B-47 1/16th Scale, 6 EDF Model

[Flite-Metal]

Dave,

Depron is stated to be an XPS extruded polystyrene in 3mm and 6mm thickness. Its most common
use in the United States is white meat trays (generic reference) in the meat department of...for
example Krogers.

As an XPS extruded product it is comprised of closed cell polystyrene with a hard shiney exterior.
The exterior hardness comes from extrusion process and press form shaping of sheet which is then
die cut to relieve meat tray from sheets.

Sheet sizes are smaller than other XPS products. I found Depron in gray, black and white...not all
sizes and thickness were identical. That alone is strange. There is no logical reason to have colors
and thicknesses in different width and length...unless it is utilized exclusively for specific heat form
press sizes.

Zepron is "said to be" an alternative brand for the same polystyrene and found in Z1 and Z2 product
listings...one being hard faced.

The problem I perceive is application. In our cases the cylinderical fuselage could be applied as a
single circumfereal sheet if the seam were capable of being closed over tightly. I suppose with a
keel this could be accomplished by CAing one side then after it is cured down the seam you simply
roll the circumference of the fuselage, tape the seam closed tightly every so often down the seam
length and CA the second half in place.

I prefer my hot wired XPS with balsa laminate and fiber glass over-laminate.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi B-47ers!

Have made a little progress on the fuselage - photos attached. The empenage is only temporarily attached to allow some glue to set on the rails that penetrate the vertical stabilizer - hopefully, the thing will come off tomorrow.

The canopy is just a place-holder; looks like I'll have to vacuum form one, as there doesn't seem to be any 'ready-mades' available of the proper shape.

Will install the skeleton of the wing torque box before I remove the fuselage from the building jig.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

Originally Posted by Capt. Midnight

Hi B-47ers! The canopy is just a place-holder; looks like I'll have to vacuum form one, as there doesn't seem to be any 'ready-mades' available of the proper shape. Cheers, Dave P.

Dave,

(1) What is the front to rear length of the canopy measured from windshield parting line at 1/16th?

(2) What is width of canopy along the parting line between windshield frame and balance of canopy?

Measure using "top down aka overhead" drawing @ 1/16th. With this I believe your can-o-pea turned
into a can-o-pee is sanitized...so you retain your sanity and speed of build ;^)

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi Ed!

Below is a plan view of the 1/16th-scale B-47 canopy at the intersection of the canopy and the fuselage. The dimensions seem to be within 2-3% of the same dimensions measured/adjusted from the canopy for my 1/72nd plastic model. Probably good enough for a stick model of the aircraft. I'll carve a plug and vacuum form the canopy - no big deal, but just another little side track.

I seem to remember that you are planning to use to larger-scale canopies from another model: how is that working out?

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

David,

If there was an off the shelf canopy wouldn't you rather not have to make it?

We have four canopies for our 1/10.2 B-47's from GP's RV4 ARF. You need only lay this card stock B-47 canopy pattern across RV4 canopy and you achieve what you need. There are muliple size RV4's ARF's and kits out there.



Did I send you the .pdf for the B-47? Within the .pdf is this canopy pattern which permits you to lay it onto the centerline of a canopy larger than that which you need...then cut what you do need from its shape. http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/atta...1&d=1268882820 open the underlined text in another window and save it to a new file folder.



Can-O-Pea within another canopy... ;^)




Note, windshield comes from another canopy with proper windshield post shape.

You simply need a canopy with a "backbone" shape supporting that of the B-47 at your given scale. You ask, where does the windshield come from?

Windshield portion of the canopy for the B-47 will come from a different canopy with the proper dims to support that of your model's windshield... or at worst case, you have to make the windshield which is infinately a lot easier than creating a plug for a one-off.

If I failed to send you the .pdf...email me back channel and its your's.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi B-47ers!

I'm sticking with the 'old-fashioned' way of making a canopy: plug and vacu form. Attached are 3 snaps of my plug; will coat it with epoxy tomorrow and finish it up; should have a trial canopy in a couple of days.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Shanksow]

Two threads on the B-47. I want to keep an eye out for both of your B-47 projects

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi B-47ers!

I've whacked out a first cut at a pilot's ejection seat with the help of my 'stand-in' pilot. Am trying to locate the 'floor' of the cockpit, and the position of the pilot and co-pilot ejection seats. Can't find any meaningful 'data' (some photos are available), so it's mostly try and see what seems about right. Photos attached. Any suggestions are welcome.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[givmeasmoothy]

Very nice work looking forward to seeing when done. Are you gonna video the maidan flight.

