I’m thinking of scratchbuilding gun turrets on a 1:72 scale Conviar B-36H model (from Revell Germany, if it matters), and my question is: How big should they be? I mean, I know the reletive size, but an exact measurement would be nice. Pictures of the turrets extended on a B-36 are rare, and I only found one which might be of help.
(If I can’t ask this type of question due to a rule in the Terms of Service, I apologize.)
Nothing prevents you from asking the question. Finding the answer is the problem. I would suggest you search the internet and find scale drawings of the B-36. The drawings should show the turrent and the size. Download the drawing and convert to scale and you will have the exact size you need. Good luck, and welcome to the forum.
I found a couple of pics of a b-36 in 1/72nd scale at the following sight:
http://m2reviews.cnsi.net/reviews/korean/kolb36.htm
they are pretty clear and may give you a good idea of the scale. hope that helps,
For ALL info on the B36 suggest Detail and Scale vol 36. 72 pages devoted to the B36 including drawings and photos of the turrets (pp58 and 59).
Hope this helps,
Dai
Thanks, everybody. I’ll do my best to find something.
P.S. I’ve already been to that website. Twice. Thanks anyway!
Did you ever finish this one? Be kinda nice to see it if you did.
I’ve spent the last seven years trying to find the answer, LOL. According to photos in Jenkins’ “Magnesium Overcast” each was a little hood about 36" front to back, 30" across and 18" tall.
Unique to this a/c, and I remember seeing your model with… two years ago.
It’s a nice detail. a related part would be the doors that opened.
Wow! Talk about a blast from the past! Whoever dredged this up, thanks. This right here is my first post on these forums… EVER.
Wow- it’s only been six years?
But I digress. So far the only photo of this model I’ve really taken is this one:
AAAANNND they’re about 80% complete fantasy. The turrets are too big, the bays are too shallow, and the “detail” means nothing at all. Still, for my first “serious” modelling project, I’m happy with it.
I’m actually considering tearing the build down here one of these days- I might be able to use the wings for a 1/72 XB-19, the bomb bay might be going to someone else to help detail HIS B-36, and I have another 1/72 Peacemaker in the stash I’m considering backdating to the XB-36 prototype.
The Revell kit can now be had for under 30 bucks, so I’m not worried about NOT having a Peacemaker. As one of my favorite airplanes, I’ll be sure to have at least one built at all times.
Here is a picture of the turrets from my web site. I took these on an open cockpit day at Castle AFB Museum. For size reference note the person’s forearm in the observation blister.
http://yolo.net/~jeaton/Propplanes/b-36/008b-36.htm
Lucien you did well, and I’ve never seen this modeled before. According to Jenkins, the turret wells were natural aluminum. One sure sign of that was when the hurricane ripped through Fort Worth and kind of destroyed the fleet. A lot of the a/c failed at the gun positions so you can see, in Jenkins, “tear away” piccies.
The featherweight program dispensed with all of that.
As a B-36 fan, my few thoughts:
“Magnesium Overcast” by Jenkins. Indispensable.
“Strategic Air Command” the movie with James Stewart. Not only is this the one readily available airforce footage of Peacemakers in flight, it’s also beautiful.
1/144 Minicraft is the way to go. The Revell 1/72 kit is fine, but it can only be a RB-36, and the new release decal sheet doesn’t have either the wing walk decals or the Ramey AFB marks, where they flew from.
Peacemakers are a good modeling subject. With Jenkins in hand, There’s an opportunity to model every airframe, total about 335. The big problem, and it’s a big one, with the Revell in 1/72 is that the wing/ fuselage join is all wrong.
I kinda have this penchant for going back to the last pages of the forum, and looking for interesting posts that were posted at least five years back. I then ask if that person had any success with his project. I just think it’s an interesting thing to do every once in a while. Kinda fun, too. The last time I did this was probably 6 months ago.
Glad to see that you got some responses to this after I “dredged” it up!