Little Miss Mischief Diorama

[Kostucha]

Hello Folks,

This will be my contribution to the Flying Fortress GB. I'll be building Little Miss Mischief, a B-17G-35-VE, she was with the 324th BS, 91st BG. On A mission in October 1944 she took a flak hit to the waist that almost split her in two. She was there after rebuilt using parts from 13 other bombers, leaving a very unique hodge-podge of bomber parts, including a NMF up front, and OD/NG rear half:

There was a very useful 'research' thread that a lot of members contributed a lot of great information, and gave me a lot of good insight into not only what's what with a rebuild like this, but a lot of information on the unique and interesting story of LMM: The LMM Research Thread

I will be using the Monogram 1/48 B-17G, along with a long list of aftermarket products. Though many have the same parts, I'll be picking what suits this build the best from them, and this will hopefully allow me to complete the build by the end of the GB. The AM products are:

Decals: Pyn-up Decals LMM Set PYND48044

Aftermarket:

-Verlinden Detail Set

-Verlinden Airbase Accessories & 3 Figures

-Verlinden Military Supplies

-True Details Cockpit

-True Details Nose

-True Details Waist

-True Details Wheels

-Eduard Mask

-Eduard Seat Belts

-Eduard Nose

-Eduard Cockpit

-Eduard Radio Room

-Eduard Ammo/Belts

-Eduard Exterior

-Squadron Canopy Set 1

-Squadron Canopy Set 2

-Masters Barrels

-Quickboost Engines

-Vector Engines

-Aires 50 Cal Gun Set (4056)

-ICM USAAF Pilots & Ground Crew

-Laser Cut PE Tools

-Aber - PE Hand Tools

-Tug (from Karl, thanks again!)

-Paragon B-17 Bomb Bay

-Paragon Crew Hatches

So yes! Once I'm back in Winnipeg after the holidays, the building will begin!

Cheers,

Mark.

Edited November 7, 2011 by Kostucha

[Army_Air_Force]

Do I dare ask how much you've spent on parts for this build?

[100th BG]

He's probably afraid to add it all up!!!!! :lol:

[Kostucha]

He's probably afraid to add it all up!!!!! :lol:

I'm afraid for my life if my wife adds it all up!

Nope! Hahaha. I got a majority of the items as a deal with the kit from a super member on ARC here. The rest was picking things up a little here and a little there over the months preparing for this build. I know that I saved a pretty penny with various discounts and sales, etc... but ya, it did come to a pretty penny. Still, about 3/5's of the cost of everything at MSRP costs.

What I really do need though is ANOTHER spare set of fuselage halves.

I plan on starting this build either with the tail stinger, to get a taste for the still large amount of scratch building that will still be needed, or up front with the nose portion to get my fingers into all that aftermarket resin etc... we'll see. Either way, I can't wait to get started.

Cheers!

Mark.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Kostucha

[Army_Air_Force]

Are you going to model the wrecked fuselage, sitting in the corner of the hangar?

[Kostucha]

Are you going to model the wrecked fuselage, sitting in the corner of the hangar?

That's the hope, yes. But it'll be one of the very last things I'm going to be doing. If I do, then it'll also be the ball turret that was wrecked pretty bad too. All depends on time though.

[Bigasshammm]

That's the hope, yes. But it'll be one of the very last things I'm going to be doing. If I do, then it'll also be the ball turret that was wrecked pretty bad too. All depends on time though.

Pmed you about the halves.

[Bigasshammm]

An in progress photo for you

[Kostucha]

That's just perfect! That's really the last thing I need for this build. Thanks again!

[Prop Duster]

That's just perfect! That's really the last thing I need for this build. Thanks again!

Ya you betcha ----for now

[Kostucha]

Ya you betcha ----for now

Well, the copious amounts of beer, smokes, patience, frustration, swearing, and other things that will go hand in hand with this build are going to be on a "pick up as one needs" basis.

[Bigasshammm]

Well, the copious amounts of beer, smokes, patience, frustration, swearing, and other things that will go hand in hand with this build are going to be on a "pick up as one needs" basis.

I honestly could not model without beer.

And now that I've been shunned to the basement where it's cold dark and dingy I'm that much closer to the fridge with the beer. Woo

[Matt_S]

Do I dare ask how much you've spent on parts for this build?

About as much as what a 1/1 B-17 orginally cost! :lol:

Matt B)

[timc]

--snip--

I am finding it very interesting that in this photograph, the squadron and plane-in-squadron codes are reversed. Normally on the right side of the aircraft it would be written as F *DF while on the left side it would be writtten DF*F. This is the only example I have yet seen from the 91st where the codes are reversed (DF*F). The Brits marked their sptfires this way but it is opposite SOP for the 91st markings. I wonder if Charlie Busa got drunk the night before replacing the codes on LMM?

[Kostucha]

What's interesting about that fuselage side, is that forward of the Star, there is a faint trace of "B" that was in yellow, that has been overpainted by green. Not evident in that picture, but it's there, I assure you.

Now my question is whether or not that waist gun position is completely open, or has a clear piece of plexiglass with no frames in it.

Mark.

[timc]

I can see the overpainted area where the old lette was. The window looks as though it's plexigalss single panel with the K-6 gun mount in it. I believe it to be the case based on the belly landing photograph taken in 1945 where there is clearly a one-piece side window installed (only the left side is seen in that photo but I do not believe that there'd be an enclosed window on one side and an open on on the other.)

Edited January 4, 2011 by timc

[Kostucha]

It just keep getting more interesting... what's interesting you may ask? I pictured the whole rebuild happening with a simple replacement of the fuselage section from Wallaroo Mark II, ask that's where the damage was, but have the original vertical stab from LMM, as it's quite evident it was really faded... then I saw this very interesting picture:

The caption reads: "Bassingbourn maintenance personnel apply the 91st BG markings to the old tail of 'Wallaroo Mark II,' making it the new tail of 'Little Miss Mischief.'"

Okay... so I guess in this whole process I may indeed be making the vertical stab in the colours of the 303rd BG, 359th BS with the old serial number of "Wallaroo Mark II" waiting to be painted, but still have the fuselage portion repainted. Have the name 'half and half' strike yet again within the build... There's one problem with this picture... If they're painting on the 91st BG Markings onto it, then the remainder of the fuselage (the vertical fin, and rest of the fuselage shown) should be OD, not a NMF as the picture shows. I was about to toss the picture in the 'junk bin' except I looked at the SN... Picture shows '297880' (at least I think that's a '0'), which is LMM's SN, along with the big ole "F" for DF-F (LMM). I'm lost... so, maybe it's back to the original idea of using the "original vertical stab" from LMM, thinking that perhaps this picture is infact the ORIGINAL LMM tail prior to the 'operation'

I can see the overpainted area where the old lette was. The window looks as though it's plexigalss single panel with the K-6 gun mount in it. I believe it to be the case based on the belly landing photograph taken in 1945 where there is clearly a one-piece side window installed (only the left side is seen in that photo but I do not believe that there'd be an enclosed window on one side and an open on on the other.)

You certainly are right about that - it was a great shot with that belly landing.

It's a very interesting topic in my mind (specifically about the waist guns) in that in that picture of the belly landing, there is a very evident "dark line" that surrounds the plexiglass. That, combined with "Wallaroo Mark II" (BN-X) being a B-17G-15-BO (S/N 42-31405), would it have had the single piece plexiglass window, or the earlier 3 window framed waist gun windows possible replaced in the process of joining the two bombers? Come to think of it, Mason and Dixon was a B-17G-15-BO, what type of waist windows did she have?

Edited January 4, 2011 by Kostucha

[Kostucha]

Too add a little more... for those folks who thought that LMM never had a newer tail turret... myself included... here's something that'll rattle your cage... it certainly rattled mine. I was looking over my reference pictures, and the same B&W crash landed picture of LMM after the surgery... it caused me to quite literally drop my beer and feel like an idiot. Take a close look at what can be seen of the tail:

I'm going to get another beer. All I can say after realizing what was looking at me for some time is "Nuff said about 'er..."

