"Unbroken" B-24D Superman or Green Hornet

[Irondog1970]

My wife is an 8th grade English Literature teacher. "Unbroken" is one of the books she teaches and I would like to build a model of one or both of the B-24's that she could use to help with this book. Along with building card models I also build plastic models and have a 1/72 scale kit nearly completed but it is held up by a surprising lack of aftermarket decals for either of these aircraft. After talking with her we concluded that a card model would be better as it could be hung from the drop ceiling in her class room without presenting any kind of safety issue, but after checking Fiddlers Green and ECardModels I was a little surprised that none are available. If anyone knows of a recolor of one of the current B-24D card models or of an out of production kit out there with these markings please post it here so I can try to get a copy of it. Thank You.

[Petestein]

Hello is the B.24D model, the one with the transparent nose instead of the nose with the gun turret?

[Irondog1970]

Yes that is correct.

[Burning Beard]

I have built both the Fiddler's Green and Air Dave's B24Ds. If you build the Fiddler's Green you should go to the Dell Collection (in the versions folder) which are greatly improved over the original Fiddler's Green model. Dave has a pretty nice selection also, and they are a little more detailed and have internal formers the Fiddler's Green model doesn't. Both are good models.

[Petestein]

Trying to build a card model aircraft without any internal formers is like building a house without foundations. It is almost impossible to get the correct shape and rigidity needed to obtain a real nice scale model with correct shapes and enough strength so it can stand on its own landing gear. I never understood why models from Fiddler's Green never used formers for their otherwise very attractive card model aircraft. No formers means more difficult to build and more difficult to get a real scale reproduction since the different shapes of the fuselage cannot be accurately obtained when there are no formers to provide the correct section.

[Siwi]

Originally Posted by Petestein

Trying to build a card model aircraft without any internal formers is like building a house without foundations. It is almost impossible to get the correct shape and rigidity needed to obtain a real nice scale model with correct shapes and enough strength so it can stand on its own landing gear. I never understood why models from Fiddler's Green never used formers for their otherwise very attractive card model aircraft. No formers means more difficult to build and more difficult to get a real scale reproduction since the different shapes of the fuselage cannot be accurately obtained when there are no formers to provide the correct section.

I am an advocate of supplying formers, especially for large models that need a strong skeleton to bear weight over suspended surfaces, and to set a correct dihedral. The Ju-88 I am finishing up now was made more difficult by having to squeeze the fuselage into different shapes at different places by looking at photos. However I understand why simpler kits don't. It's more work for the designer to calculate the size of formers and have a system for showing the builder where to place them if the card can only be printed on one side, allowing for the small difference between the inside and outside of the skin and for any glue tabs. There is also the issue of gluing the skin pieces over them without getting a 'starving horse' effect.


As a stopgap for either the plastic kit or a paper model you could print off the markings on thin-ish paper and glue them on as DIY decals. Not museum quality, but if it's hanging from the ceiling it likely won't be noticible.

[Irondog1970]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

I have built both the Fiddler's Green and Air Dave's B24Ds. If you build the Fiddler's Green you should go to the Dell Collection (in the versions folder) which are greatly improved over the original Fiddler's Green model. Dave has a pretty nice selection also, and they are a little more detailed and have internal formers the Fiddler's Green model doesn't. Both are good models.

Thank you, I have the Fiddler's Green with the Dell Collection and I am in agreement, it is much better looking than the original FG model. I haven't bought one of the Air Dave models yet but the Blue Streak or Lady Be Good are very tempting.

[Irondog1970]

Originally Posted by Siwi

I am an advocate of supplying formers, especially for large models that need a strong skeleton to bear weight over suspended surfaces, and to set a correct dihedral. The Ju-88 I am finishing up now was made more difficult by having to squeeze the fuselage into different shapes at different places by looking at photos. However I understand why simpler kits don't. It's more work for the designer to calculate the size of formers and have a system for showing the builder where to place them if the card can only be printed on one side, allowing for the small difference between the inside and outside of the skin and for any glue tabs. There is also the issue of gluing the skin pieces over them without getting a 'starving horse' effect.


As a stopgap for either the plastic kit or a paper model you could print off the markings on thin-ish paper and glue them on as DIY decals. Not museum quality, but if it's hanging from the ceiling it likely won't be noticible.

Thank you Siwi, I had thought about your stopgap suggestion early on but ruled against it for the same reason I haven't recolored one of the FG offerings; my extremely poor photoshop skills (as in non-existent). Manipulating the few online image profiles of these specific B-24D's into usable cuttings has been a very frustrating failure for me, I have plenty of patience for building models but none for learning a software program that's not intuitive to a hands on guy like myself. So I was hoping that someone with the necessary skills had already done this and would be willing to share or sell a recolored Dell or Air Dave model. I suppose a flight simulator skin might exist for one of these but again I still don't have the patience to muddle through whatever program that would use.

[Butelczynski]

S&P Liberator bundles 2 and 5 have early B-24. Nr 2 is likely too early while top model from nr 5 bundle needs a bit of corrections of markings and change of rear turret to earlier "crows nest" type of gun position unless filmmakers got it wrong and mixed up two versions of B-24 (it wouldn't be surprising).

Either way S&P #3953 is your best bet. Lou Zamperini plane was caller "Superman" and it was version B-24D-20-CO.

Update-go figure-someone on Warthunder did skin for this very plane and it's available for download. If I could extract nose art and tail numbers from that skin I could make that recolor in short order.

[Gerry1966]

If you wouldn't insist on the exact aircraft from Unbroken, I have painted a total of 4 D version machines from the Pacific battlefield in my Liberator line. They are available at Ecardmodels, specifically here:
1/72 and 1/100 Consolidated B-24D Liberator in PTO (4) Kit Bundle Paper Model - EcardModels