Airfix 1/72 B-24 Liberator

[m0gb0y74]

This is my first ever group build I have chosen the Airfix B-24 Liberator B VI - I have had it in my stash for about 2 years and keep meaning to build it so I have used this GB as the perfect reason.

I know it's a very old tool but I hope to be able to build it into something reasonable - if I don't manage to bugger it up as I am apt to, that is

I hope these initial pictures of the box and sprue's are enough.

[DBMiller]

You can't do any worse than what I'm doing with the old beast of a B-24 I've got! I don't know who's kit is older but at least you don't have all those rivets to sand off.

[m0gb0y74]

This kit is all rivets as well. I am planning to keep them as I have never scribed a full model before and I didn't fancy starting on this one. I do think I will take a risk with the transparencies though and try to clean them up - I just hope I don't knacker them in the process

I believe this kit harks back from the 60's.

My problem is trying to decide which of the two schemes to use - I originally wanted as US ship, but if I go with the commonwealth one it would just mean that I would have to buy the Academy kit

[m0gb0y74]

Initial work on the fuselage included filling in all the holes in the interior. I only realised afterwards that most of them would never be visible so I didn't need to do all that work







Having seen another build article on the Airfix Marauder and then checking various images of the real cockpit it was readily apparent that part of the upper fuselage needed trimmed in front of the cockpit. I used the transparency as a guide. The area filled in blue needs to be removed.

[m0gb0y74]

Work on the cockpit.

The real thing:



While the cockpit is bare, it isn't too badly off in terms of the basic shape. The transparency is rather thick and I plan to put the crew in so I don't need too much scratch building to make it look busy.



I made some throttle levers by cutting 5mm long thin strips from a piece of a thick foil food container and then bending around the tip of a fine pointed pair of tweezers:



Using images of the cockpit as references I added a few 'boxes' to the panel between the pilot and co-pilot and then filed it down to a more suitable size.



I then used a slice of sprue to create the rounded throttle housing.



I'm pretty happy with the finished result. I have never done any scratch-building before.

[T3hGuppy]

Damn that's alot of EPM.

Looking forward to seeing that cockpit come together.

[m0gb0y74]

Damn that's alot of EPM.

err, what's EPM?

[Paul]

Damn that's alot of EPM.

err, what's EPM?

Ejector pin marks

Nice work so far

[T3hGuppy]

Hows this one going buddy?

Want to see more of that interior

[DBMiller]

I have an interest in seeing this one done, too! It looks like it is coming along nicely.

[m0gb0y74]

Well as you can guess from my lack of updates it's been slow going.

I have finished the cockpit and I am working on all the figures and turrets at the moment.

Please excuse some of the really bad quality pics



As the intrument panel had no detail and I didn't fancy trying to hand paint one I stole an un-needed decal from my Revell B-17G kit to make it look busy



Finished with pilots in situ

[UKscalemodeller]

Good work so far, she's a big'un

[m0gb0y74]

Here's the work I did on the cockpit side walls. I didn't have any reference pictures so I took inspiration from another modellers scratch building so it's basically a flight of fancy but it makes things look busy

The super-detailing that this modeller does is amazing

BTW remind me never to try and glue individual pieces of wire beside each other ever again

[m0gb0y74]

Moved onto sorting out the wings while waiting for interior fiddly bits to dry.

The tabs at the end of the wings that are inserted into the body have a lip that sits a millimetre or so above the actual edge of the wing. While this doesn't sound too much when you sit them together you get quite a gap at the inside edge. When you try to dry fit them into the hole in the body they wont go so you have to sand them off.

Unsanded:








Sanded:

[m0gb0y74]

Well, this model is now another one of my ratio of 1 success to 2 balls ups

I thought I could get away without rescribing, but one single duff joint alignment meant a lot of sanding so I had to try and attempt to rescribe it. As this was my first attempt it was not very successful. I'll post the damning evidence when I get time.

Oh well - another one to chalk up to experience....

[T3hGuppy]

Experience is always good.

Sorry to hear you have had some issues