MajorG

Thank you, Out2. When I was stationed at Air Force bases around the Dakotas, and living in Sioux Falls after I retired, I had ample opportunity to visit Omaha. It is a great city! The last time I was there was for a Film Premier of "The Greatest Weapon Ever Used" by John Mollison at the SAC Museum. I got to introduce the film, and the museum itself is awe inspiring. Talking with some Boeing Reps there, they were considering funding and sponsoring an interactive Minuteman capsule display. I don't know what ever came of it. Still, you have a great resource for your modeling there. Sorry I went off topic. Bob

A PDF scaling would be awesome, as of course would be a "Kit" from Aeronut. What you have done shows great promise and I am sure that all the bugs will be properly sorted. I am thinking that the aftermarket parts have dried up from the global distributors, (excepting of course what has already been done), as the wings on this plane were just too much to overcome for the scale "purist" to shell out over $200 USD for PE and resin details for a kit that will ever look quite right. Those of us who are lucky enough to have found this forum, and had the patience to wait, we will have some beautiful planes. I sincerely hope that more Decals/Paint masks will become available to expand the various schemes of this model, but I won't be holding my breath. A really nice job, Iain. Good on you! Bob

That is a fantastic picture! M Models were different that previous models, but I don't know exactly in what respects other than the later "Ms" had a redesigned two piece windscreen rather than the 3 Piece. Note the Aluminum (Aluminium for speakers of proper English) bulkhead. Done up in RAAF colors, I know that many B-24s were used in Australia for Photo Reconnaissance work as well as bombing missions. Note also that the bulkhead is held in place by machine screws and nuts, not rivets, thus making an easy change of configuration possible. I just finished reading "Kangaroo Squadron" by Bruce Gamble about the early days of the fight by USAAF (and RAAF personnel) Bomber Squadrons in Australia. Although it deals mostly with B-17 E Models, (including Swamp Ghost), it goes into detail on the allies' efforts to stand up fighting squadrons against what seemed to be an eminent Japanese attack.

Hello Guys... I did a little research from the few books I have on B-24s, and it is my opinion that, just like every other aircraft produced during the war, interior changes were ubiquitous and probably differed between batch numbers. That being said, the rapid pace of technology with radios being a particular weak point in all aircraft, along with field modifications and the requirements of British vs American assigned aircraft (I am almost positive the British would have installed their own radios), it is anyone's guess what a particular aircraft's radio compartment bulkhead would look like. In my opinion, radios would have been a mission essential requirement for Coastal Command Aircraft, and they might have installed backup equipment which would take up more room and more bulkhead space. I do agree that the bulkheads were plywood, and were made in multiple pieces and simple shapes. If you can find a picture of the aircraft you are modeling, that would be great, if not perhaps another aircraft in the squadron. There are so few examples left to model from and to be sure they have been hacked apart (modified) for whatever post war use they were required to perform; from fire bombing to fire ant spraying to transporting produce. What the aircraft looked like when it left the factory, may not be what it looked like in the field. Just remember, if you can't find a picture that is satisfactory to show that area, either can anyone else. Bob

Although I am not an expert on the B-24 interior, and I agree that framing is missing, might that be because there would be visible insulation padding there and the ribs really wouldn't show? Perhaps HB was expecting the aftermarket companies to offer detail in this very visible area? What IS missing is the various interiors offered by Eduard and etc. as they were for the HKM B-17s. I have been waiting to start my build until the wing gets sorted out and there is (if ever) an aftermarket waist interior detail set. I think Iain has done a magnificent job of sorting the wing and such, if it weren't for his efforts, I would have shelved any idea of building this model long ago. Bob

I bought a second set of upper wings and will experiment using the pictures and guidance Iain has already provided. There are so many possibilities with this kit depending on how accurate you want to be. I have also bought a Vector Resin P&W R 1830 engine kit to check fitment inside the kit cowling. I haven't decided how much detail I will add other than the cockpit and wheel well areas. I will probably detail the turret's (Vacuformed aftermarket) interiors, upgrade the Norden bombsight , and if there becomes available a PE Waist detail set, do that as well. As it is summer (finally) and I have my other garage projects (including restoring a 1940's Erie Gas Pump) my build on this model has been shelved until cooler weather drives me inside. I hope this finds everyone well, and I look forward to Iain's next post as well. Bob

