The "other" PBJ B-25. Hungry yet? LOL!

seadude · May 14, 2011, 03:35:38 PM

Taking a much needed break from the two years I spent on my big Project Habakkuk model ship, I have decided to get back to doing an aircraft and working on a smaller project this summer.

But this ain't no ordinary aircraft project. Oh no!

This is guarenteed to not only make heads turn at contests and get a good laugh, but also make spectators hungry as well!

My plan: Build a PBJ-1H B-25 bomber in a PBJ (Peanut Butter & Jelly) camo scheme. My plan is to substitute the top fuselage darker blue color with a gloss red or purple jelly type color. Then substitute the gray/blue mid fuselage color with a brown peanut butter color. As for the white bottom of the aircraft, I have no ideas on how to do that yet. I was thinking of making white "bread slices" from Evergreen plastic sheet, but I'm not sure yet.
I just bought some Liquitex brand acrylic gel today to use for the grape jelly, and some Liquitex modeling paste to use for the peanut butter.
I'm also planning to make this aircraft for a diorama and having some ground crew look like they're applying the PBJ to the aircraft.

Questions:
1. I've never worked with Liquitex brand gels and pastes before. Anybody got any good hints, tips, advice, etc.?
2. Since this project will be an airfield diorama, Is there any 1/72 scale WWII American ground crew and equipment sets and accessories available?
3. Any other tips, advice, suggestions, and questions are welcome and appreciated.

Jschmus · May 14, 2011, 04:00:58 PM

Sounds totally cool! Go for it!

sequoiaranger · May 14, 2011, 04:01:33 PM

Though I think they are all "Army Air Force" crew and NOT "Navy", Airfix used to make fairly realistic "00" scale soft-plastic ground-crew figures in a box of maybe 24(?). I don't know if Airfix still makes them, or some other brand has taken them over.

Especially since there is a lot of "side" to the B-25 fuselage which would have the "under" color, could you not make some sort of off-white, vesicular-looking paint scheme for the underside which would approximate the look of "bread"? That should create an "open-faced" sandwich effect.

PS--still on my to-do list of whifs is an F5U "Flying Pancake" that I intend to paint to resemble a pancake with butter and syrup on it, looking like an Aunt Jemimah box cover!!

seadude · May 14, 2011, 04:50:41 PM

QuotePS--still on my to-do list of whifs is an F5U "Flying Pancake" that I intend to paint to resemble a pancake with butter and syrup on it, looking like an Aunt Jemimah box cover!!

Sweet! I'd love to see that.

Maybe add some torpedos that look like breakfast link sausages?

For bombs for my PBJ B-25, I was thinking of searching for miniature milk bottles or cartons, etc. The type of accessory that might be in a miniature doll house kitchen.

Anyway, I'll be starting this project in June, so you'll have to wait for in-progress photos then.

seadude · May 22, 2011, 07:13:54 AM

Went to a model club meeting at a hobby store a week ago and picked up the Liquitex paste and gel I'll be using for the peanut butter and jelly for the aircraft.

Also picked up some Liquitex acrylic paints to mix with the paste and gel to make the PB&J. I think I've got the right color for the PB, but I'm not sure on the grape jelly. I can't decide which color would look better?

As for the bread, I was thinking of only covering just the tops/bottoms of the wings, and maybe some of the top/bottom of the fuselage, but not add any bread to the vertical sides of the aircraft. I just want to add bread to the horizontal surfaces, not the vertical surfaces of the aircraft. I thought about using thin 1/8 inch thick white open cell reticulated foam to simulate the bread. How would that work?

sequoiaranger · May 22, 2011, 08:53:33 AM

What I might try is to have two "colors" for the "bread", both the same hue, but one a slightly darker tone (a "shadow" of the first color). I would put the darker color over the whole underside, then take the lighter color with some sort of mini-sponge (with very small holes) and dab/dry brush the lighter color over it. You will want "more" of the lighter color, but the darker base coat needs to come through about as much as the "cups" of the individual holes. Hopefully the light/shadow of the small circles will produce a slight 3D effect resembling bread.

If you want "toast", then I guess you reverse the process to have the light color underneath, and the dark more predominant over it (that's what I plan to do with the "pancake" colors for the F5U).

seadude · May 22, 2011, 02:05:38 PM

Ok, Now I think I've really gone crazy.

I just had the idea of adding some sort of "scent" to the model to make people believe there is PB&J on the aircraft. After searching and talking to a friend, we found this:
http://www.eccolights.com/room--linen-spray.html
Clicking on the Scent Drop Down menu on the right will show a PB&J type scent.

sequoiaranger · May 22, 2011, 02:21:13 PM

>Ok, Now I think I've really gone crazy.<

Never a doubt in my mind.

