**** DONE: GB-52 1:48 Boeing B-29 - Heavy Hitters IV

[fubar57]

I am still working on this but its beating me up. Vallejo White Aluminum has be sprayed on the leading edges and due to the massive amount of masking, I'll let it set while I'm in camp. While doing this I tackled the turrets. What could go wrong here? It wasn't until I was fiddling with the third of three that I looked over to the first two that were finished that I noticed that the turrets were lopsided. Its hard to notice because the bottoms of the housings are rounded; modified on the left, unmodified on the right

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It took quite a while to figure out the problem area was but it turned out to be the gun mantel locating pins in the turret top. The solution was to cut out the corresponding area in the housing which will be invisible

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I'll finish masking the clear parts tomorrow and she'll be ready for painting when I get home. The domed sighting blisters are a right pain in the keester to mask

 

[Wayne Little]

Always good to find the simple solution....

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Have a safe week Geo.

 

[Totalize]

I hear ya Geo. Some times if its not paint its parts. I am using a Gundam chrome silver for my B-25 and I got to tell you I have never seen paint dry that slow before. Like a couple of times I was absent minded and touched a wing or fuselage part 24 hours after painting it and it wrecked the paint job. Normally this is not a problem but wow. Now I just leave the silver painted parts at least 48 hours to dry before I touch them.

 

[Crimea_River]

The Alclad series, though pricey, dries very quickly.

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far George!

 

[le_steph40]

Nice work so far George!

Agreed !!

 

[fubar57]

Thanks all. Still here and the model hasn't become landfill.......yet. Still masking and mudding

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Note one piece I forgot to cut out. This is as close a fit I could get with the rear turret so a wee bit of mud will be required.

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Once the rear gunners window are masked I can start prepping the airframe. As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to spray the NG on the wings before attaching them to the model. The reason for this is that with the wings on, the masking for the inner engine nacelles and lower camo demarcation will be very awkward. Plus, I am going to mask the area the wing de-icer boots were as the inner one is very close to the fuselage. The test fit of the wings to the fuselage show a good fit on the bottom and a bit of filler needed for the top

 

[Wurger]

 

[N4521U]

If I Ever see another 1/72nd B-17 Ball Turret masking again it will be farrrrrrr toooooo soooon!

Good work mate!

 

[Crimea_River]

Glad to see you hanging in there Geo and good plan with the wing paint.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far George!

 

[Totalize]

Nice work.

 

[fubar57]

Thanks all. Lots of fettling to get the cockpit glazing to fit, about 98% good. Nose piece posed for posterity

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Just need to add the turrets and I can start spraying the under-sides. The side domes were a right pain in the keester. Why couldn't these have been added later like the upper domes?

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Getting the masking tape to lay down next to the nacelles was not enjoyable

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Spraying starts after the Canuck game or when I start screaming at the TV......which is usually 5 minutes into the game

 

[Wurger]

 

[le_steph40]

very nice

 

[Totalize]

No masks. That must of been a lot of work to mask of those windows glazings. Great job!

 

[rochie]

nice work Geo

 

[nuuumannn]

Keep at it Geo, you've made enormous progress up to this point and based on your abilities it'll look excellent when you're done and you can sit back and larf about all the difficulties you had building it...