Wolfman63

The fourth week of the H-43B Huskie I was able to finish detailing the interior in the crew area and assemble the fuselage halves. The seats were installed onto scratch built frames and then the seat belts were installed. Moving over to the starboard side I added the supports and shelves. Installing these took a little time so that the floor and roof lined up correctly. The fuselage was then glued together. Only a few areas required putty. The starboards seats were then installed. I did a quick check on the rear doors on how they fit and aligned to the fuselage. While the putty on the fuselage was drying I started working on the engine/rotor assembly. There is a large screen on the aft side of the assembly. I cut the plastic screening and installed a metal screen. The rotor shafts required a lot of filing and sanding to make them smooth and to install the gears that keep the rotors aligned. I went to check the fit to see how the rotor assembly aligns to the fuselage and found out I have a huge problem. The gear assembly is huge! Since I added a roof there is no room for the rotor assembly to mount to the fuselage. The kit has the gears sit way down into the crew area! At this point I do not think there is enough room in the rotor assembly to re-design the gears and fit them inside. I will look it over this week but if all else fails the rotors will not spin. This upcoming week I will look at the rotor assembly and then I need to scratch build the overhead console for the cockpit. I am hoping to have the tail assembly installed by the end of the week. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-32-kaman-h-43b-huskie-helicopter/

The third week of the Huskie I worked on detailing the aft section of the interior. First I panted the interior of the rear doors. The lower section is red and the upper section is the interior grey. Then using styrene square rods I framed the rear edge and drilled out the holes. The port side of the interior was also painted with the grey. The reference photo shows a cutout in the floor so using some sheet styrene I made the side extensions. There are two rows of seats along the rear sides with a cargo net type of back. I used some cloth tape to make the netting. I am now working on making the seat frames out of round styrene rods and will use cloth tape for the seats. I still have more details to add to the port side but I needed to order some more sheet styrene for the shelves that need to be added and still make the wire cables. Then I can start on the starboard side details. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-32-kaman-h-43b-huskie-helicopter/

The second week of the H-43B Huskie was spent starting the super detailing of the interior. After finishing the cockpit area and installing the screens on the fuselage I installed the kit interior. I then started detailing the crew area by using sheet styrene for the supports on the port side. I then used two paperclips to replicate the pipes that run along the side. I installed the top panel and used some putty to blend it to the kit section. While waiting for the putty to cure I used some styrene square rods to detail the framework on the rear doors and a strip of sheet styrene for the lower braces. I am working on the details between the supports and then need to detail the rear section benches and floor. Once these are done I can paint the port side and start adding the wiring that goes on the port side. I am hoping to start on the starboard side by the end of this coming week. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-32-kaman-h-43b-huskie-helicopter/

This was listed as 1/48 - Turns out the model is actually a 1/32 scale. Testors mis-printed their box as 1/48! This build is using an old kit made by Testors. Testors was known for doing some of the unique subjects over the years. This is their 1/32 scale H-43B Huskie helicopter. It was originally released in 1961 and re-issued in 1967 to include Viet Nam parts. This version I am building is the final release of the kit in 1998. The Kaman Aircraft H-43B Huskie is a very distinctive helicopter. It uses twin main intermeshing rotors. These were counter-rotating so a tail rotor was not required. It was first flown in 1953 and was in service until the early 1970’s. During the Viet Nam was it was utilized as an Air Rescue and Recovery helicopter which were part of the Pacific Air Rescue Center. I started off working on the interior. The kit does not provide any details. I obtained a lot of reference photos online. The bulkhead between cockpit and crew area was the first part I started detailing. It required mold marks to be filled with putty first. Then using styrene sheets and some photo etch pieces from my spares drawer I added the center post and details to the crew side. I used cloth tape to replicate the padding on the cockpit side. The instrument panel and center console was assembled and detail painted. I used the kit decal for the instrument panel as it matched very well to the reference photos. Next I then test fit the interior to the fuselage and marked where everything lined up so I can detail the insides. The kit also does not include the roof for the crew cabin and the overhead console for the cockpit. I used some sheet styrene shaped for the roof then scribed the panel lines and rivet lines to add detail. The crew area also has an overhead light which I replicated by drilling a hole and installing a clear lens. While measuring for the roof I realized the fuselage has two screened intakes molded in for the engine intakes. I cut these out and replaced them with some fine metal screening. There is also a section in the forward post that in the reference photos is open and the kit had these molded closed so I opened these up. Finally I worked on the cockpit seats. The rear of the seats was open so I used sheet styrene to make the backs. After painting them I then made the seatbelts from cloth tape and attached some photo etch buckles. Next I will be working on the overhead console for the cockpit and detailing the interior of the fuselage halves. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-kaman-h-43b-huskie-helicopter/

