VonkeyVong

Hi Oliver, probably to late to do something about it on this build but the cockpit is all the same colour. It should match the grey on the eduard etch. Nice tidy work otherwise. Matt.

Jet pipe fits perfectly on mine. You dont need to fill the gap, just sand down the back of the jet exhausts where they join to the internal pipes to make them shorter. Matt. I did exactly the same with mine. Matt.

Hello, I have been working on one of these for a couple of weeks now, and the bear traps that I have encountered so far are wing fit and nose fit. The problem with the nose is that everything is so tight around the intake duct making it a strugle to get the fuselage halves together. Other wise it is prety good. I have however replaced the cockpit with the Pavla set and replaced the jet exhausts with the Baracuda Studios ones. I also replaced the pitot tube with the Master item. Matt.

Thanks. Have got a little more done since taking the pictures so it will be finished soon. Matt.

Very nicely done, love the weathering. Matt.

Good call Tony, I hadnt given it any thought as there are only the pair on the Xtradecal sheet. I will see what there is in the spares box. Matt. Thanks Martin, it will be nice to finish it and get another bomber on the go. I quite fancy tackling a Halifax next. Matt.

Ok, so I have got a lot done since my last post and the model is now 90% finished. All that remains to be done is to paint and attach the undercarriage, propellers, doors, ladders, wheels and make a radio antenna. I will then finish it up with some final detail painting and weathering. I have taken some not particularly good pictures this evening and I will try to take some better ones in day light. Just waiting for it stop raining so I can take it back to the workshop. Matt.

The revised Eduard masks arrived in the post yesterday, initial inspection is positive so I will give them a try this evening and hopefully be able to start putting some paint on it. Matt.

I for one intend to build all three kits out of the box, all three? I hear you say. Yes, even the old frog kit (which I started 15 years ago but was never finished), just so we can see how far things have come. One of my best modeling friends who passed away about six years ago now must have built about a dozen Frog shackletons over the years. If he could have traveled forward in time he would not be able to believe the kits that are available now, or those promised for the not too distant future. I am not going to complain about either the Airfix or Revell kits, there will be things which could have been different on both kits had someone else designed them, but they are what they are and if more is wanted it will be up to the individual to add it. Matt.

Picked one up at Telford yesterday, very pleased

The surface was not all that smooth and he said a lot more details have been added now, which can be seen in the CAD ilustrations on the Airfix web site. Matt.

I have to say that I bought the Airfix Shack based on Revell's unpredictable form, most notably the Merlin Halifax. But having seen the Revell kit today all I can say is, Wow!! Stunning work. Even if it turns out not to be 100% accurate, which no kit is, it definately captures the look and feel of the Shackleton very well. Matt.

I was talking to one of the designers today and he said the one on display is a 3D printed model based on progress to about eight weeks ago. Progress has been made since then and the CAD designs are much more refined now. Matt.

Those revell blue pots are easy to unblock, just shove some fuse wire down the metal tube to clear it. Its not a bad product though, I just find it takes to long to set like all model cements. I still use it though but just to run into small gaps, where I dont want to use something as tough as CA. Matt.

I hope you are not using that tube cement!! That stuff is bad enough to put any aspiring modeler off the hobby for life . Get yourself some plastic weld, it dries quickly and makes for a proper bond between parts as it physicaly fuses them together. Matt.