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B-29 1/48 Finished


Dick Montgomery

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Ok...Finally found a setting in which the image actually shows up. For those viewing for the 1st time I couldn't get the image to "stick" here. Ken and Tim made comments before I found a way to get this image to "stick".

B-29Monogram48thcompletedleftfront.jpg">Visit My Website

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Well now, that's a big ole BUMMER. Maybe it was a momentary glitch between the forum site and your host/file??? If you haven't already, try again later. Now that you have dangled the carrot if front of our noses, we just gotta see it :smiley4: .

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Dick,

I've used Photobucket in the past week & it seems to be working okay for me.

It could be your Photobucket account (? just guessing)

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What are the specs on that bad boy?? has to be a 24" wing span. Nice looking aircraft!

 

SteveK

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Pretty sharp build Dick. I'd like to see more of it. Is that the Revell kit??

 

Andy

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Nice work Dick!

Glad that you were able to make thing work.

Did you make the stand, or purchase it somewhere?

 

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This is a very impressive build, Dick. The wingspan is more like 36" than 24". The real Enola Gay aircraft is now restored, highly polished, and on display by the Smithsonian. You could have done this in Alclad II Chrome and it would still be accurate.

 

My only complaint when building this version of the Monogram kit is that Monogram did not provide flush plugs for the turret locations and side windows on the atomic bombers. When Martin Omaha built this batch of B-29's for the 509th Composite Group, the skin over those areas was flush with the fuselage sheet metal to reduce drag and increase speed.

 

Imagine my surprise some years ago when I purchased an older kit box of the Monogram 1/72 B-52D at a Regional for $10. Inside the box when I opened it were no B-52 parts, but it was stuffed with two complete untouched Monogram 1/48 B-29 kits. That was one of my better deals at a vendor table after all.

 

Ed

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Nice work on a cool kit - and a steal-deal, to boot! It don't get no bettern'at. Would love to build that one some day, but there's barely room for the nascent 1/72 bomber fleet.

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Revell kit? No...this was back in the day when Monogram was Monogram, men were men, and glue didn't smell like bananas.

 

This is the Monogram 1/48th 5202 kit. I believe 5200 was the original version, without the atomic bomber props. 5202 had the wide blade props contained in the kit. This kit included the flush plugs that fit over the gun turret mounts and the side blisters but one needs to remove the turret fairings molded on the fuselage.

 

Being a person who cuts first and then measures I got the holes too big but 3M Acryl Blue body putty and loads of sprue can fill the grand canyon.

 

I made the base. Its a highly technical and very difficu.......aw heck.... it took five minutes to cut the three parts out of scrap acrylic which I buy at the Plastic Supply for 50 cents a pound.

 

BTW- the wings are not glued on. The owner of the model ( a non-modeler) thinks he's going to display this thing on a coffee table. (Right!) I convinced him that it would be easier to move it and store it if he could pull the wings off and slip them back on at will. The fit on this old bird is just that good!

 

 

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Revell kit? No...this was back in the day when Monogram was Monogram, men were men, and glue didn't smell like bananas.

 

This is the Monogram 1/48th 5202 kit. I believe 5200 was the original version, without the atomic bomber props. 5202 had the wide blade props contained in the kit. This kit included the flush plugs that fit over the gun turret mounts and the side blisters but one needs to remove the turret fairings molded on the fuselage.

 

Being a person who cuts first and then measures I got the holes too big but 3M Acryl Blue body putty and loads of sprue can fill the grand canyon.

 

I made the base. Its a highly technical and very difficu.......aw heck.... it took five minutes to cut the three parts out of scrap acrylic which I buy at the Plastic Supply for 50 cents a pound.

 

BTW- the wings are not glued on. The owner of the model ( a non-modeler) thinks he's going to display this thing on a coffee table. (Right!) I convinced him that it would be easier to move it and store it if he could pull the wings off and slip them back on at will. The fit on this old bird is just that good!

