Ya, one of these days I’ll build a tribute of the Kee Bird. Not a kit available so decaling will take some researching. But that’s why we do this, right?
It’s starting to look like an airplane again! Photo below shows the dry fitting (wings not glued on yet) and you can see I am beginning the seam work again. This is the part I hate…
image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr
image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr
One positive note: things are going much more smoothly and quicker because of the experience I gained in the last try. I no longer have to experiment to determine which technique I want to use, or which brand of putty; I have a method of choice now.
More to follow. Much more!
cheers, Bob
Looking good! What brand of putty do you use?
Mike
I’m using the Tamiya White Putty, seems to work well for me.
cheers, Bob
Bob, it is good to see you back in action. I trust that you will have a better time of it on this round!
Thanks, Shipwreck. Have had a smoother go this time around. I am happy to be able to try again. Been a hectic time around our house, and the modelling is a pleasant diversion!
Cheers, Bob
Good to see you back at it…
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I’ve got about 200+ hours into Monogram’s execrable B-36 and haven’t even begun assembling it yet! I feel your pain on this bird and wish you all the best. I sanded off and then re-scribed the panel lines plus spent many hours of lathe and mill work to motorize the props, I don’t recommend it…
Pat.
Ah ;
You do have to forgive me. I was thinking on two subjects and typing on one .Sorry about that .Note; When you weight it this time build a false ceiling above the crew tunnel .You have about maybe a 1/4 inch for weight, quite a way forward of the wings . That’s in height and about an inch or so in length .
Tankerbuilder: roger, I understand how that happens! No weights this time, I am simply going to tie all the wheels down on a decorative wood base.
Staybolt: my B-29 is a labor of love for a friend. Fortunately, I don’t have any friends who flew on B-36’s. I would love to see yours, though. Sounds like a lot of work.
7474: love the pic, thanks! There is a fine line between perserverance and sheer stupidity…
Cheers, Bob
I crossed that line years ago! 
Bob
Your B-29 is looking darn good so far! Cant wait to see more photos!
rch73- Sorry,I meant you could use those decals on the repair/rebuild fuselage.
Reread my post,realized I hadn’t stated that.
Oh, right. I did not understand at first, but I could surely do that and it would be an interesting bird, too.
thanks, Bob
Impressive Bob, what a monster. Got one in the stash. Maybe someday… Just curious, are you using the acetone trick with that putty or sanding the seam old school?
Joe
Joe: I’m using the acetone trick, but still using trial and error on how much to do. It seems to work pretty well, but I still have to sand also. It reduces the amount of time I spend sanding.
Cheers, Bob
Nice. It works great on Squadron green putty but I wasn’t sure about Tamiya’s product.
Another tip for those who are considering building the B-29. In Sweet Sue Version 2.0, I decided to close the bomb bay doors, both to save some time since nothing inside can be seen anyway, and because it made more visible the radome in between them that I wanted people to be able to see (since Dick was a radar operator). However, Revell/Monogram made no provision to close those doors. As the model currently exists, there are hinges on the doors that work fine when they are opened, but get in the way if you want to close them. Also, there is no support structure whatsoever upon which the closed doors might rest or be glued to.
In my model I decided to install some strip styrene support pieces so the doors when closed could rest upon them and give me a place to glue them to. See photo. As shown it is not complete; I intend to put three strips per bomb bay, one on each end and one in the center.
image by robertholcomb73, on Flickr
I have not yet puttied the central seam on the bottom, nor have I filled in the hole where the clear support post is supposed to go.
Onward and upward…
Cheers, Bob
Bob, thanks for the heads-up. I will be closing the rear bomb bay which will contain fuel cells. Most of a Silverplate bomber is closed up, so I will need to evaluate how much time and detail that I am willing to put into an area that no one will see (till it crashes or something). All the turrets and most of the blisters come off a standard B-29 on the Silverplate variant. All that needs a super-structure similar to what you are talking about!
Shipwreck: I know the Monogram model comes equipped with the cover plates that go over the gun turret locations, and I think there is a couple of pieces in the kit that are the fuel cells. I just happen to have on hand not one but two sets of that stuff in my stash now, since I did not build a Silverplate bird. If you need anything of that sort of stuff, just holler and I’d send it along. I am not so sure about the blister locations on the sides of the bird, or the central fire control cell blister on the top rear of the fuselage. There is also a blister on the top forward section that was used for the navigator’s star shots, if I recall correctly. Don’t know if they retained that on the Silverplate versions or not.
I seem to recall that the earliest versions of the Revell/Monogram model had decals for the Enola Gay and Bocks Car, thus making them Silverplates.
Cheers, Bob