1/72 Airfix Avro Shackleton WR963 - Finished!

[WV908]

Evening all,

The Avro Shackleton has long been one of my favourite airframes; WR960 being the first four engined British 'heavy' to stare down on me. At that time, I knew of Lancasters, but had never seen one. This was before I grasped hold of the internet, so had no idea where to see one either. My parents didn't know anything about the Shackleton when we saw it in Manchester all those years ago, and I was intrigued. Is this a Lancaster? I asked the man who was polishing her. From that resulting answer came my love of all things Shackleton, and a little bit of a deviation of interest from the amazing Lancaster. Afterall, '960 is credited with a depth charge hit on a submarine. I did the rounds of seeing three Shackletons and a Halifax before I would see the BBMF's pre-internet elusive Lancaster, flying over my hometown.

It wouldn't be until 2013 that I revisited the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, now with a significant amount of Lancaster knowledge under my belt and having almost forgotten about old '960. It was only on the off chance that me and my friend were cheeky enough to ask to have a look inside that we found ourselves sat in the fully lit cockpit, grinning and both filling our camera cards with the internals of this cold war beast. By this point, I had learned of WR963, having visited the cockpit of VP293 which had been at that year's Cosford air show. In the time during which I've followed the progress on WR963, she has changed dramatically.

Why the want to build this Shackleton as WR963 and not WR960? Two reasons really.

Although I have the full aeroclub AEW.2 set in my stash, my late grandfather was in the Merchant Navy through the years the Shackletons were in service. On the occasions that we visited Newark Air Museum, he'd always mention about how he used to see Shackletons on a daily basis and was fond of the type (before wandering off to try and get into Vulcan B.2A XM594, which he eventually did). I wish we'd asked him, but we have no idea where he went during his time in the MN, but then again, we never knew where he was on his work trips with various railway companies abroad. It is because of this that, thanks to the bomb bay names scheme, when WR963 becomes airworthy, she will carry his name wherever she goes.

The other is that Airfix is clearly planning to to release the AEW.2 in the near future and that I have already received some assistance with this model from the brilliant guys at Coventry, so it's only right that I build it as 'their' aircraft.

Now then, down to business. This build will be as quick as I can make it as i'd like to get it polished off before the AEW.2 arrives as i'm itching to build WR960 (rubber mats included). This is the starting point; Airfix kit, my own AEW.2 interior photos and the sought-after Aeroclub goodies (and the kitchen worktop because this kit is huge... and my workench is full of class 47 parts - the joy of running two hobbies!).

WR963, being presently an MR.2 with a number of AEW.2 parts still fitted, makes this model interesting, in that the bomb bay doors supplied in the kit are for an MR.2, and Airfix would have you build it that way. Lovely. Using photo references and info from the guys at Coventry, I've figured out where the cuts need to be made, and if I decide to do it, where that lovely Aeroclub radome sits.

Playing around with the aeroclub canopy, which still makes the grade even now;

Progress so far is just seats and the deck really, as i've been doing more research. The kit is a bit iffy for flash and there's some serious mould depressions on top of the starboard fuselage half, but at least nothing on mine is short shot... so far.

The question for me though, is what condition? I hate painting anything white. White paint just does not like me, hence why my Concorde has been lingering for nigh on a decade *cough*. I'd like to do her current condition, but i'm erring to her post AEW.2 conditon, just to be different from the kit scheme. What do you guys and girls think?

Cheers, WV908

Edited November 7, 2015 by WV908

[perdu]

I'm sure Rich has some pictures of her at Coventry before they repainted her white, How about that

He's been keeping us up to scratch with her progress for a long time now

I'm a bit pushed for time now but I'll have a look over there tomorrow if you like

Pistonheads Gassing

Here's one item I found quite quickly

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=191&t=805586&mid=95925&nmt=1954+Avro+Shackleton+Mr2

http://thumbsnap.com/v/nx4SI0KY.jpg

http://thumbsnap.com/v/JugcV7Sa.jpg

before the repaint and refurb I think

I believe you will get lots of useful info there

[tonyot]

Good luck with your build. I hate brush painting white too and have realised that life is just too short for applying coat after coat,....so to do a white aeroplane now I resort to using a spray can instead and it works wonders! I advise using Tamiya gloss white as it goes on beautifully smooth but a can of Halfords Appliance White would do the trick too.

Cheers

Tony

[Learstang]

I vote for the grey over white scheme, myself. When I get mine, I'll airbrush that pesky white. I can't imagine brush-painting something that big, although I did brush-paint the old MR.3 grey many, many years ago.

