1/32nd scale HK B-17G - (very) nearly there...

[shark64]

looks good from here but if I may point out to u(it might be too late) that the yellowthingy need a little dulling down...they look to bring in connectionto your awesome looking cockpit. Just my two cents...respecting your build.

Oliver

[tomprobert]

Looking good Tom, your paintwork is really nice!! Do you plan to add any belts?

 

In your opinion, did every B-17 have the Bronze Green Cockpit? I know some had unpainted front interiors but cannot find definitive evidence that the cockpits were left unpainted?

Hi Nige,

 

Yes I'm planning on adding seat belts, the kit items aren't that great to be honest.

 

Regarding interior green - all the sources I have seen point to bronze (dark dull) green, but with the Fortress no doubt there were some variations so I can't say for sure whether all B-17s were painted this way. I have a great book on the B-24 called 'The Soldier' which uses the B-24 'Delectable Doris' which is unrestored in the interior. It certainly isn't 'interior green' and I used this as a match for my paint colour. Although it's not a Fortress, it is an aircraft which has its genuine WW2 colours unlike the warbirds flying today.

 

Also the B-17 warbird 'Chuckie' has been restored using flakes of the original paint as a guide, and this is most definitely painted bronze green.

 

The nose section, bomb bay, rear fuselage and tail gunner area appear to be natural metal, with the cockpit and radio room being bronze green.

 

But to be honest, as I said earlier there were so many subcontractors as well as factories producing parts it is entirely possible that some Forts were painted in the 'standard' I interior green, and I don't think anyone could tell you that you were wrong in painting your model that way unless they has specific photographic evidence to prove otherwise.

 

Tom

[tomprobert]

looks good from here but if I may point out to u(it might be too late) that the yellowthingy need a little dulling down...they look to bring in connectionto your awesome looking cockpit. Just my two cents...respecting your build.

Oliver

Hi Oliver,

 

You're quite right, but rest assured it's the poor lighting conditions in which I took the pictures.

 

The yellow is far more like the picture when the oxygen bottles are on the cocktail sticks - this picture was taken outside in natural light unlike the later photos under a florescant bulb.

 

Thanks for the interest,

 

Tom

[Showtime 100]

Awesome progress   !

[Silver Dollar]

Great work so far.  You're definitely right about the dull dark green in a lot of B-17s.  There's a link that goes to IPMS Stockholm something or other that discusses the B-17 interior colors at length.  The big thing is that there were a number of different color variations.  The discussions even cover the nature of the zinc chromate solutions they used and how the colors varied according to what you put it on.  I'll try to find that link and post it when I do.  

 

Edit:  Go to www.IPMSStockholm.org/colorcharts  and you should find what I was talking about.  It's well worth reading about a little history on zinc chromate, what it is and what it isn't.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Silver Dollar

[marauderdriver]

•                               Very nice work so far Tom, I wish I could finish the nose on mine so I can start on the flight deck.

                              Watching in interest

 

[tomprobert]

A little more to update you on...

 

I've been working on the bomb-bay area over the weekend, and have completed as much as I need to for the moment.

 

The kit parts needed a little improvement in my opinion, with the lower framework on the rear bulkhead being made form Evergreen strip and plastic card. A few sink marks needed removing on the catwalk structure, but other than that the kit parts are passable without causing any headaches:

 

 

The bulkheads and fuselage sides then got a coat of aluminum, with various details picked out with brush work. The catwalk structure and the bomb racks were painted Bronze Green. I can't say for sure if this is completely accurate, but it makes the area look a lot more lively and gave me an opportunity to weather the green with some paint chips applied with a sponge. The 10 500lb bombs were assembled and painted at this point too:

 

 

The bombs themselves don't hang correctly in their racks, and they are rotated 45 degrees off the correct angle - the fins sit as a square when viewed from the rear rather than a diamond as they should be. My solution, rather than to have to modify the mounting pins, was to simply rotate the tails through 45 degrees and attach them to the rear of the bomb, ignoring the kit's location points. They now hang in the correct manner.

 

I sprayed the bombs yellow first, then masked off the stripes with 1.5mm tape, and sprayed four of the bombs olive drab and six in faded olive drab to give them a little variation. They were then sponged with Nato Olive Green to give them a bit of a worn appearance after sitting outside exposed on a bomb dump for a while:

 

 

These parts can now join the flightdeck in being put to one side as I tackle the radio room area.

