B-36 Peacemaker Group Build

Hey All,

Chris at Click2detail.com just completed the main landing gear with the proper droop when in flight. So, for those of you hanging your model with the gear down as in flight, these drop in replacements make the wheel bogies look correct. You can see them here: www.click2detail.com/.../B-36_Landing_Gear_%28In-flight_position%29.html

Thanks Reasoned. I have a piece of scrap plastic that I'll try different paints on and see how the turn out. Heading overseas for a couple of weeks on business. Hopefully when I get back the weather has improved so I can spray the samples outdoors.

Teut, I used Model Masters Metalizers "non buffing" (Aluminum, Stainless Steel & Magnesium) from rattle cans over a Tamiya gray primer.  They went down just fine.  Now if you want a real shiny finish for the pressurized portion of the fuselage, then you may want to consider the buffed version to get that nice mirror like finish.  But I found the MMM paint from rattle cans worked fine and shot it right from the can, no decanting needed.

Sorry, previous post meant to say "...spraying USING rattle cans..." rather than viewing rattle cans.

Primer question...

I know that anyone shooting Alclad is told to use a black primer. I'm going to use more standard metallic paints for durability (Testor's, Tamiya, Dupli-color -- not sure which ones yet). Any suggestions on whether to use white, gray or black primer to get the best metallic effects.

And, do you recommend spraying viewing rattle cans or decanting and airbrushing? Not sure how much detail I'll lose on the B-36 if I spray via rattle cans, if any. For such a big model, the rattle cans do seem to have some advantages (maybe).

Hi All,

I may have posted this in this group build forum before (and definitely did in the Delphi B-36 forum), so please forgive me, but I'm still having trouble tracking down any information on this subject: THE STUPID LADDER.

Once the nose landing gear door opens, what happens to the ladder? During landing and taxiing the ladder is not visible. Once the aircraft was parked, and personnel were exiting via the nose gear bay, the photos show the ladder extending below the nose gear doors. This is the way the B-36 kit is made -- ladder in full extended mode. But somehow, the ladder is not fully extended during landing and taxiing.

I saw an older B&W video that shows a worms eye view of a B-36 taxiing directly over the camera. In that view (all 1 second of it) it appears that the bottom half of the ladder is flush to the top of the nose gear bay (Note: the ladder in the kit appears to replicate a ladder that is constructed in two parts). The issue with what I see in the movie is that I can't figure out: 1) what happens to the top part of the ladder (the narrower section) and; 2) what happens to the lower section (the one where the bottom has a taper).

Hello Ray:

Thanks. That makes sense.

Those are static pressure air vents for the pitot system.  You'll find their like on every aircraft.

I think it was just a bunch of enlisteds watching the airshow.  Best seats in the house, no doubt.  The show was in honor of the first B-52 officially coming to the base.

So John, was that the group photo shot with the people standing on the wing, or some USAF barnstorming/wingwalking stunt using a B-36? :)  You've got to admit, with a 230 ft wingspan, it would take wingwalking to a whole new level.

The white looks flat to me.  I saw an operational B-36 up close in about 1958 but well, the memory...I do remember all those tiny people standing on the wing.

Slackers report:  I have been slowly working on the wing details, had to do a little more refinement on the air inlets, and slowly getting the silver paint to look like I want.  Did a little scribing today also, on the flaps where I lost detail lowering the wing.

Teutonic222

Another question for the masses. Although I am a ways off from painting the undersides of my B-36, was the anti-thermal white paint gloss, semi-gloss or flat? The restores all look glossy, but I suspect they weren't using anti-thermal paint. It is difficult to tell from old photos -- everything looks flat, including the shiny aluminum.

I'm also sensitive to the fact the modeler sometimes needs to modify the paint color or gloss texture from the original in order to make it look correct in a miniature model (i.e. flatter paint tends to look for realistic than gloss paint).

The only person that could answer that question with 100% accuracy is Roger. My dealings with it in other craft was it was just plain jane "old looking" white....not glossy - neither flat. 

As for myself..... I`ll be using flat white

Another question for the masses. Although I am a ways off from painting the undersides of my B-36, was the anti-thermal white paint gloss, semi-gloss or flat? The restores all look glossy, but I suspect they weren't using anti-thermal paint. It is difficult to tell from old photos -- everything looks flat, including the shiny aluminum.

I'm also sensitive to the fact the modeler sometimes needs to modify the paint color or gloss texture from the original in order to make it look correct in a miniature model (i.e. flatter paint tends to look for realistic than gloss paint).

Not so sure about those questions teut but I did notice on that top shot there weren't any "No Step" stickers.

.