The fifth week of the 1/25 scale 1922 Model T Touring I finished the project! To start with I mounted the car to the display base by running a wire thru the tires and into holes I drilled in the base. I then used some epoxy to secure the wires into the base. I purchased a small photo frame for the photo and then applied the nameplate. It was then delivered to the family. The finished project came out great! This was the first time I kit bashed two models to make one replica. The AMT kits themselves gave me all the parts I needed and a little scratch building completed the finer details. The family was extremely happy with the final results. You can see all the photos, details, and a video of the completed project in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-scale-1922-model-t-touring-car/

The fifth week of the 1/25 scale 1922 Model T Touring I finished the project! To start with I mounted the car to the display base by running a wire thru the tires and into holes I drilled in the base. I then used some epoxy to secure the wires into the base. I purchased a small photo frame for the photo and then applied the nameplate. It was then delivered to the family. The finished project came out great! This was the first time I kit bashed two models to make one replica. The AMT kits themselves gave me all the parts I needed and a little scratch building completed the finer details. The family was extremely happy with the final results. You can see all the photos, details, and a video of the completed project in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-scale-1922-model-t-touring-car/

The third week of the Model T Touring I installed the body to the chassis. This took some time to get it to sit correctly on the chassis. The fenders are separate pieces so getting them to sit on the chassis and lined up took some time. The interior was painted and front seat was installed. I then scratch built the front windshield using styrene rods and a clear styrene sheet. The side mirrors were made using styrene rod and some photo etch for the mounts. The display case arrived this week from Grandpa’s Cabinets. I went with a red oak stained base that had a channel in it to hold the clear cover. I had this made a little larger as I will be mounting a small photo frame for the memorial photo and a brass etched name plate. Next I started the other details like the steering wheel was assembled and painted. The dashboard was painted and the gauges were detailed. The canvass top was modified to have three rectangle windows to match the reference photos and then the top was painted with satin black. The actual car has two accessory lights on the front mounted on the body just behind the hood and two mounted on the chassis in the rear. These lights are to make the car street legal. To replicate these I started with styrene rods and made the light bezels out of wire. One thing to note is the gold and chrome paint pens take 24 hours to dry so I have been bouncing around different areas. I started on the spare tire assembly. I need to make the mount for the rear of the car then make the license plate frames with another brake light. The actual car uses a legal antique license plate as well as a replica plate from 1922. There are a lot more details that requiring scratch building like the FORD logo on the radiator, Radiator cap, front license plates, a horn for the driver side door, and the support linkage for the top. You can see all the photos and details from start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-scale-1922-model-t-touring-car/

