B-24J Ford Conversion

[T Bolt]

Glenn, I just went to Revell - The Authentic Model-Building Experience since 1945
There's a button for parts and service. Click on this, and the page will appear requesting your details, the kit name and number, part description and part number, and the fault - example, missing, broken etc.
Once you've submitted the request, you'll get a reference number, and an e-mail confirming that your request is being processed. It also advises that you contact them if nothing is heard within six weeks.

Thanks Terry. I'll give it a try tonight.

heh, I just realized, this makes 20 unbuilt aircraft in my stash! O_O that's 14 airliners, one military transport, 3 General Aviation planes, one Cold War jet, and one warbird. I gotta stop buying more models and get up off my lazy butt and start building!

Don't even sweat it until the stash is over 200 like mine. Then you start calculating how long you'll have to live at X amount of models built each year to work through the stash. My wife says it's my way to insure that I don't die.
At the present time at 7 models a year I'll have to live to 80. But then again I'm still buying models.

 

[Airframes]

Occupational hazard methinks, or should that be Hobbytational hazard?
I 'only' have a total of around 55 kits, much, much more than I've ever had at one time, and all earmarked for specific builds which, if my hands allow, will take between 7 to 10 years to complete, by which time I'll either be in my seventies, or planted. So why do I keep buying more bl**dy kits ?!!!!

 

[Wurger]

Because... you like it ????

 

[Airframes]

Yep. Kits - and beer and 'T Stoff'.

 

[Wurger]

He, he, he... just like me.

 

[Trebor]

Lol you guys. getting back on topic, doing the styrene at the nose could be easy who GH. Same with filing out the windows on the side, and the bombardier's frame as well. Its the clear parts I'll have trouble with. If anyone can provide assistance with that, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[T Bolt]

Be careful about filling in those bombardiers side windows. Some had them and some didn't. They seemed to appear more often on the later the aircraft being rather rare in earlier models and present in most of the later ones. If you don't actually have a picture to go off of I'd say you'd be Ok leaving it as is.

What I did to the Main bombardiers glass was simple although not totally correct. The aft frame of the glass in the ford nose kit was angled and slightly further back than the other noses. I masked it so it was angled but could not make it go further aft with out a new glass piece so mine doesn't go aft quite enough, but it's hard to tell.

 

[Airframes]

Squadron do two vac-form sets in 1/48th scale for the B-24 Rob.
One contains the later bombardier's nose glazing, with the angled rear frame and the observation window, and the armoured cockpit canopy (this set was in the box with my kit!), and the other set is the same, but with the 'high hat' top turret glazing. These would take care of that part of things, but you'd need to check which nose and tail turrets were fitted, and, if the waist positions were glazed, check which type of window, and whether staggered or parallel.
If the nose turret is the Emerson type, it's not too bad, but if it's the A-6 type, then you might have a problem, as there isn't a vac-form that I know of. The kit tail turret can be altered if required, and if you can get hold of a spare one, it could be used in the nose too, if needed.
The other windows can be altered fairly easily if required.
That book has already taught me a heck of a lot about the complexities of this subject !!

 

[Trebor]

High res photo of SoCoIII. shows some nice detail of the Ford nose

also, a comparison of the two noses from the squadron website. (thanks, Terry)

 

[Airframes]

OK, you'll need the Squadron (Falcon Vax) vac form set with the 'high hat' top turret, which will provide the bombardier's glazing, turret, and cockpit canopy. You'll also need to alter the kit's nose profile beneath the turret, at the same time removing the moulded-in vents. The navigators window will need to be moulded, and waist windows made.
If you can post the serial number of the aircraft, I'll check out it's block number, which should identify which type of waist windows it had.

 

[T Bolt]

That windshield wiper housing bump in front of and above the bomb sight window is also missing and will have to be taken off.

 

[Trebor]

so you're telling me I'll need both of those sets? and SoCoIII is 42-50896

 

[Wurger]

Rob... would be able to extrude yourself the clear part for the nose and engrave a few panel lines ?

 

[Trebor]

you're talking about the bomb sight clear part?

 

[Wurger]

Yes , I meant the bottom clear part....

 

[Airframes]

No Rob, you just need one set - the one with the bombardier glazing, canopy and 'high hat' turret, which is Squadron set SQS9571. It costs £5.80, including tax, in the UK, so it should be less than $9 I would think.
Your subject was a Ford-built B-24J-5-FO, and had the Emerson A15 nose turret, A3D 'high hat' top turret, and the A6B tail turret, with the armoured cockpit windscreen. The waist windows were the early-style enclosed type, with the gun mount below the glazing, as on Glenn's model, and there was no diagonal brace on the bombardier's glazing, and no tunnel window behind the rear bomb bay.
So, with the Squadron vac-form set, the only thing you will need to make are the waist windows, and the 'bubble' type navigator's windows.
The windscreen wiper mount Glenn mentioned will disappear, along with the louvres and vents, as the entire area between the front turret and the bombardier's window, at the very front, will have to be re-shaped, changing the kit's vertical profile to the smooth curve, as seen in your photo.
Note also the area and shape of the Olive Drab anti-glare panel on the upper nose, ahead of the cockpit, which had the distinctive 'kink' around the panel joints, peculiar to Ford-produced Liberators.
I'll check some of my other references for you, as the ball turret might have been omitted in this Bomb Group by this time, with the aperture and gun troughs fared over.
Hope this helps - and that book has proved useful within two days of receipt !!

 

[T Bolt]

From Joe Baugher's website:

50896 (44th BG, 506th BS, *Southern Comfort*) lost Mar 24, 1945, Germany. MACR 13600

and I found the following at ELLIOTT, Eugene L

 

[Wurger]

Also you may check on the thread.... the guy used the Koster Aero Enterprises conversion kit that comes with a vacuform nose, resin detail parts for the turrets, vacuform clear parts for all turrets and glass, and white metal gun barrels for the entire plane

1/48 B-24H Witchcraft build - Complete! | US-AIRCRAFT.COM History-Modeling-Forum


You can try to get contact with Bill Koster.....

Koster's Korner

 

[Airframes]

Are Koster products still available?
I'm not certain, but I think I read somewhere that they stopped production.
Rob, I couldn't find anything conclusive on the ball turrets, but by summer 1944, most B-24's had them removed and, although I haven't found (yet) any photos proving this for the 44th BG, those photos from the period that I have seen, the turret can't be seen. I think it's more probable that they weren't fitted.

 

[fubar57]

It took a while to find but I'll start looking.

Geo