 

Great build, Dick. Nice acrylic base for it. I see you didn't add enough weight to the nose and required the acrylic base. Can't fool us old modelers. :smiley15:

Jack Kennedy

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I don't think there's sufficient room forward of the CG to get this thing to sit on its gear! The first one I ever built was screwed to its base and I always worried about the nose gear fatiguing and pulling out of the wheel well. I'm building a 3rd one now (built two at once and put the better subassemblies on a single airframe for the "client") which will be wheels up. It will be donated to the local AFROTC at my high school.

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Guest Bun E. Carlos

WOW- reminds me of something my wife once told me... " Oh my that is impressive" :smiley20:

 

 

 

I like this guy!!! BUILD OR DIE!!

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Closer up? Ain't gonna happen....then you'd see all the mistakes. My already shakey rep as a modeler would further erode! Good thing there's no requirement that national officers win at the convention !

 

Very, very nice build!! I'd really like to see more pics of it, including some "closer-up" ones.

 

 

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Thanks, but I doubled the fun! I built two of these babies side by side with the commission client getting the better of the subassemblies. Some of those seams were nasty also...especially around the nacelles. And the tailplanes.... geez, who designed this kit? Fortunately the fuselage seams were very easy to prepare.

 

The 2nd B-29 is now within minutes of completion and isn't that much less in "quality" than the first. I use the " " around quality because, after all, I'm the builder and, well.... it ain't an award winner. Enola Gay #2 will be donated to the ROTC unit at my high school. I guess I'll have to drive my Klingon Battlecruiser to work to take it since my usual method of transport is on a scooter..... now that would be a sight. Me cruisin' to school with a B-29 strapped to the handle bar!

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The 2nd B-29 is now within minutes of completion and isn't that much less in "quality" than the first. I use the " " around quality because, after all, I'm the builder and, well.... it ain't an award winner. Enola Gay #2 will be donated to the ROTC unit at my high school. I guess I'll have to drive my Klingon Battlecruiser to work to take it since my usual method of transport is on a scooter..... now that would be a sight. Me cruisin' to school with a B-29 strapped to the handle bar!

I want pictures of that!!!!

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How'd you miss this thread? Well...the subject matter isn't British and your radar only locates BAC, Hawker, or Gloster.

 

And I can build the big ones as well as I can build the small ones. That ain't sayin' much though. If there were a 4th place award I'd be a contender!

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  • 2 months later...

Just to close this one off, a bit of "Kit History".

 

When Monogram first released the kit, it contained all the bits to do the atom bomber including a miniature set of bombs (Fat Boy & Little Boy.) What it lacked was the uncuffed props used for most of the non-nuke planes - Pretty much restricted which schemes could be used... so had to wait for KMC (and others) to come out with correct props before we could do some of those great artwork birds. (Yes, I know you could carve away the cuffs - for all 16 blades!) Later, in one of the Revellogram reissues, the kit was molded to have both styles of props, which is what you get in the latest releases.

 

If anyone ever wants to see the difference between what Revell "was" and Monogram's standard, compare the 1:48 scale B-17E (REV) to the 1:48 B-17G (Mono.) The major parts are essentially interchangeable (leading me to believe there was some industrial espionage going on by Revell) but the interior detailing was much more simplified in the Revell kit. Still, makes for one of the easiest kit-bashes around - though a bit pricey!

 

 

 

Monogram always had good, solid kits with sometimes even great detail, especially after their "modern" era. I suppose that is why Revell is able to keep reissuing them, sometimes tweaking them. Still great value for the money, and "real modeler" kits that will require care and occasionally adjustment to get a good fit. Nothing lost in learning to "fettle" the parts, gets you ready for Classic Airframes (and other makers) kits.

 

Sorry, waning nostaligic... Robert

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Hey Dick,

 

Really nice Super Fort! I do second James' motion for some additional photos, just to Ooo and Aaa over. I've had one sitting in storage, with a Paragon B-50 conversion, for years but haven't had the gumption or motivation to start it. Hopefully, if I ever do, I can get it to look as nice as this one here.

 

Remember, "This is just a hobby," so have fun!

 

Regards,

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