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1:32 Norden Bombsight


robertmro

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There is already a 1/32 Norden bombsight from Grey Matter and another one from Masterdetails, so it's not a virgin market. I've never seen them in real so i cannot compare, but yours looks definitely great, with outstanding crispy details.

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That looks great. One detail: That mount was used in the B-17G (and many other aircraft) but not in the F.

 

There was an aluminum shelf that jutted out into the nose:

 

 

Mounted to that platform were a couple of brackets with other structure:

 

 

And on top of the brackets and structure was this shock mounted plate to which the bombsight (actually the direction stabilizer) was mounted:

 

 

 

 

Karl,

 

I couldn't reconcile the difference between the other B-17 mounts in my references.

If I had known about this forum you could have cleared it up.

 

Now I will have to produce another version with this mount but since I'm a one man operation and have to depend on outside services it will take months.

Fortunately I enjoy it.

 

I have most of the work done on an upgrade for the Airfix 1:24 Mosquito Browning gun bay.

I will have to post renders on another thread here to find out everything that should be improved before I start printing. 

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There is already a 1/32 Norden bombsight from Grey Matter and another one from Masterdetails, so it's not a virgin market. I've never seen them in real so i cannot compare, but yours looks definitely great, with outstanding crispy details.

 

 

There probably wasn't another when I started but (sigh) now there are three.

 

The Gray Matter one doesn't look very accurate or detailed but the Masterdetails one looks like it could be excellent (I just ordered one to see how they did).

 

About a year and a half ago I was going to make (using photogrammetry and 3D printing) a set of 2 riggers (or is it fitters) attaching a rocket to the Airfix 1:24 Typhoon. Then a well known aftermarket producer told me that he was planning to make this so I dropped the idea.

Well, he hasn't done it to date.

 

The Masterdetails Norden is $12.95 on their website (which is good to know).

 

This is truly a labor of love, not money.

 

Thanks for the info Zero77

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Don't let ANYONE saying they are GOING do do anything put you off a project you want to do. For every product that makes it to market, I reckon 15 'claims' are staked! And if you make sure yours is the best, it will be the others who have to worry about YOU!!

 

Lovely Norden by the way! I hope it is succesful for you.

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Hi,

 

Very nice casting!

 

Just one remark: the upper part of the sight (the "sighthead") was carried out by the bombardier in a leather bag after each mission whereas the lower section (the stabilizer) was permanently installed in the nose as it has the components intended to control the plane.

 

It makes you wonder why they were so paranoid about the need to hide with a fabric cover the remaining part in the nose...

 

So, do not put your plane in full maintenance with the complete Norden...;-)

 

Thierry

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And not every B-17 in a given formation carried the bomb sight. If memory serves, only lead and deputy lead aircraft carried the sight into combat.

 

Some B-17F's were incapable of mounting the bomb sight due to the nose gun/armor installation. It wasn't possible to mount the sight in the aircraft. The ones I know about were those with the twin guns in the nose at the apex of the blister. These were, as I have discovered, lead defense aircraft that would fly on either side of the lead aircraft in the Vee formation.

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I have a correction.

 

The price is now $12 retail. If I charge less I will lose money.

 

I would like to make more kits but in order to do so I can't lose money.

 

******************************************

 

I'm big on WWII. If anybody wants to make requests, I'm opened to it.

 

Thanks again to everyone for support.

 

Robert

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