B-17 Flying Fortress/NGAD/Panther-Student Proj Thread 24-25 Update 10/30/25 Ball Turret Auto Pg31 (Page 1 of 31)
Posted: 8/19/2024 1:26:43 PM EDT
[Last Edit: guns762][Edited]
Is it already that time of year again?  A week from now students will be here and we will begin this whole adventure once again. My summer was awesome, as I hope all of yours were too. I know many have asked where is the 2024-2025 Project thread....well, you found it! I've again felt a little overwhelmed with where do we go next. There are no more open, unutilized pods remaining. As we did the last couple years, we will be adding and updating an existing display. We will actually have two different areas of work this year, and it may seem a bit disjointed, but I've wanted us to tackle one problem space for the last couple years, and just didn't get to it. I think this year will be a great time to take on two projects. We will get into all of that in just a bit. Many of you have contributed, followed along, and read these threads for the last 12yrs now. Here we are again, and I know you all, again, will be great team members. My ideas for this year are a bit thin, so I know what you all come up with will take us to places I didn't know were possible.  These threads always energize me and get me excited to be back in the classroom. The more enthusiasm ARFCOM and I have for the projects, the more I see it in my students. I've got paperwork, orgainizing, materials to set out, and general planning that needs done, but this will set the tone for the year, so lets get this thing going!!!!  A brief history for those who are new to these threads...... ARFCOM has been an essential part of the adventure my students' experience with the building of permanent large installation projects here at our high school. I know that this year and next will be no different, and our success will be attributable to the incredible help that so many of you provide. This will be my 29th year teaching. These projects have rejuvenated my teaching style, given my students something they love coming to school for, and providing experiences that they truly value. Thank you all, again, for being such a great community.  My Art classes will again work with CAD students, Welding students, Woodworking students, and Robotic students to try to create our next display. For those new to our adventures, roughly 60-80 students from grades 9-12 will work the entire school year to build from scratch a permanent 3D display in an area roughly 17’wide x 24'long x 20’high. Some students might only spend an hour working on this, some three weeks, and some might spend several hours every day the entire year. Our last four projects have ended up costing between $2500-$3500 each(Last year really showed inflation hitting us hard). The generosity in both funds, equipment, and advice in our previous years have made all the difference in being able to spend that much money on such a project. Since the UBoat project(2015), ARFCOM has covered the costs of every single one of these projects. Not a single dime has had to come out of my classroom budget. We will again have to have a t-shirt sale(later, much later) to celebrate the adventure and raise the funds needed. The fundraiser will be near the end of the project, so not for almost a year. We should be able to have some pretty epic designs with our new topics. So what is the Project?????? We are revisiting one of my favorite displays....... It's one, continuously, students suggest we left money on the table. It's a big room, and they don't think there is "enough."  We just barely got our F-22 weapon's bays working last spring, after 3 years! So, what else can we possibly fit in there.......? Above the hangar.....   I want to see a B-17 nose coming out of the corner above the hangar. Maybe engines, moving props, if there is room. I want to see swirling clouds moving behind in the background.   Yeah, the nose art on this one, made me think of our "Marvin" sculpture. He may have to end up on our B-17's nose. The glass nose is absolutely push our abilities a bit, but I really think we can do this.  Ok, so what else? Well there is another corner that is pretty lean.  Right behind the F-22, maybe a 6th gen fighter nose coming out of a cloudy corner? We rebuilt the F-22's nose, what? twice; so this should be easy, right?     If we can figure out how to make it work, I'd also like to see a floating HUD, kind of like a mobile. I'd like to see it lit up, handing somewhere in the display. And, what needs done. Our "Panther" taxidermy display out in the commons was an amazing work, but displayed so high up, it being so skinny, it just doesn't look right. Unfortunately, many have found it "cringy".  So, it will be moved to our Wild Fire display, and we will be making a new Panther to replace it.  With the stand being so big, the cat will also be oversized. I'd like to see us build one that is Mech-like. I'd like to see lights in the eyes, a moving jaw, and a twitching tail. We will see how this goes. The Dragon from last year, gave me confidence we can do this. Added to the base, I'd like to see models and symbols from our previous projects. Those would need to be painted to look similar to the base stand.    I'll update this thread daily, as we get going, and link previous projects for those who'd like to see what we've done in the past few years. I hope you all help contribute ideas, cause we are going to need them.  I'm going to start shopping for plastic models that we can use for references, and getting proportions correct. |
I suggest we trade a question mark in for a maybe.
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Originally Posted By Sierra5: Awwww yeah, the B-17 is my favorite aircraft ever. I love these projects! same |
SPECTRE
This is the new participation trophy arfcom, not the old wild west arfcom
Jarhead_22
When TexRdnec is the voice of moderation, you know you have swerved over the double yellow line and are headed into oncoming traffic
This is the new participation trophy arfcom, not the old wild west arfcom
Jarhead_22
When TexRdnec is the voice of moderation, you know you have swerved over the double yellow line and are headed into oncoming traffic
| As the grandson of a WW2 B-17 pilot and the great nephew of a WW2 B-17 ball turret gunner (they were brothers), I can't love this year's project enough! |
I will not compromise!
Ne Desit Virtus (Let Valor Not Fail) - Rakkasan!
"Life is fucking hard. Either get used to taking a few lumps like the rest of us, or buy a fucking helmet and crawl into a corner somewhere." -Me
Ne Desit Virtus (Let Valor Not Fail) - Rakkasan!
