Derek B Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Looking good so far Derek! Nigel, My B-17 is on a temporary hold; we're putting our house up for sale so all my spare time is going towards getting the old place ship-shape. Hopefuly I'll be back to work on it in a couple weeks. As for getting the rear crew door open, I did it the hard way, going over the molded door seam over and over again with a very sharp #11 blade. It takes a steady hand, a couple hours and LOTS of patience! I then lined the opening with styrene strip and putty; I'm still working on cleanup but eventually I should be able to get the door to fit the frame flawlessly. In retrospect, it might have been easier to just grind the door out with a dremel and scratchbuild a new door, as the removed door is far too thick and will need to be either sanded thin or discarded anyway. Thanks for the comments and feedback guys Nice work on the door also Chango. I have not looked closely at the door at all to work out how the stffener structure is arranged, but you could maybe thin it a little and reshape/reduce it in size it to match any internal door structure, then make a slightly enlarged (thin) sheet outer section that matches the door aperture? Cheers Derek Chango 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chango Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 My inspiration for my build is my local museum plane "Short Bier"; It's a late G with staggered gun mounts. I've done some research since and found out the museum plane is all wrong! The original Short Bier was a B-24; the museum plane was produced too late in the war to see service in Europe and was sold to the Brazilian Air force after the war. A local businesman and bomber vetran bought it and had it painted up like his old plane. Virtually everyone does their WW2 era planes as they appeared in WW2 but I'm thinking of directly copying a museum plane and/or doing a diorama of a museum plane on display, complete with little ribbons, signs, ect. I am also thinking of doing "Sentimental Journey" as she appears today... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) Hi Nige, When I have it ready, of course, but it is still currently under development and will be pretty comprehensive, so patience is the word for now. Cheers Derek Derek, the work looks great. You might want to check something...it appears to me that the right and left waist window inclosed positions aren't interchangable. the bulge isn't really in the middle. from photos of both sides it appears that the buldge is more toward the portion of the window that is towards the front of the a/c and that the third window is almost flat. I'm looking forward to the convertion set. Bruce Edited August 19, 2013 by Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chango Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Thanks for the comments and feedback guys Nice work on the door also Chango. I have not looked closely at the door at all to work out how the stffener structure is arranged, but you could maybe thin it a little and reshape/reduce it in size it to match any internal door structure, then make a slightly enlarged (thin) sheet outer section that matches the door aperture? Cheers Derek That would be a good idea! Looking at photos, the door interior has a thin edge and 2 rectangular formed "frame" for strength. it might be best to shape the kit door like the frame and glue a thin styrene door on the outside... Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Derek, the work looks great. You might want to check something...it appears to me that the right and left waist window inclosed positions aren't interchangable. the bulge isn't really in the middle. from photos of both sides it appears that the buldge is more toward the portion of the window that is towards the front of the a/c and that the third window is almost flat. I'm looking forward to the convertion set. Bruce Hi Bruce, Interesting point - I shall have have a look at that aspect? Cheers Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nigelr32 Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Thanks for all your input here guys, this is better than I could have dreamed for and in only 24 hours!! Derek, I look forward to your comments regarding the nose plexiglass??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Thanks for all your input here guys, this is better than I could have dreamed for and in only 24 hours!! Derek, I look forward to your comments regarding the nose plexiglass??? Hi Nige, You mean the long Vs the short nose plexiglas? I haven't looked at this aspect at all, so I do not know if any long ones found their way onto early production B-17G's? - Pehaps it was a specific manufacturing plant thing? (I guess that Tim C would have a much better idea than I as far as this aspect is concerned for now?). Cheers Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Derek, the work looks great. You might want to check something...it appears to me that the right and left waist window inclosed positions aren't interchangable. the bulge isn't really in the middle. from photos of both sides it appears that the buldge is more toward the portion of the window that is towards the front of the a/c and that the third window is almost flat. I'm looking forward to the convertion set. Bruce A quick look at what few photographs there are of this window configuration does not really help me a great deal at all! It is a very complex shape that defies accurate translation dependent upon which anglr you view it from. You could be right here, but I have not yet seen the definitive 'money shot' that confirms this for me. If it does turn out to be as you have suggested, then I shall obviously have to scrap the window that I have already made and start from scratch again on two new windows that are asymmetric. Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis7423 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Derek- Thought this might help your conversion a little bit... it shows the window bulge being favored towards the forward portion of the aircraft, sorta. Hope this helps: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 here are some I found on the internet: I think they show the bulge is in the forward two portions and then flattens out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Derek- Thought this might help your conversion a little bit... it shows the window bulge being favored towards the forward portion of the aircraft, sorta. Hope this helps: Hi Dennis, Nice picture, but it only shows the forward portion of the window clearly, and not the aft, which is the area of contention. Nonetheless, still a very useful photograph indeed, thank you. Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 here are some I found on the internet: I think they show the bulge is in the forward two portions and then flattens out. Hi Bruce, I think that it is beginnibg to look like that. I will have to reassess my work ant consider making two new windows. Thanks Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jozef Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Great Derek Maybe I can build the Bit O´Lace after all. Jozef Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 here are some I found on the internet: I think they show the bulge is in the forward two portions and then flattens out. Hi Bruce, After spending more time than is healthy looking at these pictures, I have a nagging feeling that you are correct, so In shall scrap my master pattern window and start again with two new items that will be specifically designed for the left and right waist gun positions. I shall also rethink my strategy as to how I shall design and make them as well whilst I am at it! Cheers Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nigelr32 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Hi Bruce, After spending more time than is healthy looking at these pictures, I have a nagging feeling that you are correct, so In shall scrap my master pattern window and start again with two new items that will be specifically designed for the left and right waist gun positions. I shall also rethink my strategy as to how I shall design and make them as well whilst I am at it! Cheers Derek Well Derek, you're probably pretty p'd off about learning this now, but better now than before release eh!! Do you have any idea when these upgrades will be available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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