As I feared, this will be my last construction update for this build (spontaneous roar from the peanut gallery). Just had few last tidbits last night and this morning. Last night was the bomb bay doors. Added the hinges again using the kits parts but modified:
This isn’t exactly how the hinges are in reality, but it works for the model. All hooked up:
I discovered I had reversed the direction of the little crank that opens the doors way back when I put it in, so now the arms are in the wrong configuration. Oh well! Wasn’t the first screw-up on this model, but it may well be the last (for this model anyway). Next was the rear hatch/ladder. Totally discarded the Orlik parts and made my own. Thin solder makes good ribbing:
Installed (with the real deal inverted for comparison).
This morning was the radio antenna. I have this stuff:
I don’t know why. I think I bought it at an IPMS convention years ago. I believe this the “in” thing for biplane rigging back in the day. Maybe it will work for antenna wire. Totally on the fly, I tied and CA glued two strands to a piece of music wire, using the kit parts as a guide:
Sunk that and another wire into a block of wood, spaced appropriately apart, and tied off the other end:
Wrapped the paper parts around, and superglued the heck out of it:
Well, I would have laid even money that wouldn’t have worked. Might have to remember that for next time.
Some last little things. The pitot tube:
I also had some last bits to add to the engines that I never got around to. Remember these two?
Added the propeller governors on top of the crankcases (hard to see, they’re black). Also added a manufacturers data plate to the side of each crankcase for that extra touch.
Last was the little venturi thing that’s on the side of the nose. The real deal, lower right:
It sucks the smoke out of the nose compartment when the guns/cannon are fired. I carved it out of two chunks of superglued mat board:
While the paint was drying on that, I added a little handle that I forgot last night on the ladder:
Then added the venturi:
All that’s left is the attachment of the engines/propeller, and I’m essentially done. There’s one tube like thing that sits on top of the gun nose that seems unique to the Marine PBJ’s, but I don’t have any good details on it (Orlik just has a tube). It looks like it has wires coming out of it, maybe some kind of sighting device? I can add it on later when I know more. Frankly, it kind of ruins the lines of the airplane, if “8-Ball” lost hers in a taxi accident of some sort, well…...
Next post(s) from me should be some glamour shots, hopefully tonight.
Stick around, the best part is just around the corner……….
Mike