Hobby Boss B-24 Liberator

[CrankyCrafstman]

Welcome to LSM, and WOW! what a nice paint job. Just goes to show with a little talent and some meticulous work you can make a ugly duckling look like a beautiful swan. 

Ron G 

[Clunkmeister]

It’s on my list of things to do. I might even attempt a fix like Iain Ogilvie is attempting to develop.  

But your attention to detail on this kit is truly unbelievable. Like I said before, it’s stunning.

With the possible exception of the Lancaster and the C-47, I can’t think of a kit I was looking forward to more than this. The B-24’s never been considered an attractive aircraft, but ooooh what a canvas for budding Rembrandts to practice their skills on.

[Bomber_County]

Gary, welcome to LSM wow what an entrance. The Lib looks beautiful. It’s great to see this behemoth built and finished so flawlessly. Guess to proves to the detractors that this can be built and built superbly.........hope you hang around with us as as Ernie said it’s no pressure, chill place to be.........

[Bomber_County]

On 5/8/2019 at 8:59 PM, Duncan@BlackMikeModels said:

That is a very special build, very nicely turned out indeed. I'll be back to look at this one again for sure.

Duncan B

Thread creep for a second, welcome abroad Duncan nice to see a familiar face this side. Stay awhile, it’s chilled out and friendly in this corner..........

[joeg]

On 5/8/2019 at 7:50 PM, Ryan said:

The turret seams look fine and not as noticeable as some thought, same thing with the wing.

I think this is a fine OOB example done with the right hands.

I fully agree. 

Indeed a very impressive built. Well done. Congrats!

 

 

[sieben]

Wow , thats massive , very well done 

[MGunns]

Indeed very nicely done.  Makes me want to take mine down from the shelf and start.  I like the NMF and your tutorial on the LSP site is most informative, you may want to post it here as well.  As mentioned by many here, it's nice to see one built and that it isn't the "dog" the rivet counters contend is.  A hearty Bravo Zulu!

[RAF Liberators]

Thanks everyone, I wasn't sure if I'd over done it with the places I was posting. So I went back under my rock but if people want to see the tutorial it's here (sorry you may need Farcebook).

The process is really simple.

Step 1 - You airbrush the Alclad Bright Silver Candy Base over the section you want to paint. The Alclad paint is rock solid and was dry to the touch within half an hour.

Step 2 - Mask off random panels, I used Post it Notes as they are very low tack and give a razor sharp edge. I then mix Dark Aluminium or any other of the silver based paints from Alclad with the Alclad base and lightly spray the masked off panels. 
Other panels I've used the metal powders from Uschi van der Rosten and again masked off the panel and using a cotton bud gentle wipe the powder across the the panel. Once it's got a good coat get a clean cotton bud and polish it back to the finish you want.

Step 3 - Spray the model with a gloss clear of your choice, I used Mr Hobby Clear in a rattle can and also Aqua Gloss Clear from Alclad, it really depended on how lazy I felt it doesn't matter as the Panel Line wash doesn't seem to affect the gloss coat.

Step 4 - Literally slap some Panel Line wash (I used a 50/50 mix of 1616 Orange Brown & 1617 Blue Black) slap it on all of the panel lines, rivet lines etc and leave it to dry.

Step 5 - After you've left the Panel wash for half an hour or so (it can be longer, I left one section over night) start to remove it with a dry cotton bud wiping in the direction of airflow over the panel. It's important that it's a dry cotton but and not one with white spirit, thinners etc on. Wiping it dry deposits a patina on the surrounding panel while clearing the excess off. Keep swapping out the cotton buds for clean ones until you're happy with the effect.

Step 6 - Very lightly mist the base coat back over the centres of the panel.

I then sprayed the whole thing with a Matt coat using Testors Dullcote, (this evened out the finish) and depending on whether you want a aged aluminium finish or a high gloss finish you can apply either a full on gloss or as I used a semi gloss on the leading edges and high points that are more likely to get abraded by airflow.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Wow, great B-24 Gary. I'm hoping to add one to the stash at some point. 

 

Thanks so much for the step by step on how you get a nice bare metal finish. It'll come in handy with my B-25.

Carl

[Alvin]

This model looks super band I have just started mine but at a loss as how to get the recommended 300 gms weight into the nose. How did you do it

Thanks

Alvin

[Bomber_County]

On 6/16/2019 at 1:40 PM, Alvin said:

This model looks super

Alvin, welcome to LSM, the friendliest corner of the modelling web thing......jump on in and have fun.......

[sluggo]

Great job Gary!

I must admit I have never cared much for the B-24 but having it available in my preferred scale makes it a must have and I don't really care who does not like the kit. I will build mine OOB except for the markings.

Again, great job!

[Scooby]

Wow, is that ever nice!

[Jackster]

Stunning example. One of the best NMF finishes I have seen, thank you for sharing your method.

 

Cheers

Kev

[RAF Liberators]

On 6/17/2019 at 12:40 AM, Alvin said:

This model looks super band I have just started mine but at a loss as how to get the recommended 300 gms weight into the nose. How did you do it

Thanks

Alvin

300gms is if you can put it directly under the top front turret, which is impossible. Because of where you have available to add weight I put mine under the Navigators area (just behind the main cockpit). I drew up the interior of the area in CAD using a profiling tool to make sure I had the right cross sectional sizes. I then 3D printed "storage containers" and filled them full of lead shot, I added a lid and put them inside, I ended up having to create an additional 5 x "ammunition crates" which also got filled full of lead shot and lowered in through the mid-upper gunners position (top turret) and set with 5 minute epoxy.

In the end I think I had just over 500gms in the front of the bird to keep her down and even then it's touch and go when a fly lands on the rear stabilisers lol

[crazypoet]

That’s a beautiful bird!

i’ve not Seen the kit in-person, though i’ve heard some of the issues.  

From where I sit, and issue with the kit is just that a kit problem, not a builder problem.  You made a beautiful bit of artwork here - that’s a beautifully-done NMF, and the paint/decals/weathering are spot on.  

I think it’s on Hobby Boss to fix the wing and other issues - but none of that detracts in any way from the results you achieved

i know with utter certainty that i’m Not up to that much bare metal - yet

[Sir Desmond Glazebrook]

Does that thing pay rent?????

On 5/10/2019 at 7:59 AM, HubertB said:

The profile shape can be appreciated from a front quarter angle as well, but it is true that the « issue » comparing the kit and the real aircrafts happen aft of the main spar, and is a result, on the 1:1 aicrafts, of the profile as well as of the incidence.

It’s true as well that the Davis profile can appear very clearly like on this pic :

 

... and not so much on other pics, like this one :

And finally, the following pic illustrates both the visible Davis profile from front quarter (IMHO) and the cowling shapes variations you rightly mention. 

I am not trying to be an « armchair » expert, btw, just sharing feelings about my memory of what a B-24 « looks like », compared to the kit.

I reiterate my sincere admiration for you to have completed the kit, in a truly masterful way.

Cheers.

Hubert

 

Real B-24's are much bigger. 

[Reuben L. Hernandez]

Fantastic Lib, I hope mine comes out as nice as your did. Very inspirational.