B-17G Late - HKM - plane_mc

[plane_mc]

Most of my time lately has been spent finishing up the details under the cockpit area.  Here are the results of that effort.  I still need to add more plumbing and all the wiring.

 

 

 

 

Here is what will be seen through the openings.

 

 

 

I realized after looking at my pictures that I forgot to take one from above looking through the opening from the cockpit.

I probably won't start painting much until I get all the details made up.  I find myself constantly going back and adding/fixing details as I make the next pieces and/or find new pictures.

 

(I hope this isn't inappropriate to ask here. If so, Mods will you please remove this part)

Does anyone who has this kit have a spare pilot/copilot/radio room seat (the high back bucket seat - part #J39) that they are not going to use?  I would like to put 3 of the same seat in the radio room, but there are only 4 in the kit.

 

I hope the next update will not take so long to post.

 

Thanks for looking

 

 

[Silver Dollar]

O.K. now we're getting somewhere.  That's great work.  I can see where I'm going to have to add a few details.  I'm not up to the walls yet so this couldn't have come at a better time.  It's a perfect guide to follow.  

[Uncarina]

This is a great build! That interior has as much white styrene as it does parts from the kit!

 

Cheers, Tom

[krow113]

Wicked!

 

What are the 2 pressure vessels?

[Dennis7423]

I plan on only mounting one seat in my radio room, and it will be of the small-backed type. So, I have a few extra high-backed seats! PM me your address, and I'd be more than happy to send one your way.

 

- Dennis S.

  Westminster, CO USA

[plane_mc]

O.K. now we're getting somewhere.  That's great work.  I can see where I'm going to have to add a few details.  I'm not up to the walls yet so this couldn't have come at a better time.  It's a perfect guide to follow.  

 

Thanks SD, I wouldn't say it is a perfect guide, but you are welcome to follow and make improvements.

 

This is a great build! That interior has as much white styrene as it does parts from the kit!

 

Cheers, Tom

 

Thanks Tom, there is a lot of white right now, but I am just adding things I want to, not that it would be necessary to add them.

 

Wicked!

 

What are the 2 pressure vessels?

 

Thanks krow, I am not positive but I think they are part of the fire suppression system. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in and say for sure.

 

I plan on only mounting one seat in my radio room, and it will be of the small-backed type. So, I have a few extra high-backed seats! PM me your address, and I'd be more than happy to send one your way.

 

- Dennis S.

  Westminster, CO USA

 

Thank you Dennis, PM sent.

[Silver Dollar]

Hey Mark.  Looks like we're going to be feeding off of each other's ideas.  Two heads are better than one.  

[Guest Peterpools]

Mark

Just love the details

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[plane_mc]

Hi everyone,  just wanted to let you know I am still here.  Haven't had much for bench time lately, other things have been taking priority.   I hope to get back on this sooner than later.

[Silver Dollar]

No problem, Mark.  I'm still slowly plodding along with my build so I can patiently wait to see what more you do.  Take your time.  The model will wait.  

[plane_mc]

It's been a while.  I have been working on this when I can, but I haven't had much time over the past month.  I am hoping that changes soon.

 

I decided to do some work on the chin turret. My version is not 100% like the original, I just wanted it to look close and represent what the original looks like.  Not much will be seen once the whole front end is put together. 

 

First, I filled in the oversized openings in the back of the turret and then opened up the access panels.

 

 

I modified the center piece of the turret so it would look a little closer to the original. 

 

 

 

I also modified the inside a little to make the guns fit in better.

 

 

Speaking of guns, here are the HK guns on the left, with the Brassin guns on the right.  The bottom is the Brassin guns with Master barrels.

 

 

I made up the ammo bins out of sheet styrene.  The ammo in the top is just stretched sprue cut to size and the ammo feed belts are wire ties heated and bent to shape, then cut to size.  Here is everything put together to get an idea of how it will look. 

 

 

As you can see in this picture, it is going to be hard to see much once it is all together, but I know it is there.

 

 

Here is one of my helpers keeping track of what I am doing as I go along.  She jumps up in the chair as soon as I get up to get anything.

 

 

That's all for this update.  I hope the next one doesn't take so long to happen.

 

Thanks for looking.

[brahman104]

Bravo Mark! The chin turret is coming along vey nicely. I particularly like your novel approach to the ammo chutes! I just looked back through your progress so far and it is might impressive, I really do like the underfloor area of the cockpit! Just keeping all these little ideas and concepts in the back of my head for when I start my build, hopefully sooner rather than later!

 

Craig

[Silver Dollar]

Ah yes.  Again, you have lead the pack.  Now I know how to do the chin turret.  That's been eluding me for a while.  Great work as usual.  

[plane_mc]

Bravo Mark! The chin turret is coming along vey nicely. I particularly like your novel approach to the ammo chutes! I just looked back through your progress so far and it is might impressive, I really do like the underfloor area of the cockpit! Just keeping all these little ideas and concepts in the back of my head for when I start my build, hopefully sooner rather than later!

 

Craig

Thank you Craig, I hope you post your build when you get to it.

 

Ah yes.  Again, you have lead the pack.  Now I know how to do the chin turret.  That's been eluding me for a while.  Great work as usual.  

Thanks SD.  I love what you are doing in the waist area with the foil.  I just don't have that much ambition, mine will be done with paint.

[Silver Dollar]

Thank you Craig, I hope you post your build when you get to it.

 

Thanks SD.  I love what you are doing in the waist area with the foil.  I just don't have that much ambition, mine will be done with paint.

I didn't have that much ambition either.  I hooked myself into doing it.  I'm terrible to myself.  I'm my own worst enemy.