BACK IN THE SPOTIGHT--THE BOMBER GROUP BUILD (Medium and Heavy bombers from all eras)

Hi all, I'm back again.

John, we're sorry that you won't be participating anymore, but enjoy your other builds.

I've started rigging the control lines to the tail and the tail itself (which is now installed). There are two control horns, one on each side, just behind the cockpit. The control lines need to go from there to the control horns on the tail, and they cross so that the lower end of the cockpit control horn attaches to the upper elevator control horn.

Taking a cue from a Scale Models magazine build-up of this kit, I used a staple that I closed (stapled without paper being in the stapler) as the raw material for an eye bolt. I clipped the ends off the closed staple, drilled small holes on each side of the fuselage partway between the control horn and the tail, and glued the eye bolts in.

I'm using very thin, silver-colored wire (that I salvaged from a pull-clain switch) to rig the control lines and smoke-colored invisible thread for the standing rigging. So I thread the wire through the eyebolt, and then carefully, and patiently superglue the ends to the appropriate control horns.

It's a lot of work, but the results look pretty good.

Regards,

lufbery, sounds like your build is coming along nicely, looking forward to so pics.

Looking forward to seeing it Drew. Sounds great. Haven't been doing any modelling or posting for the last few weeks - alotta business travel. Looking forward to getting back into the swing.

Chris

Thanks Josh and Chris,

I'm in the same boat regarding modeling. I just started working on the kit again last night for the first time in two weeks. Summer can be a hard season for setting aside time to model.

I've got all the control cables to the tail rigged on the port side (six of them) and now I'm starting on the starboard side. The first long cable from the control horn to the tail glued on much more easily this time because I put a small kink on the wire at the control horn end to hold it on.

Regards,

Well I am back but just for a littel while I am sorry I have not been taking care of the Build but I just got back into town a few days ago form a month long trip, also with that awork and everything else I havent even worked on my own models very much. but still iam not going to have much time for the forums until mid August when I can start up again with the Aircraft of the week.

Looks like everything is going good here, I have a new project I have started for this a 1/48 LB-30 Liberator in American markings, which is about 55% done and also a 1/48 B-17D which is about 40% done.

The skies the limit,

V.A.

Nice looking bombers guys I'm happy to see that the build has gained some new momentum.

Scott

Is this build over?

QUOTE: Originally posted by PakNicK-40 Is this build over?

Nope. It's still alive and kicking.

Regards,

For how much longer if you dont id me asking

QUOTE: Originally posted by PakNicK-40 For how much longer if you dont id me asking

Well As long as there is still one person interested it will continue, maby it could become the longest build ever, as there is no set finish date this time round.

The skies the limit,

V.A.

Cool. If I pick up the Trumpeter t-95 bear at the nationals I would be in. no gurantees though.

Can I please be in with the minicraft 1/144 scale B-17G?

Nick,

I don't see why not. Welcome to the build!

All,

I spend another hour with my model last night and got more control cables installed. Then I drilled a few more holes for rigging on the tail.

Regards,

IS there anyway i can make a dio of this build?I want to make a B-17...crashed.With a whole bunch of other bomber pilots looking at it.Is this OK?

Nick,
It's a bomber.... Welcome !

Good to have you back Vintage. Believe me - I think we can all understand that the business of life can make hobbies take a back seat at times. Looking forward to seeing your work when you get back.

Chris

Nick,

I'm going to be putting my bomber on a grass field with figures. I guess that's more of a vingnette than a diorama, but the principle is the same.

By the way, I've got the tail completely rigged! Now I've just got to try to tighten up the invisible thread. Like Chris, I'm going to use a heated screwdriver tip. Wish me luck.

Regards,

Hi all,

I added the exhaust pipes to the engines last night. The kit engines have the exhaust manifolds molded to the cylinders, but there are no pipes coming off of them. The box art shows the exhaust pipes come straight down off the manifolds, and then turn 90 degrees to run aft.

To make the pipes, I heated some thin round styrene rod over a small candle and bent it 180 degrees, forming a "U" shape. I had to do this a couple of times because my first tries resulted in the styrene rod melting through.

