HB B24 discussion: AM and fixes

[zeusbheld]

On 3/1/2024 at 12:13 AM, TimW said:

I don't think they had to retract it--the "dish" seems to have been almost flush with the bottom of the fuselage and there was 1 or 2 .50 cals mounted there.  Not sure how useful it was as a gun position.

 

I'll let you know what I find out, if anything.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim W.

 

i've not seen pictures of this thing, it sounds rather different to the factory ball turret. 

[TimW]

On 3/2/2024 at 9:50 PM, zeusbheld said:

 

i've not seen pictures of this thing, it sounds rather different to the factory ball turret. 

It is very different.

 

The only pix I've found are at this link:

 

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/alternate-b-24-belly-turret.34925/page-2

 

And they don't really help me get an exact idea of how this thing looked/worked.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim W

[zeusbheld]

22 hours ago, TimW said:

It is very different.

 

wow that IS very different. 

looks like Moby Dick is marked safe from weird turret: 
http://www.b24bestweb.com/mobydick-v1-4.htm

so far the only peculiarities on this ship are early props (don't know if paddle props were fitted later, this ship flew a LONG time) and wheel covers. the weird turret is way beyond the scope of anything i'd try but reshaping aftermarket props and wheel covers ahouldn't be too terrifying. 

[TimW]

1 hour ago, zeusbheld said:

wow that IS very different. 

looks like Moby Dick is marked safe from weird turret: 
http://www.b24bestweb.com/mobydick-v1-4.htm

so far the only peculiarities on this ship are early props (don't know if paddle props were fitted later, this ship flew a LONG time) and wheel covers. the weird turret is way beyond the scope of anything i'd try but reshaping aftermarket props and wheel covers ahouldn't be too terrifying. 

Was thinking of doing Tokio express--I have a nice decal sheet.

 

https://www.super-hobby.com/products/B-24D-Liberator-90th-Bomb-Group-The-Jolly-Rogers.html#gallery_start

 

Interesting the artwork shows no ball turrets on those aircraft--that would be easier to scratch build!

 

Tim W

[zeusbheld]

17 hours ago, TimW said:

Was thinking of doing Tokio express--I have a nice decal sheet.

 

https://www.super-hobby.com/products/B-24D-Liberator-90th-Bomb-Group-The-Jolly-Rogers.html#gallery_start

 

Interesting the artwork shows no ball turrets on those aircraft--that would be easier to scratch build!

 

Tim W

yeah same sheet I'm thinking of using. photo of Moby Dick shows no ball turret, haven't looked for it on other 90th Ds yet. still on the early part of the research. May do Moby Dick in 1/72 and do another ship from that sheet in 1/32, as there's a sheet (also DK i think) with a similarly-painted L4 (or L5) and no kit in 1/32 (1/35 next to 1/32? NOPE). 

still considering a Ploesti sheet, but only decal option I know of is for The Witch (there's Hail Columbia and maybe more, but at the time of Seven Dwarfs, which Kane hated and painted out when he got took his ship back). I'd be interested in other Ploesti sheets or masks but haven't seen much. 

slight chance I will go for Pete the Pom inspector, an assembly ship that was pressed into flying combat during the Battle of the Bulge. 

LOL i am also considering having a.... table... made to display this thing. There's a bit of non-standard aftermarket. 

Edited March 6 by zeusbheld
added bit about Hail Columbia....

[Dennis7423]

Because we had been discussing propellers, I stumbled across this great shot of the needle blade props fitted to earlier B-24D's. This shot is circa 1942, posted by LIFE Magazine:

 

 

- Dennis S.

   Mount Juliet, TN USA

[zeusbheld]

On 3/18/2024 at 9:17 AM, Dennis7423 said:

Because we had been discussing propellers, I stumbled across this great shot of the needle blade props fitted to earlier B-24D's. This shot is circa 1942, posted by LIFE Magazine:

 

oh that's a GORGEOUS photo. 

i wonder if the skinny blade props were used on other planes? if i build Moby Dick i'll probably want those. 

[tomprobert]

8 hours ago, zeusbheld said:

i wonder if the skinny blade props were used on other planes?  

B thru' E-model B-17s had the exact same props with many, like the Liberator, being later fitted with the paddle bladed set up to give more 'bite' at altitude.

[TimW]

Got my Osprey on B-24s in the PTO.   Nothing really helpful, apart from tantalizing glimpses of what the "improvised" ball turrets looked like.   Hmph.

