B-17 from Hasegawa - Aircraft of World War II

RAF Liberators · 11-02-2009, 11:59 PM

Here's another 1/72 Offering.
This one is a 1/72 B-17G from Hasegawa, it's the really old one not the nice new one with new moulds.
I did nothing but struggle with this one from the word go, everything just kept going wrong with it.
The first thing I did was rescribe all the panel lines but as I went along I realised that the plastic of this kit was a bit softer than the normal kits. So the panel lines became fault lines. No worries, Mr Surfacer to the rescue, slapped some paint on the lines and rubbed it down to make them less prominent.
Fuselage fit was terrible, I've seen straighter lines on a dokey's back leg and the alignment pins were all over the place like a drunken camel on rollerskates.
After much supergluing, plastic weld, filler and Mr Surfacer, I got it all together and looking quite nice.
I thought I'd give the Alclad system a go, it's the first time I've ever used that stuff. The black went down and ended up with the texture of 100 grit glass paper, more rubbing down required. I finally sorted the problem with the rough coats, I think I had too much air pressure.
The Aluminium coats took a fair bit of getting used to, but after messing this one up I think I've got the hang of it now.
I didn't think the decals would look right yellow so after putting them in a glad bag antaping them to a window for 3 weeks, they finally went back to the proper colours. Once they hit the drink they started to disintegrate, I feared as much and used one from the set I wasn't going to use. I slapped some Klear on to them and tried again, this time they came off relatively well.
After putting the canopies on I realised that I hadn't painted the top of the fuselage where it enters the cockpit. Couldn't be bothered to remove the canopies so that gets to stay the primer grey.
Anyway here she is, not one of my best but more of an experiment in Alclad.
B-17 A Bit O'Lace - 8th Air Force, 447th Bombardment Group.
I hope you enjoy looking at it more than I did building it.

Picture 029.jpg

Picture 033.jpg

Picture 034.jpg

Picture 044.jpg

Crimea_River · 11-03-2009, 12:14 AM

I think it turned out very nice indeed. Sorry to hear of your frustrations. The hobby should be a joy, not a chore.

You should be proud of this one. I never had the guts to try the Alclad but one of these days....

RAF Liberators · 11-03-2009, 12:23 AM

Nah I think I was a bit harsh, it wasn't a chore but I was glad when I glued the last barrels in place and said that's it.
I tried a new method on this one, I'm always snapping the barrels off half way through a build and then grovelling on the floor looking for them. This time I cut them off so that they were flush from the inside and left a bit of a hole in the "glass" to use as a fixing point later.
I always dip my canopies in Klear for various reasons, one of them being it doesn't fog when I use CA.

Crimea_River · 11-03-2009, 12:29 AM

Good tips.

vikingBerserker · 11-03-2009, 12:36 AM

Nicely done Gary!

Heinz · 11-03-2009, 02:58 AM

Looks great!

Vic Balshaw · 11-03-2009, 05:32 AM

For such a problem build, you've don an excellent job, it looks great

Gnomey · 11-03-2009, 07:03 AM

Nicely done!

dirkpitt289 · 11-03-2009, 05:16 PM

Well I think its clear who won this battle. Nice looking B-17.

Airframes · 11-03-2009, 05:30 PM

Got to agree with all Gary, it looks fine considering the problems. Good pics too mate!

RAF Liberators · 11-03-2009, 06:57 PM

Thanks chaps, yeah I suprised myself with those photos. I had the sun streaming in to the room and the lighting seemed too good to miss. I was a bit too quick off the mark as I've left off the prop blade tip indicator (you know the bit that gets painted yellow). I'll sort it out before it goes in to the box. I've built a big "crate" where all my finished kits go, it's a stop gap measure until I get my display case made. I could just leave them on the shelf but I hate the thought of having to dust them, so I wrap them up and store them in the big crate.

