B-58 of the 1/48 variety COMPLETED

[smokeriderdon]

OK. This one has been languishing fr a couple years. I had wanted to do it for a bomber build. The one here a while back maybe??? Not sure. Anyway. So I ordered the interior resin set from Lone Star. I did so not knowing how long it takes for him to do orders. So I didnt get that in time for that. But OK. I finally get it annnnddddd, he seems to have mixed the resin wrong. The parts were still bendy. Not at all hardened completely. Argh. So everything got set aside.

Now, I dig into it again half way through doing the Boeing 377. The parts are finally set. All is well. I get the hatch areas opened up. Start painting cockpit parts. Annnnnddddd (yes, another long and) I realie I cant find the @#$%$^)_&* front wind screen. Gone. Who the ef knows where. *sigh* I manage to find someone with a "trash" kit. Already started, deals and box ratty. He lets it go for a reasonable price and wallah, a second kit. With one canopy between the two.

Now, the odds I will need the entire second kit as spares are very low. I hope. So I break out my old Mattel vacu form machine I snagged for cheap. Give this a go for the first time ever. Got it figured out and made a decent copy, but it had slight bubbles from dust. So gonna give that another go later.

This is what I have so far.



Oh, I used the kit front cockpit parts. The resin was not measurably better IMO. Monogram did a bang up job there. The seat from the resin kit IS much better and fits right in the kit part.

When I do a project, I hang the instructions from the peg board hooks over my work area. Just in case someone thinks its a cool idea.



I also have resin wheels, resin exhausts, SAC metal gears and Caracal decal sheet. Considering getting the resin intakes as well. LOL

[Tomcat64]

B-58 is the "Hustler" right - looks more like a spaceship than a bomber... or do I have it mixed with something else?

Looking forward to seeing you knock this (these?) into shape

[smokeriderdon]

Here ya go. The intro from the Wiki article:

The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.[1]

The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons.

The B-58 entered service in March 1960, and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings - the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment Wing.[2] It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber, the B-58 became notorious for its sonic boom heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.[3]

The B-58 was designed to fly at high altitudes and supersonic speeds to avoid Soviet interceptors, but with the Soviet introduction of high-altitude surface-to-air missiles, the B-58 was forced to adopt a low-level penetration role that severely limited its range and strategic value. It was never used to deliver conventional bombs. The B-58 was substantially more expensive to operate than other bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and required more frequent aerial refueling. The B-58 also suffered from a high rate of accidental losses. These factors resulted in a relatively brief operational career of ten years. The B-58 was succeeded in its role by the smaller, swing-wing FB-111A.[4]

[smokeriderdon]

OK, so I finally got some work done. Got a new puppy as my one dog is 16 and unfortunately not going to be around much longer. My other dog will be lost without a friend, so... Say hi to Odin. He is a Pit, not a dog I would normally get. But I know the lady whos dog had them and I know the dogs are quality, not backyard junk.



So he has been taking up time. But anyway, here are the pilot, nav and defensive officer positions. The pilot area I used the kit panels as they are just fine. Obviously, the two rear positions you have to use all the resin stuff.





Now, if you look at the pilots capsule, you will see it is wonky. A flat spot on the right side. All 3 seats have issues. All the seat belts are really just a pile of spaghetti with not great detail. Thankfully they are not easily seen. Again, the resin was clearly not mixed correctly. I feel like thats the reason for the lack of details that are likely there in the molds.





I got the two tubs in and the fuselage halves together.





There is a decent gap as the resin tub does not fit perfectly. I carved out the plastic that was in the way, but I am not a fan of doing a lot of sanding of resin, even with a respirator. I called it close enough and used thick super glue to fill the gap.

[smokeriderdon]

Doing some detail stuff. Its has just a few tires...

[aur0ra145]

Just a few!

[BigWall]

Pits are all lovers unless the owners make them otherwise. Just like every dog. Congratulations!

[smokeriderdon]

We will disagree on the Pit part sir. They were bred specifically to kill bulls. Literally. It was bred into them to be vicious killers. Thats just truth. However, this IS over a century later, and responsible breeding has gotten rid of that to a point. I know the lady whos dog had him. I know the parents are quality dogs and she isnt some trash backyard breeder. And I dont have small kids. So I am not worried about it. But I certainly know their history and the dangers inherent in the breed.

But, that aside. LOL I got some more work done. The wings are together and landing gear installed for the most part. I painted the area between the hatches with the white circle. Figured out a 15mm circle will be good for masking it. So that will get masked when the paint is set. Otherwise, next step should be attaching the fuselage to wings then on to the tail.

[digger303]

Lovely legs

[Stokesy44]

Great work on a tough kit. Lovely dog too!

[Stokesy44]

Lovely legs

I was triggered by this comment and have reported you to the admins. I have now retreated to my safe space

[digger303]

Lovely legs

I was triggered by this comment and have reported you to the admins. I have now retreated to my safe space

Actually said that on the spur of the moment when visiting a shopping centre many moons ago... She had a lovely smile too.

