HK B-17G Build - Part 12

[@kurtanp]

Matt, I cannot thank you enough for sharing your journeys. Fascinating, informative and real. Please keep them coming.

[@petergriffin4605]

I am now going to invent the f**ks scale on all my builds! Pity the kit ran you out of them. Your effort and work to date was fabulous and I have enjoyed following along. Back the Jug which has been just as satisfying to watch.

[@paulmorgan6269]

Big Thanks for the effort you put in to it Matt. Surprised as you say it wasn't as good as we all hoped.

[@Bigg8443943]

I’m just starting this kit and using the videos as a guide / help. I’ve found a very easy fix for the step in the wing joint. The step on the left wing is there on my kit to. Easy fix just give the mating surfaces on the wing a good sanding and the fit is now perfect.

[@michaelstrange4885]

Thanks Matt for your appraisal, I was keen on grabbing this kit and followed your progress from the start but alarm bells started ringing for me as you got further into it, to the point now like you I’m shelving my plans, I’ll divert my hard earned $ elsewhere, hope the feedback reaches the manufacturer.

[@johnmaddox7432]

I have a 1/48th Tamiya zero that went together beautifully until the lower wing disappeared below the fuselage at the rear. I know test fitting would have helped. Just wasn't expecting an issue like this from Tamiya, and it didn't appear till the glue was applied!

[@seananthonyegan3395]

I love your videos your enthusiasm these kits are expensive plus all the extras you add to enhance the model it would make a Saint weep

[@saltields7649]

Thank You. I’ve been somewhat interested in picking up this kit, but fortunately you talked me out of it. I’ll just stick with the Revell/Monogram ones. The only reason now I’d want to get this one is to build it and take off the top to look inside, but with all of your issues, I’m not going to get this one.

[@Klassiker-]

Surface detail of the Monogramm kit is definately 1970s - it's awful, but it can be corrected. As far as the airframe outline is concerned the Monogramm B17 is still the best game in town!

[@unclepeteswildadventures]

Well done for trying the B17! I did finish it and may try again if I found one for a good price. The ball turret was the only thing I didn’t manage to finish to satisfaction. If you look closely it doesn’t sit quite straight and doesn’t turn or elevate/depress. If I built another I one I’d put an axle rod through the middle or glue it differently. All this kit’s flaws might be forgiven if it was half the price!

[@paulmoore5401]

Doog, thanks for taking all the time to do these videos. I learn a lot. I have several Eduard PE sets and I know you basically see nothing once it’s buttoned up. I’m considering not glueing the top fuselage piece so you can lift it off and look into the cockpit and radio room. Any thoughts on that? Thanks, Paul Moore

[@JazzOrganBites]

Oh gawd, I should have watched this before purchasing this kit! Oh well! I won't spend too much time on the interior but some of the fit issues have me worried!

[@InSidious1805]

This has been a very frustrating kit. I finally got the wings on after installing the aftermarket Eduard engines and as I was trying to realign a wing I heard a crack and it was the bottom of the fuselage split in two I’m guessing because of the weight of the wings coupled with bad fit. It’s really frustrating. That’s after like two weeks of gap filling and sanding and riveting.

[@brandtall9639]

Have you forgotten how terrible the Revell kit is? Be thankful we now have this kit to work with. I'm waiting for aftermarket to catch up before tackling mine. Wing fit can be fixed with a blow dryer and shaving off some of the latch points on the locking mechanism. The 1/32 has all of these problems and more. Love your work and your attitude. Keep it going my friend

[@danl.909]

Totally agree. When I feel like I’m working too hard simply to make up for the fact that the mfr. didn’t work hard enough, I’m done. That’s when a kit goes to the Shelf of Shame, from whence none have ever returned. It’s a pity. This could have been the kit that filled a void that’s been there for so long: a modern, high quality, 1:48 B-17. Shame on HK for trying to turn a quick buck with a half-assed, quick and dirty scale-down of their 1:32 kit. Feh.

