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Detailing kits for HKM B-17G


CyberGolem

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Thanks for the info.

 

Here is the Trumpeter chisel/scraper tool I was mentioning:

 

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=product&a=show&id=2589&l=en

 

Thierry

 

I have a couple of those (different shapes and sizes of 'blade'), with a couple of more on the way. They're really useful!

 

Kev

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I am surprised it seems nobody ever mentioned the main problem of the kit: the fact it only depicts a very small production block from an external perspective! And no aftermarket company is solving that.

 

Indeed, if you consider Boeing production, the only planes built with the fixed .50 in the radio compartment top window were the blocks 85 to 105! Milk Run was a block 70 and except two schemes in the OOP Zotz sheet (Super Mouse & 5£ with Breakfast) I don't think anyone has released appropriate decals. I could not check the situation for Vega and Douglas blocks but the production was similar.

 

So, most schemes (earlier or later ones) would ask for replacing that window by a new plain one. However, this is not so easy as HK did not give such an option... Personally, as I am interested in a block 65, I think I will use the kit part without the machine gun and with a plug in the hole. Not the best solution but currently I do not see a better one as I seriously doubt I can make a vacformed window with the same clarity. Hopefully, this will be in the E/F kit or future G releases...

 

Too bad as this is the most visible area of a nice kit...!

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I'm not trying to be rude or funny, but Milk run? Blocks?? I imagine blocks would be a reference to a series of planes built in a certain time period, so they would share common traits ... is that right? Milk run is something I've never heard of. So please, do tell!

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with many blocks and variations it gets difficult (here is where Jennings jumps in to say this is why they will never do a B-24 :) )

 

Yes you would be correct on the interpretation of "blocks." I believe Milk Run is a specific B-17 (like that was the name painted on the nose)

 

I personally would like to do "Little Patches" someday but have not even got that far to figure out what block it is and what all would need to be changed on the HK kit to make it accurate to that ship...

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with many blocks and variations it gets difficult (here is where Jennings jumps in to say this is why they will never do a B-24 :) )

 

Yes you would be correct on the interpretation of "blocks." I believe Milk Run is a specific B-17 (like that was the name painted on the nose)

 

I personally would like to do "Little Patches" someday but have not even got that far to figure out what block it is and what all would need to be changed on the HK kit to make it accurate to that ship...

 

Little Patches was B-17G-25-BO serial no. 42-31678; an earlier G in OD/NG.  In order to model her, you'll need to combine the B-17F kit with the B-17G kit (mostly the nose of the 17G) and then do the UAL Mod Center waist windows (3 panel glass, enclosed with K-5/K-6 gun mounts) and quite possibly the B-17F style radio room gun installation.  You'll probably be better off waiting until HK decides to release an early B-17G unless you've got lots of spare cash lying about.  Anyway, the Little Patches decals from Kits Worlds are somewhat less than accurate outside of the 1st AD Triangles and squadron/plane in squadron codes.  The nose art (minus the "Little Patches") is wrong for her as she wore two distinctly different (to me anyway) cheesecakes, neither of which is accurately portrayed on the Kits World decal sheet.  I don't even know if it was done correctly on any decal sheet in 1/48 or 1/72 either.    Granted, not many will know the difference but as a decal manufacturer with access to this information, they should've presented options and better research.  If you're looking to get as accurate as possible, you could retouch the nose art decal or have another one made (an option I would choose) or if it isn't that important, you could just use the decal as is.  Given the the B-17 is one of my "passion" aircraft and the G's are the favorite among the various subtypes AND seeing as how the 91st BG is my favorite bomber group (I have the entire USAAF official combat history of the 91st BG on 16mm microfilm) you can imagine I am somewhat biased in my opinions of markings as far as the 91st is concerned.  You'll have to forgive me for my "long-winded" post on this. 

 

From Ray Bowden's USAAF Nose Art Research Site accessed 11/02/2016:  http://www.usaaf-noseart.co.uk/plane.php?plane=little-patches#.WBp3YskoF7E

 

Starcer's original pin-up painting portayed a blonde wearing an Air Force cap. His artwork was probably based on the popular Gil Elvgren illustration entitled 'Net Results' painted in 1941 -- which was based on his earlier rendering called 'Forced Landing'.

 

The fire damage affected the nose section of the plane and Tony Starcer repainted the pin-up girl at this time and made some slight amendments to his original imagery. The girl became slightly slimmer as well as a brunette, the Air Force cap was omitted and the dress received a different pattern. The title lettering however remained identical and untouched.

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wow - fantastic info there Juggernut - thankya!

 

Yeah I was thinking she would need the F rear fuselage - heres hoping HK eventually does the early G release....

 

Are there any particularly large/high-resolution clear pics of the nose art out there?

Edited by petrov27
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As Patrick explained shortly, the block is a production batch of planes sharing identical features. Each time a major component was updated, a new production block was created. Commonly, in US production, block numbers are incremented by a 5 value. So, as the external features of the kit correspond to blocks 85 to 105, this means four successive production batches covering Boeing-made planes 43-38274 to 43-39073.

 

Milk Run is the single B-17 decal scheme included in the HK kit.

 

Thierry

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Surely, whichever B17 was depicted in the kit, it could only ever represent a handful of actual aircraft, so many were the variations....

 

Tim

 

Absolutely Tim,

 

From what research I've done so far, I'd go as far as to say that no two B-17's were alike!

 

Craig

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