[Twokidsnosleep]

I was drawn in by the restart of an unfinished project…a topic near and dear to my heart as I have so many
And then you throw in a puppy!
That little pitty will be an absolute sweetheart. In the right home with love and a bit of training it will be fine
It is a holes who want a mean, intimidating dog that have ruined this breed and its reputation
You will be fine just give him tons of love and good luck on the Hustler

[smokeriderdon]

I was drawn in by the restart of an unfinished project…a topic near and dear to my heart as I have so many
And then you throw in a puppy!
That little pitty will be an absolute sweetheart. In the right home with love and a bit of training it will be fine
It is a holes who want a mean, intimidating dog that have ruined this breed and its reputation
You will be fine just give him tons of love and good luck on the Hustler

Hey, gotta have a hook. As I said, the breed was originally come up with for the sole purpose of fighting and killing bulls. The reason for their name. So yes, a holes initially made a dog that was vicious and the a holes today have perpetuated it instead of breeding for all the good qualities. But, he comes from quality parents and a good home, so its not the worry that just some Pit off the street would be. Just got to get him through the chewing stage.

[smokeriderdon]

All the major parts are together now. Now begins the seam work, though its not too awful. Clearly the kit was not temp controlled at some point as the fuselage was warped. Made it a pain to get together, but not too awful.



A 12 inch ruler sitting on it. Its a beast. LOL

[Twokidsnosleep]

Cool!
Keep us posted in the pups too

[smokeriderdon]

As I have mentioned, I have procured pretty much all the after market resin stuff, along with other stuff, for this kit, and I have been left disappointed so far. I have mentioned all the issues with the cockpit set from Lone Star. With that there are front landing gear doors. Actually not that much different from the kit doors, but I figured Id use em. Nope. These parts STILL have not cured. I could bend them just about double. Complete trash. Thankfully, as I said, the kit doors are pretty good.

On to the SAC landing gears. All pretty good EXCEPT the part that the wheels actually go on. These parts were crooked and getting them back to true was next to impossible. And honestly, not something I should have to do. Again, these are virtually the exact same as the kit parts, so I used the plastic there.

The resin wheels from Armory Models. Absolutely beautiful! Look the part much more so than the kit wheels. That being said, I almost ditched them. The holes for the pins on the model part are WAY to small. I had to drill each inner tire out a substantial amount to get them to fit. This holds true for the kit parts and the SAC part. So I am unsure as to whether they actually had the part on hand or not. Then, you would expect the outer wheels to mate positively and without issue to the inner wheels. Not the case.

So, I hate sounding like I am whining. However, when I pay 25.00 for a set of wheels, I have expectations of perfect fit and no need for modification of those parts. Or having to say to hell with it and blend kit parts where the AM parts fall short. Sorry, but I am not paying money to have to wrestle with modern tooling parts.

All that being said, she is coming along. The tires are on and most seams done. Letting perfect plastic putty dry, then some Mr Surfacer before gloss black goes on. Provided no more seam work.

[digger303]

As I have mentioned, I have procured pretty much all the after market resin stuff, along with other stuff, for this kit, and I have been left disappointed so far. I have mentioned all the issues with the cockpit set from Lone Star. With that there are front landing gear doors. Actually not that much different from the kit doors, but I figured Id use em. Nope. These parts STILL have not cured. I could bend them just about double. Complete trash. Thankfully, as I said, the kit doors are pretty good.

On to the SAC landing gears. All pretty good EXCEPT the part that the wheels actually go on. These parts were crooked and getting them back to true was next to impossible. And honestly, not something I should have to do. Again, these are virtually the exact same as the kit parts, so I used the plastic there.

The resin wheels from Armory Models. Absolutely beautiful! Look the part much more so than the kit wheels. That being said, I almost ditched them. The holes for the pins on the model part are WAY to small. I had to drill each inner tire out a substantial amount to get them to fit. This holds true for the kit parts and the SAC part. So I am unsure as to whether they actually had the part on hand or not. Then, you would expect the outer wheels to mate positively and without issue to the inner wheels. Not the case.

So, I hate sounding like I am whining. However, when I pay 25.00 for a set of wheels, I have expectations of perfect fit and no need for modification of those parts. Or having to say to hell with it and blend kit parts where the AM parts fall short. Sorry, but I am not paying money to have to wrestle with modern tooling parts.

All that being said, she is coming along. The tires are on and most seams done. Letting perfect plastic putty dry, then some Mr Surfacer before gloss black goes on. Provided no more seam work.

I agree when you buy detail parts they should fit and be better than the kit parts. One doesn't spend money to but rubbish( same with kits), however with the wheels there maybe a reason for that. If there are different manufacturers and different sized wheel axles. Much better to have a neat fit than a sloppy one.

From what I can see the outside looks great.

[smokeriderdon]

I would agree with the different manufacturers thing IF anyone but Monogram/Revell ever did a B-58 in 1/48. No one else has. 1/72 and 1/144, yes. But not 48

[smokeriderdon]

Got the seams done, so gloss black on top. I shall let that dry a couple days and spray the bottom. Then see if I did well enough.

