LB's FlightLine B-25J to B-25C "Desert Warrior" Build

[Elbee]

Ok LB,

when are you going to put all these files up to buy so that when I get mine out of the box I can start detailing??

R.

You know me, I don't sell 'em, seems like robbery and like to keep control of the end product for the most part.

I either post 'em on Prusa Printables, send G-Code via email, or eventually post the STLs here at the Squawk.

But first, I gotta see how these fit and finish so y'all don't blow up my thread with complaints (it has happened before, sadly).

How quickly are you wanting to start your Mitchell?

Best, LB

[RRHandy]

Ok LB,

when are you going to put all these files up to buy so that when I get mine out of the box I can start detailing??

R.

[Elbee]

Mitchell Maniacs,

Spent the last couple afternoons designing an IP for the Desert Warrior.

My brain broke a few times, but it's Winter, so I had that goin' for me.

Anyway, designed in the all the detail I wanted, but sized to 1:12.88 scale, some of that isn't as transferable as I would've liked.

Still, it looks good to me.

I printed the IPs as thin as I could, but it's almost too thin in the "no holes" version.

I will also print these in resin and report back.

In the end, I'll do a little cosmetic foam surgery to get as much of it in the cockpit as that space is shallow.

If y'all remember, that's the 'rabbit hole' that led to the 90% Corsair Cockpit .

More when there is more.

Best, LB

[Elbee]

Hey all,

I got the sizing on the MG corrected and I like how it looks, now.

The print-in-place 'pivot bearing' failed 2 more times.

I think this has to do with the size of the whole design, needless to say, it is small.

I opted to to split the housing (for lack of a better term) as per the actual.

This leaves the parts slightly over-sized, but it allows me to have a front and a rear housing and better control of the size of the pivot itself.

Make sense...well it does to me .

Though it is close, the 'droop' of the barrel of the MG is not quite to my liking but I am blaming that on the glue i used on the housings..

I am using 'kit' glue and it is chunky when drying, so for the actual nose, I will attempt something more fluid.

Cross that bridge when I get there.

The nose is painted is this area so there will be some margin for predictable error.

It seems the actual has the hole in the glass higher than the model, so that is probably what seems off a smidgen.

I also added a a cockpit rear bulkhead cover and rounded the opening so it looks a bit more realistic, but who's gonna notice but me, right?

Anyway, more when there is more....

Best, LB

[Elbee]

MItchell Mob,

I am tickled Desert Pink about these MGs.:hugging:

I am working on a 'print in place' pivot bearing instead of a rubber bushing.

So far, 3 fails, but there ya go, pretty much par for the course for me.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

I agree with what they said.

[Elbee]

Grossman56

I was thinking more like a RC B-25 "Faberge' Egg" kind of vibe. :smirk:

Best, LB

[Grossman56]

Dang Elbee, you keep this up and you're going to have a miniature museum!!

Grossman56
Dangerous Dan)

[Aros]

Hah, you say that like it's a bad thing....

Ah, quite the opposite! Elbee Build Threads/Posts are Must See TV! (Er, if the forum were a television, um...well, you know what I mean!)

[Elbee]

Oh here we go again! The maestro at work on his latest project!

:pop :pop :pop

Hah, you say that like it's a bad thing....

You all know the only reason I get to do this stuff is I am not bothering 'she whose authority exceeds my rank' while I am doing it.

I am encouraged beyond the pale and therefore keeps this a very happy household.

Sometimes I do protest a little just to keep her honest,

Best, LB

[Aros]

Oh here we go again! The maestro at work on his latest project!

:pop :pop :pop

[Elbee]

...and you will when you are ready, Sir. Thank you for the very kind works, Bob. Best, Steve

[borntoolate]

Hey all,

I been doing a little painting with some detail all the while working on my pilots.

It's fun to get back to adding things and not just designing things, but you can't have one without the other.

Next up are some pilot seats, but I am not reworking the cockpit on this build, not enough space and really difficult to see even if you did a cockpit.

Anyway, more when there is more.:pop

Best, LB

Looking really good! I need to get more motivated on mine.

Bob

[Elbee]

Hey all,

I been doing a little painting with some detail all the while working on my pilots.

It's fun to get back to adding things and not just designing things, but you can't have one without the other.

Next up are some pilot seats, but I am not reworking the cockpit on this build, not enough space and really difficult to see even if you did a cockpit.

Anyway, more when there is more.:pop

Best, LB

[Elbee]

Thanks Rex. It is big fun.

[jetfool]

Unbelievable Elbee, the detail is fantastic.

Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Still experimenting with the Elegoo Mars 4 Ultra.

I have reprinted in FDM (Filament) the LB Bombsight in the correct scale for my B-25.

With some slicer tweeking, the scaled print is really quite good. in that, this part is mostly a flatish black with some bright metal bits and a clear lens or two.

I will resin print one in B-25 scale for curiosity's sake, but for this design, I just don't see that a resin part is required considering the differences in weight.

Don't get me wrong, I love detailed parts as much as the next modeler, so for the pilot heads and IPs, etc, I think resin is the way to go.

More when there is more.

Best, LB

[borntoolate]

Update Re: Resin Prints

I've done some more resin printing with really nice results: however, some unexpected, but logical results.

Resin printed parts are heavy and that does make sense, but I was surprised by how much heavier.

The B-25 Nose Ammo Box design with filament printed #2 in the picture weighed 5 grams, that same design resin printed #1 in the picture at 12 grams.

The detail was similar, but the clear winner is the resin for detail and the filament for weight.

Noted that there has been no post processing of the filament printed part, no sanding, priming or finish work of any kind.

It doesn't take much work to improve the filament prints in that way and a resin print print still requires sanding, priming and painting.

Yes, you're saying I could redesign the boxes and that I will, it just there is this wall thickness issue with resin printing if you rely on the "hollowing' option in the slicer.

Point is if resin printing is the detail I want the design needs to be adjusted or simply designed with that in mind inherently.

I will also experiment with 'skins' for lack of a better term, where the detail part is very thin in overall and the detail lies mostly on the top.

That can glued to an underlying structure of a thin walled filament print which is what I did for my Flightline Corsair cockpit parts

In plastic model world this method is used for the very small Cockpits in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale aircraft for an example.

Highly detailed, but thin when resin printed, i.e., Red Fox Studios, Ammo, etc.

Anyway, I will continue to post when there is something to post and write about the Bomber Pilots (Max Grueter Design from CGTrader), then, it's scale issue.

My very best to borntoolate as he is still contemplating and planing his project B-25J to C model build of the "Ruptured Duck" Mitchell B-25C: love ya Bro.

Best, LB

Thank you, sir! I love the crew figures!

Bob

[Elbee]

You are most kind, Sir. Thank you.

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Your process is very nice. You are the design Guru on these foam planes. Waiting on the next update.

Best Regards, Rex