1/6 B-26B Marauder

[Phil Clark]

This project was originally started back in late 2000, but since starting 'full time' with Fighteraces and spending the majority of my time building for other people, my own building time has been somewhat minimal.

Based on a 33% enlargement of a Jerry Bates plan, the model spans 142" and has an estimated weight of around 80lb.

Just before Christmas 2009, I received a call from a US based customer enquiring if I would be interested in selling the project and completing it for him ready for this year 'Warbirds over the Rockies' in Denver Colorado last week in September. A deal was done, so the B-26 is now receiving some much needed attention right through to completion. The plan is to complete the model as I'd originally intended in the colours of 'Flak Bait' (flew 202 operational sorties in WW2, now on static display in an un-restored condition in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington)......the only significant change is the switch from ZG62's to ZG80 twins as the new owner flies at MUCH higher altitude over in Colorado so wanted the extra horses. We're also fitting the complex 'Bi-Fold' bomb doors to allow bombs to be dropped during their end of show pyrotechnics display

The basic airframe construction was complete, cowls and gear door skins moulded and most of the model was glassed before it went into storage 4-5 years ago.

Over the past 2 months, all of the vacform moulds for the canopy and turrets have been made, all 6 gear doors have been completed including fully detailed interior skins. The new engines have been mounted with throttle and choke servos fitted, cowls have been mounted and the complete centre section and fuselage have been surface prepped ready for surface detailing. The bomb doors are also well underway and should be complete by the end of this week.

Attached is a selection of photos of the progress so far...............

[Phil Clark]

Main & nose gear doors.........

[Phil Clark]

Vacform mould production...............

1st a balsa/foam plug is glassed and finished as normal....this is then used to take a glass mould from before a temperature resistant resin 'plug' is poured. This gives superb crystal clear mouldings as the resin has no grain and isn't effected by the heat of the forming process..............

[Phil Clark]

Bi-Fold bomb doors.................

1st off, a GRP mould was taken from the underside of the fuselage to allow us to mould carbon & glass outer & inner skins. The ply internal structure was added with the outer skin still in the mould to prevent any distortion.

The lower door is piano hinged off the upper door, which in turn is hinged off the fuselage. The upper door is then driven by a long travel (100mm) air ram, and the lower edge of the lower door is conneted back to the fuz with a swinging linkage (it'll all become clear when we get that far)

The various hinges have all been hand cut (Dremel Diamond wheel) from 1.5 and 3mm carbon plate.......

[Phil Clark]

Continued............

[Phil Clark]

Bomb doors now complete, just the air rams and lower swing arms to do now..................

[Phil Clark]

Well on with application of panel lines etc... to the centre section/nacelles & outer wing panels now........

[Phil Clark]

Following a trip to 'Le Bourget' Paris in late 2008 to photograpoh the only remaining B-26 in Europe, many of the photos taken, combined with various 3-view drawings were used as reference to apply a combination of domed head & flush rivets.....

Both outer wing panels, the outboard flaps and all 6 gear doors are now complete and applicaton of the silver base coat has started..........

[Dave Parry]

Hi Phil, another stunning model being built from you, thank you for putting the build thread on here for us to read and see I hope it encouragers more to do the same.

[Phil Clark]

Bomb doors are now complete, fitted and functional off air.....short video clip here.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9iPoIwGJ6g

Having completed all of the panel lines, rivets etc...on the fuselage, the fin (removable) and stab have been mated to the fuselage and just need a small area of sheeting completing before the fairing can be added. Once these are complete and the remainder of the fuseage is in silver base coat, the wing centre section will be mated.

Outer wing panels are 100% finished ready for paint, all servos & wiring fitted (as are the servos & wiring for the elevator & rudder servos)

Phil

[Mike Booth]

Beautiful.

[Phil Clark]

Servos for flaps, ailerons, elevators, rudder, plus main & nose gear retract servos & valves, bomb door valve & servo, 2 x Futaba 6014 2.4 Rx's and a Powerbox Royal RRS are all now installed..................

The stab & fin have been permanantly mated to the fuselage and all fairings completed.................

[Phil Clark]

Stab & main plane incidences were checked & double checked (again!!) before the centre section & nacelles were permanantly attached to the fuseage............just the upper section to sheet over, glass, surpace prep, detail and then we can start thinking about internal detailing, getting all the glazings fitted & the final paint job.

[Phil Clark]

All remaining fuselage sheeting done, glassed and now flatted back & primed ready for detailing.....................

[Phil Clark]

Wiring loom complete.......ready to hook up to the Powerbox Royal RRS

[stewart clifford]

Look out Phil theres a bloke in your workshop picking the paint off, you can't leave anything for five minutes.

[Phil Clark]

4 x droppable 500lb'ers now installed........1 servo, 2 x Clippard push button valves and 4 x BVM EZ-Drop's allow all 4 to be dropped off 1 channel, but salvo’d in 2 pairs

[Phil Clark]

With the basic construction and surface detailing complete and the whole airframe in base coat silver, last jobs are internal detailing before all of the glazings are fitted prior to painting...................

Control columns, throttle console, pilots seats and the rear twin .50 cal 's for the rear turret have all be made from scratch from balsa, styrene sheet & tube, brass & copper tube, litho, chemiwood + a pair of resin cast .50 cal machine guns.

[Phil Clark]

In the mean time, Nigel @ Flightline Graphics has been hard at it working on the paint masks for all national markings plus the extensive 'Nose art'.......a proof of which arrived late last week to check sidings. If you haven't used Nigel’s services before for paint mask, vinyl decals, water slides etc....try him, you won't be disappointed.

Phil

[Mike Booth]

Commercial model making doesnt come any better.
Class.