Hey all,
I'm just getting back into the hobby after a decade or so absence, and right back in the deep end, too -- I'm just about to kick off a 1/48 B-17. But in planning the build, I'm running into two major issues:
1) The aircraft in question, 42-6098 of the 95th BG, had the bulging cheek guns, so I'm thinking I'll start with the Monogram B-17G kit, cut out the chin gun, and either patch the hole with sheet styrene, keying off that Paul Budzik article from back when, or, alternatively, cutting up the Memphis Belle kit and installing the lower part of that nose. Has anyone done this, or have an idea of which would be easier? I'm fairly certain at this point I want to use the G kit as a base, as it's got the interior detailing and a lot more aftermarket resin and PE to work with, and use the ball turret from the Belle kit, but am open to other ideas!
2) This is the bigger issue I'm having: The nose cone had a single gun mounted in the center. The Belle kit has that aircraft's custom two-gun mount; the G cone is too short; the Koster "Nose-Job" kit has proven impossible to track down, and ditto the Paragon YB-40 conversion, which would work, too. So it seems like the only option left is trying to make my own vac canopy, but I have no idea where to even begin with that. Any ideas or help on this front would be majorly appreciated!
Thanks!
I'm just getting back into the hobby after a decade or so absence, and right back in the deep end, too -- I'm just about to kick off a 1/48 B-17. But in planning the build, I'm running into two major issues:
1) The aircraft in question, 42-6098 of the 95th BG, had the bulging cheek guns, so I'm thinking I'll start with the Monogram B-17G kit, cut out the chin gun, and either patch the hole with sheet styrene, keying off that Paul Budzik article from back when, or, alternatively, cutting up the Memphis Belle kit and installing the lower part of that nose. Has anyone done this, or have an idea of which would be easier? I'm fairly certain at this point I want to use the G kit as a base, as it's got the interior detailing and a lot more aftermarket resin and PE to work with, and use the ball turret from the Belle kit, but am open to other ideas!
2) This is the bigger issue I'm having: The nose cone had a single gun mounted in the center. The Belle kit has that aircraft's custom two-gun mount; the G cone is too short; the Koster "Nose-Job" kit has proven impossible to track down, and ditto the Paragon YB-40 conversion, which would work, too. So it seems like the only option left is trying to make my own vac canopy, but I have no idea where to even begin with that. Any ideas or help on this front would be majorly appreciated!
Thanks!
