Official FlightLine RC 2000mm B-24D/J Liberator Thread

[dkalwishky]

I'm debating on whether this thread is appropriate or if I should start a new one for my problem, I think I'll start here.

My B-24 assembly isn't going as well as I had hoped. When I got the plane I put the elevator & rudder servos on my tester and ran them for 3 - 5 minutes and they seemed fine. I was in the preorder batch so when it showed up I wanted to inspect everything because I knew I wouldn't get started on it right away.

I finally started putting the plane together and getting the decals on last week. The rudder servos were working fine, I got them centered and the control linkages hooked up. I hooked up the wings and tested the flap and aileron servos, everything was fine. When I cycled the gear only the right main and nose gear worked but the let main did not.

Tonight I wanted to look at the gear and see if I could figure out what was wrong. I got everything hooked up and the right rudder would not work and the left gear would not work. I reset all of the wires into the control board and no joy. I hooked the rudder servos directly to the receiver, no joy. I went to my servo tester and no joy. I went so far as to remove the plastic case from the end of the servo lead and plugged the individual wires into the servo test, again no joy. Weird because it worked last week.

I then switched focus to the landing gear issue. It would not work at all until I wiggled and resat the ribbon cable from the wing, then the left retract worked 90%+ of the time, the last 10 or so times I cycled the gear it worked 100%.

So I have two questions.

1. I believe I need to remove the servo from the right rudder and replace it. It is glued in and I would like to know how to dissolve the glue without screwing up the foam. I've heard that putting some Zippo lighter fluid on the glue will dissolve it. Can anyone confirm that or suggest a different way to get it out?

2. Sometime before the weekend is over I'm going to try the gear again and if it works 100% I'll not worry about it but if it doesn't work all the time then I will replace it. If it comes to that does anyone have any advice on getting the old one out? The circuit board that it connects to in the wing root is recessed enough that it looks like a pain to deal with.

[mirored]

Has anyone decided to 3d up a bomb bay mod? It would be amazing to just remove a section of foam and glue in a 3d section. Hit me up if you do or are willing to make one. I will pay if reasonable as I am sure others would like one to.

I am working on a design to print but not very far along yet. It is a challenge, but I like one. Anyone with a working design that is not 3D printed, I don't mind using what can be shared.

[dahawk]

Awesome photos !

Hey, received my special washers and hex spacers for the 8" MAS prop mod yesterday. Awesome.

PM Russcramer ( Oliver) on RCG for more info. See RCG posts 2009 & 2013 . Look really nice !

Hawk

[Bajora]

SWEET photos! Looks like the real deal for sure in-flight!

[stu]

I Got these guys off Ebay they come painted but i added the cigar map and a guy reading Life magazine . They are a little small but ok and arms and heads move 10 for $10 fitted one inside the Ball Turret i made in the background

[Prowler901]

WOW! That's beautiful! You did a great job on her. She looks amazing in the air. :Cool:

[4923crew]

[4923crew]

Has anyone decided to 3d up a bomb bay mod? It would be amazing to just remove a section of foam and glue in a 3d section. Hit me up if you do or are willing to make one. I will pay if reasonable as I am sure others would like one to.

[Pheonix]

I will definitely do my measurements. I started building last night and got as far as the tail feathers before hand fatigue set in. I am taking my time on this one. I might try the moving gun mounts since I have a 14-channel radio.

[quitcherbitchen]

Thanks for posting Rogbmw. Most of the time on these threads people don't appreciate the research some do to make their planes historically accurate. I also like the personal connections. I have been contacted by family of crew because of some of my models and the post of them on the internet. Made a lot of friends and heard some personal stories that would have otherwise gone to the grave too.

[Rcnut]

Rogbmw, Thank you for sharing your research on your father's B24. My Dad was an Engineer/Top Gunner on a B24 as well in the European Theater. He did not talk at all about his war time experience. I do recall a reunion of 3 or 4 remaining crew members and overheard the tail gunner say that he had lost track of the number of times Dad had fixed or bypassed a critical system that had failed during a mission. Those repairs often allowed to crew and plane to make it back to base in one piece time and again. His plane did the 33 mission program and the crew came home. Dad was a mechanical genius from my unbiased standpoint. He flew model airplanes most of his life and I have now been doing the same for about 50 years. This B24 kit has brought out a lot of history of the plane and of individuals in crews that is heartening to learn about. I was able about 6 years ago in the Witchcraft B24. I sat where Dad sat and marveled at how in the heck he climbed into that tiny top turret seat. The walls of the plane were very thin and offered little protection from flak or cold. Thanks for sharing your family history. John Knoy

[Sky Wolf]

Very cool scheme!

[rogbmw]

"QUEEN MAE" #44-40314
319TH BOMB SQUADRON, 90TH BOMB GROUP



I am continuing to do some research on building the plane as close to the original as possible. Dad flew in the Queen Mae with the Jolly Rogers during the second World War as the engineer/top gunner.

