HK B-17...C 5/4 sweating the metal

[ClumsyDude]

Craig that looks really awesome mate. When I grow up I'm going to scratch build instrument panels ...

 

Jim

[TKB]

Craig,

 

Impressive work --- as usual ---on both the IP and cockpit tub

 

You descibe yourself as an average modeler? I don't know about that.

Considering that your skills go from old fashioned scratch building to high tech 3-D Printing and your comfortable working with different types of material puts you way above average..As I've said to you before, your willingness to "do over" is a very commendable. Not everyone could put alot of work into something and then turn around and start all over to do a better job. As far as "artistic liberties", I think this is a must for two reasons; to keep all your details from getting lost and overall making it look believable and not an obvious model.

 

Your IP looks great to us --- hard to believe its your first scfratchbuilt IP. However, I know where you're coming from --- you are your own worst critic! What we envision as the "finished piece" is never what we end up with and that is the bane of modeling.

 

You have really turned this into  a true modular build.

 

 

Terry

[Wolf Buddee]

Craig, this build is definitely taking model building to a whole new level. Your IP looks awesome and is one more area of detail that will attract the viewer to your finished model. It'll take quite some time to take everything. That's the hallmark of a build like yours!

 

Cheers,

Wolf

[brahman104]

Craig that looks really awesome mate. When I grow up I'm going to scratch build instrument panels ...

 

Jim

 

Very kind of you Jim! I think this has proved that anyone can do this, although I'm sure, as usual, I took the hardest, most inefficient route....cause that's how I roll....... 

 

Craig,

 

Impressive work --- as usual ---on both the IP and cockpit tub

 

You descibe yourself as an average modeler? I don't know about that.

Considering that your skills go from old fashioned scratch building to high tech 3-D Printing and your comfortable working with different types of material puts you way above average..As I've said to you before, your willingness to "do over" is a very commendable. Not everyone could put alot of work into something and then turn around and start all over to do a better job. As far as "artistic liberties", I think this is a must for two reasons; to keep all your details from getting lost and overall making it look believable and not an obvious model.

 

Your IP looks great to us --- hard to believe its your first scfratchbuilt IP. However, I know where you're coming from --- you are your own worst critic! What we envision as the "finished piece" is never what we end up with and that is the bane of modeling.

 

You have really turned this into  a true modular build.

 

 

Terry

 

Terry, 

 

Always a pleasure! I do feel this cockpit section is going to take me some time. I've been inspired by a certain spitfire build to try to make a few more parts in metal. Not for any real reason, just to see if I can. I do agree with your thoughts for artistic liberties, but I'll add another.... laziness! That's totally me!

 

Craig, this build is definitely taking model building to a whole new level. Your IP looks awesome and is one more area of detail that will attract the viewer to your finished model. It'll take quite some time to take everything. That's the hallmark of a build like yours!

 

Cheers,

Wolf

 

Hahaha, cheers Wolf! I may have borrowed (stolen) a technique of yours about using decals to represent lines on panels instead of painting them..... First time I've done that and it definitely won't be the last. Feel free to keep on showcasing tips that I can steal in your builds

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

[Hubert Boillot]

Great work on the IP and the rest, Craig.

 

And if you ever designa 307 fuselage one day, make it a combined package with Peter's as I'll take one as well !

 

Hubert

[TKB]

Craig,

 

Yes, artistic liberties could include laziness --- but not in your case.

I can not think of anything you have done since the start of this build that was done out of laziness.

Everything you have done or re-done was for the sake of getting it right or getting it better.

That's definitely not part of the definition of laziness!

 

Take my word for it ---and obviously everyone else following your build ---- you're right up there withthe modelers that you hold in high esteme.

 

I can't say it enough, you have a great talent, fantastic skills to go along with that talent and then throw in a whole heap of dedication!

 

Terry

[richdlc]

excellent work there mate!