"Life is fucking hard. Either get used to taking a few lumps like the rest of us, or buy a fucking helmet and crawl into a corner somewhere." -Me
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Going to have to decide between the B-17 E/F clean nose look or the B-17G w/ the Bendix chin turret. The clean look gets you from 1942-to late winter 43/early spring-44. G models started shipping in early 44. From there till end of war in Europe will have the chin turret. Reference photos are going to drive you nuts with numerous nose/cheek gun configurations. Lot of field mods followed by factory mods as the war wore on. Any way you go will be awesome. |
Your self destruction doesn't hurt them.
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Originally Posted By SilasB: Going to have to decide between the B-17 E/F clean nose look or the B-17G w/ the Bendix chin turret. The clean look gets you from 1942-to late winter 43/early spring-44. G models started shipping in early 44. From there till end of war in Europe will have the chin turret. Reference photos are going to drive you nuts with numerous nose/cheek gun configurations. Lot of field mods followed by factory mods as the war wore on. Any way you go will be awesome. |
Life is about choices.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
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Originally Posted By SilasB: Going to have to decide between the B-17 E/F clean nose look or the B-17G w/ the Bendix chin turret. The clean look gets you from 1942-to late winter 43/early spring-44. G models started shipping in early 44. From there till end of war in Europe will have the chin turret. Reference photos are going to drive you nuts with numerous nose/cheek gun configurations. Lot of field mods followed by factory mods as the war wore on. Any way you go will be awesome. Or... the YB-40 with ALL the Ma Deuces. 
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Attached File Just finished building this Metal Earth model. Have one landing on the hanger.Attached File |
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Originally Posted By redoubt: I vote for the G model. Have that turret tracking back and forth and the guns elevating and depressing and... wait for it... LEDs in the ends that simulate muzzle flash. All with audio of the engines rumbling, guns firing, intercom chatter, etc. This right here. These projects are one of the very few times all year that I'm actually h-a-p-p-y to part with my money. |
Political Idiocracy - the belief that a wall to keep out people invading our country is wrong, but putting a wall around the Capitol to keep Americans out is reasonable.
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Originally Posted By SilasB: Going to have to decide between the B-17 E/F clean nose look or the B-17G w/ the Bendix chin turret. The clean look gets you from 1942-to late winter 43/early spring-44. G models started shipping in early 44. From there till end of war in Europe will have the chin turret. Reference photos are going to drive you nuts with numerous nose/cheek gun configurations. Lot of field mods followed by factory mods as the war wore on. Any way you go will be awesome. Great info, I was hoping someone would explain the differences. I'm kind of a purist, so the early, clean model appeals to me, but love the idea of the turret moving too. We may have.to see how deep the robotics student bench is. |
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Originally Posted By redoubt: I vote for the G model. Have that turret tracking back and forth and the guns elevating and depressing and... wait for it... LEDs in the ends that simulate muzzle flash. All with audio of the engines rumbling, guns firing, intercom chatter, etc. Love all that! Great ideas! |
For inspiration. B-17 Flying Fortress Attacked by Me-109s |
Life is about choices.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
I suggest we trade a question mark in for a maybe.
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Originally Posted By RatherBeLifting: Your students are lucky to have you. In for the donation I get comments all the time when I wear my F-22 Raptor shirt. Mostly it's people asking me if I flew them. I always tell the ladies "yes". Went to Irishfest in Wisconsin last weekend. I wore the water bomber shirt, my wife wore the F22 shirt. Spent a good part of the evening explaining the meaning-everyone we told about it enjoyed the concept. |
WARNING-this post contains words or thoughts that may at some point be discovered by the state of California to cause cancer.
I suggest we trade a question mark in for a maybe.
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Originally Posted By guns762: Usually, if I'm around, yes. It helps to have a bit of warning.  Originally Posted By guns762: Originally Posted By Ex0331: So, can a person show up to the HS and check them out in person? I'm in Cody and would love to see these in person. Usually, if I'm around, yes. It helps to have a bit of warning. Hoping to make it next summer since last year didn't work out. My daughter's favorite is still the unicorn. She likes it so much I bought her a paintable ceramic unicorn and instead of painting it she glued her leftover gems from her "diamond painting" kits on it. |
WARNING-this post contains words or thoughts that may at some point be discovered by the state of California to cause cancer.
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Speaking of inspiration. If you need to get your English classes on board with your projects. Suggest using the displays as writing prompts. The students can create back-stories for the things in the existing displays. Going forward they can write stories that give you ideas for the murals and such. |
Life is about choices.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
If you make a mistake once, it's a mistake.
You make the same mistake again, that's a choice.
You've mentored your students through completion of some some pretty amazing works. Considering the school's mascot, though, I'm surprised you never proposed modeling an F9F Panther. Incidentally, this is the aircraft type which scored the very first kill in a dogfight between two jet aircraft. https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-true-unkonwn-story-of-the-first-air-to-air-victory-scored-in-a-jet-vs-jet-engagement/ |
In any case, it seems that it’s getting harder and harder to get away with murder at the same time that more and more people need killing. - PlaneJane
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Originally Posted By redoubt: Speaking of inspiration. If you need to get your English classes on board with your projects. Suggest using the displays as writing prompts. The students can create back-stories for the things in the existing displays. Going forward they can write stories that give you ideas for the murals and such. That's a great idea. I will pass that on. |
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Tag. Did I get on 1? --ETA: F-32 above below the biplane coming from hangar area. Same scale as the F-22. I don't like the idea of going backward more with just a porcupine nose of a bomber, something that shows off mad skill more than 40s era aircraft building. If it were easy, everybody would do it.  |
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All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
| I can't wait to see how this year's project progresses. Rated this thread Epic already! |
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Thomas Jefferson
"He didnt punch anybody. He punched an idea." DrFrige
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