Conclusion

Now that I have finished my entire passion project it's time to evaluate how it went and reflect on weather or not I was able to achieve any of the goals that I set out to accomplish at the beginning of the semester. First off I would just like to say that I personally am very pleased with how my model B-24 bomber turned out. When I began the model I wasn't sure how it would turn out considering how much time and skill is necessary to properly complete such a large model. in the end I was satisfied with most of how my model turned out with the exceptions of two of the decals which didn't  apply properly. I came into this project with one of my goals being to learn how to properly paint models. While I was never able to experiment with an airbrush I was able to get a lot better at hand brushing and found that as far as my needs are concerned airbrushing is not really necessary. While I didn't get to airbrush I was able to experiment with my other goals such as sanding and using filler and ultimately was happy with my ability to incorporate these components of model making into my 1:48 Consolidated B-24 Bomber. My main goal that I wished to accomplish over this project was to succeed in constructing my model Consolidated B-24 Liberator Bomber with the most detail and historical accuracy possible, an I am happy to say that I absolutely accomplished this and am proud of how realistic my finished product looks. Ultimately I am quite happy with how my model turned out considering my time constraints and am happy that this project gave me the excuse to finally get around to doing something I have been wanting to do for a while now.

Through-Lines

Over the course of building my model B-24 did some thinking about what biblical through-lines would be most applicable to what I was doing. I personally think that the most fitting would be beauty creating. The whole point of my passion project was really to create something that was visually appealing or beautiful so to speak. Over the time I spent building the model I tried my best to incorporate as much detail as possible into my project in a very artistic way to get the most beautiful result possible. I personally found that being able to recreate such a large and powerful aircraft, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, was a very unique experience, and being able to replicate one in scale was very satisfying. I feel that my finished product was in a way beautiful, as it accurately represented such a magnificent piece of engineering from the second world war. As Christians we are asked to be innovative and use the gifts that God has given us, and I think that my project really allowed me to embrace this by using my artistic abilities to create something that I personally found beautiful. Seeing as God is our creator and the ultimate architect of beauty when we create we in a way reflect  him and honor his skill of creation. Another though-line that is pertinent but in a smaller way is idolatry discerning. While it is constructive and beneficial to have an interest in models and modeling, it should also be said that we should be careful that we do not let it become elevated beyond it's appropriate place so that it does not become like an idol. I believe there can easily be a point where excess dedication and time spent on anything can take away from time with God and ultimately become like an Idol. While I fin it unlikely that my models or model making will become like an Idol to me, it is still helpful to keep in mind. Lastly over the course of this project I began to question the appropriateness of what I was doing, I asked myself the question "Is it okay to be so interested in something that was designed for destruction?" The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was designed from the ground up to be a devastating bomber that could cause immense death and destruction to the enemy. Ultimately I have not yet come up with an answer to my question, but I have come to the conclusion that it depends on how I view the plane I crated. I am interested in the B-24 because of it's remarkable engineering for it's time and the role it played in ending one of the most deadly conflicts in human history, not because it was a tool of destruction used to take lives and destroy livelihoods.

Over the past few weeks I have been able to get quite a bit of my passion project done and have been able to learn about some painting techniques that have made my model b-24 look satisfyingly real on the interior. I wanted my model to look like a used bomber with experience,  not a new one in pristine condition. In order to do this I decided it would be necessary to make the interior look slightly worn. Hear are a few pictures of the areas I painted to get this look:

In order to get this effect I looked into certain modeling techniques and ended up creating the look by using a sort of dry brush technique.  In order to get the interior to look like some of the paint had worn off I simply aplied aluminum paint to my brush and removed nearly all of it before lightly brushing it over the subject areas in order to ensure a very light coat that didn't get full coverage in order to get a nice worn effect.  I used the same technique for the exhaust stains behind the engines but had to hand mix aluminum and flat black paint to get the desired color.

Mentorship

As I may have mentioned in the past regarding this project it is not necessarily that easy to find a mentor with experience and expertise to help you along. Perhap the closest I have come to this so far was being able to discuss the model I am making with the owner of the small hobby store in which I purchased my paints and brushes from. While I was at the store I was given advice as to what the best brands of supplies would be for my needs. After discussing the topic of paints he told Denver and I that testors enamel model paint would probably serve us the best, as he had been using it for many years with good results. He was also able to give us advice about painting and taping in order to get the best results. Denver and I also learned about model specific paint brushes and were shown which brushes would best suite or needs. The time that I spent at this hobby shop helped me learn about what types of supplies are best for different projects and I can get the most out of my model.

Unfortunately I have found that it is much more difficult to find the specific model paints necessary to building my model       B-24 than I previously thought.  I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to find a store in Winnipeg that carries an extensive enough variety of paints to meet my needs,  but have so far been unsuccessful.  I thought that the craft store Michaels would be my best bet to get the paints I need but was disappointed at their lack of selection, which contained none of the paints I needed. While I will continue to look for stores in Winnipeg,  I may need to resort to ordering the paints I need online. While I would probably be able to find these paints online I really don't want to have to wait for them to ship, as  I really need to get started soon, but unfortunately this may be my only option.

The Plan:

            After some contemplation I have decided that I will be building an intricate model plane, more specifically Revel's 167 piece 1:48 scale model of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The B-24 was a heavy bomber widely used by the United States air force and to a lesser extent other allied forces during world war two. The B-24 was introduced in 1941 and was an intended upgrade over the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, as it boasted a superior range,  top speed and bomb load, despite it's lower service ceiling and far less robust design (the B-17 was know for being able to stay in the sky despite sustaining heavy damage). I have been interested in building a model of this historic aircraft for over a year now and am happy to be able to seize this opportunity to finally attempt to construct a World War Two bomber. I have only ever built one model plane, a 1:48 scale Revel p38 lightning, one of the most unique fighter planes of the second World war and my favorite. While this model turned out satisfactory, I wish to enhance my model making skills and techniques with this larger, more challenging build.  

            The ultimate goal for this project is to produce the most realistic model possible while maintain historical accuracy and attention to detail. In order to accomplish this it is important that I become proficient in several aspects of model making techniques. These include the actually gluing together of pieces, sanding, filling, decaling, and by far the most important part, painting. thought this semester I hope to be able to learn how to properly apply these techniques to my B-24 liberator build in order to produce the best product possible. 

            Unfortunately I do not know anyone who has experience and expertise in model making and so I will be relying largely on the internet and instructional videos if I am unable to find a proper mentor. Despite this I was able to recruit the help of Mr. Tim Toews, an expert in anything artistic to help me in the painting process of my model. With his help I hope to experiment with airbrushing, a technique that can be used on both the interior and exterior surfaces of the model. I hope that this method will create a more even and accurate looking finish that conventional brush painting.

            In order to succeed in this project it is important that I am willing to really put my time into the model (you'd be surprised how long these things can take). I will have to be patient and realize that even small mistakes, especially on clear pieces, can have a dramatically negative affect on the final appearance of the model. It is my opinion that if I am willing to put in the necessary time and attention to detail to my model I will be able to create at very least an adequate model of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator.