1/48th Scale B-17C/D Conversion

[gary1954]

Opening looks cool but leaves more to break off

Last edited by gary1954 on Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Second Air Force]

You're a big help! Was that a yes or a no or a yes-and-no?

[gary1954]

ROFL... Open the bomb bay. On pitot tube put a cover on it and leave acess hatches closed

[Second Air Force]

[gary1954]

So it appears that you like this concept yes

[Django]

Don't you have a trailer to work on?

[Steve Nelson]

Coming along nicely!

What variant are you building? I thought only the first few prototypes didn't have Turbos.

SN

[Second Air Force]

Steve gets the pony. I was wondering if anyone would get my hint about not using most of the Koster clear parts on this project and removing the commanders observation blister. When that didn't work I posted the wing modification photos to see what would happen.



This isn't the exact paint scheme I've selected, but you get the idea. I can never seem to build anything out of the box, even a vacuform.

Yes I have a trailer to work on, Django. It's been too darned cold to work on it though--it was only 40 or so today.

Scott

[Django]

You're lucky! It's -17° here today! I have to put a new battery in Libby's Jeep. Lucky me.

[Steve Nelson]

Ahh, so you're doing a Y1B-17..cool! Looks to me like the rudder may be a bit smaller (in area) than the B/C/D. Just another mod for you to do...

Looking forward to seeing this one finished!

SN

[Second Air Force]

You're right, Steve. The rudder is shaped slightly different and is smaller. The tailwheel has a double fork, there are fairings on the main gear legs etc, etc, etc. The most fun of this whole project is going to be building and vacuforming the nose piece and the gun blisters. I just love the shape of the early blisters and that cool nose gun bubble set-up.

While doing all the research that had to be done I overlooked one difference that I only discovered last night . The inboard nacelles on the YBs were slightly shorter than later versions. I just whacked off the firewall end of it and shortened up the nacelle to correct the problem. Now I'll have to add a little length to the outboard nacelles as well. This thing is becoming ever more complicated, just the way modeling should be!



Scott

Last edited by Second Air Force on Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Steve Nelson]

Looking good! I don't envy you all the rescribing you're gonna have to do..especially since you're doing a bare metal finish!

How are you handling the props? Are you using aftermarket replacements, or reshaping the blades on the kit props?

Incidentally, the model that took "best aircraft" at the 2008 IPMS National Convention was a Y1B-17, in this case backdated from the Academy 1/72 B-17B. Here are a few pics..

SN

[Second Air Force]

Well, that is typical. Every time I start a project, someone else has already done it. Every time I finish a vacuform subject, a major modelmaker comes out with a kit one week later. I have a half-finished 1/48th B-32 in boxes somewhere. I took the project to an IPMS regional years ago to put on the table for show-and-tell. There was a pretty large crowd around one table, and when I got there I saw a BEAUTIFUL Dominator on the large-scale multi engine table. When you build competitively like I did back then you realize there's simply no point in finishing yours. Maybe someday I'll do it just for my own satisfaction, and it will have to be a TB-32 just to be different.

That is a beautiful model. I see he was able to use the kit main gear tires and they look just fine.

I'm using AMT A-20 propellers for my project. The airplane I'm building had already been upgraded to Hydromatic propellers in the timeframe I am replicating. Rescribing panel lines on this big thing will be pretty easy. It's almost all flat or gently rounded surfaces that you can use a flexible straightedge on, so it will be a breeze. With my method of NMF application I make some of the panel demarkations with BareMetal Foil anyway.

Kudos to the builder of the machine you posted!
Scott

[Second Air Force]

Thanks for posting that Mike..I'd heard the only way you can get ahold of Mr. Koster is via direct e-mail, but didn't know the adress. Koster did a full vac kit of the A-20 in 1/48 before the AMT kits came out. IIRC it came with cast resin props..I wonder if he'd be willing to sell them seperately?

SN

Steve and everyone else; FYI,

I just stumbled across a set of Koster narrow-chord 1/48th Hydromatic props while searching for something else. They are very nice, and cast in white metal. I suspect I bought them in the mid to late nineties. I never purchased one of his A-20 kits, so I must have gotten them individually. So there you go--I made that RTV mold for nothing.


While I'm here, I figured out what I'm going to use for engines. The YB was equipped with R-1820-33s, somewhat different appearing than the -97. After looking through some boxes I remembered that the SBD used much the same engine. In fact, the SBD-1 and 2 used a -32. I just happened to have one that I will be able to use.
B-17 kit engine on the left, new -33 on the right:


And here is the engine cowled up with the new propeller on it:


Scott

[Django]

Wow, that finished one is nice! What are the stripes on the horizontal surfaces of the tail?