After getting two good "U"-shaped pieces, I cut them in half at the bottom of the "U". This gave me four exhaust pipes with 90 degree turns. I cut the ends to the same length and painted the pipes with Testors MM Acryl rust. Then I drilled out the ends.

My next step was to carefully paint the rust color onto the exhaust manifolds with a fine brush. When that was mostly dry, I glued the pipes to the manifolds (with a glue anchor on the engine nacelle) with super glue. A small bit of touch-up paint and I had the four exhaust pipes installed.

Regards,

Hi all,

Still cranking along....

I installed the engines on the lower wing last night. They fit pretty well (for this kit, that is), but there's a gap. I used white glue to fill it. I may need to put on a second application, but white glue is my favorite filler when parts that are painted leave a gap to be filled. Just apply with a toothpick and white off the excess with a damp paper towel.

But I've run into a problem: the cabane struts completely cover the area behind the engines where I'm supposed to mount the radiators. Most people who build this model seem to mount the engines farther forward than I did to avoid the problem. The radiators are supposed to be mounted in front of the rear-most struts.

But I didn't like the look of the engine nacelles mounted forward, so it looks like I'm going to have to drill new holes and mount the radiators immediately aft of the struts instead of immediately forward of them.

Frankly, this is a kit from molds that date back to the '50s, and a lot of it is oversized for the scale, so I'm more concerned with making it look nice than I am with making it look accurate. A dry fit showed that the radiators will look pretty good in that position, so I'm not too worried about it.

But still, the fact that there will be this error on the finished plane bothers me a bit.

Regards,

Drew,
looking forward to seeing it. sounds like it's coming along great - even with the radiator problem.
Chris

Thans, Chris.

I'm planning on taking some photos today, but they won't be developed until next week.

Overall I'm please with how things are going, but the kit is a bit of a dog.

One of these days I'm going to build something that's easy to put together!

Regards,

just wondering, would a ju-290 seeadler qualify for this build? Im not sure it would.

Well,

It's often described as a long-range naval recon plane. I think it's more like a PBY Catalina or a PB4Y.

I'm not sure that qualifies either. Maybe Vintage Aircraft will chime in.

Regards,

Hi all,

The photos I took didn't turn out too well. I think I need to use my other camera with the more powerful telephoto lense.

I'll be taking more photos this weekend.

Regards,

Hey Lufbery, I've always meant to ask you this, did you get your name from the Lufbery Defensive Circle air tactic?

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tankmaster7 Hey Lufbery, I've always meant to ask you this, did you get your name from the Lufbery Defensive Circle air tactic?

No, I actually got it from the guy the defensive circle was mistakenly named after: Raoul Lufbery.

There's more about him here: http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/lufbery.html

The badge in my signature is the insignia of the Lafayette Escadrille -- a squadron of American volunteers who flew for France in WWI before America entered the war. This was Lufbery's first squadron. He eventually became a training officer for the 94th American Aero Squadron and took Rickenbacker up on his first flight over the lines.

Regards,

Hi all,

Not too much progress to report right now. I'm continuing to drill holes for the rigging on the wings. I've painted the radiators, but still need to add the toule netting to simulate the radiator screens.

For a nice change of pace, I've started painting the pilot and copilot figures.

Regards,

I am very confused on the dates for this build I thought it ended in jan of this year

Woodbeck,

It's been extended, and a number of us (now mostly just me) have kept it going with regular progress reports.

Speaking of which, here are the two pilot figures I painted this weekend:
.

.
They're from the Orion Pilots of the First World War set of 1/72 scale figures. More info on that set can be found here:

http://www.michtoy.com/MTSCnewSite/newplastic_folder/orion_1-72/dds72003.html

Regards,

nice work on the figs lufbery, those things are tiny.
finally got back to the workbench, so here are some pics of the primed 111



should be ready for some paint tomorrow.

Drew,
Very cool figures. I like the thumbs up dude as opposed to just some robot guy looking straight ahead. Nice job on the painting.

Josh,
The He is looking fine. The fit looks great.

Chris

Haven't been online much lately - but I check in on this thread whenever I can.