Warbird Information Exchange

Chris, just found your thread.... About the 144th thick plastic issue... I used to build larger scale (48th, and 32nd) and anytime I needed to scratch-build damage or open panels, I'd sand/grind down the inside of the model to get more to a more realistic thickness. On a 144th scale model, real thickness would be about 1 or 2 thousandths, so I'm not sure how that would work. If your serious enough to be vacu-forming parts, I'm sure you've already thought of this... would love to see some pics!
T.J.

Sweet Tabby Steve! :thumbsup:

Ok ok, I finally am now able to present to you some pics I took of my Ole 927.

Not too much has happened so far since my last post but the gentleman who is casting the resin pieces for me is making extra copies!
Ill also put his info up here if anybody is looking to cast particular pieces they have.

P.S. Sorry about the horrible quality of some of the photos.

This is my shot at making "Witchcraft" in 1/144th

Another 1/144th warbird. "No Guts No Glory"

From one side...

...To the other side

Really out of focus shot of the tail.


So thats it for now, but ill keep you posted and hopefully get new pics that will be a little clearer.

Chris

Nice work! can't wait to see the finished product.

As for photos, you might want to see if your camera has a dedicated closeup setting, or shoot them from farther away and crop them. I use PhotoShop, but there are plenty of cheap photo editing programs out there that are fine for basic cropping and "tweaking."

SN

Thanks Steve.

New pictures will follow soon. I believe that the gentleman has dropped off the parts at the local hoppy shop. I have to go pick them up and see if I can install them in.

Cool.

I don't know how you accomplish anything working THAT small!

Steady hands, and maybe a squinted eye or two.

I plan on taking some pictures today and putting them up hopefully tonight. Nothing really new to talk about, but i guess i could put some more finished work up.

Just hopefully the pictures will be closer up and a little clearer.

Chris

Chris,

I started a B-24A in 1/72nd scale some years ago, and as you probably know, I've been working on the 1/1 scale Ol' 927 for a while. I've still not decided if I'll keep on with the original plan or finish the kit as Ol' 927, but it's really cool to see someone building a model of an airplane I actually work on! Keep up the good work on your project--maybe you will finish yours before we finish the real one!

Scott

Thanks Scott! -Chances are Swamp Ghost will be flying by the time I'm done!

A new update on my own southern bomber. And sorry but I don’t have any new pics yet. I really need to buy myself a digital camera.

I received the cowlings and engines from the gentleman named Gill who was able to resin cast them for me. (More info on him will come later) And boy oh boy do they look good! This B-24 wouldn’t have looked as good without his help. Sadly one of the cowlings had the small box line broken off but that will just be fixed with some stretched spru.

There has been a lot of putty on this bomber. From the tail gunner’s position to the engine cowlings, I have been trying to make sure that there is no stone left unturned. I’m still debating about cutting in and creating a second gunners window so there’s still that.

I also took the balsa wood nose mock up and attached it to the nose. Then add putty and sand away. Once the plane and the nose mock-up are one flowing entity, then ill vacuform the greenhouse over the whole thing. Though I don’t know what I’m going to do! I guess I’ll have to produce a couple of extra noses, in case Gary ever gets the chance to rework the nose on the original.

I was aggravated in how I assembled the landing gear and decided to redo them so off the came. Maybe ill make her a flyer on a display stand? What do you guys think mini 927 should look like? Static on the ground, or in the air?

I’m gonna try and put down some primer base coats and hopefully be able to get a coat of OD down within the week.

Until next time,

Chris-with pics

Chris,

I share your pain with regards to digital cameras--I still have a film camera and really need to upgrade. I do believe Gary would like to convert the greenhouse back to original when time and money allow, but doubt that the nose will ever be bobbed due to the extreme amount of work involved.

As a side note to the rest of the modelers, do you think a mixed-media kit that did the conversion to AM-927 status would be popular enough to market? Cowlings and nacelles in resin and tail position possibly in vacuform, offered in 1/144 and 1/72 scales. If one were really ambitious the kit could also contain C-87 and C-109 parts similar to how Koster has always done his kits. Just a thought.

Scott

Scott,

Tell me about it! I hope next time I can figure out how to shoot up close without getting blurred pictures like that.

I dont know about any B-24A conversion set but I do know about a B-24D set that was put out by Cobra Company. Check it out below.

http://www.cobracompany.com/44003.htm

Besides that set, they make a couple other obscure conversion sets that I'd like to pick up.

I might just end up buying the kit, since I dont think my nose is coming out that well. And I'm trying not to half A$$ anything on this model so I'm a little at ends. What is nice though is that I have been able to get the engines in place and I'm able to slip the cowlings over them. Now I can see what 927 is gonna look like. I also decided to scratch build the cockpit glass. Since 927 has an interesting canopy that no other B-24 had I'm gonna have to take stretched sprue and slowly construct it.

We'll see what happens

Chris

Update:

Since 927's canopy is unique I decided to stratchbuild the canopy altogether. Though it hasn’t been coming out that well. I blame most of it on me due to my lack of patience and the rest on well............ me.

Anyways the cockpit will take a lot of fine tuning and sanding before its presentable. I also have been sealing up cracks and holes and now I’m starting to seriously considering trying to construct the front greenhouse nose.

I should be on phase 21 when I’m still on 13!

More to Come..
Chris

_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

So did you ever complete Ol' 927?

Sadly not yet. The art of procrastination! But I am planning on finishing her! I just needed to see what the actual end result of the real one would be.

_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

Chris;
Procrastination?
Let me tell you what procrastination is...

I have an unfinished 1/48 T-6/Tora Zero conversion that is about 25% completed. I started it about 1982! I really haven't touched it since about then!!!

Now that's procrastination!

A few months is NOTHING!
Good luck finishing it. You're gonna have to you know, since their are a lot of us on WIX who want to see the finished product!
Nothing like a little pressure to make fun seem like work!
Jerry

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."