Colonel Art Rogers was the Commanding Officer of the 90th Bomb Group, and the "Jolly Roger" name came from his last name. The 319th Bomb Squadron was the first squadron of the Jolly Rogers to arrive in Australia. They arrived at Amberley Airfield west of Brisbane on 23 October 1942. The 321st Bomb Squadron arrived at Amberley Airfield on 31 October 1942 . The 321st Bomb Squadron flew to Mareeba Airfield on 1 November 1942. The 400th Bomb Squadron began leaving Hawaii on 31 October 1942 again following the same route as the 321st Bomb Squadron.

From the middle of 1944, the Liberators of the 90th Bomb Group were a natural metal finish, and not painted. They were adorned with the Skull and Cross Bombs markings of the Jolly Rogers. The insignia was designed by Sgt. Leonard Baer, who made a large aluminum stencil. Each of the various squadrons had a different color background on the silver tail:

319th Squadron Blue background (Asterperious)
320th Squadron Red background (Moby Dick - The nose of the Liberators in the 320th Squadron were painted with a shark's mouth. This was known as the "Moby Dick" squadron)
321st Squadron Green background (Bombs Away)
400th Squadron Black background (Black Pirates)



B-24 Liberator #44-40314 was a standard bomber of the 90th Bomb Group, 319th Bomb Squadron. It was one of the "800-clubbers". Approximately 800 airframes built in the 44-****** serial range/contract which were the last of the modern B-24s to retain their older heritage details:-

• small vertical navigator's window
• CVAC A-6 hydraulic turret
• inwards opening nose wheel doors

Serial #44-40314 was accepted by the Army Air Force on 20 March 1944, and passed through the Tucson modification center. It was then ferried to Fairfield, California to be united with its overseas ferry crew on 23 April 1944. On 29 April it left the USA and was accepted by the 5th Air Force on 10 May 1944 and eventually became "Queen Mae" with the 319th Bomb Squadron of the 90th Bomb Group.

Also, note from the historical photographs that the "nose art" was on the right (starboard) side of the aircraft.



From looking at some historical photographs of the plane, it seems that the Franklin Mint model had the wrong tail number. From what I understand, the plane was not replaced after being delivered to the 90th Bombardment group, 5th Air Force. Many of the information on the plane lists the tail number as 337. Photographs show that the tail number on the aluminum (not-painted) Queen Mae was in fact 314, which is born out by the serial number of the plane, #44-40314. I do not know where the discrepancy originated, but I believe the silver Queen Mae tail serial number should in fact be 314, not 337, as shown in the photo above.

[quitcherbitchen]

I am thinking of making Hybrid versions of swing/roller. Hard to explain, but no channel which is the headache. Mine would pivot like split flaps and open more conventionally.

[pmisuinas]

I am thinking of adding this bird to my fleet, and have a question for owners, Is it possible to mod and add bombay doors in the center fuse? My LX B-25 already incorporates workable doors and get a blast out of dropping parachutes and water bombs, the kids absolutely love it

A couple of us are trying/have done so. One guy has added swing wing doors (like the B-17--not scale but they work), I am working on a roll-top door installation (can see pictures of my progress in my earlier posts). They are proving a challenge. I thought I would have them installed this weekend but there is too much slop in my torque rod-door links (which means I can't get a consistent door placement when closing them) and I am going to have to redo those. My time is limited so progress is slow but do hope to get there. In the meantime I have also been working on my turrets and cockpit when I need a break from the bomb bay issues. Pete M

[quitcherbitchen]

They did 1/32 for me once. They came out great. 1/24 look really good too.

[Boots Whirlygig]

This is what they look like. They are extremely light weight and very detailed. I could spend a month painting them. In fact that is what I intend to do. Tell Sean that Adam sent you. The more referrals I get the more I can bug him to make other ground crew figures.

Their web site shows the smallest scale is 1/16. You say they’ll do 1/24? I need a 1/24 jet pilot for my F-105 if they do.

[Prowler901]

Thanks for the info. I'm off to do some foam surgery. :)

[mirored]

Hey mirored, do you have any pictures of the installation on the tail turret? The servo holder seems like it is gonna stick out of the bottom of the fuselage. I'm just wondering how much foam you had to cut out. The top turret works brilliantly. That hole cutting tool did a perfect job. Thanks!

Hey Prowler... No pictures but I did take a Zona saw and cut off the entire bottom of the plastic part so the HS55 just sticks out with no other plastic past it. Even the servo wire running under the servo, with the plastic removed, is too much bulk there. As for removing the foam, I believe there is still a little there but not much. It is a very tight area indeed but it does work.

[Prowler901]

Interesting bit of news about our beloved "Witchcraft" today.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/wwii-aircraft-safely-lands-after-landing-gear-issues