One nice thing about the A-26, is that it was used in 3 wars (WW II, Korea, and Vietnam). I once had a chance to buy a 1:1 A-26 when I was stationed at Carswell AFB, Tx. It was sitting on Meecham Airfield and had suffered a collapsed right main gear, sudden engine stoppage, bent prop, and a slightly bent wingtip. It had been converted to a private business plane, but still retained the OD over Grey paint scheme. It was eventually sold off of a Mechanic's Lien for $35,000, USD and spirited away one night. I was a volunteer on "Chuckie", Doc Hospers' B-17 VE, (which now resides in Oregon). Of course at the time (this was the early 1990s) I was newly divorced and scraping by on a Captain's Salary while paying child support and alimony. It may have well sold for 35 Zillion USD as far as I was concerned. I think it's a good picture though.

Looking forward to the update. Based solely on your pictures I have eyeballed and made the inner most rib for the wing solution. I have yet to start the build waiting instead to see what the after-market community comes up with for engines, waist and turret detail. Eduard has put out their Cockpit and seat belt PE sets with Under carriage and engine PE sets to follow. I hope Brassin or someone comes up with a good engine set as they did for the B-17. Bob

Indeed it does!

I have spent the past hour or so reading and digesting this thread, and believe it is an uncomplicated way to fix a glaring oversight. Iain, thank you for the time and effort spent determining a great way to go about this fix. The solution is brilliant. If you produce a kit of wing formers, I too would be interested in it. In a former life, I was a US Air Force Officer assigned as a launch officer to the 742 Strategic Missile Squadron commanding Minuteman III ICBMs during the Cold War. My Squadron's heritage was directly linked to that of the 455th Bomb Group, 742nd Bomb Squadron which flew B-24 H/J aircraft out of Italy, 1943-1945. My plan is to build one of the 742nd BS aircraft, although I haven't chosen the particular plane. The 455th BG commanded the 740, 741, 742, and 743rd Squadrons. Senator George McGovern (and Presidential candidate) from South Dakota was a pilot in the 741st BS. I may even do the plane he flew most. I am just getting into the forum adventure, and look forward to more posts from all of you Wizards and Plastic Kit Phenoms to get even more enjoyment from this hobby. Bob

Thank you Kev! I just spent the past hour digesting what Iain had to say...and it makes perfect sense. I hope he will produce a former kit, I would certainly buy one. Bob

Sorry Nick...I am TR-6guy on ebay. I also collect and restore Triumph Sports Cars, hence the name. I don't have anything currently for sale. Could I interest you in a very nice Triumph TR-4 water pump housing? (Kidding) Bob

I notice that Meng managed one piece turrets...

Hi folks. I am new to this forum. My name is Bob. I recently purchased the Hobby Boss B-24 and some aftermarket pieces (including TimW's Turrets bought on eBay as TR-6guy). Tim makes a fine product and I look forward to using them when I build my kit. His work is really outstanding, and yet leaves room for the details a kit this large begs to be added. Almost everything that has been brought up about this model, from the turret design to the poorly rendered engines will be able to be fixed with some aftermarket parts ( if and when they are supplied). I myself have found and will learn to use the various "rivet making" tools that are currently on the market. It is intuitively obvious, even to the most casual observer, that this kit is far behind what we see in the HKM Large Scale kits. Clearly this kit is a big seller and as such a demand for AM detail will be there. I will watch with interest as other builders address and overcome the various problems this kit has and their solutions or work-arounds. It isn't as if there aren't any photos of the B-24, and the scratch builders will have a large canvas on which to create. That being said, my greatest concern is the poor airfoil profile at the wing root. My feeling is that it would require a replacement piece (either Resin or injection molded) from the inboard nacelles to the wing root to correct this problem. Not one who works with resin on my own, I don't know if it is possible to create the correction, or if it is even cost effective. I hope someone is working the problem and will come up with a suitable solution. Modelers are a clever bunch, and I am sure that within this community there are people with the skills to fix this error. Even with it's short comings, the HB B-24 is an impressive kit. It is still relatively new, and there will be some lag time between it's issue and that of the AM parts makers, especially if Hobby Boss wasn't working with companies like Eduard prior to release. I think this kit has much to offer to the experienced modeler whether they build it straight from the box, or replicate every switch, wire and rivet of the actual plane. Not all of us compete in National Level shows and events, but I believe each of us strives to make something as close to realistically accurate as we can. I look forward to the information and knowledge the rest of you provide...and will do the same as I progress. Bob