Monogram 1/48 B-24D/J Combo Build, "The Squaw", "Flak Alley" and "Tubarao" Combo Build

Started by Walt · 462 · 2 years ago · B-24, B-24D, Flak Alley, Monogram 1/48, Sleepy, The Squaw, Tubarao
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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years ago:

    The difference is huge, Walt @luftwaffe-birdman
    The resin is a clear improvement so definitely worth the investment.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

    A huge difference indeed, my friend @luftwaffe-birdman!
    Amazing looks!

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    Louis Gardner said 3 years ago:

    Walt,
    Like the others have said, this is a huge improvement with the wheel wells.

    This area also happens to be the same place where I was working on when I stopped my build. Having the resin parts on hand is a definite plus. It shows up a lot more details.

    I will continue on with scratch building the gear well on mine, but if I would have had a resin set on hand back then it would really have been better.

    Iā€™m looking forward to seeing your next installment.

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 years ago:

    Looks great, Walt (@luftwaffe-birdman). The resin certainly adds to the appearance, but, as you said, it also really adds to the cost of the build. I keep drooling over the detail that you get in the new 3D printed parts. I got to see one of the new printers that uses liquid resin, and all I can say is "wow". Sometimes it is hard to resist getting all of the cool stuff. Have you figured out if you will need to strengthen the join between the wheel well and the gear strut?

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    Walt said 3 years ago:

    Thanks George, @gblair, I did reinforce the landing gear with an aluminum tube. The fit is very secure without glue, so with a little dab of super glue it should be rock solid.
    I have been tempted to get one of the new resin 3D Printers, just need to really justify it and figure out if I can make enough fun stuff for my models to make it worth it.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    George R Blair Jr said 3 years ago:

    That's what I figured you would end up doing, Walt (@luftwaffe-birdman). That little section that inserts into the gear bay just didn't look like enough area to be secure. I have also considered a 3D printer that uses liquid resin, and the prices have come down considerably. One of the guys at the local hobby shop got one and really likes it, but he says the learning curve is very steep. I also have an HO train layout, so there is a ton of stuff I would like to do for the RR. Now that I have passed 70 years old, I think I may just continue to buy what I need. The stuff you can find on shapeways.com is amazing.

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    Walt said 3 years ago:

    Well despite an attack of sinuses, I did get the other main gear bay cut out and fitted up. I also put in the rest of the internal structure on the first main gear. It is remarkably complete and detailed. I will end up painting all this before installation into the wing. It would be almost impossible to paint once installed, plus I want to be able to do a good wash and some dry brushing to make the details pop! This is my first venture with Vector Resin and I like them despite their nonexistent directions.

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 3 years ago:

    The resin looks great, Walt @luftwaffe-birdman
    Must be looking very realistic once painted.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years ago:

    Looking truly awesome, my friend @luftwaffe-birdman!
    Nice reinforcement of the gear legs!

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    Walt said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Finished the building of the Main Gear Wells, they have to be painted before closing the wing up. I painted them with their base coat of Zinc Chromate, I will pick out the details and then clear and prep for a wash. The one thing that occurred to me was that the new landing gear will not work with the kit wheels. The kit gear have the wheel hub molded into it, and have a thick axle. The resin gear are just the gear with out the wheel hub. I am looking for some resin replacements, but can't find any pictures of the back side of the True Details wheels to see how they are molded. I saw the Lone Star Models wheels on Scalemates, and they look great, but can't find anyone that sells them. If anyone out there has the True Details B-24 wheels, and can post a picture of the Gear side of the wheel I would greatly appreciate it.

    4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    This is some amazing progress, my friend @luftwaffe-birdman!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    The resin gear is indeed nicely detailed, Walt @luftwaffe-birdman

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    George R Blair Jr said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    The resin replacements sure look nice, Walt (@luftwaffe-birdman), but what a pain figuring out how to get everything to work together. It will look great after it all comes together.

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    Walt said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    I know it seems like I have spent a lot of time on the main landing gear well, but I am really impressed with the difference it makes and generally how well it fits into the model itself. That, plus the detail of the resin parts, is really impressive. I hit it with a coat of Zinc Chromate, Clear, wash, Dry Brushing, and then a sponging of some silver. I know the well may not really experience that much chipping, but I figured in the desert situation plus it just adds interest, I would be okay with what I did. The left wing is ready to glue together, but I want to finish the engines first. You can compare the difference between the kit and the resin in the pictures.

    6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 2 years, 11 months ago:

    Great job, my friend @luftwaffe-birdman! The difference between the resin replacements and the stick kit areas is apparent!
    Looking forward to your progress!