Marcel Bloch MB-200 bomber 1:72 by Popeye the Sailor - finished

[Javlin]

Interesting looking crate Denis will be a worthy addition to the collection Kevin

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Jav.........and all who are following along.   I'm gonna try and do something I haven't done in a long time.  I've done some painting..........kinda bland,  but the plane is totally green {going by the suggested paint scheme}.   I'm sure everyone love to put in the small windows ....personally,  I hate 'em.  before I started to use window maker,  they always ended up cloudy looking.......a result from using cement.  the window maker doesn't do that......but I read that it could be used to fill in the small windows as well.  since this is a menage of small windows,  I thought it would be a good practice to try.

  

these weren't too bad.......I have a little touching up to do.   I did the other side and had a terrible time.....I had to remove a couple.   it could be a slow process.  I looked for a video on this,  but I wasn't satisfied with the method shown.   I should have more on this soon.  thanks for the kind comments and for looking in  

[popeye the sailor]

small update coming up.......  

[popeye the sailor]

as promised    I did some work on this .......uuhhhhh...beauty    the wings are painted and are now in place on the fuselage.

pay little attention to the ghosting........there will be some fading done on her later.  as mentioned,  I wasn't going to,  but I kinda liked the tire fenders,  so I added them.  again,  I had to adjust the locator holes to accept the parts better.......a little tedious to begin with.

later on when dried,  they were painted.

the assembled engines were painted flat black,  then dry brushed with aluminum

other parts were painted too.

I didn't even bother to look for a masking kit for this model........so I took to painting them freehand.

  

that's as far as I've gotten.........hope to have more soon  

[Canute]

Denis, keep on truckin' with this beastie. It's a definite novelty.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Ken..........I've seen a few others that look pretty interesting.  I stand corrected though........I was looking for images so I could get a good idea about the cockpit glass,  and I saw that eduards does a masking kit for them.  I got a few other cool decal ideas too.......if these decals don't look good  

[popeye the sailor]

while I'm here........I may as well show a bit more progress on this corrugated beauty.   the tires and covers are added to the model........now to get the tail gear painted and in place.

 

the gear assembly is kinda interesting......like it's on stilts

....and with it now painted....looks much better

now that I have some pictures.........  I thought that this was an obscure aircraft,  and wouldn't have to many pictures of it.   part of it is true.......actual pictures are rather scant,  but there are many pictures of the finished model.  now that I have a better idea of how it looks........

I'm fairly satisfied with the dry fit.

now to let this dry fully........on to the engines  

[Old Collingwood]

Really  nice build denis  and the paint finish looks really good.

 

OC.

[Egilman]

Yep the Soviets at that time were pretty good at building crates with wings and getting them to fly....

 

Your replication of the look Dennis is superbe..... (particularly that weathered swamp water green paint, great stuff)

 

Looking good!

[popeye the sailor]

    that swamp water green is Olive Drab {you'd think I cornered the market on the stuff}.   I have the feeling that by the time I get to the B 25,  I'm going to be burnt out on Olive green...........Navy comes to mind   come right down to it,  it's actually a French plane,  flown by the Czech Air Force.......they collaborated to build this plane,  an obscure contribution to 1930 aircraft.  I do have a few more progress pictures.    thanks for the kind word Eilman and OC.........thanks also for all the likes  

 

I assembled the engines 

and then added them to the model

the exhaust is ported out the bottom

I did a little detail work to the instrument panel....what I could see,  and added it.  the sticks {steering wheels} were added too.   the cockpit glass was added to finish it off.

the glass in this model is not very good......I should count myself lucky that the frame work detail was there for me to follow.

[popeye the sailor]

here is some more progress........    I add some of the decals from the ill fated sheet.   I tipped the blades for the Memphis Belle props and I continued with these.

next was the tail gear........it now has support from all three wheels.

for the underbelly,  I set up the bomb racks.  I was short one of the rack arms,  so I will be one bomb less.   I will use CA to fill in the holes.  also added are some of the antenna apparatus....a couple more parts will go topside.

I got home this evening and for fun,  fitted the props.   I still have the nose glass to do.........I abandoned the window maker.  there's a bit of a mess inside the fuselage.......glad that it won't be seen.  clearly I need to practice to get the ability back  

I also cemented the belly turret in place

I wish you all a super duper Father's day!  

[popeye the sailor]

I got into a frenzy with this model........but first I had to back up a tiny bit.   I removed the turret platform from the front of the fuselage.   this way,  I was unobstructed installing all the windows.  

