B-24 Liberator Diorama - 1/48th Scale.

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Thanks, Andy and Karl.

Yep, I will get around to doing the B-24 eventually !

If the Koster parts kit arrives back safely with Jeff at Rare-Plane Detective in the 'States, then I'm hoping it will eventually reach me around the end of this month, give or take a week or so. It was returned on 6th January, having taken ten days to get here over the Christmas holiday period, so I'm hopeful.
I want to see what may, or may not be required when using this kit, before starting on the detailing and any mods to the Monogram kit. Most of the planning for the model has been done already, and, if the "Ford nose" section is in the Koster kit, and if I decide to use it, then some cutting will be required before I go any further with the B-24 build.
Current thinking is that I won't use the Koster nose parts, preferring to do the mods myself, but we'll see. (it's really just the turrets I want).
 
Thank you, glad you like it so far.

Well, I managed to get to my Optician appointment today. Amazingly, the four inches of snow we had yesterday had virtually gone, although there was still a lot of ice around, which made the scooter journey interesting. It looks like I won't need glasses, if the next cataract operation is as successful as the first, so that's good news.
I also managed to call in to the local art shop, and get the Humbrol enamel paints I needed, and a couple of sable brushes. I noticed that the shop now has a much larger Humbrol paints rack, and it looks like the complete range is stocked, so that'll be very handy in the future, being able to obtain paints locally, rather than on-line with the associated extra shipping costs and delays.

Anyway, back to the progress on the ammo trailer .....

The Ammunition Trailer - Part Two.

A mock chassis has been fabricated and attached, using "Evergreen" plastic channel, and the drawbar from the Airfix 1/48th scale oil bowser trailer adapted and fitted into the channel.
I also decided to fill-in the external openings for the wheel arches, which will aid with the fitting of the mudguards. These will be cut away from a spare part from the old Airfix 1/76th scale fuel bowser set, and adapted and re-profiled for use on the ammo trailer.
The wheels are from the Airfix 1/48th scale oil bowser previously mentioned, and will fit onto a plastic rod axle, using plastic tube "collars" on the inner faces of each wheel. The axle will then fit into the slot on the channel beneath the chassis.
I found a 1/48th scale tail wheel, from a Spitfire Mk.XIV now used as a paint test hack, and this will be used as a jockey wheel, with a plastic rod post, similar to the one on the oil trailer.
The tail gate from the Bedford truck kit will be used, posed in the lowered position, but "inside out" in order to have the surface detail visible (the inner surface is blank).

Next step is to adapt the mudguards, measure up the angles and get them fitted, and then sort out the wheels and axle.
Back when there's more to show ................


 
Thanks chaps.
No chewing gum Vic - I've never used the stuff, and don't intend to start.

The Ammunition Trailer - Part Three.

Getting close to the initial painting stage now, with the mudguards sorted and the jockey wheel and post fitted, and the axle dimensions sorted too.
The wheels had plastic tube collars fitted on their inner faces, to accept the plastic rod axle, and the assembly will be attached after painting the trailer and wheels / tyres.
The mudguard sections were cut away from the Airfix 1/76th scale fuel tanker part, and then reduced in width and the length of the arc, before filing and sanding to the required profile. After test-fitting and some fine adjustment, the guards were cemented in place, and await clean-up.
As with the oil trailer, a jockey wheel post and mount were fabricated from plastic rod and tube, and fitted to the draw bar, in the "retracted" position, and the jockey wheel attached, angled off to one side. The locking lever has yet to be made and fitted, along with tail lamps and the electrical connection cable.
I hope to complete these tasks tomorrow, and then do the initial painting, given that my wrists and fingers behave, as they're slightly painful at the moment, due to the nature of the work undertaken.
Then it'll be time to sort the cargo load, which will mainly be the .50 cal ammo boxes.

Thanks again for following this build, and for the comments and likes etc.
Pics show how things look do far ..............


 
Thanks chaps.

No further news on the Koster turret kit parcel. The last tracking info, and the eventual reply to my queries, shows that (supposedly) the package was returned to the sender on 6th January. Given that this was a Saturday, then I expect the parcel should be arriving, or about to arrive, back in the US about now, as it normally takes around 10 days to do the trip (+/- Customs clearance time).
I think Jeff at Rare-Plane Detective will inform me when (if !!) he receives it, and, of course, when it's re-sent, there will be tracking info, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed (more than they normally are due to RA !!).

I'm about to check relative height and alignment with the trailer and tractor tow eye / hitch, in order to establish if the Revell "Clarke" tractor can be used. If so, then once the trailer is completed, the tractor can be built more or less as per the kit, with maybe a couple of small additions, and then I'll post the pics (not much to show of the build, so probably no build pics.).
If the heights of the towing points are radically different, then I'll convert an Italeri "modern day" tractor to resemble a period type, and post the build / conversion pics.
If the Koster parts haven't arrived by the time these stages are completed, then I'll start initial work on the B-24, on the port wing, as the "passing lamp" and landing lamp locations need to be opened and glazed, and the port outer engine will be partly exposed, with the hinged cowl panels fabricated and fitted. The rear of the nacelles also need opening and a little detail, so enough work to keep me going.

Glenn, good stuff. I've only seen photos of the Airfix USAAF set, but it looks just as good as their RAF set, which I have, and am using for some parts, such as the oil tank and ammo trailer parts. The kit is very nicely detailed, especially for 1/72nd scale, with a number of "extras", so I think you'll be pleased with it.
I just wish that Airfix (and others0 would release similar vehicles and accessories in 1/48th scale.

Back later today with another up-date ....................
 
Unfortunately Andy, the RAF Bomber Support set is not available in 1/48th scale.
However, Airfix do have two versions of the RAF Ground Crew set in 1/48th scale - the basic set (shown below), and a "Ready for Battle" gift set (BoB era), which is the basic set plus the "new" Hurricane Mk1, a Bedford MWD truck and an Albion fuel bowser truck.
Both sets have ten, multi-part figures, a trolley Ac, oil bowser trolley and an ammunition trolley, along with ammo boxes, oil cans, wheel chocks etc. Oh, and a dog !


 
I'll be doing a similar dio with a 1/48th scale Lancaster, making my own bomb trolleys, converting an Italeri tractor, and using other available vehicles / accessories, with scratch-built items such as the servicing platform etc.
Some 1/48th scale RAF type vehicles and ground support trailers etc are available from Wespe Models, in resin, and from Accurate Armour, with bomb trolleys from Flightpath. The latter two could work out rather pricey though, depending on what's used.
Also, Airfix do the 1/48th scale Bedford MWD truck as a separate kit, and some other vehicles are now becoming available as 3D printed basic resin kits, at "reasonable" prices.
The bomb trolleys are fairly simple to make, using "Evergreen" channel, strip, rod etc, and I've sourced suitable wheels from both the spares box, and various resin aircraft wheel sets.
A 4,000lb "Cookie" is being used from the Airfix Mossie B.XVI kit, and SBC's from Belcher Bits (now also just released by Eduard ?). I have the dimensions for the bomb trolleys if / when you need them, and info on sources, typical equipment etc etc.
 
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