Atlantis B 24 Liberator - 1:92 scale by Popeye the Sailor

[popeye the sailor]

as most know,  I've been doing some remodeling to the 'ole hobby room.  most of it is done now.....just got to get the particulars in place.  it's been a while since I had a plane in the works,  so I though I'd drag one of these Atlantis kits out and play with it.  the Atlantis kit is actually an old Revell kit,  dating back as early as 1954. 

         

the kit went through a series of reboxing and retooling through the years........the second not notably in the early 60's.  Atlantis began reproducing the kit in 2019,  as well as other older Revell kits.  there were different variants of the kit

    this one is the Pacific kit....I built it once upon a time  

the old by gone days of kits.........when oddball scales were the most prevalent.   one still might see them,  but now a days streamlined to the normal scales.....1:32, 1:48,  1:72........and so on.  this streamlining made it easier to tool new kits,  and for aftermarket manufacturers to produce upgrades and photo etch embellishments,  adding the extra detailing that modelers desired.  now.......back in the early days of the plastic kit,  rivets and panel lines weren't the norm,  leaving the kit as a blank slate,  for modelers to work with.  as time went on,  the manufacturers heard the complaints and began adding these bits of detail to their model kits.  in some instances,  the molded panel lines did cause some alarm......detail though that could have been added to the kit was left out.  this kit is no exception.

    two thing I find with this kit,  is the rivet detail is too 'loud'.......the wing riveting sticks out like a sore thumb,  but oddly enough,  doesn't replicate over the entire model.  the fuselage is mostly barren of the rivet detail and only bears the panel lines.   certain detail is left out.......such as bomb bay doors and landing gear flaps, creating it more of a challenge to some,  to add extra detail.   the scale size is another obstacle...being a 1:92 scale kit,  there is a much slimmer chance that aftermarket has produced anything for it.  one never knows though    the one big draw to a model for most,  is authenticity.  sadly,  this model fell flat from the get go.........there is no such plane as Buffalo bill.....the serial number doesn't jive either.  for me as a younger modeler,  this really didn't matter.......I'd just slap it together and pay no mind to the validity of the subject.  modeling taste has changed through the years.........and mine along with it.

older kits also suffer from use........the molds that Atlantis has must be quite old.  flash is a huge problem with this model,  although others may not be as bad.  it can change from run to run in the production of kits.  one flaw I see with it,  is the injection pressure......it seemed to be out of calibration.

you can also see the injection pin marks......yea,  gotta clean up some of the parts.  I still plan to build the model.......I'm gonna change up the subject a bit though.

   this is a good model to use as a second installment for a KG 200 collection     as I mentioned,  back when I built the Wulfe Hound,  there were many different planes captured and flown by the KG 200.  the B 17 was the most prolific plane used.......the B 24 seems to be the second  in capture rate,  although it wasn't used as much as the B 17.  the first B 24 to have been captured,  was known as the 'Blonde Bomber II',  B 24D-1-CO, 41-23659,  after it landed in Sicily,  in 1943.  there was also # 42-52106, 'Sunshine' B 24H-5-FO.......there are a few more.  the kit also supplies a really neat stand.

the model can be posed in any angle by a socket and ball construction....should be neat.  I've cleaned up one of the wings due to the amount of flash and odd molding.  the plastic is very soft,  so when trimming the parts,  I need to be careful.

 

 

not really impressed with how the landing gear is done.......I wish the gear panels were open.   the tire is exposed,  so I might just put the tire in the well and do away with the rest.  the plane is in flight if I use the stand {very good chance I will}.   there was some camo.......even a mission that involved planes that were painted black {operation carpetbagger}......decals might be an issue.

 

 

 

these are some pictures I took of the kit earlier with another camera......just thought I'd add them.   I have a kit of a B 25 Mitchel........and Atlantis also put out the 'Pacific Raiders' kit as well { keeping an eye out for that kit}.  in short......I wouldn't suggest these kits to an experienced modeler....they aren't worth the effort if you want  a good representative of the plane.  there are many better kits out there.  but if you like to experiment and bash,  they would be a good candidate.