While that is drying, working on the F-15 egg and the exhausts. The best after market stuff so far! Awesome detail and no issues. Test fit in one of the nacelles. Perfect! So next up, the intakes.

[Elve1984]

Nice build of a verry intresting subject

[smokeriderdon]

Thank you Elve.

So, all the intakes completed. Very nice! Went together great and look fantastic. Did a test fit. Had to remove a ridge on the inside of the nacelles, but not too bad with the help of the dremel. It seems that the openings are slightly oval, so there is a small but noticeable gap between the intake and the nacelle. I am trying using dissolved sprue on one and see if that does the trick.

And Odin felt it necessary to provide scale in the pics.

[digger303]

[smokeriderdon]

Plane and engines primed gloss black. Unfortunately I cant keep dust from getting on it while its drying. Hopefully it doesnt look too awful when I spray the metal. We will see. Waiting on the .5mm fan spray nozzle kit for my Grex. No way Im trying to do this thing with the regular nozzle.

[smokeriderdon]

So, whilst working on the 105 I have also been &*^%ing around with these damned engines. I still dont have the top near the intakes done right, but this where they are now.

[digger303]

Look GOOD to me

[Garion77]

I think you did a good job on the engines !

[smokeriderdon]

Thanks guys. Like I said, you cant see the spot Im unhappy with in that pic. Im working it around though.

[smokeriderdon]

OK, got the engines mostly where I am OK with them. Attached them to the wings and puttied the gaps there. Now to sand the top side where they dont line up and get that all straight.

Man, this thing is a project. LOL

[digger303]

Sleek machine

[smokeriderdon]

Got the engine pylon joins as good as Im gonna get em. Engines covered. Gotta hit the nose one more time with flat black, mask the canopy and attach it, then painting this behemoth can commence.

[digger303]

Oh nice I can't wait to see the finished product.

[smokeriderdon]

Got some aluminum on. I cant do anything else until I get a paint booth. The new fan nozzle throws a lot more paint than I was expecting. About gagged myself. So one is in my cart at the Zon awaiting payday.

[smokeriderdon]

Got the paint booth set up. Its almost like Im professional or something.

[digger303]

Yep a airbrush pro....dodgy carpenter

[smokeriderdon]

That bench and support were already here when I moved in. LOL

[digger303]

That bench and support were already here when I moved in. LOL

[smokeriderdon]

OK, so that spray booth made all the difference. I highly recommend it if you need one. It was only 107.00 on Amazon.

So got all the main coat of aluminum on. Touch ups and figuring the panels for the different shades up next.

[smokeriderdon]

Working on the differing shades now. Leading edge came out well, but the control surfaces did not. Dark aluminum wasnt dark enough. Gonna try stainless.

[smokeriderdon]

Got all the bits on the landing gears and doors on. Working on the windows. Its pretty much at the decal stage. I am trying to figure out how to make the pistons for the hatches. One thing that would have been REALLY appreciated in that "upgrade" set but isnt there.

[digger303]

Stainless steel wire for the cylinder piston rod.

[smokeriderdon]

I will fiddle with that and see what I an manage. Thanks.

[DRUMS01]

You might also want to look at guitar strings. You can get a full set for little $$$ and the various diameters will last a lifetime for couples kits. Also they make fantastic antenna's for numerous scales too.

Ben

[smokeriderdon]

If I cant manage with some tubing, I move to that. Thanks Ben

Started on the decals. Just the common stencils. Had to stop as I found some spots I needed to sand and now repaint. Both sides. But quickly drawing to a close.

[smokeriderdon]

OK, so its done. 99.9% Those of you with good eyes will notice the right wing says USA, no F. I managed to ef the F up and now am waiting on a generic set of USAF decals to get here. I have a lot of those, just none large enough. I am hoping that the largest on this sheet are the ones I need.

So one pic until those get here and then I will officially close this out with my usual mediocre pics.

[digger303]

Looks good I can't see what you see.

[smokeriderdon]

Look on the right wing. You will see USA. There should be an F as well. Not easy to see in this pic, but its there.

[digger303]

Look on the right wing. You will see USA. There should be an F as well. Not easy to see in this pic, but its there.

[smokeriderdon]

Its completely done now. There is so much I can talk about. How disappointed in the quality of the LoneStar set I am. How big this thing is and how much of a challenge it is fit wise. BUT, I took on the challenge and it looks decent. I have come to the realization that I am never going to produce these award winning builds that you see all the time. Such is life.

Now, for fun. The pic next to the Cylon raider. The Raider is 1/64. A smaller scale than the Hustler. Those were some big space ships!!!

And some pics with the other two 1/48, behemoths. I didnt do as good a job dusting the Bone as I thought. LOL The F-100 is 1/48 also to give an idea how huge all three of these things are. In real life and as models. LOL

I am posting a few pics. More of them can be seen here. Just too tedious to load them here. LOL https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mat ... 80&i=65#65

[DRUMS01]

Nice job, and it fits in with the family quite well.