[Flite-Metal]

Co-pilot seat rotates around so he can operate the 20mm cannons.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi Ed and Givmeasmoothy!

Ed: Thanks for the photos, etc.; I had all of them except the two seats on the green surface: are these for your model? I think the illustration from the T.O. is for the early version of the seats (at least according to some other references I have). Yep, I knew the co-pilot's seat rotated; haven't started that one yet. Not sure I will put in the forward/nose crewman. Main concern at present is the waterline reference for the floor of the cockpit - cannot find any info on that, so will just eyeball it, I guess.

Givmeasmoothy: assuming I don't pass on to the wild blue yonder before completing this black-hole time sink, I'll sure try to get someone to get some photos/video of the first flight.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

Dave,

You make a good back board to bounce things off of... The B-47 resources I have are a total
mess with respect to chronology outside of virtual and hardcopy manuals. Its probably due to the
"archives" never really caring to disclose the timeline for any photo they released.

I suppose we can blame it on the Cold War with all the baggage accompanying it. Need to know...
eyes only issues probably caused it.



Would you believe this is 1/48th "scratch building"? Yes, a builder of the 1/48 V-form B-47E
scratched these in much more detail than the kit provided. Talk about inspiration





Because of built up construction you can enjoy building the nav-bombbadier station. I'm posting
supporting images for workstation below. As long as you use Styrene and not load up on anything
heavy you'll probably need the added weight. Would be nice to look in the side windows and see the
layout.

Here are the steps up from the entry just aft of the nav-bombbadier station.



Note the man in white shirt is sitting on the steps, there were jump seats which could be deployed
to this area during emergency landings/ditchings.

From his point of observation "up" this is what he would see...



A view of the pilots instrument panel from down below on the step beside the pilot and co-pilot seats.





Looking back forward the nav-bombbadier station is behind and after of the man in blue.



Click the thumbnail for enlarged image of the N/B layout.



As you can see there is not a lot to it. For what could be seen from outside.





Last but not least...here is another view of the 1/48th cockpit created for the Sanger V-
form kit. The step is clearly visible as it will appear in my 10.2%. Mine will be a one piece
tub that can be easily removed with minimum number of parts.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi Ed and other B-47ers!

I agree - I'm planning for the step-floor in my model, too; but have had no good references to establish the correct waterlines, so am just charging ahead with the use of photos from a variety of sources.

I did incorporate ECP-1 in my pilot's ejector seat; photo attached. The updated version now includes the capability to 'eject' the seat/pilot (OK, move it up/down/out on the rail system). This seems to work just fine, but my stand-in pilot is just a tad oversize, but can't find any action figures (or pilot figures) of the exact (1/16th-scale) size, so will just have to live with this turkey.

I've got the stepped version of the floor constructed, and will try various waterlines with the ejector seat installed; will include a photo in next post.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

Dave,

I believe Uncle George will fit the bill quite nicely...1/16th scale figures are the 120 mm figures.




A little alteration of the molded positions of parts like saw cut behind knees, opposite elbow, relief
of lower torso and a little paint gets you there immediately. He's probably going to be right there in
Seattle at the Spring IPMS Show.



Buy 2 of either Verlinden Top Gun Pilots or Commander In Chief plus 2 Verlinden WWII Pacific Pilots
and you only need to paint May West yellow, uniforms blue, and helmets white for instant crew. I
like the WWII Pacific Pilot uniform best.

Yes, you can trade heads between figures then place helmet without face shield onto head. Don't
the shoes appear to be on the wrong feet in the bottom image...

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi Ed!

Many thanks for the info on the figures!! I sure don't understand why I never found 'Verlinden' during my searches, but it looks like a good site to keep on the list. I've ordered a couple of the 'commander' figures and will see how they work in my model; will provide feedback.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

Dave,

Don't forget they didn't have G bladder flight gear in 1947... I would have thought you would have
checked out the figures at the Seattle IPMS Spring Show. I understood the IPMS Show was going on
there.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi Ed!

Yeah, I remember to do something about the G-stuff (I remember how we had to make 5-g pull-outs in the T-33 during training - we were supposed to grunt, as I recall, but it was a strain!!).

Also, just a thought: when I was flying in SAC (1956-58), all our flight suits were light gray - all the blue suits were gone by the time I got to my branch of SAC, but they may have been in use elsewhere in those days. Since the later B-47s were still in service in those days, I'm going with the light gray color. (Will check thru my 14,789 slides from the past 50 years and see if I can come up with a crew shot ...)