The second week of the T Touring car was spent working on the changes to the body. The differences were the section in front of the windshield and the rear doors. After roughing in the front section I laid in some putty and then wet sanded it into shape. For the rear doors the shape of the doors was incorrect and I needed to relocate the hinges. I sanded down the molded lines. I used 30 gauge wire and formed the door edges then used photo etch scraps to make the hinges. Since the door edges and hinges were not exactly like the new rear doors I sanded the front door area down and replicated them with the wire and photo etch as well. I then primed the body with white primer. While some steps of modifying the body required drying time I started working on the chassis. I started with the wheels and tires. I purchased some gold paint pens as this build has a lot of gold accents. The outer ring and the center cap of the wheels were painted gold while the spokes were painted wood and the hubs were black. The vinyl tires were then installed. I also painted the spare tire with the gold rim and black tire cover. The “FORD” logo on the tire cover was then painted white using a pointed micro brush. The frame was assembled along with the suspension. The engine and transmission were assembled and installed on to the frame. With the chassis mostly done I set it aside and turned back to the body. The body, cowl, and radiator frame were then paint with gloss red. The fenders/ running boards were then painted gloss black. The next part of the body is the frame for the windshield. I used styrene rod to for the outside frame. I am using clear styrene sheet for the windshield. I need to cut the windshield along the center to replicate the weather strip between the two sections. I am thinking of using some very thin shrink tubing for this. I have some more detailing on the chassis then fitting the body on to the chassis. It does look like I may need to make some minor adjustments so the body sits correctly I also need to scratch build the mount for the spare tire on the rear, the front and rear turn signal lights, license plate frames, the horn on the driver side door, and the brake light. I also ordered the nameplate as well as a nice display case from Grandpa’s Cabinets. You can see all the photos and details from start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-scale-1922-model-t-touring-car/

For the next commission build I will be replicating a 1922 Ford Model T Touring for a close friend whose father recently passed away. The car was his pride and joy as he spent many years restoring it. The problem is there are no 1922 Model T Touring kits available. So after doing some research I found two kits that I can “kit bash” most of the parts and sections to replicate most of the vehicle and then scratch build any other specific parts for the 1922 Ford. I have multiple photos of the actual vehicle so this should be easy to replicate. The term “Kit Bash” is a modeling term where multiple parts from multiple kits are used to make a specific model. This will be the first time I will be using the kit bash method so this should be another interesting build. Side note – I started this late in the week as I was busy packing the previous commission and shipping it out to the client. After researching the available models I ended up purchasing the AMT 1/25 scale ’23 T Depot Hack and the AMT 1/25 Vintage Police Car. The ‘23T has the correct fenders, front end, wheels, and frame. The Vintage Police Car has a similar body and roof. The police car is a 1927 T touring car. The doors, the area in front of the windshield, and the engine cowl are incorrect for a 1922. I started off by cutting the front section off the body. Using the reference photos I measured the correct size of the front end. I thought I could just shorten the front but then realized the engine cowl was smaller so the angle from windshield to cowl was different as well. I used the measurements of the correct cowl and scratch built the firewall. I then built a small frame to hold the firewall and some thin sheet styrene to scratch build the body panels. Due to the angle I ended up making three separate panels to form the angle and curves. These were then covered with a thin coat of putty. Once sanded and shaped will match the reference photos correctly. As for the doors I will make the door edges with wire and then use a thicker wire for the hinges. I will sand off the kit door edges and then install the formed wires. The rear doors need to be reshaped and have the hinges move to the other side of the rear doors as they are hinged from the rear side of the door. The plan is to complete the body this coming week then assemble the frame and suspension. You can see all the photos and details from start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-scale-1922-model-t-touring-car/

The ninth week of the American LaFrance I was able to finish off the final assembly and details which completed the model! The client wanted to change the color of the fire helmet from silver to white so it was cleaned up and re-painted white. This was then mounted on the passenger side dash. All of the windows were installed. I had heard the windows were difficult to fit but I did not have any problems. All of them fit just fine. On the window just behind the driver I added two decals. One was a logo of the volunteer group and the other was a small memorial sticker. Some of the exterior details were then added like the door handles and side lights. The interior assembly was then installed into the cab and the cab was mounted to the frame along with the front bumper assembly. Next came adding the lights on top of the cab. One detail I added was a small antenna just behind the main light bar. I scratch built this using a piece of styrene rod and a wire. I then began adding the mirrors, side hand rails, and front lights. I used the Molotow chrome paint pen to touch up the chrome parts. Finally I looked over the photo etch belt buckles and there were some smaller ones so I added these to the straps that held the two "high rise packs" which are long bundles of white hoses wrapped in red carrying cases under the ladders. This completed the model! As for the kit, the kit is fairly close to the actual truck. However, there are a lot of small details that can be added. The fit of everything was very good. The decals were decent with the only issue being the gauges for the control panel are too large for the panel. The instructions also have some minor issues with part numbers when parts go on opposite sides. This was an interesting build for me as it was the first time building a Fire Truck. Adding all the extra details was fun as well. While the details were numerous executing them was not difficult but rather just a little time consuming. The etched brass nameplate is running a little slow and is expected to arrive on Monday. Now for the real challenge, packing and shipping this. I have a couple of ideas on how to pack it so as to minimize the chance of it being damaged. I hope you all enjoyed following along with this build. You can see all the photos, details, and final video from start to finish in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/ Video at https://videopress.com/v/y6F42cNo

