sprue Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 This is the next one to hit my workbench, the Airfix Lancaster II which has received great reviews. I remember Airfix magazine and the late great Alan W Hall. It was he who started me on the road to more serious modelling especially conversions and I remember trying the Lancaster II as he explained in the October 1968 issue. Rereading the article I can see there was more to it than was on the page and tools and techniques have moved on. Is anyone still using “plastic wood”, or carving pieces of balsa wood? My first attempt at the Lancaster II conversion has not survived so I was particularly pleased to see Airfix squaring the circle and providing a complete kit after all these years of waiting. Till the next. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Will be watching your progress with interest Mike as I've promised myself this kit when it lands in my local shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Moon Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Mike, Nice choice of subject, looking forward to this. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaffa Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 will be watching this with interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddy Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 (edited) Just getting comfy! Edited October 31, 2013 by chaddy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 My build starts unconventionally with the wings; I must confess I didn’t want to end up assembling the wings around the spars as I like to keep the fuselage and wings separate while painting is completed. I’ve therefore borrowed an idea I think I first read in this forum. Thus in the first picture you can see I’ve assembled the undercarriage wells between the spars after first fixing the spars to the top of the bomb bay. In the second picture I’ve now cut the spars off with the well structure intact so as I can now paint and fit to the wing inners. The remainder of the spars can be seen test fitted in the fuselage and these can then be slid into the wing after all of the painting, yet still good enough for strength and alignment. Till the next Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Clever idea duly noted for future reference. Cheers Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Looking forwards to seeing this progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Watching closely, Mike - I have the Dambuster and B.II kits but haven't started them yet so everything is useful. Cheers, Jonny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 In this update I’ve been working on sub assemblies and the fuselage interior. I’ve made the decision not to go overboard in the interior as most can’t be seen once the fuselage is closed up. Next is some detail painting and a dark wash to pop out the details I’m pleased to report that the misalignment in the fuselage halves that other modellers have reported is not present in this pressing. I assume Airfix have made some sort of correction. Till the next Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somnas Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Following with interest, will build this after I'm done with mine in 1/48. Something I have learned while building mine is that the bomb aimers department should be black instead of interior green but coming this far maybe you don't want to fiddle with that kind of corrections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) I believe the wheel wells and the tail gunner's compartment should also be black. I shall be watching this build with great interest. Regards, Jason Edited November 21, 2013 by Learstang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Bombay and door interiors should also be back. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudolf Korachkin Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) A good start, Mike! I keep thinking about buying such a kit myself Rudolf Edited November 21, 2013 by Rudolf Korachkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 Thanks guys for all of the helpful comments. Re the interior colours this is my understanding. Early and mid war UK built Lancasters were interior green throughout the fuselage. Later at some unknown date the area forward of the main spar was black and Canadian built MkXs were similarly finnished on the production line. The interior of the undercarriage nacelles, doors and landing gear was black but the area within the wing was interior green. Bomb bays and door interiors were black and the flap inners were again interior green. However there is a suggestion that Canadian Lancs had their interior flaps painted Zinc Chromate. Interior colour of turrets is tricky as photographic evidence suggests either aluminium, interior green or black. Unfortunately I can't find many photographs of the interior of MkIIs so I'm assuming the same colour scheme applied to UK built Lancasters would equally apply to the MkIIs. Thanks again Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Coming along nicely! Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted November 22, 2013 Author Share Posted November 22, 2013 (edited) In today’s update I’ve fitted the wheel well detail and closed up the wings and fuselage. Berna clamps are needed to hold the fuselage halves in position and the fit seems to be ok. While waiting for glue to cure I’ve started on the tailplanes and noticed an error in the instructions. Section 28 would have us putting together B8 and B9 and Section 30 would have us putting together A6 and A7. In fact you can’t do this otherwise you will be joining the wrong halves together. The locating pins give this away. This then means that parts A1 and B10 the elevators have to be properly handed making sure that the small locating point for the trim actuator part C31 is facing downwards. Till the next when the clean up begins. Mike Edited November 22, 2013 by sprue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverstone 2 Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Great work, That new tooling does look very good! Amazing how much that looks like it's going together well, rather than the original Airfix versions. Particularly like the Flap details in the upper wing halves. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somnas Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I agree with Silverstone, what a difference from how I remember Airfix from the kits I built as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share Posted November 30, 2013 Today after a primer coat of satin black I’ve masked up the main undercarriage parts and then applied a coat of Alclad II duraluminium Finaly the masking comes off and now its back to the fuselage and wings. Till the next. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 This may be useful: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/6777567503/in/set-72157605269786717/lightbox/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share Posted November 30, 2013 This may be useful: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/6777567503/in/set-72157605269786717/lightbox/ Thanks for the link, I'm sure you know already that there is quite a range of finishes applied to Lancaster undercarriage whether this depends on the period or which manufacturer I don't know. Most of the MkIIs seem to be as I've depicted it judging from photographs. A very usefull picture though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 I had just recently found this image so thought I would just put it out there. There's not many colour pics of Lanc undergear out there. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprue Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) This photograph shows my progress to date. The wings are fixed, mainly so that I am sure of the alignment when I fix the undercarriage in place. The fuselage seams have been addressed and any lost panel lines have been rescribed. The tailplanes are loose fitted just for alignment. This photograph shows a problem I had with the wing to fuselage joint. Try as I might it kept on gaping open and in the end I decided to fill the offending joint with green stuff after careful masking. Any filler residue will be removed not by sanding but with a cotton bud soaked in nail varnish remover so as not to damage the surfaces. Till the next. Mike Edited December 5, 2013 by sprue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X Wing Flyboy Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Great looking kit is this new Lancaster from Airfix. Picked up the older Dambusters kit a few months before this one was released and to compare to two is fun. Looking forward to seeing the progress on the this one. And also, does that technique of rubbing the filler down with nail varnish work on Humbrol model filler? Or just the filler you have used? Oh and what was the filler you used on the wings? Thanks Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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