    I'll have more when I start to get more into it  

 

[lmagna]

Probably not going to be an issue with your build Denis as you intend to build it in flying mode. But if you do build in on the ground the model is going to be a massive tail dragger unless you add weight.

 

The Navy blue colored PB4Y versions were interesting colors as well.

[ccoyle]

44 minutes ago, lmagna said:

The Navy blue colored PB4Y versions were interesting colors as well.

 

When I was a kid, Cal Fire (known as the CDF back in those days) used to operate one of these as an airtanker from the local airport.

 

BTW, there is a YouTuber by the name of maxsmodels who has done a series of short histories of these old model kit manufacturers, e.g. Revell, Aurora, Monogram, et al. Fun stuff for those of us old enough to remember paying $0.25 for a model kit down at the local Sprouse-Reitz drugstore.

[popeye the sailor]

there's quite a history on this aircraft.........many variants......A....all the way to M!  over 18,000 were built.......there are only two that are flyable today. 

    nicknames for them included the flying boxcar,  but most notably,  the flying coffin.......since the only escape route was through the hatch in the tail section.  scalemates shows an interesting timeline on this kit.   I'm finally caught up in this forum.....my word.....you folks have been busy!   

[marktiedens]

I have a 1/48 Monogram B24J sitting in the closet waiting to be built SOME day.

 

 

Mark

[popeye the sailor]

then you  have a much better kit than this one     I think my B 25 is a 1:48 scale model........your gonna have a big girl on your hands.  look forward to seeing you bring her out of the closet.

 

I did some work on her today......sporadic though since I had to mow the lawns and begin the filling of the new recycling barrel that we just received.  I hope to get all the cardboard boxes off the porch by next week.  I was harboring some in the garage from the rearrangement......got all that plus some rearranging in the garage done { much needed...getting cramped}.  oh.........I also had to make a special trip to buy a new mower blade   there is a stump at the end of the patio { if I were to give the slab of concrete a name}....and I tried not to,  but I hit it.   it's the landlord's mower...he had just got it back from the repair shop,  so I never gave a mind to inspect the blade.  of course,  this was a few years ago........    it was bent al right.........only because it was so worn out....and dull as &#%* to boot!  it only cost 20 bucks.......and I also bought the installation tool to torque it.  the admiral's eyes went right up there when I picked it up........."you and tools......"they're my bread and butter",  I told her.  after mowing the lawn....with much noticeable improvement,  I might add,  I sat down and downloaded the manual and the service manual for it....bet the landlord doesn't even have them  

 

anyway......I have pictures.   with a little love,  she's starting to show some promise    I do have to assemble and paint her a bit differently than I'm used to,  but I'll cross that bridge when I get to that point.  I should have the pictures up soon.......I did a little extra on the bash appeal   

[popeye the sailor]

well.......that didn't take long,  to size them down for posting    miss me? 

 

since the wings are so bad,  I started with trimming down the rivet detail.   I left just a little to the imagination     there was a lot of flash and the edges were a disaster.  the admiral wandered by and asked why I was play'in with the plastic 'thing'........basically,  I told her how the kit looked interesting.  it did {to be honest}.......but I never expected the poor quality.   old kit.........well......so much for the tooling they said they did     she ran a finger over the rivets,  and even she said it felt gross!  while I was doing that,  I also took the injection pin marks off the stabilizer and rudders.......two on each rudder and four on the stabilizer...

you can get a better look at the deformity of one of the rudders.......can't do anything about it......oh well!  the stand is assembled.

it's got the slip ring around the neck of the cup........there is a ball that will fit into the underside of the fuselage.  it will snap into the cup......we'll see how well it works.  with this plastic being so soft,  I dare not do too much trimming.  the thickness of the plastic isn't consistent either......the fuselage halves shows this like a sore thumb......the top is like 1 mm.......the belly is about .5 mm!  yepper.........strange stuff !  to insure that I can arrive at a seamless assembly {or reasonably close},  I will assemble them now and paint later......not my usual habit,  but as I mentioned,  I'll cross that bridge   they are clamped in many places........no gaps!

you can get a sense of the sanding I did to remove the rivets.  later on.....the clamps were removed and the leading and trailing edges were sanded.  the cowls were fitted on the nacelles to insure they fit flush.

