Imsjim - Strombecker Spotter Model B-24D

[lmsjim]

I have been working on and off on this kit for several months. Finally got around to finishing it. I originally bought the kit which was only missing a few parts but later found a built one on eBay which I much prefer to rebuild rather than build the kit.

The biggest problem with the built model is whoever built it decided to try and make it a later version so they added a ball turret on the bottom and a new nose turret. Fortunately they did not try to correct the engine nacelles or I would have been in real trouble.

Now the important question for me was how to build this kit. The most significant problem is it is a made up version. It is identified as a B-24D but the engines are wrong. The engine nacelles are round which means they are not turbocharged. Only the A models had the rounded engines but they did not have a top turret. The top turret was added on the C model. If you ignore the engines this would fit the C and D model without any trouble. Since my primary purpose in restoring these kits is to build them like Strombecker intended I just had to follow the directions here.


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This is the model as I got it. Notice nose turret


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The bottom of the model. The orginal builder also added a ball turret

Unfortunately the person who built this kit did not align any of the wing are tail surfaces which meant I had to totally disassemble the model. This was not easy since for once the builder used a very strong glue. I finally got it apart with some breakage but not bad. I then started sanding off the old paint. This took a while since the paint was put on very heavy. I did notice as I was sanding down that there was a set of decals or more accurately paper markings underneath the paint. So this was probably built without painting the first time and just the markings were glued on. I also removed the belly gun turret and cut down the nose gun to make it level with the rest of the nose.

And I continued to sand and sand some more. I finally got all the paint off. Now I started reshaping the parts using the forms on the instruction sheet. After I got all the shapes correct I puttied all the holes and breaks before reassembling.

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Dissembled and cleaned up

I then reassembled the model using wood glue. After puttied and sanding a lot I finally managed to get it to look like something again. I also took time to make a stand and form a wire to mount the model. These models were always only intended to hang from the ceiling and not on a stand. This is in fact the way I used to display my Strombecker models when I was a kid.


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Reassembled and new stand added

I then tried something new I had not used before so instead of using sanding sealer I used Deft because I saw it recommended here. I gave it two full coats of Deft and sanded plus some touch up. I then sprayed the model with Tamiya sky gray. I then went back and did more touchup with putty and paint.

I then sprayed it Tamiya Khaki since the normal Olive Drab is just too dark for most early WWII planes. I then hand painted the engine nacelles and turret. I then sprayed the whole model with Future floor wax to give the decals a base.


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Painted and ready for decals


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Original decal sheet before I cleaned it up.

The decals on these models of course are only printed on paper sheets to be cut out and glued on the model. I printed mine on decal paper using my inkjet printer and carefully applied them over a three night period. I used the kit decals plus I cheated a little and enlarged the wheel decals from the SBC-4 kit. I was tempted and even printed up some decals from the later B-24J kit but finally decided to stay with the original markings. After all the decals were on and set I sprayed the whole model with a couple more coats of Future floor wax to seal them. The last thing was to using a #1 Rapidograph pen I inked in the control surfaces. I also cut out some propeller arcs using heavy clear acetate. These were stuck on but not permanently glued because I might want to take them off at some point.


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Completed Model

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Another view


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Bottom view

I should mention that while I have the original instruction sheet it is very large and in pieces. I had to xerox it and tape it together to make a working copy. Sorry no way to post it.

Jim

[Paul]

Great results Jim!  you might be doing more work by unbuilding and rebuilding than others do by scratchbuilding.  I'm glad you're turning these models into pieces that people will keep another five or six decades.

[lastvautour]

Excellent results Jim.

Lou

[Oceaneer99]

Nice job, Jim!  If you send me measurements of the length and wingspan, I'll look up the scale on my handy-dandy SMM Scale Chart.

Garet

[lmsjim]

Thanks guys. I will have to check it when I get home. But I do know the scale is 1/72 as all of the spotter series are at least is is supposed to be.


Jim

[Lotus-14]

Very nice model.
The model is actually of the LB-30, not the B-24D.
The engine necelles give it away.
When the spotter plans were drawn, this was one of the errors.