1/48 B-17F Build - 303rd BGs Luscious Lady {Continued)

[Redhand]

NEW POST SOON

We should be seeing some work on the landing gear in the next one, among other things.

In the meantime, by happenstance, I ran across this.

I am not sure whether I should take the marketing of this figure set, “Polite People” at face value, or as ironic, ethnic black humor. I asked my Russian wife about it and, as Delphic as she always is in such matters, she simply said, “It is a reflection of reality.”

If any of you armor types have it, please let me know if it includes a cat figure. Eduard sometimes includes such things in their special offerings.

UPDATE: I decided to research this kit because of the cat. Just a hunch. Here is what I found:

This is a famous photo whose subject is the peaceful takeover of Crimea in 2014 by the “Little Green Men.” Such is its iconic significance that it’s actually the subject of a statue! See below.

Here’s some further background, courtesy of RFL - Russia Unveils Monument To ‘Polite People’ Behind Crimean Invasion.

So, the original box art was a straightforward model commemoration of a real event. One may conclude that the secondary, ironic content I saw in it is a reflection of less-polite current events.

[amoz02t]

I thought it was Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov who said “It is hard to search for a black cat in a dark room, particularly if it is not there,” he said. However, he added a twist to the proverb: "Especially if this cat is smart, brave and polite.”

[Redhand]

Many thanks for clearing this detail up! Don’t let my droll language disguise my feelings about this war. It is an unspeakable tragedy on multiple levels.

[amoz02t]

“The city has already laid special decorative tiles around the statue and installed a video surveillance system to discourage vandalism. A boy attending the Belogorsk unveiling was asked to pose with his arms outstretched toward the soldier, whose stance is otherwise suggestive of a man dumping a cat into a wastebasket.” LOL

[Redhand]

Yes, I read that too. Funny as hell, especially this part:

@amoz02t

"the soldier, whose stance is otherwise suggestive of a man dumping a cat into a wastebasket.”

Take this damn cat, wouldja, kid? It’s also amusing that on the cover art the cat is looking like, “What the hell am I doing here?”

However, current events have me laughing through tears.

[Redhand]

Bedlam Creations Comes Through

As you know, I reached out to Bedlam Creations to procure a replacement nose art decal for Luscious Lady to replace the oversized and arguably inaccurate depiction of the Lady on the Kits World decal sheet. So take a look at:

1. The actual artwork on the aircraft

2. The Mark Styling artwork in the Osprey 303rd Book

3. The Kits World decal

AND 4 The Bedlam decal in draft (blue background part of the draft).

I judge it as a clear improvement! Whaddayathink?

[RDT1953]

Better for sure.

[18bravo]

@Redhand

If any of you armor types have it, please let me know if it includes a cat figure. Eduard sometimes includes such things in their special offerings.

Indeed it includes the cat.
I ordered mine back in February.

Ah, I see someone has posted pics of the sprue. Nice, useful set.

[kornbeef]

Definately closer to the original, much closer.

[Johnnych01]

Big improvement for sure

[Redhand]

“Final Assembly?” Yes? No?

I vote yes.

The wings are, indeed, on and awaiting per H.G.'s judgment, the final hardening of epoxy.

Of course, that’s that gap, but:

Not any more.

And the above picture serves as proof that both wings are (no smoke and mirrors) glued on.

Next up, H.G.'s mostly scratch-built tail wheel gear.

With the tail wheel hand-fitted “to show what it looks like.”

And here it is, in situ as they say.

With a close up too.

It goes without saying that the work here is not done: detailing and clean-up are sure to follow.

I have seen, maybe, one other Revell B-17F or Monogram B-17G with a scratch-built tail-wheel assembly, but this one is second to none, IMO.

Here you can see that the extra detail of the upper landing gear is not going to waste. It will be visible through the open crew access door, behind the bulkhead framework between the waist section of the fuselage and the tail.

Stay tuned. The Luscious Lady custom nose art decals are in transit to H.G., so the last vital “materiel” procurement for this build will soon arrive.

Yeah, we are in the final assembly stage.

[Dioramartin]

That’s a relief I was beginning to think one of “our” aircraft was missing. Thanks for the great update & great work

[Johnnych01]

The final run is here … all the brilliant super detailing is gelling together … lovely work on the tail wheel struts.

[RDT1953]

Hard to believe that the finish line is in sight Brian …
Can’t wait !

[Redhand]

@RDT1953

Hard to believe that the finish line is in sight Brian …

I looked at the build archive again and saw that I made the first post almost eight years ago:

Posted: Monday, April 21, 2014 - 02:57 PM UTC

Hard to believe, innit?

I hafta say I’m pleased with that custom nose art decal! The build deserves that special extra.

[Redhand]

Main Landing Gear

H.G. is now tackling the test of positioning and adjusting his customized main landing gear parts to fit into his completely scratch-built wheel wells.

This is so far above my labor grade that I’ll let him do most of the talking.

working on engineering a solution for the retraction posts. Problem solved * * * .

Now there is a metal skeleton running from the wheel through the struts along with right up into the wheel well retraction motor and into the very top of the nacelle. Whew.

The below-annotated photo may help you see “what’s going on” but I think I’m wise not to comment.

