Wolfman63

Continuing forward the bomb bay doors have been now installed. The landing gear has been detailed and installed. I added the crew hatches and other details to the bottom. The bottom has been base coated with neutral grey and the top base coated with OD green. Need to tape off for the boot black areas and add some details to the top then move on to the decals. More photos in the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

For those of you that would like to see this in person, It will be at the National Convention in Chattanooga this August!

Starting to look like a B-25B! The tails and wings are on. The fit was pretty good. Some very minor filling of small gaps was required. I then turned to the bomb bay doors. The photo etch parts completely replace the kit parts. Each door consists of five pieces. I used an aluminum handle of an Xacto knife to place and shape the curve of the door to match the fuselage. The inside of the doors were painted bright aluminum then weathered slightly with black pastel chalk. I am now working on the landing gear. The photo etch details have been added to the struts. You can see more photos and follow the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

Continuing the buildup of the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B “Doolittle Raider” now that the fuselage is together, I worked on the engines and some more details. I assembled the bombardier section to the front. I added a “Field Upgrade” they did to the B-25. This added an armor plate to the top of the fuselage just aft of the upper turret. The kit engine cowls have too small of an opening for the B-25B. I used a round dowel and some 400 grit sandpaper to open them up by .05”. The engines did not have the pushrods molded on them (and no parts in the kit to add them) so I used some 32 awg wire and made my own. Once the cylinders were cleaned up, painted and weathered I added the photo etch wire harness and installed the front engine cover. Next I will be working on the wings. See my build log for all the photos of this build at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

A special update before the holidays on the 1/48 Accurate Miniatures B-25B. The Doolittle Raiders carried three 500lbs bombs and a 100lbs incendiary bomb for their load out. After some research the incendiary bomb was an OP-1664 spec bomb. It consisted of 32 individual bomblets. Each bomblet was packed with a thermite package in a steel tube and an aluminum hollow tail. The rods were strapped together with canvas straps and aluminum end caps. When released, the canvass straps were released allowing the rods to separate during the fall and spread out over the area. On impact the explosive charge ignited the thermite and dispersed it similar to a roman candle spreading burning thermite in a 50 foot radius. The kit does not include this bomb. So I took 32 1mm styrene rods and cut the 1” long and arranged them in a section cut from a drinking straw. This was then glued to a styrene base. I removed the straw section and then added the rest of the rods to the bomb. I used a strip of styrene and some 32awg wire on the top and found some photo etch straps to wrap them. Finally I removed one of the rack mounts from one of the 1000lbs bombs in the kit and attached it to the top. I painted it the colors I could find for OP-1664’s that were used in the pacific. Steel nose where the thermite sits, steel center section where the explosive and trigger is and aluminum where the tail is. The incendiary bomb was then mounted in the # 4 position in the bomb bay. The fuselage was then put together. This required minor putty on some of the seams. I added some weights to the nose behind the dash and installed the detailed nose bulkhead. I am now working on the nose section. For the Doolittle raiders the Norton Bombsights were removed so the design would not fall into enemy hands and a basic bombsight was made. This bombsight was nicknamed the “Mark Twian” bombsight. Using photos of the actual bombsight, I scratch built mine using a piece of styrene and a strip of photo etch for the guide. Still working on detailing the side of the nose. You can see all the photos on my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

The extinguishers are molded to separate pieces not the fuselage walls. The aft of the bomb bay is molded with the seat. So painting them is easy. For the side glass, I have never had any issues with them pushing in after gluing. I use the Micromark "Same Stuff" glue. As for masking them, The Eduard BigEd set came with a full set of masks. If I did not have the masks, I typically would use kapton tape for masking.

For this week’s update on the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B Doolittle Raider, I am working on the interior. The rear upper turret is together and detailed. I added a piece of clear acetate for the safety glass on the turret. The cockpit and bomb bay bulkheads have been installed. I then finished the starboard side of the fuselage and added weights so the aircraft won’t sit on its tail when finished. Still lots more details to add and finish the port side. You can see more build photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

On the 1/48 Accurate Miniatures B-25B Doolittle Raider I have detailed and finished the cockpit. Started to paint and detail the bomb bay area. Waiting to assemble the bomb bay until I get to the fuselage so that everything lines up. The kit has a butt fit for the bulkheads so I want to make sure they fit correctly. On the Doolittle raiders aircraft to reduce weight the tail gun and side guns were replaced with broomsticks to reduce weight. However the upper turret still had the machine guns. I am replacing the plastic barrels with photo etch and wire and detailing the turret support. Check out all the build photos on my blog at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