[brahman104]

Thank you Hubert, Terry and Rich! You are far too kind

 

Indeed, it seems there is a secret society of people that love the 307.... If I can find enough info about it to be able to draw one up, then there's no reason I couldn't produce a few. On the other hand, perhaps you don't need the HK kit to make one......

 

 

Hmmm, not sure that's entirely what you guys had in mind?

 

Anyway on with a little more progress.

 

I don't know if I've been living in a dream land where I think I can actually do something like what Peter is doing, but I've had a crack at "skinning" the printed cockpit tub with metal. It's only early days I know and it takes a LONG time, but it does have a pretty cool look to it and it would certainly save me from trying to get a decent paint job in a very complex area like last time. 

 

Here's the pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you get your head around the fact that it's really just a whole bunch of basic shapes with some 90 degree angles thrown in, it's pretty straight forward. Just work slowly and accurately. I did bin a few pieces that I got backwards or put the rivets on the wrong side etc, but it's all good practice for basic skills. Soon hopefully I'll have the confidence to move onto some more technical shapes but it's a promising start; especially since Peter and a few others mentioned superglue Debonder, which means you can go silly with the stuff content in the knowledge that you can erase all traces of your blunders later

 

More to come soon 

 

Craig

[TKB]

Craig,

 

So how's it feel to continually be outdoing yourself?

 

Some really beautiful work going into your cockpit #2 ---- and #1 was no dog to begin with!

Don't forget about those two rear seatframes being a bit lower then the pilot's and co-pilot's.

 

How does the media you're using for 3D printed parts wiegh-in compared to styrene?

In your photos the 3D parts have a lightwieght "look" to them.

 

Do you think the kit landing gear will need beefing up or even a scratchbuilt replacement made from metal tube stock will be needed?

Hmmmm --- scratchbuilt you could have spring-loaded oleos.

 

Terry

[brahman104]

Craig,

 

So how's it feel to continually be outdoing yourself?

 

Some really beautiful work going into your cockpit #2 ---- and #1 was no dog to begin with!

Don't forget about those two rear seatframes being a bit lower then the pilot's and co-pilot's.

 

How does the media you're using for 3D printed parts wiegh-in compared to styrene?

In your photos the 3D parts have a lightwieght "look" to them.

 

Do you think the kit landing gear will need beefing up or even a scratchbuilt replacement made from metal tube stock will be needed?

Hmmmm --- scratchbuilt you could have spring-loaded oleos.

 

Terry

 

Hahaha, thanks Terry! You always make such kind comments

 

That said, I am quite pleased with the way #2 is coming along and don't regret it for a second. I'm learning a lot about working with metal; it always intrigues me how a simple 90 degree bend in something can make it so strong, or how complex shapes can be fashioned out of simple sheet. Along the way I'm delving into more and more intricate areas to replicate in metal.... I'm keen to try the centre pedestal next.

 

Thanks very much for the timely reminder! I had forgotten about that so I appreciate your ever vigilant checking of my progress

 

Hmmm, so a comparison between styrene and printed ABS..... well, for the cockpit #2, I've concluded there's no real advantage to doing what I just did as opposed to the normal build up in plastic. In fact, for things like this, I would go as far as to say that careful styrene work would definitely trump this in terms of part finish. I guess the 3D part has the advantage that it is a single piece with no joins, so theoretically it is stronger, but given that I have covered the part in metal/putty anyway it's kind of null and void.

 

On the other hand, the reprint of the nose is where it comes into its own. There is no way I could have made a left and right master to vac form perfectly the same as each other. 

 

Another example. Someone at work gave me a CAD file for a CH-47 yaw pedal. After 17 hours of printing, this is what it came out like (mind you, it's 2/3 scale) and weighs about 50 grams.

 

 

 

There is no way I could make that out of anything else and be that light. Oh and that's with pretty much no clean up except removing the support material.....

 

You are correct, the material does have quite a "lightness" to it, and it can be quite tough, depending on factors such as wall thickness etc. I have some parts being used to support the weight of a washing machine, and I'm using it to make some "joiner" blocks to hold aluminium angle together, so go figure!

