Pacific WWII B-25 J "Strafer" 1/32 HK model kit

[aquatarkus10]

On 11/10/2020 at 2:39 AM, aircommando130 said:

WOW! That's awesome! I can almost feel the heat and humidity of the South Pacific island (I spent 4 years on Okinawa).

Do you have any close ups of the 8 gun nose bays? I have the strafer kit too and want to build it similar to yours.

 

Cheers Ron

Thanks Ron for the comment and for the wonderful feeling you managed to convey to me with the memory of Okinawa. I hope I understand your request and post these images on the ammo bay: this is the Eduard pe set:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and now........... Erika, my personal assistant, in the role of the Strafer pilot, presents the final version with the nose correction for the 'Lady Lil' version.

 

 

On 11/10/2020 at 2:55 AM, JeepsGunsTanks said:

For some fun insider history on these aircraft and how they came to be, try and find a copy of a book called, "The Saga of Pappy Gunn, by General George C Kenney, and his book called General Kenney's Report linked from my site.

 

Both are great reads, and there was a lot of trail and error that went into the all gun nose B-25s, and they had to send Gunn to North American to convince him the modifications that were flying in combat could actually be done.  

 

Thanks Jeeps for the intervention and the information, I took note

 

On 11/10/2020 at 10:12 PM, nmayhew said:

That’s pretty stunning!

 

epically good!

 

one question: should there be ‘smoke’ etc coming from those vents in the wings?

I only ask because that’s a common mistake we see on B-17s, and I am surmising the engine / vent set-up may be similar.

 

Thanks for the comment I appreciated it very much.

I also was quite surprised by the absence of smoke behind the exhausts (I love to highlight them) but, from the photos of the real aircraft it seems to be like this:

 

 

 

 

 

I thank everyone for the attention and interest shown in this work:

extracted from the wip:

 

 

 

 

 

[Rockie Yarwood]

Really nice! Love that cockpit - and Erika too!

[aircommando130]

The 8 gun nose is awesome! That's what I wanted to see up close so "thank you"!!

Great job...beautiful B-25! Gonna have to get mine off the shelf and get started! 

 

Cheers...Ron

[SinuheH]

Gosh that is stunning - gobsmacked! 

 

[JeepsGunsTanks]

11 hours ago, aquatarkus10 said:

Thanks Ron for the comment and for the wonderful feeling you managed to convey to me with the memory of Okinawa. I hope I understand your request and post these images on the ammo bay: this is the Eduard pe set:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and now........... Erika, my personal assistant, in the role of the Strafer pilot, presents the final version with the nose correction for the 'Lady Lil' version.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Jeeps for the intervention and the information, I took note

 

 

Thanks for the comment I appreciated it very much.

I also was quite surprised by the absence of smoke behind the exhausts (I love to highlight them) but, from the photos of the real aircraft it seems to be like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thank everyone for the attention and interest shown in this work:

extracted from the wip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have done a remarkable job duplicating the plane, do you know why they removed the side mounted .50 cals?

[Out2gtcha]

1 hour ago, JeepsGunsTanks said:

 

You have done a remarkable job duplicating the plane, do you know why they removed the side mounted .50 cals?

 

 

Having modeled the exact same plane, with the exact same kit and decals, I can say it was generally due to vibration and cracking. Firing those side mounted .50 cals was torture on the airframe, and they found it did significant long term damage to the planes if used regularly. 

 

I took the same approach as the OP, as I had the exact same pictures to work off of, and they definitely reflect lots of carbon buildup that make a significant shadow effect where the guns were removed.

 

[JeepsGunsTanks]

1 hour ago, Out2gtcha said:

 

 

Having modeled the exact same plane, with the exact same kit and decals, I can say it was generally due to vibration and cracking. Firing those side mounted .50 cals was torture on the airframe, and they found it did significant long term damage to the planes if used regularly. 

 

I took the same approach as the OP, as I had the exact same pictures to work off of, and they definitely reflect lots of carbon buildup that make a significant shadow effect where the guns were removed.

 

 

 

That's what I've read as well, but, I can't recall seeing a picture where they were clearly on at one point and then removed.  It's a really cool effect, that might leave people not super familiar with the B-25 wondering!

 

Thanks for the follow-up! 

[aquatarkus10]

8 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

 

 

Having modeled the exact same plane, with the exact same kit and decals, I can say it was generally due to vibration and cracking. Firing those side mounted .50 cals was torture on the airframe, and they found it did significant long term damage to the planes if used regularly. 

 

I took the same approach as the OP, as I had the exact same pictures to work off of, and they definitely reflect lots of carbon buildup that make a significant shadow effect where the guns were removed.

 

 

I quote  you 100% and I am happy to know that you are the author of this wonderful model: we share a passion for the coating technique. What material did you use?

BRAVO!!!!!

George

 

[dennismcc]

Spot on, great metal effects and weathering, it looks ever so real.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Out2gtcha]

2 hours ago, aquatarkus10 said:

 

I quote  you 100% and I am happy to know that you are the author of this wonderful model: we share a passion for the coating technique. What material did you use?

 

 

Thanks George! It's all aluminum kitchen foil sprayed with MS foil glue through an airbrush. 

 

Congrats on a great model!!

[aquatarkus10]

25 minutes ago, Out2gtcha said:

 

Thanks George! It's all aluminum kitchen foil sprayed with MS foil glue through an airbrush. 

 

Congrats on a great model!!

Oh men thn you are doubly bravo! I know what an effort and how much work you had to do!

 I also performed my first experiments with the aluminum kitchen and repositionable 3M Montain glue: a drama, it was more what I threw away than what I was able to coat. A real nightmare, now with the aluminum tape, another life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miloslav1956]

[Gazzas]

Well done!

[aquatarkus10]

Thank you all for your comments and for your time

George