Gee Bee Z - Williams Bros 1:32

Started by Gábor Szabó · 13 · 6 years ago · air racers, Gee Bee, golden age, williams bros
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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    Hi! This gonna be a part of a bigger project (I hope) a diorama dedicated to the Golden Age when barn builders raced their airplanes faster than military types, people lived the first big economical crysis and wealthy man still uses huge automobiles 🙂 O.K.this is far from now, the first part this plane from Williams Bros. I bought it on evilbay years ago wizh some other air racers from their serie and this project add a boost to build it. First is the engine. The WB engine is not bad. Practically they packing this sprue of engine parts to all of their radial engined kits. This time it's correct as an acceptable replica can be made of the P&W Wasp (junior or senior). I didn't want to buy an expensive resin replacement so I tried to detail the plastic. The cylinders are separated items as the crankcase and the front crankcase cover (integrally moulded with the pushrods - these are sadly thick and burr). I painted the cylinders with Alclad steel and MM gun metal, the crankcase is MM intermdiate blue. I added the pushrods from steel wire - with insulator liners - the ignition harness ring (plastic) ignition wires (copper wire with insulator connections) and the oil lines (copper wire again). The data plate is home made decal.

    27 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Josh Patterson said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    Looks like it will look great finished! The motor is stunning! I would advise cutting the registry decals into individual numerals as mine were very fragile and difficult to get placed in one piece.

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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    Thanks for the hint! Did You experienced silvering problem with the decals? That is my big fear of these kind of old decals - the kit was made in the 80's as I see the boxing so the decals least 25 years old now - oh well 🙁 .

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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    Someprogress with the interior. First I copied the decals for the instrument panel and went for polished aluminum as in the Kermit Weeks replica but I examined old photos and made a black one instead with less extravagant instrument placing and sizes :). I cut the fuselage also as I want to make the canopy open. I will use the kit parts to make a mold for a vacuumformed canopy later.

    25 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    More interior.

    20 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    Wings and some progress...

    20 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Vincent Perry said 8 years, 8 months ago:

    What an awesome build

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    Robert Royes said 8 years, 2 months ago:

    Looks great !

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    Greg Kittinger said 8 years, 1 month ago:

    Stunning work as always Gábor! If I weren't past childbearing years, I'd name my next kid after you! I usually don't follow WIP threads very often, but when I see your name, I know it's going to be like a modeling clinic.

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    Gábor Szabó said 8 years, 1 month ago:

    Thank You Greg! This build slowed down somehow because of some other project - ant the gloss yellow finish is a pain - but I promise I will finish it this year 🙂

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    Grega X said 8 years, 1 month ago:

    Fantastic work so far. I love it!

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    Josh Patterson said 6 years, 11 months ago:

    No, my decals were very nice. I had a very recent boxing with exceptional decals. They are just fragile, but the plus side is they snuggle down quite well.

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    Bernard E. Hackett, Jr. said 6 years, 11 months ago:

    Good to see that Williams Bros. is back! Since I work in 1/48th, I'd like to see some 30s racers in that scale, as well. Their website says they sell their decals, too.