Last night I was trying to decide the next build. With yesterday being December 7th, TCM was showing some of the old war movies. They were showing the classic “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo”. So I decided to build the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B “Doolittle Raiders”. This should be a nice build with lots of details being added. I will be doing the “Ruptured Duck” which was the aircraft followed in the film. The “Ruptured Duck” was the 7th aircraft to take off of the USS Hornet. It was piloted by 1st Lt. Ted Lawson. He survived the raid and wrote the book on which the movie was based on. I will be adding the Eduard photo etch detail kit which details the complete interior. Starting on the cockpit now. You can follow this build on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/

The 1/48 Tamiya F-117A Nighthawk is now finished. The kit was a nice kit to build. It included a weight so it sits correctly and it included masks for all the clear parts. The only thing I did not like about the masks was they were not pre-cut. It took some time to trim them to fit correctly. The decals were ok. They are very thin and the larger ones took some finesse to line them up. Overall it came out very nice. You can see all the build photos on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-117a-nighthawk/

I have added a new tip on my blog on cleaning and polishing clear parts as well as removing scuffs or unwanted seams using Meguire’s PlastX cleaner and polish. The photos are the before and after on removing scuffs from a B-17 nose and removing the seam on a modern jet canopy. I prefer doing this rather than dipping in Pledge Future. The clear parts appear clearer with a lot more shine and resist dust when sitting on a shelf for a while. You can see a detailed step by step page on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-repair-clean-and-polish-clear-parts/

This week I finished detailing the cockpit with photo etch accessories on the Tamiya 1/48 F-117A. Then the forward landing gear bay and strut was detailed with some 32 AWG wires. I decided to close the bomb bay. The kit had the bomb racks extended and I prefer a clean look. Next came the assembling of the fuselage. This had a minor issue. The resin cockpit tub is a little taller that the kit tub. I had to grind a channel on the bottom of the tub so the landing gear bay could fit into the channel allowing the fuselage halves to fit together. Beginning the detailing the fuselage now. You can follow the entire build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-117a-nighthawk/

Starting on the Tamiya 1/48 F-117A Nighthawk. Will be adding the Ares resin cockpit detail set. To start with the upper fuselage required trimming for the resin cockpit tub to fit as well as removing the top of the kit dashboard. The resin dashboard with the supplied photo etch looks awesome. For the display panels I painted them chrome silver and then applied a coat of Tamiya clear green. Working on the cockpit tub then detailing the ejection seat. See the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-117a-nighthawk

The Wildcat is now ready for displaying. I completed the painting and applied the kit decals. Also I added some EZ-Line for the antenna. Overall this has been a very nice kit to build. The detail is good and the assembly/fit is very good. The decals went on without any problems and with a little bit of Microsol they laid down nicely. Aside from the addition of photo etch seat belts, engine wires, and the EZ-line, the rest of this is straight out of the box. Looks like I will need to look at getting some of the other Wildcat variants from Hobby Boss. You can see all the build photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-fm-1-wildcat/

With the cockpit finished I moved onto the landing gear bay and the engine. The landing gear bay was detail painted and weathered. The engine was then assembled and painted. To represent the magneto wires I first drilled a slight hole into the cylinders then attached a 32 gauge .75” long wire to each hole. The wires were formed and trimmed to fit into the ignition ring. The cockpit, landing gear bay and engine were then installed in the fuselage. Finally the cowl was installed. I have the wings and tail mounted. Starting to do the base coat of paint. It will be painted the tri-color scheme (White bottom, Intermediate Blue middle and Dark Sea Blue on top) See more photos in the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-fm-1-wildcat/

For my next build I am building the 1/48 Hobby Boss FM-1 Wildcat. I have already completed the cockpit and starting work on the engine and landing gear bay. So far this looks like a nice kit. The details provided in the kit are pretty good. Only accessory used on the cockpit was some photo etch seatbelts. You can follow the build on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-fm-1-wildcat/

I entered my 1/350 USS Carl Vinson at the Butch O’Hare IPMS Chapter Show. I won a gold medal and “Best U.S. Navy” Plaque for my model.