 

just a hint of the rivets is all that is left......I rescribed in a couple of the panel lines.  unlike the wings,  the fuselage bears only minor rivet detail,  so I left it as it is.

to model the plane with the gears up,  the holes for the wing gears had to be filled.  the tab that is to fit here was removed from the landing gears and use to fill the holes.  one came out pretty good.......the other still shows it a little.

the gear doors are molded closed.......I couldn't come up with a good picture of them,  but it really doesn't matter.  I'm on the right track with what IO want to do.  all I really need to do,  is simply cement the wheel in the well.  there is no covering over the wheel......just the gear.

I'm going the cut off the pin that the tire goes onto,  insert it in the hole.   then sand the backside of the wheel to cut down on the thickness,  so the wheel appears to be deeper in the well than what you see here.

 

that's done.........  there's more!

[popeye the sailor]

the wings were fitted with their wing tips.......can't mix them up due to the way the tabs are situated on the wings.  more injection tabs were cut off and then they were cemented in place.  looking at the leading and trailing edges,  they don't conform to the contour of the tips,  so they need to be trimmed once they are dry enough.   I did the trailing edge of the starboard wing......it's the worst end.  the leading edge just might get away with a bit of sanding.

 

both wings are ready for paint.......I'll probably check them over one more time to be sure I got everything.......

I have another bit of bash up my sleeve.........fuselage windows   I cut them out!

I have been all over these halves.......trimming and sanding every edge!  as I mentioned about the odd plastic thickness.....I did a small goof on one of the halves near the nose gear,  that I will need to fill.  the nose gear can be eliminated......doors are supplied to cover the opening.

the windows I opened at the nose and mis ship,  I will try to use the window maker to fill them.   the gunner's windows I can leave open.....just call it a perk   

 

hopefully more tomorrow!    

[Canute]

Nice cleanup, Denis. That vertical stab looks like it was a short shot when molded. Guess Atlantis couldn't do much with 50+ year old molds. Good old Revell box scale kit. Almost HO (1/87).

[CDW]

Great project Denis, a trip down memory lane. That clear globe stand brings back lots of memories as it was found in a lot of old Revell kits.

The B-24 stands out for me as the minister of the church I attended as a kid was a WW2 B-24 pilot. Upon questioning him, he told me some interesting short stories about bombing missions in Europe. One day my father and I went fishing with him in our boat and while fishing, he let go of a big blast of gas. I quickly turned and looked toward him while he laughed and said, "Craig, I bet you thought preachers didn't fart like that, didn't you?" He was right, I was a naive kid. I thought my dad was the only man alive who could fart like that. Little did I know, I would be right up there with the best of them when I grew older. 🙂

[popeye the sailor]

yea Ken......injection molding relies on the correct pressure to push the material into the molds...I think it was a bit off    I wonder how many kits were produced before they noticed the problem?!  when I worked at Disogrin industries,  it was one of the things we looked for during our inspection of the parts we made.......flow lines and 'dirt' was other factors.  flow lines meant that the material was cooling too fast in the molds.......and 'dirt' meant that the production was moving too slow,  or the temp was too high........either case meant that the material was in the liquid state too long and starting to 'over cook'......turning the material brown or {in extreme cases} black.  the production stopped at this time and the machine was purged of all the burnt material until it ran clear again.  this usually resulted in the operator being written up for slacking off     injection molding is a very fast paced job........one had to be on his toes all the time.  I usually had 'hot runners' ,  which meant that these parts were produced at a much faster rate....you couldn't even stop to go pee!