The eighth week of the Eagle I continued with assembling and detailing the interior and the cab. Before I go thru the work done on the interior and cab I need to do a look back at the front bumper. The item on the driver side that I noted as a large light is not a light. This is a Federal Q siren. This is the very loud siren that is heard when rushing to a fire. I do not know why Trumpeter has a clear lens when they could have just added a photo etch piece to replicate the screen. To correct this I removed the lens and installed a screen. For the outer ring and the Federal logo I printed these on clear acetate using my laser printer. These were then trimmed and glued into place. The outer ring was then painted with the chrome paint pen. Moving back to the interior I made the decals representing the SCBA tanks and added them. While making the decals for them I also made the decal for the silver helmet that is in one of the reference photos. While waiting for the seat belt buckles to be delivered I applied all the cab decals and clear coated with a high gloss clear to seal them. I then painted the chrome trim and the aluminum plate on the back of the cab. There are a few more details on the cab that need to be painted but I will do those when I start adding the external details on the cab. The photo etch seat belt buckles arrived on Wednesday so I started making the seat belts, SCBA tank straps, and the SBCA harness straps. The photo etch buckles are very nice and easy to work with. It provides four different styles of buckles and latches and ten of each style. The seat belts were painted gray and the SCBA belts were painted black. This coming week I will add all the external details to the front section and assemble/mount it. I am hoping to have it completed by next weekend! You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

The seventh week of the Eagle the rear section is now finished and mounted to the frame. I had to correct the license plate. The sample I used was for truck 122 and this is truck 121. I then installed the sides and the ladder rack with ladders. I used a resin cover from Three Inches Under. The resin required some minor work to clean up the resin and a little sanding to properly fit over the ladder ends. The cover kit also includes the “KEEP BACK” decal however the decal sheet had some issues. These look like they were printed with an ink jet printer so they clear coated the decals. There was dust in the clear coat and when I soaked it in the water the dust allowed water to get to the ink causing the ink to fall off. I made my own decal and applied it. The aft section was mounted on to the frame. The fit was a little tight but went on perfectly. I then started working on the front section. I started with the front bumper. This required one large hose and one small hose. These were coiled into the front baskets. The large light required some sanding to get rid of the seam and the Molotow chrome paint pen matched perfectly. In the reference photo there is a metal logo in the center of the lens. I will make this decal later. Once the front bumper was finished I then turned to the cab interior. The seats that have open backs are to hold the SCBA packs. I am using some tubing and sheet styrene to scratch build these. I installed the photo etch panels in the cab area and then painted the dash board. I used a clear sheet of styrene to replicate the clear panel over the gauges then installed the steering wheel assembly. With all the seat belts and belts for the SCBA packs I ordered some photo etch buckles which are due to arrive early next week. In the mean time I am working on the rest of the cab interior and the cab itself. I estimate I am only a couple of weeks from completing this build. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

