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CONTINUATION OF MY 1:20 SCALE SCRATCH BUILT B17G (RADIO ROOM)


fozzy

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Nicely detailed efforts.  I'd like to point out , just as an FYI, that combat B-17's did not have ball turrets with external ammo cans.  If you're replicating a war bird , that's a different story.  Doesn't detract from your efforts one bit, just a little FYI in case you're interested. 

 

I also realize it's too late to change but production 17G's, with the exception of Douglas built ships (I just discovered) weren't painted interior green (and in those Douglas ships only the waist area appears to have been painted interior green).  

 

Again, not any ding on the build, on the contrary, its inspirational.  I'd never be able to pull off what you've done.  Just a little FYI in case you'd ever do this again on a kit. Also, if your attempt is to replicate a war bird then you're perfectly correct to paint the insides interior green.

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7 hours ago, Juggernut said:

Nicely detailed efforts.  I'd like to point out , just as an FYI, that combat B-17's did not have ball turrets with external ammo cans.  If you're replicating a war bird , that's a different story.  Doesn't detract from your efforts one bit, just a little FYI in case you're interested. 

 

I also realize it's too late to change but production 17G's, with the exception of Douglas built ships (I just discovered) weren't painted interior green (and in those Douglas ships only the waist area appears to have been painted interior green).  

 

Again, not any ding on the build, on the contrary, its inspirational.  I'd never be able to pull off what you've done.  Just a little FYI in case you'd ever do this again on a kit. Also, if your attempt is to replicate a war bird then you're perfectly correct to paint the insides interior green.

 

Hi Juggernut

Thanks for your input on my build and I understand everything you have pointed out.

I have been building this model now for at least 6 years and have studied reams of information and seen thousands of photos of the B17 so I know exactly what your saying and where you're coming from.

With the variants  of the B17 and the different manufacturers one could quite easily get wrapped up in "what is right and what is wrong"....yes  "some" of the interiors were not painted interior green....some were ...for me it was always going to be a nightmare to get it all right from the offset .

So I decided 6 years ago to make this build my own interpretation of the B17G .I do realize that it is not 100% accurate  but just hope that it is pleasing to the on lookers eye...... 

BTW ..this interpretation of the B17G is loosely attached to the "Warbird " variety...and I just had to put those emergency ammunition cans in!......

Cheers

Fozzy

Edited by fozzy
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Afternoon guys!

 

This post will finish up all the interior detail I needed to do before closing both top and bottom halves of the fuselage and then I can proceed to finish off the detail on the exterior of the fuselage.

 

So what needed to be done was the ammunition belts from the emergency ammunition cans and the oxygen bottle for the gunner.

I'll start with the ammunition belts.....By using just paper and wire I'd thought I would show you how I went about this task ..photo by photo...

 

1. The first task was to cut 4 pieces of paper to the length/width of the belts....I used paper as it will bend like a real ammo belt...

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system.jpg

 

2. As you can see I then cut all 4 pieces..(you will see in the next few photos why I did this!)...

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(1).jpg

 

3. I then got some garden metal wire twine (I chose this as it looked the right scale for the rounds)...

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(2).jpg

 

4. This then had to be straightened using a flat piece of metal rolled across the top of a length of wire......

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(3).jpg

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(4).jpg

 

5. After measuring the width of the pieces of paper I then had to cut... (loads!!).... of pieces of wire which would replicate the rounds,....laborious task!...although I don't actually mind doing it!!

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(5).jpg

 

6. These were the super glued onto 2 of the 4 strips of paper....

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(6).jpg

 

7. Then the other strips of paper were glued over the top of the rounds  This is the time that I bent the paper to the shape I needed....

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(7).jpg

 

8. A couple strips of paper were cut and glued to both sides of the belts to make them look more authentic and I then painted them.....

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(8).jpg

 

So now all I had to do was super glue one end of the belts to the ammo cans and hook up the other ends on a couple of posts....(the reason for this is that because I have exposed the top of the ball turret I couldn't glue them to the entry point of the turret!)...here are a few photos of the task complete......

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(9).jpg

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(9a).jp

 

making_the_emergency_ammo_system_(9b).jp

 

The last task to do before closing the two halves was to scratch the oxygen tank for the gunner.

I have so far made loads of oxygen tanks for this project so I just made them the same way as before....and that is a sanded down piece of balsa wood with plastic strips glued to them!......here it is....

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit.jpg

 

I then glued the tank onto the post and made a couple of paper straps ....to replicate the securing straps!

 

So here is the finished Ball turret connection structure......

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(1).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(2).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(3).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(4).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(5).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(6).j

 

oxygen_bottle_and_the_complete_fit_(7).j

 

So now its at long last time to place the top to the bottom!!..ha ha!

 

about_to_attach_the_top_to_the_bottom.jp

 

I am now getting close to the end of the Radio room section of this B17G....the external detail will now have to be thought about before proceeding......so I'll see you all the next time around!

 

Thanks again for looking in

 

Fozzy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks guys!................

 

3 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Amazing work!  LOVE following along. Are we going to see this beauty at Telford this year?  Chris

 

Eventually I will try and get to Telford to show this but I really want to finish it first!.....I have one more section to go ....so it won't be this year Chris! ;)

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20 hours ago, fozzy said:

Thanks guys!................

 

 

Eventually I will try and get to Telford to show this but I really want to finish it first!.....I have one more section to go ....so it won't be this year Chris! ;)

 

Bring what you have and put it on the LSP table for everyone to gawk at.  Give 'em (and us!) a preview for next year!

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I love this build and its 447th BG subject, and am always amazed with your progress each time I see updates.