I would have continued with the window maker.....but I was a little rusty with the process,  and I felt I was getting more inside the fuselage,  than filling in the window openings.  the first four were done........sanding the flash from around the panes and making sure they would fit OK........

 

the six front panes were next....the bottom center window was the worst one to fit into place.  it was also good that I removed the platform too.......I was able to repair the gap along the top border.

 

 

I do need to touch it up some....... I removed some of the window maker that had dried around the frames.

[Old Collingwood]

Looks fiddly all those windows   - its always a sticky area.

 

OC.

[Egilman]

Window maker was engineered for just such kits.....

 

Can you imaging trying to do all those in plastic?

 

Nice job my friend...

[popeye the sailor]

it was time to work on the decals.....I had put them on a window sill a couple of time,  to see if the sun could bleach out the yellowing.  this was fairly successful.....good enough to use them.  the one thing I was concerned with,  was becoming brittle.  if they weren't useable,  I'm sure I have some I can scare up.  I began with the wings......

 

 

they conformed to the ribbed wings rather well.......I didn't need to use decal set {Testor's} to soften them.

 

after the decals were applied,  all the small loose parts could be added......the props,  the bombs,  the antenna brackets.   the antennas were strung with the thin wire I like to use.  it's pliable and could be adjusted to straighten it.  there is the one on the belly,  and there will be one on the top.

 

 

 

this one was a bit tedious........it just didn't want to center itself on the brackets.  two types of radar masts are also shown.......one under the 'chin',  and another near the navigator's station.

 

well.........looks like there are no more parts...........the model is complete!    all that is left is a few small touch ups.  the gallery is next  

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Egilman and OC..........this stuff is handy.   I've used it to fill in portholes in ships.......it does have some limits though.   if the opening is too large,  it won't work too good.  I used to be really good with it.   commercial airliner models and HO really benefits from the use of it  

 

thanks for all who hit the like button  

[popeye the sailor]

here's the gallery of the model.  it's really wasn't a terrible model.......some holes needed to be drilled out,  flash wasn't too bad,  and fit was reasonably good.  the clear parts is about my only dig.......could be better quality.   I believe I mentioned it before.......I found that there is actually a masking set for this model......Eduards put it out.   oh well.......no matter.....I think I did a fair job of outlining the glass frames    the antenna wires were painted flat black,  along with a few touch ups,  and it's now ready to show.   so..........look'in like an early model Volvo, is the MB 200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the build.......thank you to all who followed along.  I appreciate the company!  

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Awesome work!  Looking forward to the final glamor shots  

[Baker]

Another beautiful model in the collection.

Congrats 👍

[lmagna]

Great work Denis. I suspect this will probably be the oddest aircraft in your collection for a while. They were a very strange looking design.

[Edwardkenway]

I'm away for 5 minutes and you go and finish, turned out rather nice as well if a bit odd looking. Great job Denis. 

Edit: reminds me slightly of the tri-engine junkers with the prominent ribbing 

[marktiedens]

Another dandy - good job!

 

 

Mark

[Jack12477]

Nice job, Denis ! 

[Old Collingwood]

Very nicely done Denis  - she came out just fine.

 

OC.

[mtaylor]

Congrats on a great finish, Denis.

[popeye the sailor]

thank you to all for the kind comments    odd one for sure.........it's nice when you buy an older kit and it builds well.   usually they are the ones that give the most problems.

 

indeed Ed.........a Junker JU 52.......got my eye on a Savoia Marchetti SM 81.......an Italian tri-motor that can be built as commercial or military.   I've got my eye on a few others.

 

Mike.....the glamor shots are the last post I did........if you want to view her in a different setting,  let me know.  I'll post a few more   

 

that the interesting part Lou.......they built these planes....boxy look'in things,  but you can also see when aircraft design began to get more and more complex,  yet refined.  .....the rounded fuselage,  the more streamlined leading edges of the wings,  and the changes in the materials used...

 

thanks again for the likes and comments...I'm glad you enjoyed following along    I'll get on the Belle........and Kempf's Dr 1.........I'm sure I can scare up something else   

[lmagna]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

Savoia Marchetti SM 81.......an Italian tri-motor

Hey Denis

 

Do you know how to tell an Italian plane in a snow storm?

[Old Collingwood]

16 minutes ago, lmagna said:

Hey Denis

 

Do you know how to tell an Italian plane in a snow storm?

Like a how to tell what sex your snowman is  - snow balls...

 

OC.

[lmagna]

31 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

Like a how to tell what sex your snowman is  - snow balls...

Nope, nothing like that OC. Very PG 13.

[popeye the sailor]

Can't say that I can...............{can't wait to hear this one   }