 

With the amount of brass that I sunk into the bomb bay, I'm definitely going to invest in some scratch built landing gear and I'm thinking how to add a partial brass main spar just to be sure...... 

 

Spring loaded oleo's eh?..... Okay Terry, you've thrown down the gauntlet, but I think you should have a look at someone with some real talent, such as this gentleman:

 

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=47453&hl=canso&page=13

 

Sometimes we all need a reminder of where we sit in the grand scale of things!

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

Edited June 9, 2016 by brahman104

[TKB]

Craig,

 

Just being a little facicious about the oleos --- maybe guilty of some subliminal seed planting.

Souldn't do that, you have your own agenda without getting "why don't you this and that."

I certainly wouldn't challenge you to do anything. That would be a sucker bet --- with me being the loser!

 

I check out other modelers and I agree that there are several who are true masters at thier work.

Still, as I follow your build --- I AM looking at someone with "real talent" and in that "grand scale of things" is many rungs further up the ladder then he gives himself credit for!

I can only imagine what you'llbe turning out in another twenty years!

 

CH-47 seems to have a special place with you.

 

 

Terry

[brahman104]

Hahaha, no worries at all Terry! Although I do like the idea of some working oleos; it would certainly make me improve my lathe/mill skills to do it, so it's definitely a worthwhile challenge

 

At the moment though I am having a blast with this aluminium stuff; the possibilities are endless really, it's just the process that can sometimes take a while to figure out, but then, that's half the fun isn't it?

 

As to what I'll be turning out in another 20 years.... probably still this B-17 the rate that I work!

 

Ah yes the CH-47. I know it's a little off topic, but yes, the big girls have been a part of my life for over 10 years now, and I've had many adventures in/around them..... so I am quite fond of them. I guess they are in the rotary wing world to me what the B-17 is in the bomber category

 

Anyway back to the topic at hand. I decided it was high time to get a little paint on the whole show since I was just about done with skinning the major areas. I'm also keen to try replicating the wood grain finish for the flight deck floor so after more than a little creative masking, I put down some base colours and a little shading. These will be enhanced (hopefully) with some pastel/oils once everything is dry. I'm really just dabbling in every opportunity I can with this build to improve my skills and this seemed like a good chance.

 

 

With the tape removed (ask me how much fun it was to mask all that......)

 

 

 

As you can imagine, I still have a long way to go with the underfloor detailing. Starting with the bottom part of the control columns, here I used some brass as a base and building up with some epoxy putty. This assembly will then slide into the two holes on the vertical "walls" that run underneath. 

 

 

The tops will be cut back so they'll just sit against the floor. Not 100% correct, but once a whole heap of pulleys, brackets and cable are on top of it, it should be passable!

 

Stay tuned for some more aluminium fun.

 

Craig

[LSP_Kevin]

Impressive work, Craig! You must try to make it across for Model Expo some time.

 

Kev

[airscale]

looks fabulous Craig - you have clearly mastered it already

 

as you say the possibilities are endless - there is no better way to replicate metal than metal!

 

charge on, it looks so cool

 

Peter

[brahman104]

Impressive work, Craig! You must try to make it across for Model Expo some time.

 

Kev

 

Thanks Kev! I'd love to, but unfortunately this is invariably one of our busiest times of the year at work, so it's next to impossible to get the time off. Hopefully I can make it down next year..........

 

looks fabulous Craig - you have clearly mastered it already

 

as you say the possibilities are endless - there is no better way to replicate metal than metal!

 

charge on, it looks so cool

 

Peter

 

Cheers Peter! Well if you hadn't shown us what can be achieved then none of this would have happened and I'd still be mucking around with cockpit #1, or worse! I'm very much piggy-backing off your skills here.....I'm still pondering how I can make some convincing ribs and stringers. If I could nail that then it'd open up a whole new chapter (and about an extra 10 years of work on this one!). Perhaps etching may still be the way to go with that one?

 

The rear fuselage is going to be quite involved going down this path but with two big windows and an open door I think it'll be worth the effort.