 

that was one of the things I liked about the older kits........although they usually relied on a simple slot method.  this is something different....we'll see how this holds up      WHOOPS..........right into confession for that guy!      sound as funny as the Holy Hand Grenade skit     I do recall though building the 'Pacific Raiders' kit,  but don't recall the steps I went through building it.  the wing roots are a tad too large to fit into the root wells in the fuselage....I'm having to file the edge down a bit {1/16 or so} around the root so they will fit in the wells.  the elongated tabs of the wing roots overlap one another inside the fuselage.........but no way to clamp them at all to insure the proper dihedral.  I've done one of the wings.........but dummy me painted the undersides without doing the other one first    nostalgia.........gotta love it   

 

as with the Wulfe Hound,  I think it will be hard to find decals for a model of this subject....least I haven't seen any others so far.   Blonde Bomber II,  a B 24D-1-CO  41-23659,  the first B 24 captured,  was inspected by the Germans and sent to Rechlin,  but there is no info as to its use by the KG 200.                       Sunshine,  as the second plane on record,  a B 24H-5-FO 42-52106,  was used a had the call numbers A3+FK.  on most of the B 24's,  the Germans weren't concerned with removing the bulk of their markings,  aside from the American insignia.  they must have learned from their use of the B 17's,   that it was harder for them to infiltrate an in flight squadron,  the more they looked like German aircraft {as if the insignias didn't give them away}.  I guess as long as it wasn't offensive to the Germans.......like the Wulfe Hound,  with a wolf eating a German plane}     two other planes,  a B 24 G-10-NT  42-78247......given the code CL+XZ,  and B 24G-5-NT  42-78106,   had the code numbers NF+NL.   this plane was destroyed in a raid.......the other plane's fate is not known.  by the end of 1943,  several B 24's had been captured.......as many as 5 were in service.  I haven't done much checking for decals.......I do have the decals for an HE 111 that became botched,  damaged and then thrown out.  I think the decals are still useable.......I may go with them.

[popeye the sailor]

it is as I thought.......there are no other decal sets for captured German planes......the Wulfe hound was likely the only notable plane.  I found that what I have in the pile,  are for 1:48.......too large for the model     of course,  the only German insignias I have are a couple short........they're from that Stuka model.  being told that the times not good to order any is also a set back.  so I may have to do an about face on the captured aspect and go with the original American subject.  I won't add the Buffalo Bill thing ........I should have enough numbers to come up with an unnamed plane that is at least legit.

 

this also changed the paint.......show ya in a bit  

[FriedClams]

A very nice start on your model Popeye.  I'll be following along.

 

Gary

 

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Gary     sadly no motivation to do too much yesterday......they were painting the outside of the building yesterday,  and if I were the customer { I wouldn't pay for it!}.  I need to get out there and put the border around the admiral's lily garden....the bulkhead is finally installed.  the guys doing it did an awesome job on it........poured the foundation and everything.  now I just need to do a little landscaping and put the timber borders back.  I will attempt to do something later on.  

[popeye the sailor]

....as I said to Lou yesterday.........it's just one of my habits I wish I could break     my love for older kits will be the demise of me yet!    I wracked my brain trying to find decals for this model.........the biggest hurdle is the scale.  the major problem in domesticating an older kit is just that.......early model kits produced,  were in such odd scales,  that it makes it nearly impossible to bash them in this way.   even in the after market dept.,  mods {unless scratch built} are hard to do.   I have some pictures from the 17th on the progress of this model.......painting for the most part.   after painting the underbelly gray, I got the feeling that I had made a mistake.........most of the captured planes had their under bellies painted yellow.  I did find out however,  that a few of them retained the gray........so that put me at ease for the time being.   I rode a little high on the fuselage,  but I think it won't matter too much.

the top and bottom of one wing was done........the wheel well is done in chromate green.

I still need to do the engine paint,  as well as the deicing trim and touch ups.   the pilots were molded to the seats......I would have cut them out, if not the fact that I want to show the plane in flight.  painted in chromate green too.

the stabilizer and rudders were done in the Army green and gray.  the malformation of one of the rudders doesn't show too badly,  now that it's disguised in paint  

 

I also painted the buckets for the turrets......I need to do the glass frames and guns......later to assemble them.   our discussion over the phone yesterday actually uncovered another aspect of the B 24,  that I had not seen previously........there was such a thing as an assembly plane.  this was the lead plane that the others would assemble behind and follow to the mission location.   the paint {camo} on these bombers is very reminiscent to planes of WWI

there were a few that were even more striking !

here is an idea of what one would look under another banner...............

we kinda joked about scale...........I'm sure I'm not alone,  but I believe that from one manufacturer to another,  there are subtle differences in their production of scale.  it may be slight......but it is noticeable.........and once the molds are tooled,  there is no going back.  just for a laugh,  we looked up anyone who made a model in 1:32 scale.  think of it.......the model would be HUGE!  well......we found one...........Hobby Boss!  I found these decals for them.......these are masks to paint the markings on {something I've never done before}.

Captured B-24 Liberators Luftwaffe Insignia Paint Mask Set 1/32

un....%#&# believable!   but wait!...........there's more!

[popeye the sailor]

so the new {updated} model room is almost complete.   I've hung some pictures and added more wall shelving on the back wall.  the details of the room switch and move can be seen in my PT 109 project,  in case your confused on what I'm referring to.  we are in the midst of the heat wave that is affecting the country right now.......I haven't been doing much.   there has also been some home renos going on here as well,  and that has caused some upheaval in activities.  a bit of a story,  but I also took Mon and Tues. off from work........the boss insisted    so who am I NOT to take it!  this gave me the time to go into searching for decals a bit more........that turned to be a huge bust.  I bookmarked the Atlantis site.......the Pacific raiders kit isn't available at this time { just what's floating around out there},  but I can order the decals if I want to.  nawwww.....I think I'll wait and find the kit     I even entertained the idea to locate the old Revell kit and compare the two for retooling and other changes made to the kit since it's initial production........but I think I should get my head examined instead {the admiral would do it for me anyway}.   Old Model kits has one for.......get this........145.00!  I ordered a decal pack from Mega Hobby.......the Warbirds B 24 lettering and number sheet in 1:72 scale.  what I got were these........

these are clearly NOT 1:72 scale..........more like 1:48.......or even 1:32!  I am going to bring this to their attention,  but won't be asking for any compensation....I'm sure I can use these somewhere down the road.   I had the Lindberg "Legends of the sky"  Heinkel He111 kit.  I trashed it due to missing and broken parts,  but saved some of the parts,  along with the decal sheet.  that kit was in 1:48........the decals being too large to use as well.

here are the decals in relation to the  Warbirds decal sheet.........

other decals to show the relative of scale.........these decals came from the Profile series kit of the B 25 from MPC.  the sheet from the Atlantis kit are here too for reference.

 

 

the Warbirds decals I ordered {I found out later} are part of a set that would depict the 486 BG.  there are three parts to this set.  it is a compilation of six planes,  all named after a Zodiac sign.

 

Virgo,  Sagittarius,  Aquaria,  Aries,  Cancer,  and Pisces. ........all pretty cool if you wanted to build all six   ........Wait!.......seven {let's not forget Leo}. 

     I did a dry fit of the plane,  checking the fit of the wings......hard to stuff them in the wing wells.  if I were to put this plane next to a 1:72 scale B 17,  you would see a significant difference in scale....mainly due to the obvious scale production.   I even gave a thought to look into HO scale to see what they have available.  my head hurt too bad..........so I abandoned the crusade.

 

 

my quest hasn't diminished........I still want to do the captured German plane.   my hunting did produce a solution.........I won't try to bend the 'will' to me.........I'm going to flank the problem!   I ordered this off of Evil Bay yesterday 

this is a kit in 1:72 scale!  I think decals will be much easier to find.........and with a lot more detail too!    I got an e-mail this morning.........already sent and I should see it by July 2nd!  that's fast.........I got the decal sheet just as fast    I like Mega Hobby!

