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

[Elbee]

Bomber Bums.......another update....

Sized windows and doors, designed/printed frames for those and with surgical precision cutout the holes ....

I then glued the frames to the fuselage, filled where required, primed and painted color.

I like it a lot though I will need to do an overall quick wet sand to even out the paint lines.

I had already cutout all the plexiglas bits, so after I paint in the window sills, I'll glue those into place.

This is a good step forward to finishing the fuselage.

Looking forward to finishing out the greenhouse and gluing in the cockpit glass.

Best, LB

[f4u ausie]

Must be building season . 2 bombers at once. Making good progress steve... And now a little light 🕯️ at the end of the tunnel.. it must be hard to fly them after the time put in!!! Guess in the old days ,, that's how it was.. b getting cooler there!!! We've had couple good days,, but overall. Cold. Summer next month ,, yet dtay is 14 degrees.. go figure.... So much 4 global warming...:face_with_raised_ey b safe

[Elbee]

Must be building season . 2 bombers at once. Making good progress steve... And now a little light 🕯️ at the end of the tunnel.. it must be hard to fly them after the time put in!!! Guess in the old days ,, that's how it was.. b getting cooler there!!! We've had couple good days,, but overall. Cold. Summer next month ,, yet dtay is 14 degrees.. go figure.... So much 4 global warming...:face_with_raised_ey b safe

Hey Craig,

Our first ''cold snap' of the season this past weekend into today.

Had to paint in 55^o F (12.77 C) temps in the garage, so I warmed the paint and was very quick with the first tack coat.

Second coat went down wet and I brought it back into the hanger (my shop room in the house that has been so generously donated by she whose authority exceeds my rank) to cure out.

Building season is any season for me.....

Best, Steve

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Progress is being made. It's looking like another masterpiece in the making. Weather here has come, woke up to 1" +/- of snow on the ground so going to clean shop to start my winter project.
Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Thanks, Rex. Happy to see progress even though every little bit is progress, if you catch my drift. Best, LB

[f4u ausie]

Rex what's your Winter project Corsair mayb

[jetfool]

f4uausie,
I am going to modify my new 6s FW F-4 Phantom. A good friend printed and sent a lot of scale pieces this summer so I can't back out now. Will change the paint scheme to the Navy Sundowners so have been gathering documentation and listing things needed to be done. Plan to enter my FMS P-47 that I modified last year in the WW2 category also. I have 3 flights on it, so before a bad landing/crash thought I'd take it too.
Don't plan on winning anything I just enjoy the show and seeing friends, Best 3 days in early spring a modeler can have is at the Toledo show.
Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Hey All,

Fuselage is nearly completed.

Got all the clear Plexiglas glued in place including the cockpit glass.

Attached the empennage, then filled and painted all the seams and holes top and bottom.

All the parts are finished and painted for the nose 'greenhouse', though some "assembly is required".

Had to resist the urge to start adding markings and nomenclature, we'll see.

More when there is more.

Best, LB

[F106DeltaDart]

Looking excellent Elbee!

[Elbee]

Bomber Bunch,

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Y'all.

I applied some of the Callie Graphics markings and nomenclature to the fuselage.

Starting to come to life...

Finished the hard mounted 50 cal guns and the 50 cal pivot bearings are glued to the 'greenhouse'.

Next is mounting the ammo boxes, nose-50 cal and belts.

Once that's done, the whole greenhouse will be re-glued to the fuse.

More when there is more.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Fantastic, those gun swivels look great. Did you design them? I have been looking for those for my B-26 and TBM Avenger lower gun turret. Won't be long now for air to get under her wings.
Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Elbee,
Fantastic, those gun swivels look great. Did you design them? I have been looking for those for my B-26 and TBM Avenger lower gun turret. Won't be long now for air to get under her wings.
Best Regards, Rex

Rex,

Yeah, my design and these pivot if you're careful about how you glue 'em in place.

I designed a couple jig parts to hold the parts in place while the glue dries.

