So am I missing something? I think I received an incomplete issue of FSM. The article by John Kowalski, “Bare-Metal Foil for a Big B-29” was lacking critical information. Not once in the article did he reveal how to measure, cut, apply, and detail BMF on the model. There was minimal explanation, but nothing showing the procedure.
Step #4: “Pieces of BMF were applied to the cowlings last” Ok, how? “Then, I added rivets.” Really? Show me how you did that.
Step #14 and #15: “Eight sheets were required to cover the wings and fuselage. Each piece was applied, trimmed, and burnished…” Again, no photos showing the procedure. “After the foiling was complete, the missing rivets were filled in.” Nothing again showing the steps.
Pretty lacking article in my opinion.
Sort of reminds me of the old Steve Martin joke; “You can be a millionaire and never pay taxes. First. Get a million dollars. Now…”
Hey, thanks for the feedback. Sorry the article wasn’t as detailed when it came to the application of the BMF. We’ll keep our eyes open for stories that describe the process more carefully. In the meantime, check out this article:
Hopefully you found inspiration in how he corrected other aspects of the airframe. I personally liked seeing exactly how he straightened the warped wings. Are you thinking of building a B-29?
I guess that I should have added more detail regarding how to apply foil and rivets. My article was getting very long so I cut out some of the detail. Go here for a lot of detail:
I think that it is great that you have an interest in BMF. I suggest that you try foiling something like a MIG-17 or 19. That plane has a simple fuselage and wing shape and foiling it won’t drive you nuts. The first plane that I foiled was a P-47. That plane also has a simple fuselage shape. If you have questions let me know.
Thanks for the suggestion. I was also thinking of the Hughes XF-11. Do you think that is a good choice for a beginner in BMF, or does it look like too much complex work?
The only area that may get I little difficult is the area under ths engines at the air intake. Otherwise it seems pretty straightforward. What scale is it?
