tomprobert Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 (edited) My entry in this GB is going to be Tamiya's 1/48th Lancaster BI/BIII finished as BI PA474 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, as she appeared between 2008 and 2013. On her port side she carried the codes HW-R of 100 Squadron, and on her starboard BQ-B of 550 Squadron, to whom she was transferred after completing 31 ops. On the nose is the name "Phantom of the Ruhr".This aircraft eventually went on to complete 121 operations. Although PA474 never flew combat operations during WWII, she is of course synonymous with all those who sacrificed everything, including my Great Uncle who was a Wireless Operator with 156 Squadron flying from RAF Upwood in 1944. His aircraft was shot down on 14th January 1944 with no survivors. He, along with the rest of his crew, now lay in the Hanover War Cemetery. They were on their 19th operation. The Tamiya Lancaster is a well-known classic, and will only require some minor modification to bring it up to PA474's configuration. The flightdeck is kitted out for two-pilot operations, the rudders have the fillet as seen on the late Lancs and Lincolns, the wheels are Lincoln units, and it'll also have unshrouded exhausts and modern aerials fitted. I've sourced an Xtradecal sheet which provides the full scheme for the BBMF Lancaster. I also plan to have an open bomb-bay, and as there'll be no bombs hanging in there I'm going to scratch my own bomb-bay interior. The bomb-aimer's nose window will also have to be modified to an oval shape, rather than the rectangular one supplied by Tamiya. On to some pictures... Obligatory box shots: Spare Paragon Lincoln parts for the squared off rudders and Lincoln wheel hubs - the spare seat will go to good use in a 1/48th Shackleton MR3 in due course! Decals for 'Ton-up Lancs' include PA474: The first job is going to be doing something with the bomb-bay; the rounded studs are for the bombs, and as my model will have an empty bay they'll have to go! Should be fun! Good luck everyone! Tom Edited October 30, 2014 by tomprobert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Nice one Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Nice choice. I will watch this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jephcott Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Great choice. Looking forward to watching this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 This should be a doddle compared to your 32nd scratch built beasties. Looking forward to seeing her come together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 This should be a doddle compared to your 32nd scratch built beasties. Looking forward to seeing her come together. To be honest I'm really looking forward to this build - although I'm making some modifications it'll be a straightforward project... and it'll be a refreshing change to work with parts that actually fit I made a good start on this build yesterday evening and continued today... the first job, as mentioned in my opening post was to give the bomb-bay some attention. The kit parts have large locating lugs located on the bay roof for the kit's bomb-load. My BBMF version will not be fitted with bombs, and thus the lugs need to be removed and plenty more detail added to the bay roof. I ummed and ahhed about whether to detail the kit part, but the lugs were going to be hard to remove (being so thick) and I thought I'd probably cause some pretty major damage to the moulded-on detail. Therefore, I thought I'd build my own bay roof. I used some 1.5mm plastic card, and cut it to exactly the same dimensions as the kit part. I also added the side structure from more plastic card, and did a few test-fits against the fuselage - all fitted as it should. This image shows the new bay roof along side the Tamiya part: I then about adding the bay structure using Evergreen strip and more plastic card - using my handy Haynes manual on the Lancaster for reference: There's a few more details to add, but this will be done later in the build. I then added the end plates from the kit, and hey presto - a new, more detailed bomb bay! I've also started modifying the tails: Here you can see the larger 'Lincoln' rudder fillets added to the late-build Lancasters, of which PA474 is one. The main wheels also need modifying - PA474 has Lincoln hubs and thus the kit's hubs were drilled out: And the new hubs inserted: Now these fiddly jobs are out of the way I'm going to begin working on the interior. Until next time, Tom 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Impressive work Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Wow Tom, this is going to be fantastic, great work so far, good luck with the rest of the build. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jephcott Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Tom, as usual, you're off to an absolute belter. Great start! Fantastic progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 great start, great subject...enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 This and a 32nd Stirling on the work bench... Looking forward to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLC1966 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Good work there chap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Hmmm, maybe I should do Just Jane or VeRA as a buddy build to go along with the current Lancs in Britain! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 A little more progress to report on the Lancaster... The interior has been progressing nicely with the help of an Eduard photo-etch set for some of the instrumentation. I've also added a second control column and set of rudder pedals, and modified the second pilot's seat for full two-crew operations as done by the BBMF. I also made and added the yellow handrail down to the nose section from some Evergreen. The Haynes manual shows PA474 to be as immaculate inside as it is out so weathering was just a few light scuffs on the pilot's floor. Anti-slip mats used throughout the BBMF machine are replicated with very fine sandpaper cut to shape and stuck down with some PVA. Just a few more details to add and then I can think about joining the fuselage halves. Until next time, Tom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potato Pete Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Very nice cockpit there, Tom. Looking forward to more progress (says he who has just managed to put some primer on his entry.....) Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwaterous Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Bleedin' heck... This is great (and very speedy) progress I haven't even startedy entry yet... K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feifeitim Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Some awesome work with the bomb bay Tom, great stuff! And then you produce that cockpit!!!! Us mortals can only gape in wonder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Hi Tom, There are some interior shots of PA474 on the walkround thread that I took when I got insider her...oo er!! http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/72663-avro-lancaster/ Hope they're of some use. Generally good condition, although a little scope for weathering if you choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim T Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 That is modelling of the highest order. Great work Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Hi Tom, There are some interior shots of PA474 on the walkround thread that I took when I got insider her...oo er!! http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/72663-avro-lancaster/ Hope they're of some use. Generally good condition, although a little scope for weathering if you choose. Cheers Neil - there's some very useful shots there. I've got the fuselage joined now and have spent the evening filling the fuselage windows as PA474 doesn't have them present. I then had a go at adding the rivets I'd removed in the sanding process. This is something I've not had much luck with in the past but I recently bought a Trumpeter riveting tool and it's really easy to use: The bBMF Lancaster also has the oval bomb-aimer's window so I had to modify the kit's rectangular example seen on earlier Lancs. I enlarged the aperture for the clear piece, added some plastic card, added the kit clear part and then drilled and cut the new window. The new scratch-built bomb-bay looks the part in-situ, too: And here's the state of play as of this evening - fuselage buttoned up and work can now begin on the wings: Until the next update... Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Nice job Tom. How do you use the Trumpeter rivetting tool, with tape as a guide? I've got one and I never seem to get good results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 Nice job Tom. How do you use the Trumpeter rivetting tool, with tape as a guide? I've got one and I never seem to get good results. I use thin plastic card strips as a guide, just held in place with tape. When the tape loses its tack, simply replace it and continue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I use thin plastic card strips as a guide, just held in place with tape. When the tape loses its tack, simply replace it and continue. Brilliant! Thanks, I'll be using that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Great start! The new bomb bay knocks spots off the Tamiya effort. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jephcott Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Great work Tom... beautiful as always! That is an amazing bomb bay - really impressive work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts