Beany's "more orthodox" FROG 1/72 Douglas Boston

[beany]

Finally found a contender for this GB - it even says Light Bomber on the instructions - well, for the version I am doing which is the Boston in RAAF camouflage scheme - the all black Havoc version is classed as an Intruder!





I picked up some WEM RAAF colour paints (enamel) at Telford last year so will look forward to trying them out on this build.


The reason I've called this a "more orthodox" Boston is that the last one I built - the MPC American boxing of the Airfix classic - came with a rather irresistible set of decal in addition to the USAAF offering, and has been quite popular at some of the shows I've taken it to. It is a product of the times - late 60's flower power & questionable substances influencing many ideas at the time; this decal/colour certainly appears to be one of them! It was also a Secret Santa gift from Mr. Bradley - your co-GBL.


I'm actually going to do thast Acquired/Built ratio thing this year (I haven't bothered up to now for shame at my lack of completions every year ) so hopefully this will see me with a 0:1 score very shortly.
Cheers
Al.

[MarkyM607]

That would look good next to my Austin Powers 747 (see Bright and Cheery GB).

[Martin R]

Al,

Looking forward to this one. Popcorn at the ready.

regards,

Martin

[beany]

From building the Boston a few times before, I've never been happy with the stark looking bulkhead behind the pilot, and have now found this to be fictitious anyway, so will scratch build the arrangement behind the pilot based on photos of models, and the real McCoy on the interweb.
In order to do that I am reducing the width of the side walls wherever you can see into the aircraft, as I think these often look ridiculous, scaling out to sheet metal about a foot thick.

Here is treatment to the left side wall (as you look at it in the photo) compared to untreated on the right. Achieved by just scraping away with a scalpel and then a modicum of filing to tidy it up.


I've also done the same for the rear gunner/navigators position.


Construction continues...

Cheers
Al.

[fredk]

I agree, and do it when possible, just thinning the edges of cockpits or other apertures makes it look so much better.

[TomW]

Great to see you getting stuck into this one Al, looking forward to seeing the Boston progress.

Regards

Tom

[Molly-new]

I have this one in the stash so will be watching this with added interest. (And pinching all your tips so keep them coming )

[beany]

I am working on this honest, but progress is slow. I have the usual problem of doing a wheels up version of a plane clearly kitted to be a wheels down version. Plus I want to add some cockpit detail coz so many of the other lads are doing it so I feel I have to follow suit (i.e. not be a lazy git like I normally am and just throw the thing together then immediately regret not spending more time on it). I shall get more progress pics up this weekend.

[Martin R]

Only do what you want to, Al. I'll look forward to seeing it whatever you do - or don't do - with it.

regards,

Marin

[fredk]

Plus I want to add some cockpit detail coz so many of the other lads are doing it so I feel I have to follow suit (i.e. not be a lazy git like I normally am and just throw the thing together then immediately regret not spending more time on it). I shall get more progress pics up this weekend.

Do only what you're happy doing. Its not a competition to see who can do the most detailing. I just added seat belts to my pilots seat in the Dornier 17 as that'll be seen through the nose glazing. Most of the rest of the time the insides of my fuselages are as bare as the kit comes.

[Kitaholic]

Agreed, the only reason I did mine was because there was ribbing all the way down the fuselage and some adequate detailing, but the cockpit sidewalls were left bare for some reason.

[DavidWomby]

I'm lazy. My Mossie will be 'in flight' so I did minimal work to the interior and will shove two crew in there to help hide that.

David

[Martin R]

Al, Al, are you there?

I need a fix of FROGgy Boston goodness. Anything to report?

regards,

Martin

[fredk]

Any up-dates to report?

[fredk]

Hi Al, How are getting on?