 

I figure I have two options--just put the turret on (it looks good anyway) or blank it out and cover the hole in the flooring and call it turretless.

 

It's not like you can see it that well.  But still.

 

Apart from the two pics I posted earlier, no real idea of what that set up looked like.

 

So onward...

 

Tim W.

[Dennis7423]

There are so many great photos of Moby Dick out there. Definitely looks like she had needle blade props:

 

 

 

Found this in-flight photo of her being escorted by P-40's, which I thought was super cool:

 

 

And I presume this is after she was withdrawn from service, but I thought the camo squiggles were quite interesting:

 

 

- Dennis S.

   Mount Juliet, TN USA

[nmayhew]

On 2/27/2024 at 10:38 AM, Pup7309 said:

Haha no the turrets are still split with basic engines. But there is more chance of aftermarket with this one.

 

PLAN D: just try to accept it for what it is - flawed but ok

funky wings I can accept 

 

turrets with a seam line down the middle where they should not be makes it look like something made in the 1950s, which I just cannot tolerate

 

After much waiting, I got the grail-like clear resin replacement turrets and they do look a million times better and are absolutely worth it

 

the vector engines seem massively overpriced to me; Quickboost need to make some engine faces which will do the job perfectly well at a fraction of the price.

 

now I’ll get off my soapbox!

Edited March 22 by nmayhew

[Dennis7423]

9 minutes ago, nmayhew said:

funky wings I can accept 

 

turrets with a seam line down the middle where they should not be makes it look like something made in the 1950s, which I just cannot tolerate

 

After much waiting, I got the grail-like clear resin replacement turrets and they do look a million times better and are absolutely worth it

 

the vector engines seem massively overpriced to me; Quickboost need to make some engine faces which will do the job perfectly well at a fraction of the price.

 

now I’ll get off my soapbox!

 

I agree. I got the Vector Engines for mine, and they are quite expensive, and complex to put together. A labor of love I suppose. But you're right, something has to be done, because the kit engines are very, very basic.

 

- Dennis S.

   Mount Juliet, TN USA

[TimW]

The Resin2Detail engines are nice, but may have to do some creative sanding to get them to fit.

 

We'll see...

 

Tim W

[zeusbheld]

14 hours ago, Dennis7423 said:

There are so many great photos of Moby Dick out there. Definitely looks like she had needle blade props:

 

she flew a lot of missions over a long time, it's not impossible that she might have gotten paddle blades near the end. however, i've seen no photos showing this, and the ones i've seen are clearly needle blades. the ones showing the Jolly Roger on the ttail are fairly late in her career too. most Ploesti-era Ds look like needle blades also. 

one of the best things about this ship is there are photos of both sides of the nose, so what art is and isn't there is clear. i've seen one aftermarket sheet that has 2 copies of the scoreboard, i guess it'd be useful if i screw up the decaling LOL

that one with Moby Dick Jr makes me consider doing that ship in 1/72 instead of 1/32, as there is no 1/32 little friend. if i do a Ploesti ship i'll probably still need needle blades though. is Jr an L-4 or L-5? i've seen it identified as one or the other depending on the source. looks to me like a Piper, but the shapes are so similar that a Stinson with the cowl off might not look to different. looked at a few photos of Pipers and Stinsons and besides the cowling, the landing gear looks very much like a Cub. pity there's no 1/32 Cub, only 1/35. both Stinson and Cub exist in 1/72 (i have a Cub in the stash even). 

 

15 hours ago, tomprobert said:

B thru' E-model B-17s had the exact same props with many, like the Liberator, being later fitted with the paddle bladed set up to give more 'bite' at altitude.

 interesting. i'd assume the HK B-17E/F boxing has needle blades? they any good? if i feel up to taking on fixing the round nose i may get one. the 'fat fuselage' and slight curve where there shouldn't be toward the tail don't bother me but that nose does and it's a big fix. 

 

14 hours ago, nmayhew said:

funky wings I can accept 

 

lol thhis is the thing that bothers me most, the cross section shape where it joins the fuselage is VERY visible in every photo. 

 

12 hours ago, TimW said:

The Resin2Detail engines are nice, but may have to do some creative sanding to get them to fit.

 

these are full engines, right? a cowl-off maintenance scene would be very interesting, but considering what i paid for the Vector engines i'll be using all four LOL

Edited March 23 by zeusbheld
we don't talk about Bruno... but we Do talk about Moby Dick Jr