WB-57F Oddball-1:48 build

[Swampfox]

Originally Posted by umtutsut

I'll just add my thanks for the build. Hopefully, some of your techniques will help me get a decent-looking model of the NASA bird.

Of course, it might help if I actually finished an airplane model at some point! Rockets and satellites I do fine; still struggling with aircraft.

Les (The Voice of Authority)

Thank you for watching and commenting. It sounds like you already have the technique for building the cylinders for rocket stages.... The fuselage of this plane can't get any rounder!! Just pretend your building a rocket with oversize fins;-)

SFX

[Swampfox]

I though that most modelers looking at these images would be familiar with the size of more well known aircraft like the Fokker Dr-1 and the P-51 at 1:48 scale.


This is actually the prototype RB-57F(wing tip sensors attached) used for scale comparison with P-51

Here are those two aircraft shown with the RB-57F all at 1:48


It's a big model!! 30 inch wingspan.


This view shows how high the tail towers above the plane. It really is set high.


This is an experiment I tried with a different cockpit design.. It's just placed on top of the original and comes right off......like the tail.

The rest are just different views


Notice no vertical tail!






That about does it. This is one of my most favorite aircraft and I'd like to thank Aaron Murphy of Oddball Productions for designing and releasing the kit, all of the viewers and especially those that followed and commented during the build.

Hope you enjoyed the build and photos.

Swampfox/AGSanchez

[Don Boose]

Congratulations on completing the work on this superb airplane and model.

Don

[Paperwarrior]

That is a great looking model. I've always gotten a kick out of this plane as it looks like it is all wing with a fusalage added as an after thought.

Great work!

Jeff

[whulsey]

That was with my long lenses sitting in the back lot by the restoration hanger: no admittance. I'll try to find my older photos and scan them if you're interested. Just can't promise what time period it will take.

[chicharrero]

Wow, Swampfox.
One of my favorite models.
Really, fantastic !
A big bird.

[murphyaa]

Last time I was down at Pima, the WB-57 was sitting in front of the restoration hanger. It looks like they moved it. (I checked Google Earth too, it has been moved). I still haven't heard back as to their plans or it.

I did hear back on their plans for the AT-9 Jeep. (It's too far gone to restore) Sad as it's one of 2 left in existence.

[papermodelfan]

Thanks very much Swamp Fox. I have been building airplane models for many moons, and I learned many new approaches and tools from your careful explanations. Sand box! eye sizers! Primer glue layer! Domes and spinners and wheels the easy way. Have been lurking, but read it with avid interest.

And I am very impressed that you get a smooth and seamless finish without separate tabs. When I do it , I get a bump, because the tab on one surface gets in the way of the smooth join. Let me see if I can describe my problem with graphic typing:


A ----------------___________ B

So piece A is just going to naturally ride higher than piece B by the thickness of the tab - not a lot, but enough to cause a bump, shadows, and loss of seamlessness. That is why I have always used a separate tab, So A and B are butt joined, with a tab from below:

A ----------------- ---------------- B


You are getting around the basic problem somehow - are you bending the tab down and then pushing it up against the inner part of piece A? Seems like that would still leave a little groove at the joint. Like this?

So groove here |

A -------------------/----------------- B

(sorry the slash mark sticks up too far)

You must be doing something that eliminates the bump and the groove both - burnishing?

Anyway - any thoughts on this you can provide will be illuminating. Cheers,

[Leif Ohlsson]

AG, very good to see this fine model finished!

Rob, you echo my questions. Will be very interesting when the old fox demonstrates his technique!

Leif

[whulsey]

Swampfox, not sure my reply to your pm got through. I've found a couple of prints I've scanned. I have some that were put on disc when I have them developed, but its a old floppy disc. Got to see if I can find a plug-in hd to read them. 1st got the F1 race then the NASCAR final race.