But then, I'm a few scents short of a fragrance anyways!

Next---any way you can have a half-round, scalloped (tooth-marked) "bite" out of the wings, or something, showing the "layers" of the sandwich?

seadude · May 22, 2011, 03:52:38 PM

QuoteNext---any way you can have a half-round, scalloped (tooth-marked) "bite" out of the wings, or something, showing the "layers" of the sandwich?

That might be possible. I'll do some thinking and planning on that.

If I did go with something like that, then I'd want the aircraft to be in some sort of flight display and supported off the base with acrylic rod. I could make up a story saying the PBJ B-25 was on a "milk run" (Milk bottle bombs in the bomb bay?) over Japan and got hit (Bite in the wing.).

seadude · May 27, 2011, 06:37:30 PM

sequoiaranger: I've been doing some thinking, and putting a "bite" in a wing is possible and I may add that to the aircraft. But if other modelers and Judges were to look at that, then they may be tempted to say "So what caused the bite?" and "Where is the ****** that made the bite?", etc.
So if I add the bite, then I have to add in the display what caused it. I could buy one of those sets of joke chattering teeth and attach that to the wing as if it was taking a bite. I could modify it and paint it as if it was a Japanese secret weapon or something.

* The aircraft is decorated in PBJ and bread.
* A PBJ "scent" will be added.
* Weapons in the bomb bay will be "milk bottle" bombs.
* A "bite" could be added to a wing.
* But if I add the teeth, then would that be considered "overkill" for the whole display?

sequoiaranger · May 28, 2011, 09:06:56 AM

>* But if I add the teeth, then would that be considered "overkill" for the whole display? <

No, merely an "overbite". You are obviously going for a HUMOROUS exhibition model, so "slay" them!

Actually, I think the "secret weapon" teeth are a good idea--put some small wings on it (with a Hinomaru on them maybe), some booster rockets**, etc. and you have a defensive "weapon" against the PBJ scourge! If it were me, I would have the teeth clamped onto one wing as a "bite-in-progress", with at least one other "bite mark" somewhere else on the plane to show "battle damage" (as if an attack by "flying teeth" were a common hazard!).

I think you have something there!

**You know the kind with the "fiery" plastic flame coming out of them-- I think those came in the old 1/48 Hawk/Testor Okha kit. I could spot you two if you thought you might use them!

We don't SUFFER from insanity, we kind of enjoy it, eh??

Cliffy B · May 28, 2011, 07:28:30 PM

This is too darn funny, I love it!!!! I'm actually eating a PB&J right now as well

seadude · August 13, 2011, 05:51:48 PM

Back.......but with more questions to ask.

Construction got severely delayed this summer. Hope to start later this month. Sorry, folks. Please be patient.
I'm thinking of making an in-flight display and need opinions on the following:
1. How should I add the wings and engines to some teeth that will be attacking the PBJ aircraft? I bought a cheap Me-262 and was thinking of using the wings and engines from that.

2. I was thinking of a standard square wood base and cover that with a piece of red and white checkered picnic table cover.
3. Build and set a filled milk glass (Not filled with real milk) on the base with a straw, and have the aircraft perched on one end of the straw. I already bought some acrylic rod to paint as a straw.
4. I also bought some very small doll house kitchen utensils that I was thinking of adding under the wings of the enemy "teeth" aircraft. I could put them on pylons and say they are "experimental missiles".

5. I can't find any foam or other material that could look like bread. Anybody got any good suggestions? I need a material that comes close to an appearance like this, but must be 1/8" to 1/4" thick:
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJCBM4QLCHrYEXexspZ95XDXKgTertYjSod1QKBdJ9jBvvaX1i
6. Other pics for review are here, including colors I made for the PB & J.
http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/icyhusky/library/flyingpbj

seadude · January 22, 2012, 09:51:20 AM

I'm back to work on this project!

Started last night, but didn't get very far as it was late. But here's a sample pic of the "milk" bombs to be installed in the bomb bay. More pics to come maybe tonight.
Here's one question for now that I do have: Should all the .50 cal machine guns and other guns be painted black or a gunmetal (Metallic black?) color?

sequoiaranger · January 22, 2012, 10:00:14 AM

Love the doll-house milk bombs!

Perhaps the wings/engines should be 1/144 Sturmvogel instead of 1/72 (maybe that's too large?).

Either "kitchen sponge", or typical "foam rubber" could be used for bread--you can pinch "craters" out of homogeneous foam to give it less homogenaity (sp)? *I* have some that I think would work, if you get stuck for material (but it is about 1/2" thick--I don't know how you might slice it thinner). Also, there are "foam envelopes" used to pack dishes for moving that have a "bread" look. They may be thin enough.

This project should put a smile on even the most "crusty" JMN!!