The sixth week of the Eagle I finally finished the hoses! I do need to mention one correction. The hoses on the right side needed to have the routing corrected. The second to the end hooks up the truck and then goes to the third from the right. I also added the “dog ears” to the small hoses which is used to pull the hoses off. I then scratch built the “Humat” valve that sits on the rear and has the large yellow hose coupled to it. I used styrene tubing and rods with a couple of photo etch pieces for the top. With the hoses done I then began adding the decals and gloss clear coat to the rear section. This was done at this point as I did not want to clear coat the chromed parts. The clear coat will dull the mirror finish of the chrome parts. A side note about the kit chrome parts, trimming them off the trees leaves a part not chromed. The Molotow chrome paint pens match the chrome finish perfectly. Just remember that once painted with the pen it needs to dry overnight. I started adding the details like the door latches and the lights to the rear section. First was the blue light and chrome bar on the top along with the rear lights under the hose bed. The latches and side lights were then added to the right side. On top of the right side is a rack that sits under the ladder racks. This holds more hoses in red nylon bags. The kit part is smooth with lines molded in for the straps that hold them in place. I sanded off the molded straps and covered the bags in red nylon cloth and then made straps using strips cut from the cloth tape. While the touched up chrome parts were drying I then needed to make the license plate. The kit does provide the light that shines on the license plate but they do not include the plate of the plate mount. I used the reference photo and duplicated the plate. I will use some thin sheet styrene to make the plate holder. I am currently working on the left side lights, tail lights, and the light bar that mounts on top. I then need to work on the ladder racks and ladders. I believe this will complete the rear section and I can then move onto the front section and cab interior details. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

Here we are at the fifth week of the Eagle and I am still working on the hoses. The client sent me a drawing of a little better detail on what and how the hoses in the hose bed are stored. Using this and the reference photo I had to add some more details. Four of the smaller hoses have nozzles on them. Using styrene rods I scratch built these and inserted them into the hose stack. For reference I have currently used over 30 feet of the cloth tape making hoses. I have one more stack of the medium hoses to make which will complete all the hoses in the bed. One more thing that I need to scratch build is a “Humut Valve” that sits on the rear bumper deck. One of the yellow hoses is also hooked to this valve as well. I will be finishing the last hose stack tonight then I can start detailing the rear section. My goal is to have the rear section completed by the end of the week and then start working on the front section and cab. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

The fourth week of the Eagle was spent making fire hoses. There are not a lot of photos this week as it is taking a little more time making the fire hoses than I originally thought. This is due to the numerous hoses and their length. The bed has small and two sizes of medium hoses. Some of the medium hoses are yellow. So these hoses needed to be painted. To match the faded yellow hue I used a 50/50 mix of Vallejo yellow and ivory white. For reference, the small hoses are 0.15” wide, the yellow medium hoses are 0.25” wide and the white medium hose that I am working on now are 0.21” wide. The small white hoses have couplers that attach to the outputs on the back panel. On the reference photo one of these have the nozzle shown in the middle of a stack as well. All of these are scratch built using styrene rods and tubes. I am hoping to finish all the rear hoses this week and then adding all the details and finish the painting on the rear section. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

The third week of the American LaFrance Eagle ended with the pump section being built up and completed. I assembled the walls and then added the upper fixed nozzle. The wire for the tower light was attached to the reel. The kit came with a plastic tube for the feed line to the fixed nozzle I replaced this with a section of aluminum tubing. The reference photos show hoses stored in the bucket of each panel. On the control panel side is a small yellow “trash” hose with a small hand held nozzle. I scratch built the nozzle using round and square styrene rods and a photo etch lever. The outlet panel on the other side has a medium hose with couplers on each end. The couplers were made with styrene tubing. On a side note the deck for the fixed nozzle has a light in a chrome bezel. Cutting the chrome bezel off the tree leaves a part of the chrome missing. The Molotow chrome paint pen matches the chrome of the kit perfectly. Now for the hoses themselves, I used 3M glass cloth tape. This is a cloth tape with a silicone adhesive. I have two rolls. One that is 0.75 inches wide and on that is 0.3” wide. The smaller width is perfect for the small hoses. It is folded in half and creates the perfect width for them. The larger width is folded to make the medium and larger hoses. Folding this ¼ of the way and wrapping the other over this creates the medium hoses and then half and half creates the large hose. Once folded the adhesive holds them together but I run CA glue across the seams to hold them permanently. These white hoses are unpainted. The dirty white appearance looks exactly like the reference hoses. The yellow is Vallejo Model Air paint. This is thin enough to be absorbed by the cloth tape so when folding or shaping the hoses there is no cracking or flaking of the paint. With the pump section completed I then began work on the rear section. This required the outside sections to be painted Fire Engine Red. I also decided to paint the front cab as well. I painted the upper area of the cab with gloss white and the lower section with the red. While these were set aside to dry I then assembled the rear bed. The kit provides the dividers in photo etch. After I installed the dividers I took the reference photo of the bed and scaled it to the kit. This allows me to measure the width of the hoses so I can replicate them to stack them up. It looks like I will be spending most of next week making many hoses. I am hoping to finish off the rear section by next weekend and then starting on the cab. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

The second week of the American LaFrance Fire Truck has the chassis completed. I drilled out the end of the exhaust pipe and thinned out the pipe wall to make it more realistic. The drive shafts were then installed and all the wheels were installed. The next section to work on is the pump section which has a control panel on one side and outputs on both sides and finally a nozzle on top. To start with the kit control panel has three control levers molded flat on the surface. I cut these levers off and drilled out the slots. I then used some styrene rod to make the levers. For the knobs on the end I used a candle to heat up the end and create the knob. I then detail painted the panel. The kit comes with decals for the gauges and placards. The gauge decals are too large for the panel. The decals do not fit inside the rim rings. To correct this I scanned in the decal sheet and reduced the size by 3% and then printed out a new decal sheet. The gauge decals now fit perfectly inside the gauge trim rings. For the chrome trim rings, dials, and hose connections I used a Molotow Chrome paint pen. While certain areas on the control panel were drying I started looking at the opposite side panel and the top panel. On the opposite side panel is a “tower light” this portable light has a reel of cable to provide power. The reel on top had molded area to represent the cable. I opted to sand these down and use actual 30 gauge yellow wire. The light is stored on the side panel. The kit has the cable molded to the panel I trimmed this off and replaced it with the yellow wire. Once the section is assembled I will route the wire to the reel. On top of the panel was a long hand bar. The reference photos show a smaller bar. I cut off the one on the kit and then using styrene rods I scratch built the correct one. I then detailed the passenger side panel to match the reference photo. I am hoping to finish the pump section this week which includes a scratch built yellow hose with a scratch built nozzle this is stored in the bottom of the control panel in the reference photos. I will cover how I am replicating hoses next week. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

NEXT UP – Trumpeter’s 1/25 scale American LaFrance Eagle Fire Pumper Fire Truck which is a commission build. The client trained and served as a volunteer fireman on this truck. This is the first time I built a fire truck so this will be an interesting build for me. The client also furnished many photos of the actual fire truck. I am also going to use resin accessories from Three Inches Under. They have accessories for their line of hundreds of American made resin detail parts and graphics for scale model funeral cars, ambulances, police cars, fire apparatus, taxis, commercial vehicles and related dioramas. The kit comes with s sheet of photo etch details and the decal set matches the exact truck the client worked with helps with this build. Starting off I am starting with the chassis. I painted all the items that mount to the frame with Tamiya semi-gloss black. For the shocks I used flat black for the rubber covering on them and the batteries. I also assembled the pump and transfer case. These were painted using Vallejo Metal Paint in duroaluminum. The other brackets, mounts, oil filter were all assembled. The frame itself was painted using satin Frame black. The suspension and rear axle were assembled and mounted onto the frame as well. The tires are a soft plastic. I the scrubbed 400 grit sandpaper to replicate some minor wear/usage on the tires tread pattern. I still have some minor details to add to the frame then the exhaust system and to properly install the wheels and tires. Then on to the building the rest of the truck. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-25-american-lafrance-eagle-fire-truck/

