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Foiled HKM B-25J Strafer - 345th BG Air Apaches - Lady LiL


Out2gtcha

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Thanks Peter and Frank.............kind of you. I’m just now finishing up some overnight work, as I split duties between finishing the bomb bay and working on the Eduard/Brassin wheel and tires.

I sanded smooth the G-Factor nose gear that had a slight hole in the side of the main stay –

 

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While I was finish sanding the gear I stated looking at the Brassin wheels that I had just cut off of their pouring blocks. I could ignore it no longer. They are really nice sets but have their issues.

In this pic you can see 2 things.

  1. Resin shrinkage causing the rim to be ever so slightly smaller than the opening its made for.
  2. The tires are REALLY weighted. This is what had been bothering me about the set since I got them and reviewed them, but couldn’t speak to anything until I had cut them off their casting bocks –

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WAY too flat for me. Almost to the point of being deflated looking. I thought I could just leave them, but alas they were shrieking at me, and would have looked really odd on the model……..like the tires were flat. Nose gear was the same percentage flat as well.

There was only 1 thing to do; add a piece to the bottom and shape to fit. I started by adding some card stock to the bottom of each wheel, shaping as I went by eye. I continually added black marker as a “guide coat” to see where I was and what I need to take down more –

 

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Although the tread I re-did is crappy and will need considerable cleaning up, it was worth it, as I could not leave the tires the way they were........... WAY to weighted IMHO to be left that way. Progressing with a much more realistic and pleasing weighted profile now at least –

 

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MORE………………………..

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As I was fettling with the gear and wheels, I was finishing up the bomb bay. From the beginning I never intended to put any work into it, as I originally was going to have it closed, but after seeing period pics of this bomber, as well as doing research on PTO B-25s, it became clear that the bay would have to be modeled open.

 

This meant 1 thing, and that’s putting in a LOT of time on it………well worth it in the end seeing how visible it may be all the way open. Especially if someone happens to put a mirror under it! :rolleyes:

 

Finished making wire harness and made a bomb bay ECU out of spare PE –

 

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Im very happy with how the ECU came out, even under the harsh glare of the macro –

 

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Bomb bay DONE!!!

 

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Got the out side finished up as well. I highlighted this area more than I may have normally because of the dark nature of its final location; I thought it could use some brightening up. Again a splash of color for the hatc................most of the B&W images Ive seen could go either way, so I went bright yellow as a lot of the resto B-25s have, again to brighten that dark area up a bit and add some visual interest –

 

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That’s all for today lads.

Cheers,

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Just catching up on this, Brian. All I can say is HOLLY SH**, Bat Man !! Just remarkable. The wiring really sets it off ! I hope I can build like this some day.............Harv :popcorn: :popcorn:

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