109ROAMING · 11-05-2009, 06:47 PM

Sweet Fortress mate

Matt308 · 11-06-2009, 02:58 PM

Very nice. I've got that very same model purchased in 1976. I thought the upper starboard wing panel on that bird was battle damaged and replaced with a F version olive drab outter wing panel. You decide not to depict this on yours?

RAF Liberators · 11-06-2009, 03:18 PM

No I'm literally building stuff out of the box at the moment, to get some practice at different methods and technologies. I only got back in to modelling this time last year, after a long break. Methods and the tools available have changed a lot since I did it with any real vengence.
The B-24 I did was pretty much my first model since returning, I still think it's probably my best, but I feel I can do better, so I'm using these cheaper old kits to practice things like Alclad etc. I'm doing a 1/72 B-24 at the moment, whiich I'm either going to use different tones of Alclad on differing panels or foil it. It's nice chucking things out quickly because it gives me something to have at the end of the day plus I've learnt something along the way.
I've just started dabbling with making my own photo etch and I've just sent off for some casting resin. I'm going to be building a fully fitted B-24 in 1/48. I'll use the Monogram as a "shell" (I still have 4 as I recently found another one), grind out the interiors and make a new one. I may even completely scratch build it if I can get good enough with the photo etch.

Airframes · 11-06-2009, 06:58 PM

Look forward to seeing that one Gary. Revell have re-released the 1/48th B24D, and I saw an ad for the 'J' not long ago, but haven't seen it around.

11-02-2009, 11:59 PM	#1
RAF Liberators Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Englishman in NZ Posts: 111	B-17 from Hasegawa Here's another 1/72 Offering. This one is a 1/72 B-17G from Hasegawa, it's the really old one not the nice new one with new moulds. I did nothing but struggle with this one from the word go, everything just kept going wrong with it. The first thing I did was rescribe all the panel lines but as I went along I realised that the plastic of this kit was a bit softer than the normal kits. So the panel lines became fault lines. No worries, Mr Surfacer to the rescue, slapped some paint on the lines and rubbed it down to make them less prominent. Fuselage fit was terrible, I've seen straighter lines on a dokey's back leg and the alignment pins were all over the place like a drunken camel on rollerskates. After much supergluing, plastic weld, filler and Mr Surfacer, I got it all together and looking quite nice. I thought I'd give the Alclad system a go, it's the first time I've ever used that stuff. The black went down and ended up with the texture of 100 grit glass paper, more rubbing down required. I finally sorted the problem with the rough coats, I think I had too much air pressure. The Aluminium coats took a fair bit of getting used to, but after messing this one up I think I've got the hang of it now. I didn't think the decals would look right yellow so after putting them in a glad bag antaping them to a window for 3 weeks, they finally went back to the proper colours. Once they hit the drink they started to disintegrate, I feared as much and used one from the set I wasn't going to use. I slapped some Klear on to them and tried again, this time they came off relatively well. After putting the canopies on I realised that I hadn't painted the top of the fuselage where it enters the cockpit. Couldn't be bothered to remove the canopies so that gets to stay the primer grey. Anyway here she is, not one of my best but more of an experiment in Alclad. B-17 A Bit O'Lace - 8th Air Force, 447th Bombardment Group. I hope you enjoy looking at it more than I did building it. Picture 029.jpg Picture 033.jpg Picture 034.jpg Picture 044.jpg __________________ RAF Liberator Squadrons Kiwi Modeller If at first you don't succeed, maybe bomb disposal wasn't for you anyway!

11-03-2009, 12:23 AM	#3
RAF Liberators Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Englishman in NZ Posts: 111	Nah I think I was a bit harsh, it wasn't a chore but I was glad when I glued the last barrels in place and said that's it. I tried a new method on this one, I'm always snapping the barrels off half way through a build and then grovelling on the floor looking for them. This time I cut them off so that they were flush from the inside and left a bit of a hole in the "glass" to use as a fixing point later. I always dip my canopies in Klear for various reasons, one of them being it doesn't fog when I use CA. __________________ RAF Liberator Squadrons Kiwi Modeller If at first you don't succeed, maybe bomb disposal wasn't for you anyway!

