preview Preview: HK Models 1/32 B-17E/F

[Karl H]

Looking better. It would be nice if the ball mounts were smoothly recessed. It appears they just poked a couple of holes in the later smooth nose cone. But that will address the concerns of a lot of folks.

 

[Bill M.]

Karl,

Do you have info on the single gun braced mount that might help Neil at HK Models?-- like the one retrofitted to Hell's Angels, and as appeared on so many F's. I figure if they at least offer that single gun nose as well as the Belle-style dimpled two mount nose, they would be covering an awful lot of B-17F's.

By the way, it looks like they offer the astrodome-- at least I think I see the fairing.

Bill M.

[Karl H]

Here is what the Cheyenne Mod Center Drawings are like, just drawings.  Not engineering drawings...

 

 

 

And yes, the HK kit does provide an astrodome.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Karl H

[Bill M.]

Thanks Karl! Great info there. Now, I hope Neil of HK is monitoring this thread!

Bill M.

[Karl H]

Remember I said the standard smooth nose was modified for the single gun mount? Well, here is the Cheyenne Mod Center drawing for the cutout:

 

 

And here is a portion of the mount:

 

[Juggernut]

it appears as though the CAD images omit the cross brace between the sockets in the nose.

 

[Karl H]

Appears that was not always there:

 

Upon further review, I don't think that is a bar between the two guns. I believe it is the upper brace to the right gun socket.

 

 

Does not appear to be in this photo:

 

Edited March 15, 2016 by Karl H

[Dennis7423]

The new nose clear piece does look longer in the new CAD images, too. Thoughts?

 

- Dennis S.

Westminster, CO USA

[Darren Howie]

I really feel sorry for HK Models..

It really doesn't matter what they do fault will be picked by someone who can't do there favourite aircraft because the number of changes and mods are so extensive.

Very glad to just be the customer and not having to deal with the aftermath of the decisions they make.

Great info in here I just hope people remember the piece of string can only be so long and it is impossible to please everyone.

[32tragic]

I really feel sorry for HK Models..

It really doesn't matter what they do fault will be picked by someone who can't do there favourite aircraft because the number of changes and mods are so extensive.

Very glad to just be the customer and not having to deal with the aftermath of the decisions they make.

Great info in here I just hope people remember the piece of string can only be so long and it is impossible to please everyone.

amen to that

[Bill M.]

Apparently Neil of HK is taking our wishes to heart. On his Facebook page, he is suggesting that they will include the single braced gun nose in the kit. This is a good move as it will cover the greatest number of individual airplanes.

Bill M.

[Karl H]

I think he is an honorable guy trying to the best he can with the information he has available. Kudos to him and his staff.

[pennausamike]

I think he is an honorable guy trying to the best he can with the information he has available. Kudos to him and his staff.

 

I agree with this, and along with kudos, I think we all want to see these large size 1/32nd scale kits succeed.

I find it amazing that we have gone from this,

 

 

or this,

 

 

or scratchbuilding being the only option to build a large scale B-17, to this,

 

 

and now an injection molded B-17F coming to market.

 

I don't worry too much about HKM perfectly supplying all the internal bracing, (this can be handled by aftermarket or scratchbuilding)

but I think it is good business sense to offer a variety of nose cone transparencies in the single kit.

At this price point, this isn't a kit that people will buy a half dozen of for the stash,

but I can definitely see people buying two or three instead of just one.

 

I hope this kit does well, and the Lancaster comes to market next.

I don't even want one, but I know that the Lancaster is just as iconic to our friends across the pond, (and Anglophiles the world over)

as the B-17 is for the USA.

And I know how much I desperately wanted an injection B-17.

I think the Lancaster will fill a similar niche as these two B-17's have done.

 

Mike

[Rick Griewski]

It's bloody huge, an absolute monster.

 

I've got a big old bench, but no way would this kit fit on it - I wonder how many of these HK sell?

 

Yikes it is big!  But my bench will fit it (three JU-88 will fit wing tip to tip). Considering the cost... I want to build one with an interesting history (not the belle), natural metal finish and interesting markings.  The collection of AM goodies alone I anticipate could rival two or three other between the wars bi-plane kits on my list.  I will have to meditate a while on this one for a while.

 

Rick

[Juggernut]

Appears that was not always there:

 

Upon further review, I don't think that is a bar between the two guns. I believe it is the upper brace to the right gun socket.

 

 

Does not appear to be in this photo:

 

 

 

You appear to be correct Karl.  I hadn't considered that there might be an optical illusion and to make things worse, I didn't check another image either.  Oh woah is me...  I forgot one of my cardinal rules of reference...cooroboration/substantiation.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Juggernut