Hi modellers,

I have started this project for 4 years since i was still in my home country 2 years ago, Vietnam. After I came to the state for my college, I brought it with me. And here I can purchase a lot supply and materials to continue my little project.

First I may introduce you with the ammo boxes for the 50 Cal. machine on board of the B-17:


The bottom part of the ammo box seem to be missing some detail, in fact I could not find any better pictures for this type of ammunition box online. So if any of you have such information, I would like to have it.

Furthermore, the handles (the photo etch parts) were first attached to the box, but later I found out they were not bend correct as the real handle, so I flattened them out and preparing to rebend it. I drilled holes on the resin boxes where the handles will attach to with the reinforcement of the brass rod, so then the handles are moveable.

Secondly, I will put the picture of the finished parachute bag of the gunner on:

The handle shown in the third picture here is sculpted by Tamiya Exposy Putty. The original parachute bag does not some with both handle since this part is used by Verlinden for an earlier version of B-17 Gunner. So the missing handle is supposed to attach to a handle sculpted on the earlier version gunner's right hand.


Further, the headset with the pilot's head and the headphone cable of the gunner:

The bag under the oxygen mask is connected by using a aluminum tube, one end attaches to the bage, then I drilled a hole into the chin of the guner, then plug the other end of the tube into that hole. At the side of that Al tube, I drilled another hole to put in the black tube connector.

Beautiful work, the texture and finnish is brilliant!

Looking forward to see more!

Bandits!

Hi there,

I built this one a few years ago and it was one of my first figures. The ammo box in question is an emergency back-up box of ammo. If this was being used, the poor fella as OUT of ammo. I wish Verlinden had provided a photo-etched ammunition guide track instead. Still, I made it with the provided ammo can. I don't have pictures handy, but yuo can see it in FSM GSM 2004 under the Buffcon section.

Also, I have up-scaled copies of national insignia that I used to make masks for the insignia on the outside of the fuselage. I can mail-em to ya if you want.

Tuck

Yeah thanks a lot TUCK,
I would like to have a copy from you, would you email to me at dbang1988@yahoo.com And what is the FSM GSM 2004?

Thanks

Your leather work and flesh tones are superb

It's Fine Scale Modeler (FSM) magazine Great Scale Modeling (GSM) edition 2004.

Here are a few pics of mine.

Now is the body of this 120mm gunner, with heavy leather tone with he yellow life jacket:


I already put the 50 Cal. machine gun handle into the gunner's hand. But I have not painted it. This will go to the gun at last, when every thing is in position:


Here show the detail of the crew's boot:


Here show the way I washed and weathered the white fur on the funner's jacket. I used Tamiya enemal flat white as base color. Then I used Tamiya's arcylic yellow + brown to make the wash, then I drybrushed again with more enamel flat white:

For the last picture here, I tried to get a humor picture that the gunner having the lincoln head from the penny

Hey Tuck,
Good job, good version of the gunner.

I used enamel paint for the fleash tone. In fact, I think using oil paint would have better effect, what would you think?

Great

Hi Dbang1988
Great, Great, Great. What more can I say?
Pete

Great work, explanation and pictures. Thank you.

Jaime

Hello Dbang,

I don't have anything to add to what have been said.

Nevertheless you can improve it further by the addition of spent shell cases on the floor. Actual combat pics showed waist gunners literally WADING in spent shell cases.

It's an easy addition and IMO well worth the effort.

In any case congrats for a SUPER rendition of the Verlinden kit.

Cheers,
Quang

Thank you Quang for your comment,

However, the finished work you saw is not mine, it is from someone here did it before so he put his pictures in to discuss. And what you mentioned about the spent shells, I ahve thought of, but I just don't know if I should put too many shells or just few on the floor. Too many will distract the viewers from the model though.

Thanks

Bang

Now are pictures about the window and the fueslage of the waist of the B-17. I did some modifications on the window mount so that the window can slide in and out.

(Those little brass mounts on the window frame are cut from the brass square tube, then I bent the edges in so they can mount on the slider whihc will be attached on the fueslage's wall. I tried to glue them on with ca glue. However, the glue is not strong enough, so I soldered them instead as the welting in the real thing) . In fact, I have not attach the transparent palstic in as the glass for the window yet.


The fueslage is partially completed:


I used brass bar to make the slider for the window to go in,
based on what I saw from the pictures I found:
(The blue rectangle part).

Here I used plywood for the floor instead of the resin part, it looks more realistic on the texture of the wood.


Here is the upper deck of the floor, I used ply wood too to replace the original resin plate.

Then I did not use the photo etch holders, instead, I come up with the brass plate and cut it in the quarter ellipse shape then bend the edges just as what hte real B-17 has.


And I also solder them together with the little brass bar attached to the wood as the screw. This method really makes a strong reinforcement between the metal parts and the wood board. In fact, I jsut have no idea what the circular object lying on the floor? Is it some input connector?

More pictures on the fueslage and the window:
(I used the wood strip to add more frame work for the fueslage which the original kit does not put in).

(Here I already slide the window in to test for fit).
(Here is the back side of the fueslage and the stand which is glued on directly. I am so regret to do that, sine I can make it removeable from the stand, but now it is too late).

This will be what the fueslage and teh gunner will look like in the future:


Here is where one of the ammunition box will go in afterward:


These are the furthest I can go. I will try to work more then psot the mfor you guys in the coming month.

Thanks