Second Attempt at HKM B-17G With Some Minor Improvements.

[brahman104]

Hi SD,

 

    It's been a while since I checked in on your progress, but it's good to see you're still going at it and working towards the finish. Everything you've done so far looks great. I would really like to take on one of these myself, but I'd like to do some major, major surgery to it (like converting it to a D), so I'm hoping that someday I can find a pre-loved one in a salvageable condition, rather than pay full price for something I'm going to hack up! In the meantime though, thank you for continuing to chip away at your build, seeing as it's the only one left on here at the moment! Always a pleasure to watch your work mate.

 

Craig

[fozzy]

  Don't forget that this section will the most visible of all since the doors will be glued open.  It has to be good.  

 

I personally have no doubt that it will look not just good but great if you have anything to do with it

 

Take you time SD....I know what your going through....so far I have spent 4 days trying to replicate a gun sight!!!!

[Silver Dollar]

@Roy-- I'm definitely having fun building this kit.  When it stops being fun, I get up from the work bench and do something else.  I usually put in about 2 hours each night but if one or two nights go by with no building, I just take it in stride and go back when I feel like it.  Also, if I decide to put in a certain amount of detail and it causes a bunch of stress, I either find another way to do it or I leave it out.  A lot of stress will cause me to table the whole deal and I won't let that happen again.  

 

As far as the wiring goes, there are control cables at the top of the bay and bundles of wire running along the bay sides and around the bulkheads.  There are a few boxes stuck to the walls and the wiring from those joins up with the bundles.  It's similar to the bundles you find on the navigator's side of bulkhead #1 behind the instrument panel.  It's basically subtle but effective.  Thanks for putting up that bomb dropping video.  That's cool.  

 

@Craig--Thanks for the kind words.  I definitely want to complete this model and do some creative black and white photography to see if I can get this to look as real as possible.  

 

@fozzy-- Thanks so much for the great compliment.  4 days for the gunsight?  I can see that happening especially at the scale your doing.  I've had days like that.  Heck, I've had weeks like that.  The good thing about it is that when you finally perfect an assembly, it's one huge rush you can't get anywhere else.    That's what keeps us going on to the next challenge.    

[marauderdriver]

Hey SD,

    

Just letting you know that I check on your progress and looking forward to pics of the bomb bay so I can copy-kat them LOL....................I,m serious

 

I keep having this thought about finding a way to get a custom decal of my wife for nose art to give me the incentive to restart mine.

 

It is less than an arms length away and I still find something else to work on....I need a good KICK

 

I posted about a custom decal and maybe that will help to get an answer and start a roll.

 

Jack

[plane_mc]

SD, I had to come out of "lurk mode" to comment on this. You are doing a great job and have been a huge inspiration for my build. I doubt mine will look as good as yours, but I am having fun with it. I will be starting my own thead soon, I need to get some pictures taken first.

 

I don't know if you remember me from the large scale car forum, I use the same username here too. I remember your work on there and have always been impressed with your talent.

[Pete Fleischmann]

Looks like me and fozzy are the only ones that are actively working on B-17 related models. 

 

Didn't know I had stopped working on mine! I fly Boeings for a living, so no, I'm often not at my bench for several days at a time-

 

Keep going man! looking great-

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Silver Dollar]

Thanks all for the kind words.  I've got the bomb bay almost done.  The sides are in, the inside has been foiled and the bulkhgood to hear from you again.eads have been connected via the center frame.  I'll do a mock up and then I should be able to get some good shots from that.  Hey plane_mc.  Glad to see you found me here.  

 

@Pete.  That I can understand.  No rush.  Just have fun and enjoy.  

 

@Jack.  The pictures will come and will be plentiful.  

[Guest Peterpools]

SD

Looking forward to the next update,

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[Silver Dollar]

I finally have some pictures of the bomb bay.  This is just a mock up I did so I could get a decent idea of how it looks.  I dug out the areas at the base of the middle bomb racks since that was pretty obvious in my research pics.  I need to add a little more paint into the holes.  The wire bundles I was talking about will go across the sides of the bay while the control cables will go at the top.  I'll be adding a few of the bombs and leaving the rest on a cart.  Any other errors will be corrected after I really review the pictures.  

 

Edited March 25, 2014 by Silver Dollar

[fozzy]

I finally have some pictures of the bomb bay.

 

 

 

 

...............and it was worth the wait SD!!....I know how difficult this area is! .....I once scratch built a B17F bomb bay .....and what with the cat walk and the racks and all the other detail it was very time consuming......well done ...it looks brilliant!

[Silver Dollar]

Thanks fozzy.  I really appreciate your comments.  I still have to finish foiling the starboard wall and definitely need to put a couple of bombs in there to make it look more detailed.  I'm glad I take these pictures up close because I can really see the areas I need to touch up.  It magnifies everything so you can't miss them.  BTW, that "wire" under the bomb hoist on the back wall is actually a stray cat hair that got into the build.  

[marauderdriver]

SD     GOTTA WATCH DEM KATS!

 

Looking Very Nice Sir

 

I was wandering how you were going to handle the upper turret detail. I never found any real good references and just kinda "Made it Up".

 

Fortunately you can't see a thing once you close up everything. 

 

FLAK-KAT's the Bain of B-17's everywhere ! 

 Jack

[plane_mc]

Very nice and worth the wait.  I am hoping to add the control cables and wiring on mine too.  

[Silver Dollar]

Hey Jack.  I had to laugh when you mentioned FLAK KAT.  Fortunately, I have a door to the workshop that I can close to keep those cats out.  The hair is another story.  They get it all over me and from there I deliver it to the B-17.  By the time I'm done, I'll have the fuzziest B-17 on the site.  I may have to change the name of the aircraft to Fuzzy.  

 

I've got some photos of the top turret but they're at such odd angles that I really can't see the individual details like I need.  The lower part where the gunner stands should be  easier than the gun controls.  I'll wind up building it's interior according to the instructions and then see what and how much I can add to the mix.  You're right about the fact that when everything is closed up, you can't really see the fine details.  I'll have to capture those in the constructions photos and include them in the "scrap book".  If I find some good research pics, I'll give you a yell and I can get them to you.  

 

Thanks Mark.  I'm following your B-17 also and I'm really impressed with what you've done.  If you don't mind, I'd like to use some of your ideas on mine especially when it comes to the front bulkhead surface in the waist.  I don't know where they got the idea to mold the boxes into the wall like they did.  Unless it was put into a B-17 variation I don't know about, it's totally wrong.  I guess they must have tried to save some plastic. 

[plane_mc]

Use away SD, that is part of the reason I am posting, hoping to give someone else some ideas to make up for all the ideas I have stolen from other builds.  The more that gets shared, the better everyone's build will be.