Foamie B-17 Scale Build Thread

Check out "TR" (Texas Raiders) from the CAF - 381st Bombardment Grp (Heavy), 533rd Bomb Squadron.

Inspired by ole' Shep Paine's classic diorama of the crashed "Lady in Pink," a 381st ship.

RCGroups.com user Comstock starts with the office:

I was a bit taken back by the sheer size of the components and needed to make special arrangements in the shop to make sure hangar rash didn't eat the bird up before the field.

Let's start in the office:

1) A capable crew was quickly needed to fill the "ghost ship" look of the cockpit. Went on ebay and purchased the 5 inch Green Army Men and did some hacking. Changed heads and poses to get 4 key figures: Pilot, Co-Pilot, Bombadier, Tail Gunner. Around $3-$5.

Created pilot caps out of depron foam and painted accordingly. Left "flak" helmets on Bombadier and Tail Gunner

2) Remove canopy frame and perspex nose. Chisel out nose foam to create the illusion of a thin wall - otherwise when looking in the nose, the sidewalls of foam look about 10" thick (scale).

3) Paint cockpit and back of nose black to create depth. Paint nose floor/walls zinc chromate (Quick tip - Sage Green Acrylic Craft Paint)

I used acrylic modeling paste (I use Liquitex) to hide fuse seam lines - remember plastic model building? Same concept.

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