So, during the rebuild, and shortly after, she had the old original tail stinger. Sometime between the colour photo of her flying with the old turret (date unknown) and the crash landing, there was the refit. Okay, so, no issue, still going to make the old one. But, still leads me to wonder about the waist gun windows...

It's a very interesting topic in my mind (specifically about the waist guns) in that in that picture of the belly landing, there is a very evident "dark line" that surrounds the plexiglass. That, combined with "Wallaroo Mark II" (BN-X) being a B-17G-15-BO (S/N 42-31405), would it have had the single piece plexiglass window, or the earlier 3 window framed waist gun windows possible replaced in the process of joining the two bombers?

Anyone shed some light on that one?

[Army_Air_Force]

So how long before we see you back at your building bench and cutting plastic? ( and posting pics! )

[Kostucha]

Funny you mention that... tonight!

[Army_Air_Force]

Good, can't wait! I've got my Fort on a board on my knee right now, still chopping bits off!

[timc]

The caption reads: "Bassingbourn maintenance personnel apply the 91st BG markings to the old tail of 'Wallaroo Mark II,' making it the new tail of 'Little Miss Mischief.'"

Well, the guy kneeling on the scaffolding is allegedly, Corporal Charlie Busa. This color shot is taken right after the order to apply the red 80" wide vertical band. That was in July of 1944. She didn't wind up in the overhaul bin until after October of 1944. This photo shows the application of the paint on the original tail of Little Miss Mischief, not after she was repaired. I believe the caption is mistaken. If it were taken after the refit, the foward portion of the vertical fin would be OD would it not? I doubt they'd apply the paint before changing the vertical stab. Also, you can just make out the larger letter F just forward of the down-deflected elevator.

Edited January 4, 2011 by timc

[Kostucha]

Tim,

Thats the conclusion I came to also. I'm still confirming what the waist position setup was for "Wallaroo Mark II", which would have also been simlar to "Mason & Dixon" me thinks.

Anywho, work has STARTED!!! I've got everything layed out on the work bench, and I decided rather than starting with the tail stinger, I will just start by cutting up the fuselage accordinly and putting things into the fuselage halves, such as the resin parts for the internal framing/fuselage halves inside in the navigators compartment, cockpit, and also start scratching out the molded in instruments within the resin part to make way for the PE set, and get everything ready to be added inside and underneath the cockpit floor as there will be a lot that's visible with the open hatches, and start building from the nose compartment back.

Pictures I hope to follow shortly.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Kostucha]

Well, tonight is busy-busy-busy!

To start off, here's what I'm using. The kit is the 1/48 B-17G Visible kit + 1/48 Monogram B-17G. The visible kit is used as a whole, and the Mono kit is for spare fuselage parts and other spare parts as well (for hangar floor space filler).

As for the AM Market:

Here's what I'm using for the weapons:

Engines:

Hangar space:

The bomber itself:

The decals:

Mmmm-mmmm-mmmm:

[Kostucha]

Using the True Details sets, I wasn't overly impressed with the cockpit instrument panel:

And so this will be shaved off and I'll use the Eduards PE Set to put in.

My first step was to cut up the fuselage:

I then sanded down the fuselage to get rid of the molded in detail and thin down the fuselage as much as possible. It was aggressive, using 50, 80, 100, then 200 grit sandpaper. Here's one half done:

It really took a lot less time than I expected. So I happily moved onto the "glue & resin" step, putting in the fuselage halves. The amazing thing was that it took very little time as well. Once the True details parts were cut off the blocks, and sanded down, they fit like it was supposed to. I mean, really... after 20 minutes of cutting fuselage halves apart, and 20 minutes of sanding, this is literally where I found myself an hour into the work:

I have to give TD credit where credit is due... aside from a little bit of filler needed, and evergreen plastic once the glue is dried at the joints - and really only in a few places - these parts fit in great! Very thin, very crisp, and they fit like it was just an original mold in the fuselage halves. I was really impressed! Great job TD!!!

From there, I found myself finished everything I wanted to do... and having the whole night to myself, with dinner down range, I suddenly found myself 4 hours later with the tail turret well on it's way to being completed...