Flak-Damaged 1/48 Scale B-17G

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hello fellas.

I’ve decided to make my first huge and nervous step by purchasing Monogram’s 1/48 B-17G. I’ve always put probably way too much time into thnking about modelling and actually doing it. I’ve had the model for a couple of weeks and probably won’t even open the box for a couple more.

Now I know what you’re starting to think…this guy’s a psycho. But bear with me and let me explain.

Years ago I built a 1/72 B-17F model. Instead of building another out-of-the-box model, I decided to spice it up a little by having the port #2 engine on fire and trailing thick black smoke. I did this by drilling a hole into the rear of the wing, gluing a dowel in the hole, and gluing cotton balls that had been torn apart to the dowel. Then, of course, I painted the cotton shades of red, orange and yellow for the flames and the rest black for the smoke.

I lost the model and all my supplies in a flood 6 years ago and haven’t built a model since then. So I’ve decided to duplicate my model in 1/48 scale.

My big questions here are:

  1. As the plane is in flight and will be suspended from my ceiling, I need 3 of the props to be spinning. What’s the best way to simulate spinning props?

  2. I want the plane to be olive drab instead of natural metal because the flak damage I plan on subjecting it to will show up much better if it’s OD. That is, I’ll be able to punch holes in the plane and paint them NMF around the damage. How many G models were still actually painted once they arrived for duty? And do you guys have any tips on damaging aircraft?

I know it’s a long post…sorry. But I appreciate the collection of wise and skilled minds that frequent this site.

Thank you.

2

Kevin, Shep Paine (sp?) did an excellent article on doing battle damaged B-17 in one of the Kabach books a number of years ago. I foget the name of the book. It was a paperback book. The Monogram plastic is pretty thick so you’ll need a Dremel tool w/ a speed control ( even w/ the thick plastic you can melt thru it quick! Trust me I know!) and lots of sandpaper & patience. I know how you feel about losing everything. The -G models were pretty much all delivered to the squadrons sans paint. I good starting reference would be Squadron/Signal’s B-17 In Action & their Walk Around book. You can also get bunches of info off the Net. As far as spinning props, FSM had a couple of good articles. The last one was maybe a couple of years ago. A search of the back issues in this site should turn up the dates. In the Group Build forum there is one person putting motors in a 1/72 Zwillig (sp), That’s like 8 spinning props! Look under the Prototypes and Paper Projects thread for Lucien. Stick with this site and you’ll be just fine! BTW, welcome to the forum!! - Calvin

3

Hey Kevin, I found this website of a G in Olive/gray. The site even says that this plane encountered flak troubles and engine damage! Tallyho and good luck!
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b2-21.htm (main site)
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap16.htm (shoo shoo baby)

4

You can either use pager vibration motors from www.sciplus.com to make spinning props, or replace the propeller blades with a clear disk. To make jagged-edged flak holes, thin out the plastic with a dremel, punch knife through and twist it.

5

Just a heads up: Shoo Shoo Baby was NMF during the war, the B-17 at the Air Force Museum is painted OD because of extensive repairs.

6

Prop Blur is a product for simulating rotating propellers. Go the the Aircraft Resource Center, Steve Bamford has a review and info on how to get these.

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/

Go to “reviews” then look in the “P” section of “Propeller product reviews”…the Prop Blurs are photo-etch.

Hope this helps.

(I have no clue on simulating fire and smoke…the cotton sounds as good as anything I’ve heard.)

7

Thanks for correcting my mistake!

8

Thanks for the tips, fellas. I’ll be sure to post some photos once I’ve built the model.

Thanks again.

9

answer to number 1
I was checking some books out at my LHS and this guy from FSM that published a bok took a round clear disk, painted little yellow fuzzes at the spots where the prop blade ends would be, and then just mounted that on the engine instead of the prop.
sorry about your crisis 6 years ago…[:(]

10

Hey Kevin,

I’m sure I’m breaking all kinds of copyright rules, but, since Shep Paine’s battle flak damaged B-17G article is from 1975, I am sure it is hard to find, so here’s part of it:

I scanned all 4 pages of it at 300 dpi, 27 mb total, and they are located at:
www.psarras.org/cp/modelling/b17/page1.jpg
www.psarras.org/cp/modelling/b17/page2.jpg
www.psarras.org/cp/modelling/b17/page3.jpg
www.psarras.org/cp/modelling/b17/page4.jpg

Better grab it before some lawyer tells me to take it off :slight_smile:

Christos