The last two days have been some really fun days with some great progress on the plane. (Not really, I'm being sarcastic). Yesterday I planned to apply the Eduard masks that I got for this plane, and today was supposed to be a painting day.

I ran into all sorts of problems with the masks. These masks are supposedly designed for an Academy B-17, with options to use them on either a B-17F or B-17G. In my mind I am imagining extra masks that are appropriate for whichever version you are building. The masks that were in this set were appropriate for a B-17G, with just a few that would work for my B-17F. So I ended up making my own masks for the waist gunner's windows, the nose cheek windows, the tail gunner's position, and (worst of all), the top gunner's position. Using a combination of Tamiya tape and masking fluid, it took about 4 hours to get all of these successfully masked.

I'm not sure how well the masking on the turret will turn out. This B-17 had the old style turret with lots of framing and some really small sections of glass. I wonder how the gunner could see well enough through all of that framing to shoot at attacking fighters.


This masking exercise highlighted the number of small changes that were made as the aircraft evolved through its various models. I really hope to get some painting done tomorrow. Cheers everyone.

Sounds like an intensive session of masking, George @gblair
All seems well and the result after painting will look great.
Thanks for sharing the info regarding the changes over time.

Thanks, (Spiros @fiveten), John (@johnb), and Bernard (@lis). I don't like masking, but I can tolerate masking larger areas, like a fuselage or wing. The masking required got so small on the turret that I resorted to masking fluid applied with a toothpick. Very frustrating exercise. Cheers.

@gblair How did you cut each piece of mask on turret?

I finally got some painting done. I sprayed the cockpit color over the windows, and then painted a black base coat over the whole plane. I sprayed the cockpit color using a portable airbrush that I got from Amazon during their pre-Christmas sales. I think I paid less than $20 for it. This was my first attempt at using this portable airbrush, and also the first time I have used a double-action airbrush. It worked pretty well as long as the paint was thinned properly. More practice needed. Both the interior color and the black are from AK Real Colors. I plan to use the black as a base for the olive drab to follow.

This was also my first use of the area in my new hobby room that I have set up for airbrushing. I ran into some problems, mainly with the cleaning required between colors and after I am done. My hobby room is in a "bonus" room in what should be our attic, so there is no bathroom or other location nearby that I can use for cleaning, etc. The arthritis in my knees screams every time I think about going up and down the stairs just to clean my airbrush. I think I may move everything into the garage, even though the Texas heat will make it tough to use. Hopefully more to report tomorrow. Cheers.

Looking great, my friend @gblair!
Ditto with our friend @johnb, it is also the first time for me that I see such a portable airbrush: seems very interesting!
I am sure you will come with a good solution for your airbrush cleaning!

Thanks, John (@johnb), Spiros (@fiveten), and Bernard (@lis). The airbrush worked pretty well. I don't know how long it lasts. I used it for about 20 minutes and didn't notice any reduction in pressure. The instructions say to let it cool down after 30 minutes of use. You recharge the battery/miniature compressor by plugging it into a computer with a USB cord. The only drawback, so far, is that you can't adjust the pressure. It seems to work fine as long as the paint has been thinned. I think it has potential for mottle, etc. I noticed Amazon still has similar airbrushes on sale for around $50.

That's correct, John (@johnb). The black handle is a miniature compressor and battery, and the battery recharges using a USB cord. I suspect it doesn't put out much pressure, which you have no way of regulating. I think that is why it seems to do well with thin paints. It is still an experiment in progress, but I think it may be useful for small jobs, weathering, and mottling. I will pass on info as I gain more experience using it. I am learning how to use a dual action airbrush at the same time. So far, so good. :o)