1/72 b-17c/d

[fightnjoe]

well it is time for me to again force my passion on others.

it is time for me to again catalog my build to remember the attack on hawaii, dec 7, 1941.

this year i will be working on this.....

the markings will be custom as i am looking at one of two birds from the 38th recon that were inbound during the attack.


hope you enjoy the build.




joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Well folks to prove that I am actually working on this.

The instructions call for the cockpit construction first. So that is where I start.

There is some decent detail in this kit.

First thing to notice was the god awful machine marks. They are everywhere. So first out came the putty.

You will notice that I began the painting process by starting on the floor forward of the Instrument Panel bulkhead. I started with Testors little square bottle of Light Tan. When that was tacky I then went over it again only this time trying to leave brush strokes. After that dried I then used Burnt Umber Oil Paint to give it the grain look. Did not turn out quite as I hoped on the floor but wow it sure did on the table. I then brush painted Model Master Euro Green on the parts that required it. I am told this is pretty close to what was actually used in the Fortress. While that dried I started on the other pieces that would make up the cockpit. The seat cushions were first painted Model Master Dark Yellow, in part as my yellow selection is very scarce at this moment. I then painted some of the bits and bobs the same Euro Green as seen in some of my reference pictures. As one set dried I moved to the next. On the whole they came out like this...

And that is where we are tonight. The seats and control stick are not finished. Note also the cockpit floor and the bulkheads received a oil wash to try to bring out a little of the detail.

Next session will be to finish the detail painting and start to put this all together. There will not be much time or effort put into the interior as in this scale not much will be seen. I will not even be installing anything past that rear cockpit bulkhead.

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.



Joe

 

[JMac]

Cool start Joe. Don't see took many C/D's built. Might just be me, but I always thought the early '17's had a weird looking tail. I like the look of the G's much better. - more robust looking I guess.

Jason

 

[fightnjoe]

It is not just you. I like the look of the -G better than the early types. However I still like the overall of the Fort.




Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Well here we go again.

Here is a brief update to show where I am with this.

First up is the cockpit. It is together and ready for installation.

Next is to show off something I am pretty proud of. Because of the many pieces of clear that are in the fuselage I had planned to paint the body prior to installing the clear.

There were several steps here. First is the primer coat. For this I used Rust-Oleum Flat Black. After this dried overnight I then used Model Master Olive Drab (Not handy so I can not tell you which one) and sprayed very cautiously, avoiding the panel lines. This part of the process took approximately two hours. Like I said I was being very careful. After this dried I then added Rust-Oleum Flat White to lighten the paint. I then concentrated on the panel centers. I wanted to get a definite different shade.

I am very happy with the way this turned out. However my plan has a serious flaw. I cannot spray a flat coat over the fuselage without masking off the clear parts. I will have to think on this. I may have to see about finding a liquid masking agent as some of these clear parts may pop off with traditional tape/foil masking.


But there she is so far. Hopefully there will not be major seams to deal with.


All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.


Joe

 

[Steve Ski]

You sneaky bugger, your on a roll Bro. Looks good from here Brother.

Cheers, Ski.

 

[fightnjoe]

With the noise I make, you think I am sneaky?

Thanks Steve. Greatly appreciated.


Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Well one step forward and then ten steps backward.

The step forward:
The wings are installed, the fuselage is together, some of the clear parts are installed.

The ten steps the other direction:
The seams are horrible, I will need to respray 90% of the entire build. Oh well.

So with that said, pictures.

So with all that let me say, I am pretty happy with the progress so far. The steps backward were of my own making. I used stretched sprue when getting the wings aligned. This allowed me to get the angle close (I think) and also gave me a start on filling the horrible gaps that were a product of fixing the angle.

Thanks you for taking a look. All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.



Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Ok, this will be a two part update.

First will be the initial stage of painting of the fuselage. Setting the stage. The build was primed with Rust-Oleum Flat Black, I then thinned Model Master Olive Drab. I then sprayed the paint on the model, being careful to avoid as many panel lines as I could. This process was a bit time consuming.

Second stage is a mixture of the Model Master Olive Drab and Rust-Oleum Flat White in approximately a 50/50 mix. I sprayed this concentrating on the center of the panels. I also kept my focus on the upper sections of the fuselage and the wings.

Second part of this update shortly.


Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Part two.

For the third stage of the painting I mixed in more of the Model Master Olive Drab in approximately a 50/50 mix and then thinned to the consistency of fat free milk. I then sprayed a misting over the entire upper surface, I was being very careful to not spray too heavy. I did however make a mistake as I finished with some pebbly surfaces. I then used a very fine sandpaper to beat down the pebbles and then sprayed to fix any blemishes caused by the sanding.

The result.

And there you have it.

Next up for me on this will be to spray a gloss on the fuselage to prep for decals.


Comments, Critiques, and Criticism are encouraged.


Joe

 

[Quaralane]

Very different approach to the paint work.
Looks good, though

 

[yanpol]

Very nice! I was wondering, why do you paint the parts in the sprues?

 

[fightnjoe]

Many thanks.

This was to see if I could paint the fuselage halves and skip any issues with the small clear pieces in the fuselage halves. This experiment worked in a way (I was able to get a decent paint job) but failed in a way (I did not take into account the flat coat work that would fog them anyway).



Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Update:

Decals are on and she is ready for some subtle weathering.

And the way the engines look right now.

Next up will be oils.


All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.



Joe

 

[JMac]

Man that looks good. Great job on the paint and decals.

 

[fightnjoe]

Many thanks.




Joe

 

[rookie]

Missed this post, some nice work here Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Many many thanks.



Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

Well the end is near for this one.

This update is for the little fiddly bits that needed to be installed and painted prior to a final flat coat. It will also show the subtle weathering and staining on the aircraft.

So there we are. Almost. Almost done.

All that is left is the wheels and a flat coat to seal it all in.


All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.



Joe

 

[fightnjoe]

And she is finished.

Some stuff at the end was not pleasing. You will see it in the pictures.

But in the end.

The aircraft
B-17C/40-2049

Landed at Bellows Field where she was determined to be repairable but she was later used for spare parts and not repaired.

The Crew
1st Lt. Robert H. Richards, 2D Lt. Leonard S. Humiston, Avn Cdt William F. B. Morris, Avn Cdt George E. Gammans, SSgt Joseph S. Angelini, SSgt Erwin B. Casebolt, SSgt Melvin D. Zajic, SSgt Lawrence B Velarde, and Pvt Vernon D. Tomlinson.

And the pictures.

Thank you for tagging along. I appreciate the very kind words.

All comments, critiques, and criticism are encouraged.


For those who died...
For those who survived...

You will never be forgotten.


Joe