For orientation, H.G. sent me this pic of the real thing in situ.

He comments:

In the top “real life” picture there’s some sort of detail below that swing arm. I’ll add that after the gear is assembled.

Here’s some other commentary on “work in progress.”

A 0.4mm hole in this brass takes a 0.3mm pin. The brass is secured on my bench vice.

Next the brass connectors get 0.6mm hex bolt heads top and bottom.

At times like this, I have to remind myself that my participation in the hobby isn’t purely voyeuristic and that I too have been known to build things, though not like this.

As proof, I offer an ancient build from my display case, which is appropriate to the time and place:
Eighth Air Force, 4th Fighter Group, Don Gentile’s P-51B 43-6913 Shangri-La.

I carefully put it back in the case, to avoid a fall like this.

[Redhand]

Model Collaboration, and some comments on “The Fury of Aerial Bombardment.”

So, tonight I offer a small example of “Collaboration” between HG and me on the build, and later a few comments on current events, not unlike my observations about the “Polite People.” Bear with me: I sometimes make strange connections between plastic and people.

Here’s a handy definition of “collaboration,” courtesy of Wiki.

Collaboration (from Latin com- “with” + laborare “to labor”, “to work”) is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal.

And here’s the example. We’re dealing with the landing gear.

HG asks:

What color are the landing gear again, same as the wheel bay?

I reply:

The landing gear has to be a natural metal of some kind. See below. I see some room for artistic license and different shades, particularly with those nuts at the base of the gear.

“Below” includes this.

I also decided to copy some photos from the B-17 Erection and Maintenance Manual. Here’s one:

Look closer:

My research disclosed two “TOWING LUGS” on the main landing gear. And HG responds:

That’s great info you sent. I’ve worked out how to add the two tow eyes on each strut. A 0.3mm hole with a 0.2mm eyelet will work. Also there is only one hole from the bottom of the master break cylinder not 2.

The primer alone won’t work on these parts, so I had to spend a few hours cleaning them up and scuffing up the metal for the primer to stick. Then I can add the natural metal paint.

So we may have the only B-17 in 1/48 that has towing lugs on the main landing gear.

As to what the metal will look like, here’s a teaser.

[Page Break] (Humor intended.) (Don’t read if you don’t like Off Topic Stuff.)

Why the hell am I interested in models of weapons of great destruction, when their successful employment results in death and human misery? The poet who penned “The Fury of Aerial Bombardment,” asks the question better than I do.

You would think the fury of aerial bombardment
Would rouse God to relent; the infinite spaces
Are still silent. He looks on shock-pried faces.
History, even, does not know what is meant.

You would feel that after so many centuries
God would give man to repent; yet he can kill
As Cain could, but with multitudinous will,
No farther advanced than in his ancient furies

I recommend the last two stanzas at the link, though you won’t find the answer “Why” in the poem.

Part of my personal answer is that I come from a military family, and horrible as it is, war represents an ultimate test of human endeavor. Some of us are drawn to it like moths to flames.

In my case, I have always tried to limit my interest to the historical, consistent with my own family heritage. It’s easy to look at a picture of ruined Berlin in May 1945

and say to self, confidently, “I had nothing to do with this.” But then one sees pictures of modern-day Mariupol and that the past is present.

Yeah, “The Fury of Aerial Bombardment” and “I know we’ll be safe and sound.”

That’s about as political as I’ll get on this subject, other than to note that my wife is/was Russian but of Ukrainian ethnicity. (She’s naturalized). The other day she told me she has/had a cousin in Mariupol who insisted on staying because the family homestead is/was there. She told me she hadn’t heard from her cousin, and wondered what had happened to her. “You mean, in Mariupol, now?” I said dumbly. (It took me a few moments to process this.)

Today I learned that the cousin contacted my wife and said she was in Moscow, with her daughter and their family. The Russians allowed this Russian-speaking Ukrainian woman to reunite with her daughter in “mother Russia.” However, the story doesn’t have a happy ending, other than the cousin’s survival. The family homestead is no more, a ruin like the rest of the City, and who knows when/if the mother will see her son, who lives in Kiyv, or her other daughter, also somewhere in Ukraine, again.

I said there would be some humor in this post, and here it is. The carnage of this war has dragged me into the present, and I found myself intrigued by a brand new 1/48 Frogfoot by my old friend Zvezda!

I guess this is the inspiration.

I also have a strong, newfound interest in the KA-52

Was the below kit released before Kitty Hawk went under? (Serious question.)

If not, maybe Zvezda will release one in quarter inch. The bird looks pretty lethal, but I’ll only go outside my area of interest and get it if Zvezda includes a dead (styrene) mouse in the kit.

Russian helicopter crashed in fireball after ‘mouse chewed through wiring’ (Maybe!)

That’s enough for tonight.

[amoz02t]

The L/G details are amazing! Most impressive

[Armor_Buff]

If a mouse did all of that, heaven help the Russian’s if they encounter a malicious racoon.

[Redhand]

@Armor_Buff

If a mouse did all of that,

Agreed, I consider the headline clickbait. I actually don’t think the mouse had anything to do with the crash, though it “makes for a good story.”