LSP_Kevin Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Wow, this is a about as ambitious as projects come! Looking forward to your continued progress Rich. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ads Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 What's doin' Rich? How is progress? Ads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripaman Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hi Rich, will be watching this WIP awesome project to work on, and you are just the person to get it right. Regards Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Hi Rich, What a great build project. Very ambitious; marrying vac kit fuselage with a standard injection kit truck plus scratch build a trailer. Which vac kit B17 are you using? Is the vac kit a 1/35 scale like the Diamond T wrecker? Look forward to more updates. Regards, Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richdlc Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) Hi guys back with a small update - to answer Christian's question first - the kit is a 1/32 vacform by ID models - and the wrecker I plan to use is a 1/35 kit by Accurate Armour OK - I removed more openings for windows and turrets etc. I decided that I would make the turrets first, before starting on the interior. First up was the Bendix 'chin' turret. I referred once more to the excellent thread started at the warbird information exchange website about the restoration of the B-17G at Duxford, as well as numerous other images found on the net, and my reference books. The turret is a complex shape - I started with a tube of thin plastic card & cut out the various openings needed. The bottom of the turret is rounded & curved in complicated ways. I found another use for my pack of ping pong balls left over from the Corsair build & chopped the bottom off one & stuck it on. Here's some images from the warbird information exchange site for illustrative purposes only - these are of the restoration of B-17 'Texas Raiders' - this shot shows the shell ejection ports at the top, and the openings at the bottom for the .50 cals to allow full elevation and depression of the guns: the large square openings are inspection windows at the back of the turret: here's what I knocked up: Edited April 13, 2012 by richdlc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richdlc Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) and after cleanup, sanding, filling & a coat of primer: there is also a streamlined fairing behind the turret - I basically made it through trial and error with a fan shaped piece of thin plasticard and some internal ribs from slightly thicker card - here's everything roughly mocked up: I couldn't resist mocking up how the turret will look with some .50 cals installed: that's it for now - questions & comments welcomed! Rich Edited April 13, 2012 by richdlc Tomek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2wings Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Very impressive! Will keep my eye on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfuf Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Nice Progress like the turret. Johan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 That looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Hi there, The scratch build gunner turret is off to great start. Clever use of a ping ponk ball. Look forward to more updates. Regards, Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRutman Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Like the way you broke down the complex shapes of the turret into the basics and then formed them into the end result! Scratchbuilding at it's best. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutik Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 So that's your approach? Building it lifesize, then shrink it to fit? Hmm... Great project! Looks like it will require an own parking lot when finished! Regards! - dutik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richdlc Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 Hi everyone - thanks for looking at my build & the encouragement, I will certainly need it! *update 19th April 2012* Been cracking on with building the turrets - have done just about all I can for now on the chin turret, so started on the ball turret. The vac kit provides this in two halves, moulded in clear plastic - unfortunately the transparency isn't great but hey, what can you expect... on the plus side, a lot of it gets covered up by paint First up are some images of the real thing - there were two types of turret, early and late - the early ones had more viewing windows in the sides - here's a pic of the ball turret taken during a restoration of Memphis Belle (for illustrative purposes only): and a couple from the restoration of 'Texas Raiders' (again for illustrative purposes only) - you can just about make out that the turret in the last two pics (a late model) has fewer windows than the early pattern turret in the first pic: I decided to go with the late model turret - this will probably come back to bite me in the ass later when I realize that only natural metal finish aircraft had them (and I want to do an O/D machine) but I'll deal with that issue if and when... OK - here's some images of my turret under construction. I made the framing for each little window from very thin plasticard & attached using liquid cement. Mounts for the guns from plastic tube, strip and sheet. I carefully removed the crewman's access hatch - I only have one of these turrets so any false moves and it's adios muchachos! the armoured glass directly in front of the gunner is flat, and the kit part curved - I carefully removed the latter & replaced it with a flat piece of clear thermaform. curved: remove curved part, replace with flat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richdlc Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 (edited) near the crewman access hatch on one side there was a bad moulding flaw right where a window needed to go! I drilled out the shape inside the black outline and replaced with thin, clear plastic underneath the framing: a few more pics - head on, right side up head on, upside down - have started to remove shell ejection ports: rear view: I have one or two more little windows to add, plus some details like seams, nuts and bolts etc - it's a little confusing to look at now but I will give it a coat of primer & it should be much easier to work with - next up, the interior - fun fun fun! back soon rich Edited April 19, 2012 by richdlc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneBramage Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Wow Awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now