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TOTAL SCRATCH BUILD OF THE FRONT END OF A B17G!


fozzy

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Good afternoon to you all!

 

After over 2 years of heartache and over 2.13GB of information collected in photo form...

 

I would like to present to you all my scratch built front end of a B17G!

 

Why just the front end I hear you cry?...well I have always been fascinated with the "Fortress" ever since I was a young boy...in particular ,what was inside the fuselage!.I have been wanting to build a project like this for many years and thought about doing the entire aircraft!...but I wasn't sure if I could pull it off.....I mean this was going to be in 1:20 scale (a scale I like to scratch build in)

 

The project would mean scratch building absolutely everything! .....and so I thought that maybe I should start with just the front end showing the Bombardier/Navigator section....the Cockpit right back to the Upper Turret before the Bomb compartment....and then if it turned out okay ..then maybe I would continue down the fuselage!.....Well since finishing this I have decided to build the rest of this B17G. I will build it in sections and have already started on the bomb bay.

 

The materials I used to build this B17G were Balsa wood/hard wood...plastic/wire/ paper/the aluminum from coca cola cans/and loads of other stuff I found useful in the kitchen waste bin!!

 

It wasn't all plain sailing I have to say....many an hour was wasted re constructing parts that I just couldn't get right but with loads of patience I got there in the end!

 

For those of you who are interested the entire build with all the blood,sweat and tears can be found on WIP......but unfortunately PhotoScape have ruined everything and blocked the photos as you all know....so no WIP I'm afraid!

 

A little information on the B17G 'Fuddy Duddy" I chose to build (info taken off an internet site http://www.warbirdregistry.organd http://www.johnweeks.com)

 

Delivered to USAAF as 44-83563 on April 7th 1945.

Fuddy Duddy was built too late to see action in WWII. She was retired in the mid-50's, and changed hands a few times until be purchased by Columbia Pictures in 1960. After a short movie career, Fuddy Duddy was converted to air tanker service. She flew as an air tanker until 1986, which she was acquired by the National Warplane Museum and converted back to her warbird look. The museum has continued to restore and improve Fuddy Duddy over the years, and she is one of the finest looking B-17s in the air today.

 

I have made a makeshift base to display the model for taking photos...I will build a proper stand later!

 

Quite a few photos so bare with me! wink.png

 

Here are some photos of the overall model.....interior shots to follow!

 

qw_006.jpg

 

qw_005.jpg

 

qw_004.jpg

 

qw_001.jpg

 

qw_011.jpg

 

qw_012.jpg

 

qw_007.jpg

 

qw_008.jpg

 

qw_009.jpg

 

 

I will now have to post these photos as too many for one post (as you all know!!)....I'm gonna make a cuppa tea and then post the rest of them!! wink.png

Edited by fozzy
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So here is Part 2

 

These photos show just some of the detail that I put into this project....couldn't get all the detail else there would be hundreds of photos!! ohmy.png

 

Some of the photos were taken during the build as you will see........

 

bv_003.jpg

 

bv_004.jpg

 

f_031.jpg

 

f_033.jpg

 

mbv.jpg

 

nbv.jpg

 

xd_045.jpg

 

 

Have to post again....more to follow!! ;)
 

Edited by fozzy
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....and here's the rest!!!

 

xd_047.jpg

 

hgf_017.jpg

 

KK_006.jpg

 

KK_004.jpg

 

hhh_006.jpg

 

hhh_013.jpg

 

gg_011.jpg

 

l_2.jpg

 

oo_036.jpg

 

oo_002.jpg

 

gg_032.jpg

 

 

Well that's it chaps!!

 

My thanks for all the support I got from some of you when I was building this over the years...you don't know how much it helped! smile.png  and thanks to all for looking in wink.pngsmile.png

 

Until the next time and model................

 

Cheers

 

Fozzy

Edited by fozzy
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I purposely avoided looking at your WIP after a while. But, don't take that as a criticism. Quite the opposite, in fact. It didn't take long for me to realize where this was heading and I wanted to save it up for the "surprise" ending, in the form of this RFI thread. I'm glad I did!!!

 

:wow: :wow: :wow:

 

I've been inside a B-17 and these photos were like the best flashback ever. I can almost smell it!

 

Just fantastic, spectacular and....well, I don't know if words can really describe it. This one almost brings a tear to my eye!

 

:goodjob:

 

John

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Fozzy, what an astounding build. It's rare to see any build which genuinely convinces the eye that one is looking at the real thing, but this is there over and over again. What an achievement! That you have done it in a mere two years leaves me speechless.

 

I'm waiting eagerly to see what you turn your skills to next.

 

Jim

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