Treasures in the corner….
So I went to Skyway Models today looking for Panzer Crew for my Panther, no luck there. In the corner under some other kits I did however find a treasure from 1977, the Monogram B-29, complete with diorama sheet! I really need to stop...I also think I had that haircut in '77 don't judge!
Great score, Rob! My hair was a little shorter in'77.
This was (is) a nice kit...great buy, Rob.
This is a great score ! I remember building this one as a kid. My hair was about like yours back then... 🙂 but not for too long. Many years later I ended up purchasing another one, but it wasn't the original. Having the books with it is like a trip back in time.
I try and get as close to original as I can find, and depending on the kit afford. Some vintage kits are just silly priced. Looking it over the parts are very cleanly molded, no warpage, flash free! The decals, are pretty well toast. Some clear decal film could bring them back to life, but the white areas are slightly yellow. Monogram decals of that era were not all that great anyway.
I have noticed that most of my early or original release Monogram kits were flash free too. I guess after using the molds repeatedly, over time they wear out and this causes the flash. I don't think I would try the decals. The ones from my 1974 TBD kit instantly shattered when I tested one out by submerging it in water.
You should be able to find a decent set of aftermarket decals for this one. I believe there are even some Korean War era ones available. I have the Aero Master set 48-260 for mine.
It has "Joltin Josie, the Pacific Pioneer" and "Special Delivery"as nose art.
This should be a good one to build ! I'd follow along with it for sure...
Nice decals! As for older decals if you overcoat them with micro products liquid decal film it might save them. I bought some recently for a Monogram car kit I knew I could not get aftermarket decals for.
When I built mine it was 197mmmmmmm. I don't know how I ever got that thing together with just tube glue and a bottle of flat black Testors enamel
How did we ever build them back in the day ? and get most of the kit done in a weekend... or even a single day .
Easy- We Didn't Care!
-d-
The one thing great about the B-29 is that it is the perfect canvas for nose art. Some Korean war B-29's had some appealing nose art that wasn't all ways PC friendly or family friendly. One particular aircraft had Marilyn Monroe who was fully dressed...but, seemed to appeal to her crew.
Those Aero Master decals with Joltin Josies ...that was on the cover of Fine Scale Modeler. Two classics.
Great buy.
The Fine Art of Decals has 1/48 WW2 and Korean War B-29s, along with other really cool stuff!
http://fineartofdecals.com/goodies/148-treasures-allied/
Congratulations with this find!
Hey Rob ,I've built this kit it's in my gallery here on imodeller ,it's a bit different from the norm in OD/Grey. The only problem with this kit is where to put it once it's finished it's HUGE, I wish I could have found some way of making the wings removable, that said it is a fantastic kit with tons of aftermarket stuff, it's going to be a tail sitter so don't bother with the bunks etc in the aft section and you're going to need to stuff lead everywhere forward of the balance point ,I even put some in the voids behind the engines she now weighs a ton but sits on her white metal landing gear o.k., I would recommend a masking set for the glazing.
If I did another I would think about an RAF Washington, very unusual...
Oh man this is a great post. I, too had that exact haircut in '77. Star Wars, Rumours (Fleetwood Mac), Jimmy Carter, and Elvis left the building. And super massive kits to be built in a day. Nostalgia...it's not what it used to be.
Apologies to non-fans, but this is for @neil-foster
There are few things Closer to the Heart than the small (or large in this case) that contribute to Making Memories. As we grow up, Circumstances change and one of life's Lessons, is that you rarely get Something for Nothing, especially in the western Hemisphere. In the End we all have Freewill, and Entre Nous we all dance to Different Strings and march to a different Anthem. Anyway, here in the U.K. It's 21:12 and I better make like Tom Sawyer and get up to some mischief, nice to cause some Tears before we bid a Farewell to Kings and climb Jacob's Ladder.
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I just looked in the mirror and I think I'm going bald...
N.
Would that be Beneath, between, and behind?
Just realised that thing has a three foot wingspan! Something like that'd be great mounted on the wall, hell of a technical challenge, though.
Mine now lives in a purpose built box in the garage and very rarely sees the light of day , I thought about punting it on on Ebay but I can't bring myself to part with it.
I love the early Rush stuff , everything up to Moving pictures after that we parted ways.
Just curious, but how much did you pay? Does this hobby shop have a vintage kit corner?
Thanks!
$70, which is a decent deal, not the best price out there, there was one on ebay for $50, but most were closer to $100 or more. The $50 one the box was in worse shape, had some tape residue etc. Collectors kits the box condition, having all the paperwork inside etc. drives the price up.
I agree. I think Revellogram released it a few times and included "Fatman" and "Thinman" as accessories. $70 is a great price.