 

I have a suggestion that will make your task fabricating rounds so much simpler. Instead of cutting the wire to length and then laboriously attaching them side by side, use much longer pieces of wire (4+ times longer than you need) and then after they are glued side-to-side trim them to length and get 4 strips of bullets for essentially the effort of one.

 

I do that with stretched spue or wire to make my ammo belts. Can easily make 10 oversized pieces multiply out to 60 or 70 "bullets" depending on how long the pieces are when I start. Also, because I know I will be trimming I don't bother with exact lengths or getting them squared up at the ends before I glue them together.

 

Keep up the good work ... great work... outstanding work!!!

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Somehow I missed that this aircraft you are building is from the 447th BG out of Rattlesden.  A close friend of mine was a pilot with the 447th (The Blue Hen Chick of my avatar) and I have a lot of his materials, including copy of his mission log , the group's published history book, and a post-war 447th BG calendar from the 447th BG association.  Let me know if you need anything.


Chris

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On 7/17/2019 at 6:56 PM, CANicoll said:

 

Bring what you have and put it on the LSP table for everyone to gawk at.  Give 'em (and us!) a preview for next year!

 

I would if I could CANicoll ....but the logistics of getting her to UK from Bulgaria for the show and then back again to finish it  would be a nightmare!.....but rest assured when she's done I will attempt to get her across to Telford!;)

 

On 7/17/2019 at 8:56 PM, rigor said:

One more section to go ??? 

 

Yes Rigor....so far I have done the nose section ...the bomb bay and now finishing off the radio room which just leaves the tail section to go !....then of course I have to join it all together!

 

11 hours ago, Ol' Scrapiron said:

I love this build and its 447th BG subject, and am always amazed with your progress each time I see updates.

 

I have a suggestion that will make your task fabricating rounds so much simpler. Instead of cutting the wire to length and then laboriously attaching them side by side, use much longer pieces of wire (4+ times longer than you need) and then after they are glued side-to-side trim them to length and get 4 strips of bullets for essentially the effort of one.

 

I do that with stretched spue or wire to make my ammo belts. Can easily make 10 oversized pieces multiply out to 60 or 70 "bullets" depending on how long the pieces are when I start. Also, because I know I will be trimming I don't bother with exact lengths or getting them squared up at the ends before I glue them together.

 

Keep up the good work ... great work... outstanding work!!!

 

Well Ol' Scrapiron....why the hell didn't I think of that obvious solution to rounds!....how simple and how stupid I am to not think of it!......Thank you very very much for the heads up!:o

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3 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Somehow I missed that this aircraft you are building is from the 447th BG out of Rattlesden.  A close friend of mine was a pilot with the 447th (The Blue Hen Chick of my avatar) and I have a lot of his materials, including copy of his mission log , the group's published history book, and a post-war 447th BG calendar from the 447th BG association.  Let me know if you need anything.


Chris

Hey Chris...I certainly will let you know if I need any information etc.....thank you very much!

 

Just to let you know that my B17G was featured as a small back page article in the 447th BG Newsletter by Steve Heeb (Ol'scrapiron)

 

33301695-1030398357110044-34090249356522

 

Fozzy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi there

 

A few weeks have passed and I am a tiny bit forward with this build than I was in the last post!...and I want to tell you where I am at with this!

For a long long time now I have been fretting over how I will display this B17G when it is all done!....I felt I just had to  make a decision before I continued on what was to be done.

Originally it was going to be so simple as I was only planning to build the nose section and just put it on some sort of stand!....but of course with a little encouragement from some of my fellow modellers on this forum!!... I decided to continue with the rest of the fuselage....I mean... I really enjoyed building the nose section...lets do the rest of it!

So I then separately built the bomb bay and the the radio room (as some of you who are following this are aware) and started to build stands for them to sit on. I put the nose section/bomb bay and the radio room next to each other and it just didn't look right!....not only that , it was almost impossible to try and build a stand for the radio room section because of the ball turret hanging below!....the stand would have got in the way of the turret!

There was only one solution to the whole mess and that was to permanently attach all sections together making one complete fuselage ...as it would be on the real thing......that's when the real problems started!:angry2:

Now ...because I built each section separately and now have decided to join them all together I realized that the length of the fuselage will be too long by at least 1.5cm...maybe 2 cm...this is because I built each section from one bulk head to the next (for example bomb bay was built from Bulk head no's 6-8 ....and then the radio room was built from bulk heads nos 8-10.....each bulk head is about 5 mm ....so when you put the bomb bay section to the radio room you have gained 5mm!)....and so on adding to the length of the damn thing!!.....I hope you understand my ramblings!!!

I had to lose those millimeters!...and so you can imagine what I had to do!.........

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

By shortening each section by 5mm it of course put some of the detail out of scale!.....aaaaagggghhhh!...utter nightmare!....not only that ....getting the sections to line up perfectly was very difficult to say the least.

 

I have to say I spoke to my wife and said that the whole project after 6 odd years was going to have to be stopped!....she told me not to be so stupid!.....again!.....and get it sorted!

 

.....and so I persevered and after hours of re constructing ...scrapping a lot of the detail already done....de scaling this and that.... I finally joined the bomb bay with the radio room. The photos you will see show you that I have a load of tidying up to do but this will be no problem for me later on...I hope!

 

Here we go...................

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

Now I can get on with the wing root detail ........here is as far as I have got so far!......

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

Yesterday I made these two plates that will eventually be attached to the wing root...

 

attaching_the_radio_room_to_the_bomb_bay

 

Just to let you know that I have also re constructed the nose section to make sure that it will fit onto the forward bulk head of the bomb bay......and if I thought the R. room and B.bay was a difficult task...then this was just................don't want to think about it!!

 

The joys of scratch building!

 

See you on the next post

 

Fozzy 

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