[@gtypecanare]

Tamiya P-38F/G? Let me know....

[@MarKoCustomBuildModels]

Well, this is a good review. Honest, and yup I can see where you're coming from on this one.Wish the quality of the model would have been better.

[@michaelnaven213]

Would sanding the mounts help?

[@markcasiglia3178]

Good call shelving it. You win some, you lose some...

[@NigelsModellingBench]

I think the fuselage looks too "fat" just like their shitty 1/32 B-17.

[@bubbapipe]

Yip, thanks for that. I was wanting this kit so bad but after seeing how much of a fuck show it is I'm glad I kept my money in my pocket. Have to give it up to you for keeping your shit together, I think I would have fired that fuckin thing into the ground a long time ago.

[@chrishuffman6734]

Do yourself a favor and press through. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. I know it's frustrating to spend that kind of money on a kit and it have terrible fit issues, like HK B-17 and the Kitty Hawk Su-17 you covered in previous episodes. But there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had when you patiently work through all the problems of a tough kit and then complete it. I worked through the issues with the Kitty Hawk Su-17 and it was a stunning when completed.

[@tanitatt]

what noise does the wings make when you put them on?

[@bushranger900]

Hey Mat what about a Tamiya F 16 their supposed to be good kits?

[@DoogsModels]

Most of the F-16s that interest me aren't covered by the Tamiya kit (see: Greek Vipers with the drag chute housing in the tail), so it's kinda a matter of waiting to be inspired.

[@scalemodeling]

I agree that for the money you spend on this kit, the fit should have been much better. I am experimenting with alternative techniques for building this kit.

[@richardcraig5608]

Really sad that we've waited this long for a new 1/48 scale Flying Fortress , just to have it be a let down .. Now when do you think we'll see another company do it right ? I hope it won't take another 50 years.. Thanks for letting us know

[@Serenityindailylife]

Unfortunately I got this kit for Christmas...

[@TheLaughingBrexiteer]

Shame, but I don't blame you. I wish you'd built the 1/32 B-24D :(

[@simonbor77]

IMHO your kit reviews or build reviews are the best that I've seen. Paul Budzik is also doing great reviews, but somehow yours sound bit more practical, if it makes sens. Thank you!! If you ever decide to set up a Patron account or something of this sort it would be awesome. Good work!!

[@DoogsModels]

Thanks! Paul's great - but he's got access to tools and scratchbuilding abilities that I think a lot of us have trouble fully identifying with. Whereas I'm more of an okay-to-marginally-good-sometimes builder. So maybe it's just easier to relate? The expletives probably help too. I do wish there was a Patreon, but for time. That's what I could really use more of!

[@simonbor77]

​@@DoogsModels Your approach works for me. I am black-basing convert (pre-shading was never convincing for me), now I do my first steps in chipping. Paul's models are almost toy-like, but his view on panel lines and shadows makes sens.

[@kudukilla]

Diorama of a crashed B-17? Could get rid of the crappy fitting parts that way.

[@tpaul802]

Wish I would have seen this before buying the kit. I guess I paid 100 bucks for some nice box art

[@R1door]

Yup... if this is a kit from 1982 you know what you’re in to... but not in this one...

[@JJ-cf7nb]

HK and Kitty Hawk Models; Building 1970s Revell Kits. Today!

[@taterfamine]

I have officially ran out of fucks with my B-17 as well. Paid well over $100 for something that isn’t better than the ancient Monogram kit. Huge disappointment.

[@brandtall9639]

You better have a good hair dryer if you're building an HK.

[@michaelnaven213]

I hope my 1/32 HK will be a better kit than their 1/48 B-17G. Still your work is outstanding.