I understand that later boxings did not have the atomic bombs in them, not sure why. Also I think they re-worked the prop cuffs on some? I know there is a boatload of after market for the kit, but in general I build my Monogram kits SOB with just a little detailing for the interior if it can be seen. It is part of the joy for me, simpler builds from simpler times!
A true Monogram classic. My first Monogram kit was a Thunderstreak. The detail blew me away after growing up on Matchbox kits. Great value for money many years back. Today these Monogram kits are collectible classics. Still have to find space for my two B 36's , B 52's in 1/72 and the great B 58 in 1/48. I treasure Monogram's Century Series and WW II fighters and bombers in the stash.
Hi Rob,
Congrats on scoring an early edition. Its been my experience that the earlier the pressing, the less flash and the better the fit of parts.
Due to the size of the model, it definitely requires some advance planning on how to bring it all together. As for final display, first off it would be best if it were to go someplace where it can be viewed, and secondly it needs to be protected once its finished. Normally i go to TAP plastics to have a protective case made from 1/8" clear Plex. Given the size, 1/4" Plex for the top of the case might be better. Others have already mentioned the tail heaviness issue. Borrowing from Shep Paine, i'd pin the model to a display base and run a small bolt (like the ones Tamiya gives you) up thru the nose wheel, either up into one of the tyres, or between the two into the base of the axle.
You can do a lot of the construction, seam clean up, surface prep and painting before final assembly. Myself, i'd use the Flightline Engineering upgrade set to address some of the weaker points of the model because i like building up powerplants and propellers separately and adding them in the end game. They're like little models in themselves and they give me a sense of accomplishment to help keep motivated to get across the finish line. On the other hand, keeping costs under control might be a concern.
Finally, for some perspective remember things could be worse- You could be building a B-36 or (Heaven Forbid) a Bristol Brabazon...
Thanks for the reply, yes I have built a couple over the years, one when it was brand new, and one a few years later before I joined the Navy. I have also built the B-36 now THAT is a beast!
This does bring back such awesome memories from my childhood and early model making days. I remember building it like it was yesterday. Most of my models sat on a shelve in bedroom but this one was so big I had to scoot it under the bed when done playing with it. I remember being in awe when building the long tunnel connecting the front to rear gun bay and bunks. I learned a lot about aircraft design on this build due to its high detailed interior. I did not paint the exterior b/c it was just to big for me. Never have built another since then but it would be cool to try. Good luck with her!
I plan on painting it in sections, as David says above, with planning it can be built in sections and put together after painting. The biggest challenge with be the shiny surface. Many NMF aircraft were not as shiny as people build them, but many if not most B-29s had a very shiny fuselage. I am pretty good at NMF, but this one is big!
A model like this ought to be painted in the way it used to be painted back then: by brush and Humbrol No 11 Silver. Had a friend who had the money to buy all the big flashy models, I had to stick to the cheap and small Airfix models. Remember swiveling gun turrets and a small tractor to pull the aircraft.
Hey Rob-congrats on the issue that you were able to find! I had a later issue and will always regret selling it off- I now have references of silverplate B-29's that served in the Pacific with black undersurfaces. The ones i researched were silverplate configurations used as conventional bombers with a radar "wing" between the bomb bays.
Anyway, have fun building this kit- I hope to get hold of a revellogram 1/48 B-29 again one day- the issue with the uncuffed props.
Will watch your build with interest!
Dan from Bermuda.
Man, I loved building that kit way back when, it was just Testors tube glue and enamel paint bottles that alway gummed up and never seal again after opening it the first time. (Don't tell anyone, but still have some stashed away). And it was HUGE on my little bench.
iIRC you could build it as Bock's Car or Enola Gay depending which release it was.
Unfortunately mine took a fatal blow during a earthquake.
Robert, the original had 3 choices, Thumper, a conventional B-29, and Enola Gay and Bock's Car. I would love to build Thumper, but I don't think I can salvage the decals. I may try some clear decal film on a decal I won't use, but even then they are a bit yellowed. I suppose I could use the "tape them to a window" trick and see if they whiten back up!
Many years ago mount one of these spectacular size, that you enjoy it
REGARDS
A classic for sure! Congrats on your "find," Rob. I have an early version in my stash still to do. I don't remember where the diorama sheet is, though. It may be in the kit, but I used to have a thin notebook where I put all the Monogram/Shep Paine pages. They inspired me so much, but I only ever built up one simple diorama - and it was a tank. I have a lot of those old Monogram kits brand new in my stash. I doubt I'll live long enough to finish them all, so I may sell them to someone who will do them. It'd be a shame to let them go to waste, so to speak.