 

admiral's crabb'in............gotta take Gibbs out..............

 

[popeye the sailor]

quip of the day.........

 

the admiral just suggested she should talk to the doctor about water pills.................I said, "what.....you don't get enough water?!?!?!?!"

[Old Collingwood]

4 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

quip of the day.........

 

the admiral just suggested she should talk to the doctor about water pills.................I said, "what.....you don't get enough water?!?!?!?!"

Trouble with water pills  -  put them in water and they vanish.😁

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

that's funny OC.........    we were in the grocery store the other day.........we were in an isle with another woman {she kinda followed along}.  we got to the end and I looked up and said something to her...........she complimented us and said that she enjoyed listening {we're not shy with 'cutting up' in any store}

   then I did my Popeye laugh,  and the rest was comic history     since I have gotten my dentures,  the laugh has gotten better........I had  to practice though.......nothing is going to stop me from doing it! 

[popeye the sailor]

this has to be the fastest I've ever gotten anything from Evil Bay!  I ordered the Warbirds B 24 on June 29th,  and I got it on the 2nd........just like they said!

 

   I'm tempted to piggyback the Warbirds kit with this log,  but the model is much more detailed and is considerably larger.   one thing I found that is refreshing,  is that the model depicted is of a real plane!  I also found something that is quite interesting........

 

Memphis Belle vs. Hot Stuff: How History Came to Celebrate the Wrong WWII Airplane | Ann Arbor District Library

 

it's quite a story........I'll continue with this model soon  

[Old Collingwood]

2 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

this has to be the fastest I've ever gotten anything from Evil Bay!  I ordered the Warbirds B 24 on June 29th,  and I got it on the 2nd........just like they said!

 

   I'm tempted to piggyback the Warbirds kit with this log,  but the model is much more detailed and is considerably larger.   one thing I found that is refreshing,  is that the model depicted is of a real plane!  I also found something that is quite interesting........

 

Memphis Belle vs. Hot Stuff: How History Came to Celebrate the Wrong WWII Airplane | Ann Arbor District Library

 

it's quite a story........I'll continue with this model soon  

That sounds like a result mate  - looking forward to that one also.

 

OC.

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the posting of that link, Denis.  It it is quite a story.

[popeye the sailor]

blew my mind too Mark.........the things one finds in research?!?!?!

 

been an interesting turn of events going on here........the Revell kit will be a separate log.  I found some interesting information to go along with it.   I went back into the Mega Hobby site to find decals.  it wasn't going too good....there are no aftermarket decals for Dornier or Heinkel aircraft {this is where I was going to get the call letters from}.  but then.......I saw them!  there is a decal sheet made by Kits World {warbird} for the B 24 'Sunshine'.  they were done depicting the captured plane.  as I looked further.......I was bummed to find that they were 1:48 scale........noooooooooooooooooooooo!

      I contacted Mega Hobby asking if they had them in 1:72 scale.......they replied with a no.......    I didn't bother inquiring about the decal I already got.....my fault for not reading thoroughly.  I did reply to them,  telling them....that's OK......I still love ya,  and proceeded to look up the Kits World site.  I not only found them,  but I found the decals too!  naturally,  I ordered them straight away!  I still need the call letters........I could use what I have,  but they may not look correct........at the moment,  I'm walking on eggshells 

 

I have the Revell / Monogram '60 Chevy Impala hardtop kit......it's what my dad drove when I was a kid.  on the old Model Kit site,  they have a '59 Chevy Impala {bel-air} hardtop........My mother drove this one {it was her first car}.  I always referred to them as Chevy Bel-airs.   the past week I was bummed to see that someone was buying it..........today I looked and they must have decided not to,  because it was back into 'cart' status.  so after a bit of 'carrying on about it',  the admiral gave in...........but I fear that I burned the last of my bridges.  she was pretty stern when she said....'no more!"