The eighth week of the PBJ-1D from the “The Fork-Tailed Devils” of VMB-433 for the U.S. Marines located on Emirau Island, New Guinea 1944 is now completed! I spent the week doing the finishing details, painting, applying decals, and finally a bit of weathering. I added the final antennas on the topside and then I drilled out the recognition lights, painted them with chrome silver, filled them with acrylic gel then painted them using Tamiya clear red, green, and yellow. Next I trimmed of the molded in wing tip lights and the formation lights. These areas trimmed off were painted chrome silver and then the lenses were formed using the acrylic gel. Once dried the formation lights were painted blue and the wing tip lights were painted red on the port side and green on the starboard side. I used EZ-Line fine for the upper and lower antenna lines. The decals were the kit decals which went on very well. They were thin enough to conform to the surface details. The propellers were then painted. The blades are semi-gloss black and the hubs are gloss black. The kit itself went together very well. There are some minor fit issues but they are not too bad. The clear parts fit very well. The landing gear doors and the boarding ladders were very thick and not very accurate but with photo etch and with some scratch building these were corrected. The instructions are very good for assembly but they have some inaccuracies as well. The kit has extra parts for various versions but the instructions do not address these. One example is they have the internal bomb bay extra fuel tank and a full complement of bombs but do not mention which versions use which setup. The full load of bombs do not fit in the internal fuel tank is used. Some versions used wing mounted bombs and some do not. They supply the wing mounts but do not note which ones utilized them. As noted before the decals are very good quality and conform very well. Overall it was a fun kit to build and with some minor work makes a nice display model. Thank you for following this build and happy modeling! You can see all the photos and details from start to finish in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pbj-1d-b-25-mitchell/

The seventh week of the PBJ has been spent on the underside of the aircraft. I built up the landing gear and added some photo etch details to them. Built up the wheels and then installed the landing gear. The tires have flat spots on them to replicate the weight of the aircraft so I had to install them so it sat correctly in the flat side. I used 45 grams of weight in under the cockpit so the model sits correctly on the gear. I then added the photo etch antennas and replaced all the landing gear doors with photo etch versions. I then went to install the forward and aft boarding ladders and the kit version looks really ugly. I spent two evenings scratch building replacements out of sheet styrene and photo etch details. These matched the reference photos in the book a lot better than the kit versions. I just need to finish up some details on the bomb bay doors and then I can start painting the underside with the base coat of FS36270 neutral grey. There are some antennas and other details the will need to go on the topside and then I can paint the base coat of FS 35164 Intermediate blue. Hoping to get the aircraft painted and decaled by the end of the week and finish it up next weekend. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pbj-1d-b-25-mitchell/

It has a little stretch as it is a polymer tape. Check out the video on my tip page.

The sixth week of the PBJ-1D I had to make some minor adjustments on the nose to fit to the rest of the fuselage. I then used Kapton tape to mask the two nose pieces and the canopy. For the nose section I added the jump seat and the seat belts. For masking with Kapton tape see my Tips and Tricks section at https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/masking-with-kapton-tape/ I then started on the engines. The kit came with the engines having both cylinder sections and the front assembly. One thing I noticed was on the first row of cylinders they did not mold in the push rods. I grabbed some fine styrene rods and made the push rod tubes. These engines were then detail painted and assembled. I have a decal sheet that has a variety of engine logos and ID placards. I used the Curtiss-Wright logos and ID placard decals for the front of the engines. The nacelles, cowls, and engines were then mounted to the wings. With these mounted and the nose it looks like the 45 grams of weight I hid under the cockpit worked out well from keeping the model from being tail heavy. I am now working on the landing gear and adding the various details like antennas, landing gear doors, and the rest of the clear lenses for the aircraft lights. Then I can mask off the rest of the windows and start painting the base coats for the upper and lower portions of the aircraft. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pbj-1d-b-25-mitchell/

