B-24 Liberator /Coastal Command
Kommentarer
115 4 December 2023, 20:01
Roland SachsenhoferYou wouldn't believe it_ the kit has been sitting on the workbench for three years now - and now it's time to get started! A Liberator in the service of Coastal Command will be built, that much can be announced here.
The first stage of construction is focussed on the cockpit/front section. Here you can see the more or less finished cockpit. The accuracy of fit is marvellous, the level of detail is okay, but nothing more. The etched part additions from Eduard do the job quite well.
4 December 2023, 20:08
John HughesThis one's in my stash. I'll be doing an RAF CBI version, eventually.
9 December 2023, 15:59
Roland SachsenhoferThis is an attractive option, John. My plan B was "Short Snorter", a B-24 in ETO, but in the end I was more fascinated by the Coastal Command aircraft of the 10th Squadron.
9 December 2023, 16:22
gorbyLooks fantastic so far Roland. It's too big for me as well but I'm curious to see what the kit is like.
10 December 2023, 11:38
Roland SachsenhoferA few quick pictures before the fuselage is closed: the issue of "enough weight in the bow" to really keep the aircraft on the nose wheel is a "weighty" issue with the B-24; in this respect, it is important to make clever use of any unseen space in front of the centre of gravity. I tried to do this by filling the floor below the cockpit and above the nose landing gear bay with "liquid gravity". Lead weights from the fishing equipment store also look good in the front bomb bay.
Now everything is ready to join the two halves of the fuselage - finally! 🙂
23 December 2023, 12:29
Roland SachsenhoferA small update for a big project: the fuselage is now sealed; now it's time for the filler! Not only because of any glued seams etc., but also because of the fact that the upper and lower -ball- turret have to be removed and the openings closed.
By the way: I have prepared the surfaces so that they can remain separate until the end of the build. I want to keep the fuselage and the two wings as separate parts until the very end so that they can then be joined together as the final part. This makes handling much easier!
27 December 2023, 20:22
Jörg SchäferWow, planes aren't really my thing, but I can't miss these battle Details. 👍
31 December 2023, 15:07
Roland SachsenhoferTime for me to show something new here again! Here are a few pictures of the final stages of construction: I'm going to finish the fuselage alone first and then the two wings including engines and undercarriage.
The pictures are not completely up-to-date: this morning the first layer of white was applied to the fuselage....
23 January, 08:06
Roland SachsenhoferA few pictures of the condition of the Liberator this morning, before the decals will be applied today. I am relieved that the panelling of the tower covers will have worked quite well. I still have to research how this was done in the original, in order to bring any sheet metal edges or rivets to the surface.
29 January, 07:10
Roland SachsenhoferA weighty matter: I try to get mass in front of the centre of gravity at all corners and ends. Look, such lead-weight calibres are sunk into the engine nacelles - right behind the engines (fortunately only shown as flat plates)! Two per engine nacelle, as eight of these pieces. Nevertheless, it will be very, very tight...
2 February, 06:16
Roland SachsenhoferThings are slowly coming together: the fuselage mould is finished, the plugged-on wings are still gleaming in clear varnish: I want to apply the few decals here today. Over the next few days I'll be scratch-building the aerials and ASV radar. The end is in sight!
4 February, 15:41
Roland Sachsenhofer"Open wide and say AAAAAh" This morning at the practice: I was shocked when I removed the masks from the glass parts with some foreboding. The lower glazing of the bow was unbearably steamed up and whitish in colour! I still don't understand how this can happen despite being so careful - but it doesn't help: it was unbearable. After a short period of perplexity, I came up with the idea of trying a skilfully twisted and straightened pipe cleaner - and indeed - it was just about possible to reach the removed transparent parts with the end of the pipe cleaner that had been deformed into a knob! Window cleaning has never been so much fun! 🙂 So, dear children, brush your teeth....
6 February, 06:24
Jennifer FranklinI am not certain I understand what you are describing, Roland, but it turned out nicely.