 

I am loving this so far, it makes such a refreshing change to work on something so beautifully moulded and has relatively few issues 

 

Tom

[Azgaron]

Looking good Tom!

 

HÃ¥kan

[tomprobert]

The radio room is now complete.

 

The kit parts needed a little modification, and this started with the rear radio room bulkhead that divides the radio area and the rear fuselage where the ball turret and waist gunners are situated. HK have moulded the ball turret ammunition boxes as part of the radio room bulkhead, but in reality this wasn't the case. Earlier model B-17s had their ammo stored in the turret itself, and later models of the ball turret had the ammo boxes on the turret itself, to enable the ball to rotate freely without the ammunition chutes getting tangled, as they would have done with the HK rendition...

 

The deep apertures on the bulkhead also need filling - this forms the back of the radio stack moulding on the kit and isn't present on the real aircraft:

 

 

My solution - grind off the ammo boxes and fill the apertures with thin plastic card and replace the ribs with Evergreen strip:

 

 

I've also added the hinges and handle that were missing from the kit parts. This is far more representative of the real aircraft.

 

Here are the parts painted up. The step on the forward floor of the radio room isn't present on the real aircraft, but HK have moulded one here as the beefy wing spars needed to support the model run beneath this - I didn't want to remove and modify this area as I don't want to weaken the model. Plus this is an 'almost' OOB build... The B-17 also has a bomb strike camera under the radio room floor and this was accessed by a large panel in the floor - this wasn't present in the HK it so I simply added this from thin card. Again I've painted the floors bronze green and added the rubber anti-slip mats from fine sandpaper - I'm still not convinced the floors were left in bare wood due to the slip hazard:

 

 

And here are the parts dry fitted to give an idea of what it'll look like when peering in the radio room top hatch. I've also removed the mount for the radio operator's gun as I'm building a late war B-17G and the gun was removed in mid-1944 as it had an ineffective field of fire and the position was obsolete. I'll either have to put a clear patch over the perspex or leave it off altogether - I am leaning towards the latter as it'll show off more of the interior detail:

 

 

 

 

 

 

All that's been done here is some fine brush work - the detail comes to life with a light dry brushing of Xtracolour Aluminium and the beauty of the HK moulds can be appreciated.

 

One final modification I made was the seating in the radio room. The instructions don't mention a seat for the radio operator at all, so added the supports from spares in the kit - one for the radio operator himself and another for an auxiliary seat which was often found in this area. The seats themselves will be added when I've got a seat belt set, and will again come from spare parts supplied in the kit.

 

Next job will be the forward fuselage where the Navigator and Bombardier were stationed.

 

Until next time 

 

Tom

[Guest Peterpools]

Tom

Way to go. Just love how you're handling the Fortress, bring out the best of the kit with strip and sheet enhancing and gorgeous detail painting.

Keep 'em coming

Peter :popcorn:

[marauderdriver]

                                    I'am lov'in it Tom    Great paint work and subtle reworking of the kit

                   

                                           Jack

[Youngtiger1]

Tom, your work on the 17 is looking awesome. I like the scheme you have chosen. Can't wait to follow along

[marauderdriver]

Hi Tom. Just checking to see if you had anymore updates. Love this so far

Jack

[tomprobert]

Hi Tom. Just checking to see if you had anymore updates. Love this so far

Jack

 

Hi Jack,

 

Afraid not... I've been sidetracked by my 1/32nd scale Halifax for the 'Anything but Injection Moulded' group build.

 

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=45964

 

I've been working on the nose section of the Fort and I'd say it's 50% complete so will try to get another update soon 

 

Thanks for the interest,

 

Tom

[marauderdriver]

Hi Tom      I understand and the Halifax so far is AWSOME   One day I'll get the guts to do a 1/32 Marauder as I don't think I'll live long enough to see an IM version.

                   I'am checking on other B-17 builds to keep me motivated on mine. 

                  I'am kind of concerned about Nigel.

 

 

 

I'll keep up with the Halifax and the B-17 as you update them

You are THE MASTER

Jack