Uncarina

Ron, Good call! I hadn't thought of this, thanks. If I botch the scratchbuild I might pursue this, but I am having lot of fun with the scratchbuild, and it might be closer to scale thickness. Cheers, Tom

Reimund, Great! I hope this build will be useful. I'm certainly learning a lot! Cheers, Tom

Thanks for your support everyone! Today I removed the internal frame from the original window position and glued the plug in position. While it dried I made a template of the fuselage door from aluminum foil burnished to show the outline, then used this to create a new door (I have an open door policy). The last is a pic of the insert before I've added the cutouts. Next I will be forming these to a curve, then cut away the door. Cheers, Tom

Tom, It does indeed! You've helped me avoid some mistakes already! Cheers, Tom

Mike, Simply outstanding! I will be following your lead with my build, particularly when it comes to the rigging. Thanks for sharing your work. Cheers, Tom

Tom, Thanks for following along and your advice! With such a popular subject and large build it's nice to know that I can count on your insights and those of others. I was aware of joining the kit halves, and was planning to add the shim to the bottom of the fuselage, but with a natural metal finish it didn't occur to me that hiding it would be easier under olive drab. For the landing gear I was planning to shorten the oleos: don't want her on tip-toes! Was the cockpit sound-proof padding along the sides also bronze green or a different shade? Also, are the tail-gunner halves a good fit to the fuselage, or does this leave a gap as well? Thanks, Tom

Ron, I hope this build log will be useful, and you picked a great subject for your kit! Carl, thanks! You would definitely do a stellar job with this kit. Cheers, Tom

Andy, welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Wolf, thanks! It's great to have you along. Cheers, Tom

What I will bring to the party: Miracle Masks markings for Little Miss Mischief Kitsworld LMM decals Eduard Brassin wheels and guns Eduard interior, nose, radio, waist sections, and exterior photoetch Eduard masks Master Details O2 set, control columns, chin turret inserts, ammo belts LiveResin flexible ammo belts Resin2Detail seats with belts Uschi wood decals. HK B-17E/F kit (for reference) To start I dove right in by unstaggering the waist windows, one of the most obvious differences from later "G"'s. First I started with making the plug for the existing starboard window out of sheet plastic, curved it by attaching to a Tamiya empty paint jar with rubber bands and immersing it in hot water for several minutes. I then marked the spot for the new position inside and out, used a Dremel to open up the position, then sanded to shape, using the kit window as a guide: I will be adding a second curved piece to the plug to match the kit thickness, sand to shape, then add ribbing and rivets to blend it in. Cheers, Tom

The HK 1/32 B-17G kit is an impressive build, but out of the box the build options are limited to a late "G". Thanks to the insights, advice, and balanced discussion from many of you--with special thanks to Tom Probert, Dennis7423, Juggernut, Iain32SIG, and David Parker--I will be attempting to backdate the kit to an earlier version: Little Miss Mischief, a B-17G-35 91st Bomb Group, 324th Squadron. http://www.91stbombgroup.com/crewphotos/littlemissmischief.html http://fineartofdecals.com/goodies/b-17g-little-miss-mischief/ http://www.usaaf-noseart.co.uk/plane.php?plane=little-miss-mischief#.WvNSs5dlC70 You can read her history here: https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-97880-little-miss-mischief/ Being rebuilt from 13 different aircraft made her one of the most distinctive B-17's that flew, with a natural metal forward fuselage and an olive drab rear half. I'm planning to address some inaccuracies for this version but not all, in no particular order: unstagger waist gun positions, remove wingtip vents, fix the radio room rear bulkhead, add detail to the top turret, correct the nose turret, and possibly, possibly, backdate the tailgunner position. Please feel free to share advice or give feedback! Cheers, Tom

Now, if we could just buy these sprues individually! Or have someone master and sell parts like an upgraded topturret interior and tailturret conversion on Shapeways. Cheers, Tom

Greg, very nice work! Did the kit come with the anti-slip texture, or did you add this as well? Cheers, Tom

Just a brief update: finished the mainmast, the last of the main superstructure assemblies (aside from the crane), by fitting yards, the topmast, and the topgallant. Aligning all of this was tricky. Some final added details, then painting next! Cheers, Tom

Dennis, so far I've only used the Vallejo Metal on my F-16 exhaust, airbrushed straight from the bottle. However, I was very pleased with the coverage, control, and strength. I cleaned the airbrush (my trusty Aztek) with water followed by alcohol. I just read about the AK True Metal metallic wax polish in David Parkers build and would like to try it, but I would first add the masked markings to avoid masking over the metal. Cheers, Tom

Great job so far! A Mediterranean boat I see. Should be some great markings for this one! Cheers, Tom

Tom, This outstanding! Thanks for sharing these. Cheers, Tom

Gaz, Great start! I especially like your work on the engine. Cheers, Tom

I really like your work on the paint and finish! Cheers, Tom

Bruce, Beautiful work, and I'm encouraged by your use of the acrylic metallics. Cheers, Tom

Maxim, Have you seen these? http://www.markstyling.com/1ad_b17s3.htm Cheers, Tom

Tom, Thanks! Cheers, Tom

Tom, Thank you! I will definitely heed your advice about the interior colors, and any other insights you might have. I've also read over as much of the previous relevant posts on this forum as I can. It is great news that I would not have to modify HK's Cheyenne turret. Now I just have to get the kit! Cheers, Tom

Mike, Exquisite work, and one of my favorite subjects! Cheers, Tom

For big cuts I use Xuron photoetch scissors, but for most of this build I use a round profile X-Acto blade, position right next to the part, and press while rocking back and forth (the blade, not me). If needed, I use a jeweler's file for any remaining nub. Aside from this, a key thing for me is knowing how much spring the brass has so I know how much to overbend to make a fold. Another is knowing whether to fold towards me or away, not always clear with this set! Cheers, Tom

Iain, Great work, and a great subject! Cheers, Tom