11-03-2009, 12:36 AM	#5
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,722	Nicely done Gary! __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

11-03-2009, 02:58 AM	#6
Heinz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Posts: 6,725	Looks great! __________________

11-03-2009, 05:32 AM	#7
Vic Balshaw Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Canberra Posts: 829	For such a problem build, you've don an excellent job, it looks great __________________ Thunder and Lightning

11-03-2009, 12:14 AM	#2
Crimea_River Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Calgary Posts: 372	I think it turned out very nice indeed. Sorry to hear of your frustrations. The hobby should be a joy, not a chore. You should be proud of this one. I never had the guts to try the Alclad but one of these days....

11-03-2009, 12:29 AM	#4
Crimea_River Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Calgary Posts: 372	Good tips.

11-03-2009, 07:03 AM	#8
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,214	Nicely done! __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

11-03-2009, 05:16 PM	#9
dirkpitt289 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Plainfield New Jersey Posts: 434	Well I think its clear who won this battle. Nice looking B-17. __________________ Regards Dirk

11-03-2009, 05:30 PM	#10
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,030	Got to agree with all Gary, it looks fine considering the problems. Good pics too mate! __________________

11-03-2009, 06:57 PM	#11
RAF Liberators Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Englishman in NZ Posts: 111	Thanks chaps, yeah I suprised myself with those photos. I had the sun streaming in to the room and the lighting seemed too good to miss. I was a bit too quick off the mark as I've left off the prop blade tip indicator (you know the bit that gets painted yellow). I'll sort it out before it goes in to the box. I've built a big "crate" where all my finished kits go, it's a stop gap measure until I get my display case made. I could just leave them on the shelf but I hate the thought of having to dust them, so I wrap them up and store them in the big crate. __________________ RAF Liberator Squadrons Kiwi Modeller If at first you don't succeed, maybe bomb disposal wasn't for you anyway!

11-05-2009, 06:47 PM	#12
109ROAMING Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 4,984	Sweet Fortress mate __________________ "When all else fails read the manual"

11-06-2009, 02:58 PM	#13
Matt308 aka Dickcheese Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington State Posts: 13,382	Very nice. I've got that very same model purchased in 1976. I thought the upper starboard wing panel on that bird was battle damaged and replaced with a F version olive drab outter wing panel. You decide not to depict this on yours? __________________ "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the [U.S.] Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan Master of Duplicate Posts

11-06-2009, 03:18 PM	#14
RAF Liberators Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Englishman in NZ Posts: 111	No I'm literally building stuff out of the box at the moment, to get some practice at different methods and technologies. I only got back in to modelling this time last year, after a long break. Methods and the tools available have changed a lot since I did it with any real vengence. The B-24 I did was pretty much my first model since returning, I still think it's probably my best, but I feel I can do better, so I'm using these cheaper old kits to practice things like Alclad etc. I'm doing a 1/72 B-24 at the moment, whiich I'm either going to use different tones of Alclad on differing panels or foil it. It's nice chucking things out quickly because it gives me something to have at the end of the day plus I've learnt something along the way. I've just started dabbling with making my own photo etch and I've just sent off for some casting resin. I'm going to be building a fully fitted B-24 in 1/48. I'll use the Monogram as a "shell" (I still have 4 as I recently found another one), grind out the interiors and make a new one. I may even completely scratch build it if I can get good enough with the photo etch. __________________ RAF Liberator Squadrons Kiwi Modeller If at first you don't succeed, maybe bomb disposal wasn't for you anyway!

11-06-2009, 06:58 PM	#15
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,030	Look forward to seeing that one Gary. Revell have re-released the 1/48th B24D, and I saw an ad for the 'J' not long ago, but haven't seen it around. __________________

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