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

[Hugh Wiedman]

Anybody know what servo's to use for the gun turrets in front and on top? Also, where can I get some gunner figures to place in them. A lot of you have done some spectacular work with pilots and gun turret gunners but where do you get the figures? Unfortunately, right now I'm using only a 6 channel transmitter, so thinking of hooking up the front turret with a y-connector off the rudder channel and the top turret off a y-connector from the aileron channel. That will have to suffice until I rob another bank and can upgrade to a 9 channel transmitter and receiver. Still using the AR636 with gyro on 14 of my planes cause I've learned (by many "accidents") how to program the gains for 3 different modes and can adjust them while flying. Now if I can just get consistent with the landings I wouldn't have to keep in stock retracts for all these planes. I've somewhat mastered knife edge, pattern flying and even harriers, but you'd think after a couple hundred landings I'd get it, but still an adventure. My wife lands better and she's just started flying her own plane!

[rifleman_btx]

Get you a 360° servo for the top turret and a standard 120° for the nose. That would be really awesome looking!

[mirored]

I made up drawings and 3D files for printing holders for HS55 servos for all three turrets. I modified one servo to 360 degree rotation for the top turret. The pilots I used are from 21st century toys. They are 1:18 scale Stuka pilots and gunners but look fine after re-painting them. I am getting ready to do another full up set for a friends B24. It will be a different livery but turrets will match.

[borntoolate]

100% agreed, thanks for sharing, rogbmw! It is true that paint added lots of weight, so in later years as the air war's momentum swung over several types were delivered in silver. We see this with earlier OD green P-51Bs versus silver P-51Ds, early green P-47 razorbacks and later silver P-47 bubbletops, other fighters, and also into the medium and heavy bomber types.

Speaking of bombers my friend, my hangar has room for any German, Japanese or even Allied bombers you may decide to throw our way! I know you are busy over there but I hope you find time for yourself too.

Take care,

Bob

[quitcherbitchen]

Also, where can I get some gunner figures to place in them. A lot of you have done some spectacular work with pilots and gun turret gunners but where do you get the figures?

If you can't find 21 Century pilots try Realmodelpilots Ask Sean for the Bomber Crew. They can make almost any size. I had mine made in 1/24 scale as you don't have to carve a lot of foam to make them fit and they still look about right size for this plane.

[quitcherbitchen]

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.

[Prowler901]

I made up drawings and 3D files for printing holders for HS55 servos for all three turrets. I modified one servo to 360 degree rotation for the top turret. The pilots I used are from 21st century toys. They are 1:18 scale Stuka pilots and gunners but look fine after re-painting them. I am getting ready to do another full up set for a friends B24. It will be a different livery but turrets will match.

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!

[Hugh Wiedman]

Thanks for all your great advice quitcherrbitchen and rifleman! Lord knows I can use all the help I can get.

[Prowler901]

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

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

[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]

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

[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.

[quitcherbitchen]

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

[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]

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.

[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.

[Sky Wolf]

Very cool scheme!

[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

[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.

[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.