The fifth week on the PBJ was spent adding the final details to the interior and then I was able to get the fuselage halves together. The fit was OK. Trying to get the halves aligned with the interior sections lining up required some minor sanding. The bulkheads in the bomb bay have gaps as the bulkheads do not conform very well to the fuselage curves. The next area I worked on was the canvass cover for the tail guns. I started by using some clinging plastic wrap on a scrap styrene sheet. The clear tail for different versions was used as a guide. I covered it with a layer of plastic wrap. I then used a mixture of acrylic gel and water. I used 3 parts gel to 1 part water. I then used tissue lightly brushed with the gel and laid it over the part. Using the brush I carefully shaped it to the mold. I ended up using 3 layers of tissue. I opted to use the acrylic gel over the typical white glue as the gel version allowed a better item to form the sags and folds of canvass. I actually made two versions one with white glue and the one with acrylic gel. The acrylic gel was a little better to work with and shape. The white glue version tended to crack/tear when attempting to shape it. Once dry I drilled out the two holes for the gun barrels and trimmed the part to fit the aft of the fuselage. I ten glued the tarp to the fuselage using CA glue. Finally I used a wooden stick to press and shape the tarp. It is hard to see the details of the tarp in the photos but it will look much better once painted and highlighted with weathering. While the tarp was drying I worked on the tails and the wings. These went together well but the tail section to fuselage has some gaps which will need to be filled. The wings required some minor sanding and shaping for alignment to the spars but the fit to the fuselage was very good. I am currently working on the nose. It looks like there may be some minor fit issues when I did a dry fit. I need to mask the canopies and then start on the main landing gear. I am hoping to start the painting process by the end of this coming week. You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pbj-1d-b-25-mitchell/

The fourth week of the PBJ-1D build I worked on the tail gunner section and the bomb bay walls. Since the kit only supplies a twin gun mount that is not very detailed I used a combination of photo etch, resin and some styrene to make the tail gunner station. I used two more of the Eduard resin guns and made a mount for them. The photo etch set provided the floor, seat, and armor shield. I scratch build the control for the twin guns. One interesting thing I found out from the reference book was the ammunition boxes are mounted and a covered feed duct goes from the ammo case to the end of the tail to feed the guns. The duct has a twist in it so that it can clear the shield in front of the gunner then twists back to mount to the fuselage end. I used a square styrene rod and some hot water to create the twists. The shield had to be modified to allow the ducts to fit past it and match the reference photos. I also worked on the bomb bay framework for the sides of the bomb bay. Since the version I am building utilizes the auxiliary fuel cell in the bomb bay I did not need to add the mounting spars for the bombs. The frames were detail painted and installed. I then checked the fit of the bomb bay section and verified everything fit. I am hoping to have the fuselage together this coming week. I still need to add the nose landing gear and add some details around the boarding ladder areas. You can all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pbj-1d-b-25-mitchell/

The third week of the PBJ-1D build was spent detailing the nose area. To start with the starboard side has the ammo boxes, electronic gun and the spent casing bag. The gun is molded and only half of the frame. The ammo belt was just a blob of plastic. I had a set of Eduard Brassin resin guns so I decided to use these instead of the kit versions. I started by cutting the starboard wall apart. The kit “blob” for an ammo belt was cut off and replaced with a photo etch ammo belt. The resin gun was then mounted on the spent casing bag. The upper ammo case for the nose gun was then modified for the belt feed and mounted on the starboard side. For the port side I detail painted the wall and the bomb sight. I then used some solder to replicate the air duct for the bomb sight. The nose gun was then detailed with the photo etch handles and added the chute to the ejection port. The ammo belt was then routed from the upper ammo box to the gun. Another detail I added was the elastic lines that hook up to the rear of the gun to hold it up in place when not in use. The clear nose and the top canopy of the nose were then sanded slightly to clean up the fit to the nose section. I am currently reviewing details of the tail gunners section. The kit only has a twin gun mount to stick out the back. I will be making the entire section using photo etch and scratch building. I will be using some more Eduard Brassin resin guns and will need to make a tarp that covers the opening of the tail. The reference photos show this was used to keep sand and dirt out of the gun assembly. I will detail how I make the tarp when I get to that point. You can all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pbj-1d-b-25-mitchell/