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Rareplanes KC377 Boeing Stratocruiser

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  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 8,955 posts
Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, August 6, 2016 12:58 PM

Sorry, no.  I don't have a digital camera or the means to post, however Google "Sturmpanzerwagen A7V" and you'll get a good variety of images as to what that bloody great barn on tracks looked like.

I saw a film clip from World War One several years ago of some British soldiers who'd captured one of those tanks.  It was easy for those Brits, the tank driver rolled it on it's side trying to cross a ditch!  I had to feel sorry for those Germans, they were sitting on the ground looking very dejected with all those Tommies standing around laughing at them!

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Posted by philo426 on Friday, August 5, 2016 9:39 PM

Can you post pics of the tanks,Firelock?

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
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Posted by Firelock76 on Friday, August 5, 2016 9:19 PM

I only built two vacform kits in my life, about 45 years ago I assembled two World War One German A7V tanks (1/72 scale) to go with the WWI airfield layout I built.  I followed pretty much the same procedure philo described above.  Not too difficult as I remember it.  I've still got 'em, standing guard in a bookcase with my WWI book collection.

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Posted by philo426 on Friday, August 5, 2016 6:32 PM

Yes it requires more work and a different technique.Put a new blade in your exacto knife and scribe around the part with even pessure once.Then you flex the surrounding plastic to break the parts out cleanly.Tape 100 grit sandpaper to a flat sheet of glass and sand in a figure 8 pattern until the parts match up.Glue them together and add putty as necessary.

  • Member since
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  • From: Parma Heights Ohio
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Posted by Penny Trains on Friday, August 5, 2016 6:20 PM

philo426
and it is vac form.

OY!  Vacform!  That makes it twice...no five times as impressive!  Big Smile  All I ever made from a vacform kit was a mess!  Bang Head Laugh

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by Nationwidelines on Friday, August 5, 2016 10:10 AM

Thanks for the info, I thought you had restored it and did not realize that it was built from a new kit.  I just knew it looked like it had just been finished or refinished and thought that since it was an older style plane that it had been refinished. 

That is pretty neat.

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    March 2005
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Posted by philo426 on Thursday, August 4, 2016 9:51 PM

Restored?I just built it!the company who made the kit was Rareplanes out of England and it is vac form.The finish is Alclad2 Chrome over a  gloss black primer coat.

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    August 2011
  • 635 posts
Posted by Nationwidelines on Thursday, August 4, 2016 7:40 PM

That looks incredible!

I know it is restored, but who made the plane?

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 8,955 posts
Posted by Firelock76 on Thursday, August 4, 2016 6:49 PM

Great job, it positively glows!

Hard to believe considering that chubby fuselage but the Stratocruiser was a derivetive of the B-29, essentially a Superfortress adapted to civilian use.

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • From: Parma Heights Ohio
  • 3,442 posts
Posted by Penny Trains on Thursday, August 4, 2016 6:43 PM

She's a beauty!  Yes Big Smile Thumbs Up Bow

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

  • Member since
    March 2005
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Rareplanes KC377 Boeing Stratocruiser
Posted by philo426 on Thursday, August 4, 2016 7:35 AM

How do you like the chrome finish?  

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