6 February, 11:45
Roland SachsenhoferHi Jennifer, sorry to have caused some confusion 🙂)
The lower bow glass was tarnished from the inside - I was actually able to clean it from the inside with a pipe cleaner bent to shape, which I was able to insert into the hull via the nose wheel well.
6 February, 13:21
Jennifer FranklinOh, I can see the pipe cleaner in the picture. Congratulations on finding an innovative solution to your problem that worked. It cleaned up nicely.
6 February, 14:48
Nathan DempseyWow! I'd love to build a B-24 in this scale but it might cause me great injury if the wife found out 🤣
6 February, 16:37
Roland SachsenhoferThank you mates!
Nathan, avoid injuries: You could put her name as nose art? 😉
8 February, 14:43
Roland SachsenhoferThere probably won't be too many more pictures before it's finished; things are slowly coming together: I've just put the finishing touches to the wings - exhaust turbo and undercarriage included. I'll show you a few quick -and unintentionally yellowish- pictures of the state.... and look forward to the finished Liberator!
9 February, 17:37
Roland SachsenhoferA project that has been cluttering up my workbench for a long time has been completed: this morning I was able to take a few photos of the finished model of the Liberator, which is indeed impressively large!
I took a couple of pictures of two figures to compare the size; I wasn't able to do a complete "diorama setting" for the Coastal Command aircraft: this giant is too big.
All in all, a very nice kit that offers many possibilities - I'm particularly pleased that I was able to realise a B-25 Mk.VI in the attractive RCAF livery!
BTW, the wings are only plugged on - and will remain so, which should make it much easier to stow and transport this behemoth!
10 February, 18:29
Daniel KlinkBig and Beautiful. I love those Coastal Command Camos! Great work once agin Roland: Where do you stash all those Big Birds?
10 February, 18:36
KennethWahnsinn 😳 And again this perfect, restrained and subtle amount of weathering and shades which makes the model look so 100% right and realistic!
11 February, 08:50
Gary KitchenSpectacular. Your display case will need to make some room for this no doubt.
11 February, 08:51
Jennifer FranklinThe figures look great in the "scene." Very nice job, the weathering is perfect.
11 February, 11:34
Roland SachsenhoferThank you very much for your comments and positive feedback! I am thoroughly impressed and feel honoured - thank you very much for your motivating words, mates!
Daniel, the storage of such a wingspan giant is indeed an issue: I will store the Liberator with the wings removed and folded down in a self-made foam transport box. I'll post a picture of it here later: I would like to encourage all those who treat themselves to the Liberator in this large scale not to mount the wings early in the building process, as the building instructions suggest, but to make them removable - a little trick makes this possible.
11 February, 12:08
Zbynek HonzikApart from the fact that the result of the build is awesome, I really like the photos of the finished model. Especially the ones with real background. The angle, the composition, the chosen focal length - like a real airplane!
11 February, 15:34
Roland SachsenhoferThis is really very motivating and encouraging feedback - thank you very much for this positive feedback, mates! I feel really inspired and honoured!
12 February, 07:55
Sebastian MeynerWhat a big girl, she is 😉 Well done Roland! I love the Coastal Command scheme 👍
12 February, 10:22
Roland SachsenhoferThank you both for your words, Sebastian and Soeren! In fact, I also like this scheme better than before!
12 February, 13:40
Rogerio MarczakHi Roland. Excellent job on a massive kit. I have the same kit, and you mentioned elsewhere that a company is now producing replacement clear parts for the turrets. Would you mind sharing which company? I think I cannot live with those seams... Thank you, and congratulations.
21 March, 03:20
Roland SachsenhoferHi Rogerio, thanks for your words, I appreciate them! Look, if you follow this link here on scalemates, you will come to the aftermarket manufacturer mentioned:
MPC 5800-5 Tail Turret for B..d War Studio CWS32006, 1:32)
21 March, 18:33
