1/32 Hobby Boss B-24J Liberator Assembly Ship Tubarao

[Anthony in NZ]

18 minutes ago, monthebiff said:

 

Nice idea Anthony and wish it was that easy as it needs to be a bulged window so should be interesting!!

 

Regards.Andy 

Oh....I wonder if the bulged window in my Trumpeter Avenger would be the right size(or is that too much of a bulge?)?  If so you are welcome to it

 

Cheers Anthony

Edited October 27, 2019 by Anthony in NZ

[monthebiff]

13 hours ago, Anthony in NZ said:

Oh....I wonder if the bulged window in my Trumpeter Avenger would be the right size(or is that too much of a bulge?)?  If so you are welcome to it

 

Cheers Anthony

Thank you for the kind offer Anthony but I have purchased some PETG sheet and have a go at making my own, should be interesting as I've never tried before.

 

Regards. Andy 

[LSP_Kevin]

Just moved this one into position at Andy’s request.

 

Kev

[monthebiff]

Thank you Kev, I've been looking at restarting this build for a while and thought it perfect for this group build.

 

My first port of call will be re- working the the rear cockpit bulkhead and fully open it up as you you see on many B-24's and then scratch all the radio stuff etc.

 

Not a lot can be seen of yhe interior behind the bomb bay so will keep it simple, I think I have a plan 

 

Regards. Andy 

[MikeC]

Missed this first time around: nice to see an assembly ship.

[mozart]

23 minutes ago, MikeC said:

Missed this first time around: nice to see an assembly ship.

What’s an “assembly ship” please for the edification of ignoramuses like me!? 

[geedubelyer]

25 minutes ago, mozart said:

What’s an “assembly ship” please for the edification of ignoramuses like me!? 

 

Hi Max. 

These aircraft were used as a hub to gather the formations together for a raid. Often brightly painted to be more easily seen the other aircraft would formate on their position before beginning the raid.

At least that's my understanding......

 

Have a squint here

Edited March 7, 2024 by geedubelyer

[mozart]

Thanks Guy, similar then to the Bomber Command GH leaders with yellow markings on their tail fins. 

[monthebiff]

Guy is correct Max, often they had all armament removed and quite often the tail turrets removed and faired over to save on weight. My subject from what pictures I have seems to have retained its nose and upper turret armament but not sure the lower or tail turrets.

 

Regards. Andy 

[MikeC]

The 8th AF's 2nd AD, which the B-24s were concentrated in, were based at airfields in a relatively small area around the city of Norwich.  The skies were crowded and the weather was often bad, so there were many instances of crews joining the wrong formation, and inevitably a lot of accidents.

 

Important to remember that these were old, war-weary aircraft.  Their one function was to act as a very visible marker for the group to assemble; hence the distinctve schems and the various light patterns.  After the group had assembled, their job was done and they came back to base, they did not (r) not go anywhere near enemy territory (except for one unauthorised incident on a raid to somewhere on the French coast).  So generally they did not carry guns, as they and the gunners were unnecessary weight.  The crew was minimal: just flight crew, perhaps formation monitor(s), and flare launchers.  They fired off flares as another aid to assembly and therefore carried lots of them; so it wasn't much less dangerous for the crew as they were still riding in a ship packed to the brim with explosives.

 

I did the 389th BG's "Green Dragon" many years ago with the Monogram 1/48 kit, it's now in the 389th's museum at Hethel, and here too.

 

 

[mozart]

Thanks for that explanation Mike, not at all then like the RAF radius of action policy, but then I guess the Yanks relied on tight daylight formations rather than a loose bomber stream at night. 

[BGB]

Hello,

Cool build what  cool  paint scheme are you thinking of for this assembly ship?

 

Cheers

boris

[monthebiff]

18 minutes ago, BGB said:

Hello,

Cool build what  cool  paint scheme are you thinking of for this assembly ship?

 

Cheers

boris

 

I'm using DN Midels masks for this one, here's my subject choice 

 

 

 

 

Regards. Andy 

[Azgaron]

Nice looking paint scheme!

 

Håkan

 

[nmayhew]

On 3/7/2024 at 8:40 AM, monthebiff said:

Guy is correct Max, often they had all armament removed and quite often the tail turrets removed and faired over to save on weight. My subject from what pictures I have seems to have retained its nose and upper turret armament but not sure the lower or tail turrets.

 

Regards. Andy 

I have pics which clearly show front, middle and rear turrets with guns when painted as an assembly ship

 

i did a lot of research on this bird a few years back as I was specifically looking for an assembly ship which was not ‘toothless’, and they are hard to find.

 

from memory, the guns are shown early on in its assembly ship ‘transition’, and the paint scheme evolved

 

in the end it just went back on the ‘file it away’ shelf, mainly because although I like the shark mouth, I don’t like the name so the whole project got parked.