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Hi all, in June I was asked by AMW to build the latest re-issue of the ancient Airfix Halifax B.III and bring it kicking and screaming into the nineteenth century as well as upgrading it to current Airfix standards, (huge hint to Airfix there). Not a terribly easy task in the time allotted, (4 weeks) but one I was only too happy to have a bash at. Funnily enough it was the first heavy bomber model I built as a nipper so it also has a nostalgic connection for me. The old Airfix kit is of course, like me totally ancient, both of us born in the same year, 1958 and though a decent enough representation for its time it is in desperate need of updating. The kit has several faults, (besides the obvious rivet festoonfest and toy like moving parts), such as lacking a bomb bay, very little by way of interior detail, nose slightly undersized, engine nacelle 'intakes' too wide and awful Select-a-glaze semi-opaque glazing to name a few...so my work was cut out. The finished model appeared in the July issue of AMW and I outlined there most of the things that were necessary to bring it up to snuff. List for anyone interested included.... Totally scratch-built cockpit and forward fuselage nav/ wireless operators stations. Scratch-built turrets and interiors Squadron replacement vac canopies and turret glazing Total surface rescribe Dropped flaps Scratch-built ailerons and elevators Wingtip position lights and under-wing landing lights Quickboost gun barrels Scratch-built bomb bay and doors Scratch-built main wheel bays and spar detail Resin replacement wheels Scratch-built main undercarriage legs and retraction struts reversed as they are the wrong way around on the kit to facilitate the 'retraction' gimmick. Acetate upper hatches and nav/wireless oppos windows Nose reshaped with Milliput as per drawings and re-profiled Engine intakes lined with 1.5 mm Evergreen strips to reduce diameters 4 scratch-built resin carbs to top of engines Scratch-built Hercules engine facings with lead wire detail Inspection hatches added to the wings. I'm sure there are a few other things but I'm losing the will to live ! The decals that come with the newly re issued kit are superb and adhered well to the kit without resorting to any fixing solutions. Finished using my Iwata Micron CM-C plus along with the usual Gunze, Lifecolor and Tamiya acrylic paints, weathering with oil and white spirit washes, MIG weathering pastels and Paneliner washes along with AK Interactive enamel Green/ Brown camo filters. The airframe isn't heavily weathered as per a request from AMW. The aerial wires are from Uschi elastic thread...the fine variety. All in all good fun but quite time consuming...almost certainly guaranteed to force Airfix into producing a new kit , (I know Revell has theirs coming and though I've had a look at the test shot it'll be interesting to see what they finally come up with). I bought it along to the Sutton show and many thanks to all of you who were so complimentary about it. All good practice for my 1/48th FM B.III I have waiting patiently in the wings... Cheers all, Melchie... A couple of images taken during the build...... The new cockpit, part finished with the instrument panel, overhead bracing, wiring and seat yet to be fitted And bomb bay...more plumbing to go in along with all the doors and their actuators. Wing bomb doors needed to be scribed too... Finally we get to the model....about flippin time I hear you scream !