Joe's 1/72 Academy B-17F Memphis Belle

[papa 695]

Awesome work so far Joe your really cracking on with it

[Guest]

Well done Joe, it's given you a few challenges, but you have overcome they very well. Derek

[Guest]

Looking forward to the completed article mate, looks good so far

[flyjoe180]

Thanks for the comments everyone, much appreciated.


Final sanding has been completed. Wing roots mostly, but other areas to receive attention included the tail cone, and a few minor fuselage seams. The engines were masked off with tac in preparation for priming.


[ATTACH]109349.IPB[/ATTACH]



And a coat of primer has been applied:


[ATTACH]109350.IPB[/ATTACH]



Nice and smooth wing roots:


[ATTACH]109351.IPB[/ATTACH]



Just realised I left the pitot tubes and RDF aerial dome off, will rectify that prior to painting.

[papa 695]

Awesome work Joe

[flyjoe180]

Pitot tubes and RDF aerial dome fitted under the nose area; some final surface improvements made, and pre-shading applied.


[ATTACH]109430.IPB[/ATTACH]



Spent the rest of the day elbow deep in Hyundai. I know which I'd prefer to be working on, but SWMBO's car developed a boot leak. And that meant one of these had priority...

[Guest]

That's going to look great Joe, wing roots look perfect. Derek

[papa 695]

Time for some colour looking forward to that.

[flyjoe180]

Nothing exciting to report really; neutral grey went on the underside yesterday, masking for the Olive drab today. Picture will follow when I have substantial progress to show.

[Dave W]

Just caught up with this.Youve got a lot done since I last looked.Nice work on the wing Dihedral problem.

[Guest]

Cruising Joe. Nice progress also like your report style.


Laurie

[Guest]

Great stuff Joe, those wing roots are a pleasure to behold! Lots & lots of pre-shading there!

[john i am]

Looking good Joe look forward to next installment

[flyjoe180]

Back to the Belle. As I said neutral grey was sprayed and masked off. The Olive Drab wraps around the front undersides of the engine cowls. Research, because especially with Academy kits, the painting guides are often wrong.


[ATTACH]109758.IPB[/ATTACH]



A coat of Olive Drab. Had issues with this, the first coat went blotchy. So I smoothed it down with thinner and prepared for a second coat. I put it down to not mixing the paint often enough in the airbrush. It was also near the bottom of the tin, so I got a new one and no issues this time. Unfortunately the pre-shading was a casualty of this.


[ATTACH]109759.IPB[/ATTACH]



[ATTACH]109760.IPB[/ATTACH]



Once dry I then masked off the control surfaces and applied OD mixed with grey to produce a faded appearance. It looks lighter in the photographs than it is in reality, and the gloss coat will darken it a bit.


[ATTACH]109761.IPB[/ATTACH]

[flyjoe180]

The completed control surfaces:


[ATTACH]109762.IPB[/ATTACH]



I then proceeded to paint the starboard fin panel in a different shade of Olive Drab. Memphis Belle received a new fin panel after the original was damaged.


[ATTACH]109763.IPB[/ATTACH]



You can see the replacement fin panel in this nice wartime photo:


[ATTACH]109764.IPB[/ATTACH]