Scratch build Boeing F4B-4

Skyediamonds · Dec 14, 2024

Looking at our previous posts #s 210 & 213, we can see two "gun sights." According to Westburg's drawings, the larger scope is the telescope protruding through the windshield with a soft rubberize (?) eye piece to allow the pilot to place his face against the telescope ( my guess ).

Whereas Westburg drawings suggests that the smaller scope outside of the windshield & much smaller in diameter is the actual gun sight. That's what so puzzling…

Wurger · Dec 14, 2024

Skyediamonds said:
Looking at our previous posts #s 210 & 213, we can see two "gun sights." According to Westburg's drawings, the larger scope is the telescope protruding through the windshield with a soft rubberize (?) eye piece to allow the pilot to place his face against the telescope ( my guess ).

Whereas Westburg drawings suggests that the smaller scope outside of the windshield & much smaller in diameter is the actual gun sight. That's what so puzzling…

The gunsight seen in the pic is the collimator Mk.II one. It was offset slightly right. The item more on the right is the bead mount of the collimator sight.

the pic source: the net.

Gnomey · Dec 14, 2024

Nice work so far!

Skyediamonds · Dec 14, 2024

Wurger said:
The gunsight seen in the pic is the collimator Mk.II one. It was offset slightly right. The item more on the right is the bead mount of the collimator sight.

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the pic source: the net.

Thank you, sir.

Skyediamonds · Dec 14, 2024

Gnomey said:
Nice work so far!

Thank you, sir.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Good evening everyone. I realize it's been awhile but I've been quite busy trying to accomplish as much as possible on my modeling project.

I'm posting this photo of the model as it currently stands. As you can see, a lot has been accomplished. I'll start posting the various steps that were taken to arrive here.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

I realize in my previous postings I had requested if anyone had information or photos of the telescope & gun sight. I'll be getting to those items shortly, but I thought it best to continue where I left off.

Here, I am at the stage where I have to install the horizontal stab & elevator.

This turned out to be a head-scratcher & this is the approach I felt best.

I first connected the two separate elevators with a thick music wire. I forgot the gauge but it was quite thick & difficult to bend. I purposely chose this large wire as the plans called for it to be able to support & bend the elevators.

After the gouge was cut away to make room for the wire & help it blend into the elevators, I puttied the results over.

Next came the sanding & priming followed by painting several coats of matching chrome yellow.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Because the elevator -stab chord was more wide than the slot within the fuselage, I took advantage of the small gap between the elevators to make room for the horizontal stab.

As the enclosed photos show, it all worked out very well.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Next came the vertical tail structure which included the fin & rudder. Because the graphics call for some pressure & burnishing between the corrugated surfaces, I thought it best to apply them prior to installing the vertical tail & avoid any unnecessary risks of knocking it out if alignment or worse, breaking it completely off.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

While adding the graphics, I also started the process of building up the rear fuselage. This was accomplished only after I installed the threads to be used to simulate the stranded control wires for the elevators & rudder.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

The vertical tail was installed. The rudder was not glued in at this point but only to help with the alignment.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

After the glue had set ( I used Gorilla glue ), next came to fill in the gaps. What to do? At first I thought of carving from a block of balsa. This didn't work out.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Slowly building up the rear fuselage with strips of basswood (for strength), followed by cutting out paper templates to transfer the patterns onto sturdy cardstock turned out the best solution -at least for me.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Next came the fillets for both the vertical & horizontal stabs. It was not easy & several paper templates were made before settling on the ideal fit.

The fillets were glued in followed by adding thin strips of plastic to form that unique Boeing fillet outline similar to the wing & cabane fillets.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Here are the thin plastic strips.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

The painting required two separate steps along with two headaches of masking: The first step was to paint the rest fuselage the same light naval gray as the rest of the fuselage. This required me to mask off the tail surfaces.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Then came the second color of paint for chrome yellow & ……. more masking.

Skyediamonds · Apr 6, 2025

Next came the tail wheel support.

This was made from three laminations of balsa to get the closest matching thickness of the fuselage tail.

Wurger · Apr 6, 2025

Excellent job, Gary.

Vic Balshaw · Apr 6, 2025

Very nicely done Gary.

Scratch build Boeing F4B-4

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