[@SLICK-GLN]

I see a Tamiya Bf109 doing a pass and lighting that baby up maybe fire crackers and lighter fluid warehouse 😂

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

Wow that crazy I have built 4 of them and I didn't have any problems with any of them my wings they were perfect but I build i have more time to build then you I build fulltime 12 hours a day and they only took me 2 and a half weeks to finish but hopefully you'll get back to it and finish your b17 they are awesome kit .good luck

[@forthyone]

show then

[@forthyone]

well

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

I be starting a you tube channel at the end of March I do Work for private clients I have over 300 model kits to review and build sorry I not putting your work down I just didn't have any problems at all with the b17s I built I had my own problems with kits but I have been doing this for over 45years.

[@DoogsModels]

I have no idea how having tons of build time can affect the wing detail being out of register, but okay.

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

@@DoogsModels no iam just saying the one I have had no problems but I find it like that all the time I build many of the same kits over and over again and find some are good and perfect and so or just shit maybe you got a bad kit iam a big fan watch your Videos all day long you do good work but I find that airplanes are like this

[@alec_f1]

Watching this build is frustrating. I see gallons of sprue goo and filler, steps that need filed, trade-offs on fit. Overall, just a general lack of detail on the engineering fit and no quality control to check if things fit together. Seems the engineer wanted to get the overall bulk of the files completed and turned in to get a paycheck. Who oversees these projects before they go to market? Makes an Airfix kit look like a welcome respite. Sorry about this clunky bastard.

[@fightersweep]

Yet I've had no fit issues on this kit so far during my build for some reason. I didn't need any filler on the upper deck except a small amount at the rear, and that's the only filler I've needed so far bar the staggered waist gun conversion that I've done.

[@alec_f1]

@@fightersweep Well, I do see a lot of really bad gaps and problems in these videos. I can not deny that the aircraft kit in Doogs' video has shitty quality issues and it doesn't look like they're attributed to his skills as a builder.

[@fightersweep]

@@alec_f1 Just wondering if it might have been a quality issue. I read that some guys over on Hyperscale also had issues with kinked wings, as if the B-17 was trying to be a Corsair. My kit, the wings are fine. Maybe I got a good kit? There seemed to be a similar problem with the Airfix Spitfire XIV. Some folk had very dodgy kits with short shot parts etc, others no issues at all. Either way, there seems to be a QC problem somewhere.

[@alec_f1]

@@fightersweep Wow, no joke!?! That's bad.

[@tonyde6423]

Handball it to a friendly fellow modeller looking for challenge or is a masochist cheers

[@GregsModels]

I know exactly where you're coming from. Shame!

[@SLICK-GLN]

Throw the kit against the wall and buy a monogram b17 😆

[@tomt373]

And, IMHO, for $118 retail, this kit is a total rip-off! For this amount of trouble, I might give maybe $40 for an unopened kit. I mean, as you point out, most of the glamorous/fabulous interior detail is lost as soon as you "clam-up" the fuselage sections. Add to that their indifference to the rudder and ailerons' details! And it is obvious the turrets don't rotate. I have built the old Monogram kit when it first came out, and I have a new, in the shrink wrap, kit ready to go with some nice after-market decals. And at least, they had the "mojo" to issue a kit with a clear fuselage so you could proudly show your friends all the tedious interior work you did! And for the kit's price from Hobby Lobby with a 40% of coupon, I can easily afford to add the special after-market details, without investing more then I would in any HK junk. Basically this quality seems to be sub-par even to the old re-boxed Trumpeter kits by Hobby Craft, Canada! In my book, two MONTHS to build is simply too d**n long. I would be soooo tempted to use this one for a "fire-cracker experiment" at July Fourth. I was about to purchase this Chinese "Wonder" with another kit order for my birthday, but now I will be happy to stick with the old Monogram kit in my stash!

[@p-BlackWidowp-BlackWidow]

IT'S JUST A MODEL, JUST HAVE FUN.....

[@wentdavid12]

Omg. I’ve been following from the jump and you’re not going to finish?!?! Now that’s some fucking bullshit. I’ve wasted MY time. Won’t happen again!

[@DoogsModels]

If you're frustrated about wasting your time, maybe youtube isn't the best place to be hanging out?

[@wentdavid12]

Doogs' Models at least not at Doogs models for sure.