 

one thing I need to look into with these two models,  is that neither had a V8 engine.  as I recall,  they both had the L6 engine {I'll have to look up the CID}.

  my dad's car for certain........after all,  I fell on the hood with the tricycle,  piercing the hood and the valve cover! 

 

[mtaylor]

Six bangers were stock as I recall but there were options for V8's.  The first car I bought was a 56 Chevy that had the optional small block V8... a 265 as I recall with the two speed slushamatic transmission.   

[popeye the sailor]

that is correct.........as I read,  they were stock.  not to get too far off track here,  the L6 was a 235 C.I.  small blocks were next  with the 283 C.I. {the best engine in my view.  larger engines were the 348 C.I. { you could get it turbo charged and with fuel injection.   the 350 C.I. ,  409C.I. and larger came into place a couple of years later.   what surprised me,  is that fuel injection went back that far.......heard about it { like the maintenance free battery},  but never read up on it.  the kit is in the post.........there will be a log     I haven't seen the '59 kit yet,  but these kits do not supply the engine as an option.  they only come with the V8......last time I looked in the box,  it had the triple carb set up. I have never seen one of these cars with a V8,  let alone this carb set up {not even four barrel}.

 

as for the Liberator,  I forgot that I had found another site devoted to captured aircraft.  some of the plane look quite interesting.......

Harold A. Skaarup web pages

......and for anyone looking at getting one of these kits?

Atlantis Plastic Model kits Made in the USA!

......and for those who are looking for decals...

kitsworld Model Decals & Photo Etch for the Modelling Enthusiast

Edited July 8, 2021 by popeye the sailor
extra text

[Blackreed]

So what’s in store for this model?

[CDW]

On 7/3/2021 at 9:16 PM, popeye the sailor said:

Memphis Belle vs. Hot Stuff: How History Came to Celebrate the Wrong WWII Airplane | Ann Arbor District Library

 

it's quite a story........I'll continue with this model soon  

 

Great story that I never heard or read about before.

[CDW]

On 7/8/2021 at 10:28 AM, popeye the sailor said:

that is correct.........as I read,  they were stock.  not to get too far off track here,  the L6 was a 235 C.I.  small blocks were next  with the 283 C.I. {the best engine in my view.  larger engines were the 348 C.I. { you could get it turbo charged and with fuel injection.   the 350 C.I. ,  409C.I. and larger came into place a couple of years later.

 

In between the 283 and 350 small blocks came the 327 small block. My big brother bought a brand new short block 327 crate engine from the Chevrolet dealer the first year they came out, 1963 I think. He ran a set of fuelie heads which were the "thing" back then because of the size of the intake valves and porting. He dropped that engine into his '55 Chevy and it was a real runner. Last small block variations were the 307 and 400 cubic inch. The 400's were my favorite small block Chevy to street rod because the high torque made it so much fun from stoplight to stoplight.

[mtaylor]

The 400 was my favorite also.  There were 4 bolt main kits (well worth the cost) as it only came in 2 bolt mains.  I heard the factory did have some 4 bolt mains but never saw one.  If you wanted to irritate some people or just blow minds, put a set of 327 valve covers on it.  LOL... fun times. 

 

There were a lot of things about the 400 that drove many racers nuts.  It was a sintered block and not a cast one and the sistered cylinders.  But yes.. talk about torque....  wow.

[CDW]

Just now, mtaylor said:

There were a lot of things about the 400 that drove many racers nuts.  It was a sintered block and not a cast one and the sistered cylinders.  But yes.. talk about torque....  wow.

Engine builders did a lot of mixing and matching with other small block cranks/rods with the 400 block to come up with different configurations of bore/stroke/cubic inches and drastically changed the way the engines performed. One of those combinations used a 327 crankshaft and I forget which rods, but it ended up 383 cubic inches, and had a big bore with a shorter stroke giving it higher top end RPM's. It was a drag racer favorite as I recall.