3 Actual Parts: 1. Inner Frame, 2. Pivot Ball, 3. Outer Frame.

Don't know what size your B-26 is, but scaling these much smaller would not allow the pivot.

These could be printed in any size within reason, glued in place without the actual movement.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

Elbee,
I have the Dyman B-26, 59" wingspan, 1/9 scale and a Jerry bates 1/8 scale, 106"ws waiting to be built. Slowly cutting parts and gathering everything for this. My Skyshark TBM is 1/9 scale. Think I'll ask GOD for an extended lifetime to build.
I am amazed at your ability to design these things.
Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Elbee,
I have the Dyman B-26, 59" wingspan, 1/9 scale and a Jerry bates 1/8 scale, 106"ws waiting to be built. Slowly cutting parts and gathering everything for this. My Skyshark TBM is 1/9 scale. Think I'll ask GOD for an extended lifetime to build.
I am amazed at your ability to design these things.
Best Regards, Rex

Rex,

It is my understanding that God does not deduct time from our lives while we are building & flying model aircraft.

Best, Steve

[jetfool]

Elbee,
That's great to know that my modeling time doesn't shorten my lifespan, if my health holds up, the many hours I spend building and flying I will make it to 110 yrs old. LOL

[Elbee]

Not to rain on your parade; if my statement is correct and I believe it is, then I might already be living on my 'modeling time'. You never know, that's the beauty of it. Best, Steve

[Elbee]

Hey Bomber Brethren,

Kwik update...

Installing the forward 50 Cal in the greenhouse.

Added the counterweight cables and pulleys each side.

This, along with the forward interior brace (non-scale) and the pivot bearing, should be enough support for the main gun part to allow a barrel change when I break one.

In any event, plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Best, LB

[jetfool]

Looks great Elbee

[davegee]

Coming along great, Elbee. Can't wait to see the finished airplane.

On another note, I received my ColorFABB order for the lightweight filament today. Tremendous service! Just a few days and it was here!

I look forward to experimenting with it for lightweinght parts like what Danger Dan and I are working on for a Cheyenne Turret repclaement for the HK B-17.

Cheers

davegee

[Elbee]

davegee

You'll want to experiment printing something simple like an open top box and pyramid shape to test how much infill to use and what wall thickness is strong enough for your part.

Also, getting the correct nozzle temperature so the filament actually foams is the key to light weight.

I'd start around 240 C nozzle temp 60 C for the print bed.

Slow the print speed down to around 50% to help with goobers and their cousins.

Check out the colorfabb website for more info..

Best, LB

https://colorfabb.us/blog/post/how-to-print-with-colorfabb-lw-pla

[davegee]

davegee

You'll want to experiment printing something simple like an open top box and pyramid shape to test how much infill to use and what wall thickness is strong enough for your part.

Also, getting the correct nozzle temperature so the filament actually foams is the key to light weight.

I'd start around 240 C nozzle temp 60 C for the print bed.

Slow the print speed down to around 50% to help with goobers and their cousins.

Check out the colorfabb website for more info..

Best, LB

https://colorfabb.us/blog/post/how-t...lorfabb-lw-pla

Thanks, Elbee. I will get to this soon, I hope. It has real potential for rc airplanes where weight is a limiting factor for adding on parts. Will post as I get to that point.

Cheers

davegee

[Elbee]

Hey All,

Major task (for me) almost completed.

Reattached the nose greenhouse with all the new additions inside.

A bit like building a boat in a bottle, I think.

Needed to attach a cartridge belt from ammo boxes which are glued to fuselage to the pivoting 50 cal which is attached to the greenhouse all the while gluing the greenhouse to the fuselage, too.

Might have been a better way to do it, but I didn't figure it out.

In any event, everything is glued to everything it should be and the 50 cal barrels are removable which was the plan.

Filling the gaps and touching up paint is next and the nose reconstruction is complete.

Probably add the markings, too, before moving back to the nacelles.

More when there is more...

Best, LB