpit and with the white re fueling markings, that gets me every time, i love it.

And thanks for the tips. Both the pod and the covers for the open areas behind the wings, would never of thought of them and going to look into both.

Now, how about some work on that P-51. 1 1/48th for 2 1/72nd sounds about right.

Bish

Now, how about some work on that P-51. 1 1/48th for 2 1/72nd sounds about right.

Update soon, Bish.  I've been filling seams...

Don

Bish

... that white around the cockpit and with the white re fueling markings, that gets me every time, i love it.

Me, too!  I love this view of the Bone..  Whoever thought of those cockpit markings,.. genius, pure genius...

Don

Jeez Don, about time you finished that thing  

Looks good sir!   I think you deserve a few easy builds now.

Not much chance of that mac, he is doing a Bodney P-51 complete with Blue nose for my 8th AAF GB.

macattack80

Jeez Don, about time you finished that thing  

Yeah, took a while  ...; only one guy I can think of that took longer.... 

any guesses???? 

Don

pordoi

macattack80:

Jeez Don, about time you finished that thing  

 

 

Yeah, took a while  ...; only one guy I can think of that took longer.... 

any guesses???? 

 

Don

 

Not a clue     I'm about to finish my 3rd Lancer.  I just didn't post the pics on the other 2.  They were practice

Were you able to get her to rest on all 10 wheels? 

pordoi

Bish:

... that white around the cockpit and with the white re fueling markings, that gets me every time, i love it.

 

 

Me, too!  I love this view of the Bone..  Whoever thought of those cockpit markings,.. genius, pure genius...

 

 

Don

 

Yup thats my favorite shot of the Bone too Don. It just looks wicked mean, and really cool too. I have really enjoyed watching your build and  have learned a few tricks from you.  This one is gonna be a show stopper for sure.

Now after going through all your finished pictures of a well executed build, love the shading and all the added detail, especially the figure on the ladder. I can only find one MAJOR flaw with your build.

IT ISN'T ON MY SHELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very well done sir, very well indeed. One to be proud of