Martin B-51 Master

[CammNut]

The V-shaped upper legs of the nose gear have tiny hooks at the tips and if you look at the sloping forward bulkhead you can see tiny holes the hooks are supposed to slot into.

Supposed to

I managed to install the bulkhead 1/8th inch too far forward, making it impossible to fit the nose gear, so I resorted to building a Rube Goldberg-like platform to attach the gear to.

[PR19_Kit]

The V-shaped upper legs of the nose gear have tiny hooks at the tips and if you look at the sloping forward bulkhead you can see tiny holes the hooks are supposed to slot into.

Ahah, so there is, thanks. 

But where does the link stretching rewards go? Mine doesn't reach anything, except if I lean the leg back a bit it touches down on those two links between the two bulkheads, but they're not strong enough to take any sort of weight.

[Gondor]

I think they are correct Kit

Have you got an equivalent drawing for the forward leg too please Alastair?

I've manged to build it OK, but can't for the life of me figure out where it goes in the forward gear bay! 

I did but managed not to save it when I cut it down for the main leg   

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Such is modelling life. Thanks anyway. 

[Gondor]

Found an identical drawing on a web page, HERE so you can save and do what you want. There are other pictures accessable through that page as well.

Gondor

[loupgarou]

Kit, I admire you a lot for tackling such kits, with uselessly complicated parts counts, nearly not existent glue points, AND imprecise notices. Not to speak of the Mach2 ones...
Of course, the same appreciation goes to all other builders of short-run kits...

[PR19_Kit]

Found an identical drawing on a web page, HERE so you can save and do what you want. There are other pictures accessable through that page as well.

EXCELLENT! Thanks very much Alastair, just what I need. 

@loupgarou It surely is complex, THE most complex I've tried in a long time, but it's satisfying to see it come together, and even more so to know that the Ukrainians produced it in WARTIME! 

Currently it's a box full of sub-assemblies awaiting another kit to arrive so I can scrounge some parts to Whiff the B-51/Master, and that should be here soon.

[philp]

Great job so far getting this together Kit.

[PR19_Kit]

Great job so far getting this together Kit.

Thanks Phil, it's fascinating to see this very strange shaped aircraft come together, and yet frustrating at the same time as it's SO difficult to build.

Every single part needs to be trimmed and filed to rid it of sprue gates and flash, and there's a LOT of them, mostly pretty small ones too!

[kitbasher]

I've always found the B-51 a curious-looking - fascinating, even - aircraft, neither attractive nor ugly but not nondescript.  There's something very 'Luft '46' to it, in fact just thinking about it now I can see it featuring in Luftwaffe colours in Robert Harris' 'Fatherland'.

As for your newly-acquired B-57, Kit, how's about robbing some sharkmouthed 16 Sqn Canberra B(I).8 markings for it?

[CammNut]

There are two links. One connect the main leg to the center of the second \_/ shaped bulkhead. The other axe-shaped one connects by its blade from the sane bulkhead to one of the ends of the upper V on the leg. You have to blow up the instruction sheet and really zoom in to see where.

[NARSES2]

I just got my Anigrand kit out to have a quick look and when it comes to the undercarriage you are on your own 

[PR19_Kit]

I've always found the B-51 a curious-looking - fascinating, even - aircraft, neither attractive nor ugly but not nondescript.  There's something very 'Luft '46' to it, in fact just thinking about it now I can see it featuring in Luftwaffe colours in Robert Harris' 'Fatherland'.

As for your newly-acquired B-57, Kit, how's about robbing some sharkmouthed 16 Sqn Canberra B(I).8 markings for it?

Those 16 Sqdn markings are more likely to end up on the B-51/Master actually, and I do see what you mean about it having a Luft '46 look to it. Maybe those 'blade-like' wings do it? It's certainly a strange looking beast.

There are two links. One connect the main leg to the center of the second \_/ shaped bulkhead. The other axe-shaped one connects by its blade from the sane bulkhead to one of the ends of the upper V on the leg. You have to blow up the instruction sheet and really zoom in to see where.

OK thanks, I've got the centre link glued to the main leg already, but left the thinner one off till later as it looks so fragile.

I'll scan and blow up the pics in the instructions.

I just got my Anigrand kit out to have a quick look and when it comes to the undercarriage you are on your own 

I think MM tried to make it TOO accurate really Chris, Anigrand are a little more practical.

[PR19_Kit]

The vital part that I was waiting for was the canopy from the B-57B kit, as I figured the RAF preferred its Nav's to be able to see out a bit better than they could do from the B-51's 'porthole' that their Navs had. Accordingly I've opened up the cockpit area considerably, after having filed down the side extensions from the B-57 canopy as they'd have been far too wide for the Master's fuselage.



The Nav's seat and his instruments will now be a lot more visible so I'll have to paint them of course. Even silver linings have some dark areas............

And here's the canopy perched in place, and I think it works quite well. The B-57's fairing that fits aft of the canopy has been sawn off the fuselage  and it'll be filed to shape and located rear of the canopy on the Master.



Of course the backstory will say that Martin liked that canopy design so much that they used one just like it on the B-57. 

[NARSES2]

Looks good Kit