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi B-47ers!

I received my 2 'pilot-figures' from Verlinden today - yike! I didn't realize it was a 'do-it-yourself assembly' operation!! After a bit of fussing, and a telephone call to my friendly orthopedic surgeon, I managed to get one arm and one leg of the pilot positioned; lowered him into the cockpit, but he complained that the instrument panel was too far forward, so had to reposition it so he would be able to control the aircraft. I'll keep you posted on the next developments in the pilot/cockpit/canopy department.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

DAVE...

*Hal courtesy of MGM Home Entertainment's "2001 A Space Odyassy
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2388329497/

Dave.............................Dave............. ...............Wake up Dave...It's not nice to look gift horses
in the, well, mouth. Remember when I sent you outside to "repair" something and didn't let you back
in to play?

It could be worse...He could still be your President... Or did you order the non-Republican wanna
-bee behind the face shield? Let him come out from behind the veil of secrecy so we can see.... Or is
he a peace-nik?
Adli Stevenson perhaps

Looking good ! ! ! ! ! !

[Flite-Metal]

Dave,

Clearly you're up to no good....too quiet up there in the upper left corner of the US... Hummmmmmm
can we take a peek....Dave

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi Ed!

Sorry to have been 'silent' for so long - just got out of the insane asylum after being committed for a bit - went berserk trying to figure out how to build/detail the pilot/co-pilot cockpit of my B-47. Have calmed down some, and made a little progress: got an acceptable canopy formed and separated into the windscreen and main 'bubble;' got the canopy frame built and hinged (at the rear), and finally got the pilot & copilot arranged in some reasonable fashion and some progress on the instrument panels. I'll post some photos tomorrow (my psychiatrist just showed up for another 'calming' session'). I've hired a hit man to find and exterminate the persons that got me started on this pesky model - I gave him your name as the first assignment...

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

Originally Posted by Capt. Midnight

Hi Ed! I've hired a hit man to find and exterminate persons that got me started on this...I gave him your name as the first assignment... Cheers, Dave P.

Dave...what was that click? Dave...you know its not nice to tinker around with that circuitttttt bbbbbbooooooaaaarrrrrddddd...... D.........a........v........

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi B-47ers!

OK, after a little side-track, here's a few views of my cockpit stuff. I had to build the major sub-assemblies separately, with the forward and aft cockpit 'floor' being separable so I could get them in/out of the cockpit many times to be able make adjustments (aka corrections) so that the pilot figures, seats, control columns/'wheels' and other details would bear some resemblance to the photos and other lousy 'documentation' I have. Each of the pilot/seat assemblies slide up/down on their rails, and their position/configuration/dimensions seem roughly to match the meager information I have.

I haven't attached the windscreen and canopy to their respective frames; I'll do this after I get everything painted and the rest of the interior of the cockpit area completed (maybe sometime in the next century ...).

I'll submit some additional photos in the next few days to show some more details, but I'm not much of a photographer, so don't expect too much.

Cheers,

Dave P.

[Flite-Metal]

Dave:

Posting references so people can see what it is you are replicating. Your attention to detail
will more easily be appreciated.



If you would like Flite-Metal for the exterior of your canopy frame it will provide the proper thickness and
malleability for application to your canopy. The sample pak will provide you everything you need.

[Capt. Midnight]

Hi B-47ers!

Well, after a lot of trial/error (OK, lots of errors ...) I've about got the main parts of the cockpit completed. The attached photos show the pilot and copilot 'stations', with the copilot instrument panel sitting in about the correct position (supported by the copilot's feet). The pilot's instrument panel is installed in the fuselage, so can't really show it, but it's more/less according to the best info I have. As noted earlier, the cockpit floor separates into 2 pieces so I can install/remove the parts (the limited access through the cockpit opening makes it necessary to install the pieces in a particular sequence, but it all seems to work OK).

I've had to make O2 masks for the pilot/copilot, and they're not quite finished, but are good enough for my limited skills. I couldn't find any 1/16th masks anyplace, so gave up and built the dang things.

I'll do some more detailing of the LH side of the cockpit, and the rear 'station' for the copilot, but won't try to get carried away, as this aspect of the model has turned into a black hole as far as slurping up time is concerned.

Will post a few more photos after the O2 masks and harnesses are on the pilot/copilot.

Cheers,

Dave P.