1/48 B-17F "Bad Penny" - FINISHED

[Neb]

"this ain't 1978 anymore!"

Lookin good! Don't pull those window masks----don't you dare!

[The Cat]

Originally Posted by Neb

Lookin good! Don't pull those window masks----don't you dare!

It's..... Like.... Having..... A..... Scab..... On........ My....... Nose... !!!!!


No pics - she's being decalled! WOOHOO!!!!

[Neb]

[The Cat]

She's starting to look like an aero-plane now!

Decals are from the Zotz B-17F set.

[Neb]

Fuckin ROCKS Dave! Looks gooooooooooooooooooood!!!!!

[The Cat]

Thanks, George! I love this model.

It's a learning experience. I'm using new paints and new techniques (THANKS TO YOU!). There are mistakes aplenty, but all in all, I'm beyond happy with how things are turning out

I have a few more decals to go, then it's pinwash time, then dullcoating, and then pastels.

And maybe, just MAYBE, I'll take the time to get some GOOD pics of her for a change!

Two notes:

Zotz decals can take everything Solvaset can dish out to them, and then some.

The demarcation line between the OD and Gray on the nose - looks like Vega and Douglas-built 17's were in a different location than the Boeings. It's a little higher. Penny is a Douglas-built plane.

[Neb]

That's good to know about the Zotz decals-----I have the Zotz aftermarket set for my B25.

[The Cat]

Today's update:










I DID NOT ENJOY MASKING THIS TURRET.







That is all.


It has a couple small flaws, but they'll be easy to deal with.

[zysurge]

Wow! Nicely done. I can ssee where it would have been a royal PITA.

What did you use to mask it?

[The Cat]

Thanks, Eric

I used Tamiya tape. Put some on some flat glass and cut thin strips - it was mostly trial and error, especially the odd triangley pieces.

[Neb]

That's the kind of stuff that makes me wanna take a nap when I finish it.

Looks good!

[The Cat]

A nap would work, yes...

I painted the details on the nose bubble - the field-mod .50 cal mount and the frame around the bombardier's sight glass. After my NAP, I need to scratch the bombsight ledge and mount, and the support framework for the .50. The Norden will need wiring, plus a Data Book on the front of it

The kit bubble, just like on Memphis Belle, has two gun sockets, but they are for two .30 cal MGs. They weren't much good, so the ground crews got jiggly (pun INTENDED) and came up with single and double .50 mounts.

[The Cat]

I LOVETHESE WHEELS!!!!

I figured out a way for them to be removable, and a little rotatable. I don't really care about rolling wheels, but it'll be nice for the flat spots to conform to whatever the model is sitting on.

[allthumbs]

those are damn sexy. were you going to go with the white metal gear?

[The Cat]

Originally Posted by allthumbs

those are damn sexy. were you going to go with the white metal gear?

I was, until I got a good look at them. I need to get some pics up, but the detail is a LOT softer than the kit parts. They're nowhere near as smooth, either. They look like the've rusted, then the rust was painted over. They're not quite identical to the kit parts - the oleo scissors have a more accurate shape, and the little fire extinguisher-looking thingie on the back of the strut has more detail - but that doesn't mitigate the crappy castings.

One selling point is the 'strength' of the metal parts. They may be a bit stronger, but I don't think that the effort it'd take to make them acceptable cosmetically would be worth the added strength.

They DO look better than the Revell F kit's parts, though.

That's for the mains.

The tail gear is fine - the top of the strut is a direct copy of the kit part's F shape right down to the ejector marks.... but the lower half is newly designed with a separate tailwheel. This, I WILL use. Gladly, even.