TimW

Much like my B-24 J I'm building. Will need to have a think about how to blank it off.
 
Regards  Andy 

And this Pic would seem to indicate no ball turret position.
 
Progress!
 
http://www.b24bestweb.com/tokioexpress1.htm

The Resin2Detail engines are nice, but may have to do some creative sanding to get them to fit.
 
We'll see...
 
Tim W

Got my Osprey on B-24s in the PTO.   Nothing really helpful, apart from tantalizing glimpses of what the "improvised" ball turrets looked like.   Hmph.
 
I figure I have two options--just put the turret on (it looks good anyway) or blank it out and cover the hole in the flooring and call it turretless.
 
It's not like you can see it that well.  But still.
 
Apart from the two pics I posted earlier, no real idea of what that set up looked like.
 
So onward...
 
Tim W.

And this Pic would seem to indicate no ball turret position.
 
Progress!
 
http://www.b24bestweb.com/tokioexpress1.htm

funky wings I can accept 
 
turrets with a seam line down the middle where they should not be makes it look like something made in the 1950s, which I just cannot tolerate
 
After much waiting, I got the grail-like clear resin replacement turrets and they do look a million times better and are absolutely worth it
 
the vector engines seem massively overpriced to me; Quickboost need to make some engine faces which will do the job perfectly well at a fraction of the price.
 
now I’ll get off my soapbox!

Because we had been discussing propellers, I stumbled across this great shot of the needle blade props fitted to earlier B-24D's. This shot is circa 1942, posted by LIFE Magazine:
 
 
- Dennis S.
   Mount Juliet, TN USA

The beginning of the game, this is the moment I always enjoy. Painting freehand without masking or stencils. By the way you can see my mess on my makeshift workshop. I am waiting for the end of the renovation at home to move to an already normal workshop.
 

A bit of fun and the torpedo including the mount is almost ready, one will be suspended and the other on a trolley. This is my plan. And here I have a small problem, namely how to paint the torpedo? I'm asking because I have several different versions and I don't know which is the correct one. And the next problem is does anyone have drawings of the transport trolley for the torpedo? I would be extremely grateful.
 

yeah same sheet I'm thinking of using. photo of Moby Dick shows no ball turret, haven't looked for it on other 90th Ds yet. still on the early part of the research. May do Moby Dick in 1/72 and do another ship from that sheet in 1/32, as there's a sheet (also DK i think) with a similarly-painted L4 (or L5) and no kit in 1/32 (1/35 next to 1/32? NOPE). 

still considering a Ploesti sheet, but only decal option I know of is for The Witch (there's Hail Columbia and maybe more, but at the time of Seven Dwarfs, which Kane hated and painted out when he got took his ship back). I'd be interested in other Ploesti sheets or masks but haven't seen much. 

slight chance I will go for Pete the Pom inspector, an assembly ship that was pressed into flying combat during the Battle of the Bulge. 

LOL i am also considering having a.... table... made to display this thing. There's a bit of non-standard aftermarket. 

Was thinking of doing Tokio express--I have a nice decal sheet.
 
https://www.super-hobby.com/products/B-24D-Liberator-90th-Bomb-Group-The-Jolly-Rogers.html#gallery_start
 
Interesting the artwork shows no ball turrets on those aircraft--that would be easier to scratch build!
 
Tim W

It is very different.
 
The only pix I've found are at this link:
 
https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/alternate-b-24-belly-turret.34925/page-2
 
And they don't really help me get an exact idea of how this thing looked/worked.
 
Cheers,
 
Tim W

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

I don't think they had to retract it--the "dish" seems to have been almost flush with the bottom of the fuselage and there was 1 or 2 .50 cals mounted there.  Not sure how useful it was as a gun position.
 
I'll let you know what I find out, if anything.
 
Cheers,
 
Tim W.

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

OK--got most of the base done.  I used that purple foam stuff they sell at Home Depot to build up the terrain, cut the trench with the inexpensive heat wand thing I got from Amazon.   Balsa wood also involved.
 
Used plaster impregnated cloth to cover everything, then some additional plaster to fill in gaps, some AK interactive mud stuff I've used on armor kits.
 
Assorted other terrain stuff consisting of ballast, lichen, gravel etc from Custom Dioramics and elsewhere.  The sand bags are from Green Stuff World (found on internet).  You simply glue them on, wet them with a white glue/water mix and let them dry.  I will probably paint them/weather them a bit more though to dull down the color which is pretty close to accurate anyway.
 
Wire comes from  Green Stuff World again, very easy to work with.  Tank obstacles are from MiniArt.  The whole thing will need to be flat coated at the end as it's a bit shiny.   Will also be adding some Camo netting in various places.
 
More to come.
 

 

 

As if I don't have enough work to do, I'm also doing an Omaha Beach dio for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.
 
I have the base fairly well developed at this point--pics to come!    
 
This will show elements of the 29th ID reaching a German MG position and getting ready to take it out, as the gunners are distracted and reloading.
 
I have a bunch of different Dragon/DML figures and Tamiya ones I'll be using.
 
Stay tuned!
 
Tim W.

I have not seen an online build of this for a while. Good to see it with invasion stripes.  
 
 

Dead Nazis - count me in.

Agree about the CW turret!  It is excellent.  Still not sure how to handle the improvised ball turret that 5th AF Birds had.  May just wimp out and go with the ball turret for my sanity's sake.
 
We'll see.
 
Tim W.