The Italeri 1/720 USS Carl Vinson and air wing are now complete! All that is left to do is to mount the nameplate on to the base. The engraved nameplate is due to arrive tomorrow. Will be shipping this out to the client early in the week. Overall the Italeri model is about average. If you plan on building one of these I recommend the photo etch set and Trumpeter aircraft to bring out the details at this scale. Now on to the photos. You can see all the build photos in my build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

The building of the Italeri 1/720 CVN-70 air wing continues. I have the SH-60’s, E-2C’s, and the F/A-18C’s completed. I like that Trumpeter molded the aircraft in clear but it does make them difficult to see while building. The photo of the SH-60 on deck looks great with the light showing thru. The F/A-18's unpainted look like a squadron of aircraft from Paradise Island (think Wonder Woman LOL) I still have the F/A-18E’s and the deck tractors to complete. The first order of the Shapeways 3-D printed deck tractors somehow were damaged during shipping. Did not see the damage as the shipper just sent an email. I contacted Shapeways and they contacted the shipper then sent a replacement set which arrived in perfect condition. They have awesome customer service! Should have this project completed by the end of next week. More build photos in the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

The air wing is now being built up for the 1/720 Italeri USS Carl Vinson. I have completed the F/A-18C’s for VFA-34 and the C-2’s for VRC-30. The aircraft kits come with minimal decals so I made some extra decals to include the tail code for CVW-2 and the numbers for the E-2’s and C-2’s. Having issues with getting the deck gear. Ordered them from Shapeways but received a notice from UPS that the package was damaged in transit. Not sure what the damage is but I emailed Shapeways and they are working the issue. Hopefully the replacements will be sent soon. So while I wait I am moving forward with the aircraft. Next are the SH-60’s of HSC-4. All the build photos are in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

Moving forward on the Italeri 1/720 USS Carl Vinson I was able to finish the ship itself. I replaced the kit tower with the photo etch version, completed and rigged the island, and installed the rest of the parts on the ship. I also scratchbuilt the forward mast. I am now working on the air wing. The kit aircraft lack a lot of detail so I am using the Trumpeter aircraft. I will be building and detailing F/A-18’s (a few squadrons), E-2C’s, SH-60’s, and C-2’s to fill the flight deck. The kit crash crane looks fine and has been detailed. The 2 deck tractors that came with the kit are pretty sad looking. I ordered new 3-D printed deck tractors from Baconfist on shapeways. They should be here in about 8 days which gives me time to build detail the 30+ aircraft. You can see many more build photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

The construction of the Italeri 1/720 CVN-70 continues. The hull has been completed and mounted to the base. I used Liquitex acrylic gel to simulate the ship at sea. The base was painted blue with some green spots. The acrylic gel was applied and shaped for the wake and waves. The entire surface was then painted with Tamiya clear blue. The white was then dry brushed and the crests were highlighted. I then brushed thinner over the surface to blend the blue and white slightly. Turning my attention to the flight deck, I removed the molded in arresting cables as they looked more like walls. It was then painted and weathered. I then used EZ-Line thin for the cables. Still need to detail the catwalks and safety netting. I am working on the island and the mast now with details. The ship is close to being done then on to the air wing. All the build photos can be viewed at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

Continuing the work on the hull of the 1/720 Italeri USS Carl Vinson. The kit had the anchors molded on and none of the anchor or mooring ports. I drilled out the holes and used wire for the bezels. The sponsons were attached and detailed then fitted with the CIWS. I made safety stripe decals for the hangar bay entryways and the warning circles for the missile launchers. I then detailed the aft crane and mounted it. I have some more decals to do once they arrive early next week. Starting to work on the flight deck now. More build photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

I am doing a commissioned build of the USS Carl Vinson for a gentleman whose son is currently serving aboard the ship. I am using Italeri’s 1/720 scale model and will be using the Gold Medal Models photo etch set and Trumpeter aircraft. The ship will be mounted in a display case depicting it “At sea”. Starting with the hull, The hangar bay doorways in the kit looked too plain. I cut the entryways to the correct depth and added scratch built doors. Next I started detailing the fantail. Some filling was required for the deck to hull fit. The platforms were then detailed with railings and ladders. The build log with all the photos is at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-720-uss-carl-vinson/

Completed the 1/48 scale Accurate Miniatures SB2U-2 Vindicator. This kit was a very nice kit to build. Fit was very good. Aside from the photo etch set, The only other thing I did was make some decals. One is the VS-72 logo on the side of the fuselage and the prop decals. Build photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-sb2u-2-vindicator/ Final photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/gallery/1-48-accurate-miniatures-sb2u-2-vindicator/