Well I'll tell you not as thick as the Monogram B-36 tail.

Maybe a better look

Sanding something really thin requires you use something to hold onto and good masking tape works great!

It worked so good I sanded the port side too thin..grrr. Well I have to go to work now catch you all later. Magoo

I want to apologize for one thing. I wasn't trying to cause any copyright issues. I forgot about that until after I had posted them.

I've got some more questions. I've noticed in the photos from Don Pyeatt's DVD, there are notices on the tail area and another one on the nose "water drain." Were those notices on B-36's or were these just put there during restoration as some type of note to the restorers or for viewers of the plane (for educational purposes)? It seems like a lot of notices. I'm surprised there weren't some that said wing, fuselage, and engine. See two photos below.

Secondly, the photo of the top view of the plane shows a red outline. Is that correct or just an issue with color aberration on old photos?

Hey Magoo, The model gods were pretty good to me -- only one broken prop in the box on my B-36 kit. I'll talk to them and see if they can get you extra model building time in your life.

Glad to see you're still at it Magoo, I know how life can interfere with model building, just not fair!

Howdy Reasoned, old Magoo is alive and kicking just too many things in life getting in the way of model building I'll post something hopefully in a couple of days. My computer is not making me happy either. See you in later posts. Andrew Magoo

Way to go Teut!

I've been working on air plugs. I liked the idea of showing the red diamonds when the air plugs are extended to add some additional color to the model. Thin walled brass tube from the hardware store was perfect, although sawing them with a clean perpendicular cut (even with an Xacto miter box) was tough. I've got about four that didn't turn out well and went to the scrap pile (or sell them as cheap wedding bands).

I'll place a small diameter washer on the prop shaft to extend the props out just a bit (as in the photos below). Looking at aircraft photos, the model appears to have the props a tad too close to the nacelles. Moving the props out also reveals more of the air plug and the diamond markings.

One more step accomplished.

lajntx,

Thanks for the further information. It's always interesting how some things can become such a challenge. I guess part of modeling (or insane modeling) is the hunt. Although I must say the underwing vent hunt is getting a bit old.

I was at least able a while back to confirm the two vents on the starboard side of the aircraft just underneath the trailing edge of the wing. I saw them at Wright-Pat and the T.O. Manual calls them out. Plus, they are molded in the kit. I opened them up yesterday and plan to glue a tobacco pipe screen behind them. I was originally going to look for a faucet aerator and then discovered these fine mesh cigar screens. The holes are probably still a little big, but sometimes you need to change the scale a bit to fool the eye. I saw the vents had screens at Wright-Pat and since there isn't a bird problem in the building, I figure they were on the original.

Teutonic222

lajntx,

You are the B-36 dude! I ran through the SAC movie and caught a good view of the vents during the scene you mentioned. Thanks for remembering that part.

Do you happen to know if there were screens or something covering the holes? Can't tell from the movie. They still look like open rectangles, but let's just say my copy isn't in HD.

Its possible they might also be underwing service doors to get to those tanks -- They were refueled on the top of the wing, and would explain why they were the main leak points.

The only reason I figured out what they were was taking a parts blow up that I have that shows the top side, and finding what was in those places.

With the long winter in Michigan, it sounds like a very good excuse to take a spur of the moment trip to Tuscon, Arizona and catch some rays, spring ball, and go to PIMA where they will let you walk under the B-36 

lajntx,

You are the B-36 dude! I ran through the SAC movie and caught a good view of the vents during the scene you mentioned. Thanks for remembering that part.

Do you happen to know if there were screens or something covering the holes? Can't tell from the movie. They still look like open rectangles, but let's just say my copy isn't in HD.

Thanks lajntx.

I'll go back and review the movie. Looking at the photos I have, those vents just seemed really big; bigger than I would have expected for vents. But, it was also a big plane with big oil and fuel tanks. I kept examining the diagram below for the T.O. Manual, but couldn't pinpoint the vents.

Teutonic:

Those are underside vents for the oil & fuel tanks. On older planes you will see stain slicks coming out from them because the plane was prone to leaking and thats where oil & av gas would seep out.

A good scene for those is in SAC when Jimmy Stewart lands the plane and he and Col Potter err I mean Sgt Bible.  salute and pass the 2 generals inspecting the under wing and the base commander says: " See there are no more leaks". ( The scene where Gen Hawkes learns that Dutch loves to fly )

Anybody hear from Magoo lately?

Teutonic222

Looks good. It's a big model; hope it doesn't pull the ceiling down. :)

or land on my 9yr old! 

Looks good. It's a big model; hope it doesn't pull the ceiling down. :)