B-17G D Day Doll April 1945

[ykak]

ThanxHåkan! 🙂

[ykak]

Cheyenne turret refflector gun sight

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Based on several references, I wanted to make the reflector gun sight. I do not know, weather D Day Doll had this but it just looked so much better than to one in the kit. Squadron B17 Walk Around has good pictures from this. I used the the part M5 from the kit. I drilled a hole through and make it square. Then I add clear plastic lense, which I painted with Tamiya transparent green. I made the sight holder from brass and I took the size and the shape from Eduard etch set instructions. Then I scratch build the rest of the sight construction. The heater pipe is soldering tin. I drilled the holes to it based on referrence pictures. 

One issue is the dirt inside the plane - just do not know, how to get it out. More you clean the clear parts, more static electricity you charge to them and more dirt they suck.  Now it is too late :0(  ( I migh try my hoover with low power from the belly turret hole :0)))) )

 

 

[patricksparks]

 

Cheyenne turret refflector gun sight

------------------------------------------------

Based on several references, I wanted to make the reflector gun sight. I do not know, weather D Day Doll had this but it just looked so much better than to one in the kit. Squadron B17 Walk Around has good pictures from this. I used the the part M5 from the kit. I drilled a hole through and make it square. Then I add clear plastic lense, which I painted with Tamiya transparent green. I made the sight holder from brass and I took the size and the shape from Eduard etch set instructions. Then I scratch build the rest of the sight construction. The heater pipe is soldering tin. I drilled the holes to it based on referrence pictures. 

One issue is the dirt inside the plane - just do not know, how to get it out. More you clean the clear parts, more static electricity you charge to them and more dirt they suck.  Now it is too late :0(  ( I migh try my hoover with low power from the belly turret hole :0)))) )

 

 

 

 

If you try taking a party ballon, blow it up, rub it on your  head(you have to have hair !!!or sometimes your shirt will work,wool is best) this will create static, and rub the ballon around your clear part, alot of times this will make the debris inside jump off the part(old trick we use to clean off display cases that are sealed).

Edited December 20, 2016 by LSP_Kevin

[ykak]

Thanks Patrick, I might try that trick. We have baloons somewhere. 

[ykak]

90% ready

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First time all the parts assembled and antennas done. Antenna work took some time and thinking how to make them as there are so many antennas in these late B17's around the fuselage. I will make a separate antenna blog later. When putting all part together, it was obvious that 5 profimodeller MG brass barrels were too long compared to reference pictures.  They were cheek, side and radio compartment MG barrels. I will put the MG to radio compartment knowing that most propably it was removed in late 1944 already. The reason is that I do not have clear part without the hole for MG. I have Eduard resin MG set so I can get the barrels from there. In the pictures I have already changed the cheek barrels to Eduard ones.   I am also working on a "small" base for the Fortress. 

. 

[tomprobert]

Looking beautiful - one of the most striking schemes to grace the mighty Fortress.

 

One minor thing if I may - the 447th BG wing chevron was actually dark blue and not black as you've depicted. Not too late for a repaint?

 

Hope you don't mind me pointing that out.

 

All the best,

 

Tom

[Guest Peterpools]

Welcome to the Forum

 A bit late to the party  but what a build.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[ykak]

Hi Tom, they are actually insignia blue from model master - not black. Pictures are not top quality. I need to find a way to take good pictures from this, the size causes some challenges.

[tomprobert]

Hi Tom, they are actually insignia blue from model master - not black. Pictures are not top quality. I need to find a way to take good pictures from this, the size causes some challenges.

Apologies! Now you mention it, you can see the different hue when compared to the de-icer boot.

 

Looking forward to seeing this none done - it's a beauty.

[ykak]

Tom, is there any information, which blue it might have been used?. My made an assumption that they might have used insignia blue (FS 35044). I was surprised how dark it actually was, almost black. I can still irepaint chevrons. 

[LSP_Kevin]

Wow, this is looking seriously spectacular!

 

Kev

[Guest]

My God this is good! Very very well done. I love it. Oh, and welcome to our home....Harv.

[CANicoll]

Hakan,  Just such a nice job and love seeing her with the yellow tail and the green stripes.  The 709th has been reactivated as a heavy lift squadron out of Dover Delaware flying C-5's.  There is a plane called the Spirit of the Blue Hen in honor of my friends B-17 and they have a small museum there on base which is open to the public.  If you get a chance, check out their website.  Here is the 447th website if you had not found it already:  http://www.447bg.com/.

 

There are some color pictures there as well from the war you might find useful for weathering.

 

Chris

[tomprobert]

I'll have a look through my resources and see what I can find regarding the blue used - my guess would have been insignia blue, too. Maybe lighten it a touch as in colour photos some look quite a bit lighter. I imagine wartime 'grab what you can' rules applied!

Edited December 31, 2016 by tomprobert

[ykak]

Hi Tom,

 

your comment was valid. I repainted chevron. I think the reason why it was so black before was the almunium color under or I had not mixed the color thoroughly. I tinted the Model Master 4742 a bit with white and here is the result.