Regards,

Jason

[Procopius]

Afterall, '960 is credited with a depth charge hit on a submarine.

Wait, what?

[Patrick Martin]

At last someone get build pictures up!!!!

[HOUSTON]

I do like the AVRO SHACKLETON better than another aircraft that I see here a lot but that is MY preference and your choice to do this is enthralling.

Cannot wait to see more and in smaller scale too..{ but of course it will be HUGE no doubt as you stated in your OP }

way to go...Good luck...

[WV908]

Morning all, and on a deceptively Sunny Saturday morning. It is in fact damp and freezing, so Sally B's cowlings still won't get their top coat (said AC is now complete bar cowlings and the ball turret). Now then, back to the Shackleton. It doesn't fit. It feels as though Airfix rushed the final stage so badly that the tooling already feels 20 years old. Flash, flash and more flash, unfortunately not of the DC kind, but of the thin plastic kind. It's not particularly bad, but it doesn't go together as well as the Revell Halifax, or Airfix's previous Lancaster.

So, to start with, I mentioned in the OP that WR960 is credited with a depth charge hit on a submarine. I can't find anything about this on the internet, my source being MOSI who hold limited records of that particular airframe.

Wait, what?

I thought the same initially, but it must be something that was kept very quiet, so quite how the museum has learned of this information is beyond me, especially as I can find no further recorded proof.

Back to the kit this morning, and SWMBO allowed me a couple of hours to work on 963 before we go out shopping. She's still asleep, hence why i'm writing this now I'll try and get her to have a go at something on this Shackleton, but the Gnat she started a month ago is still a cockpit floor.... At least I tried haha.

The initial layout this morning was still very basic. The seats have been kept to one side as they look rather delicate and will be painted before fitting.

First test fit of the radar bank as one unit, rather than scanners and table separately. The fuselage roof locating pins do inhibit the fit of this, so i'd recommend cutting off the rear insides of the pins

The two cockpit bulkhead pieces don't fit either in the right place or at the right angle, so their tabs need cutting and filing down;

Both main bulkheads fit ok, but the cockpit one has a rather obvious ejector pin mark on it. The radar scanner bank and the port cockpit bulkhead half clash in dimensions too, with the former requiring trimming;

I've also started assembly of the other parts of the fuselage interior. The nose turret gubbins aren't required for this build, so the locating points for the seat frame will need filling in. The part which is the pipe connected to the small flare bank, well, it just doesn't fit. It's warped and requires a fair little bit of sanding / filing and bending to fit into it's proper slot;

This is it for build progress today unfortunately, but it shouldn't be too long until I have the interior primed. As opposed to cutting out a panel or two here and there, i'm considering having the starboard over wing hatch open and the cockpit windows as well as the crew entry door open. If anyone has any questions about the kit, please ask.

Cheers, WV908

Edited October 17, 2015 by WV908

[fatalbert]

Looking good wv908,I will be getting mine for Xmas.Could I ask you if you could measure the height and width of those platforms that the control columns and seats are attached to.Am in the process of back dating a Revell/frog MR 3 to an MR1 and the cockpit is on hold till I get my hands on the airfix kit.i was going to use it for reference.many thanks........Neil

[Vesa Jussila]

Nice to see these built and so far looking good.

[WV908]

One further little update today, the paints have now been bought for the interior, and they are certainly contrasting colours.

I'll be able to measure up the cockpit platforms tomorrow morning, I'll post them as soon as I've got them.

The kit is getting better as I work through it, although the lower starboard wing is quite badly warped. Fortunately it's very thin plastic and is easily bendable.

Cheers, WV908

[fatalbert]

Thanks mate ☺

[WV908]

Hi,

The cockpit platforms are 6.6mm high, 11.9mm wide and 20.77 mm long. On the aft inner edges the width is 10.6mm, tapering in 5.2mm from their aft edges. The plastic is 1.1mm thick on the deck, 1.5 mm thick on the aft upright and tapers from 1mm to 0.8 mm on the longitudinal upright. Location runners on the floor are 0.7 mm thick and 0.8 mm tall

Cheers, WV908

Edited October 18, 2015 by WV908

[WV908]

Further placement information;

Control column centre is 9mm back from the fore edge of the platform and 4.8mm from the inner edge. For the seat's centre it is 13.9mm from the fore edge of the platform and 4.8mm from the inner edge. The throttle stands sit on their centres 2.9mm from the outer edge of the platform

Cheers,

WV908

[fatalbert]

Thank you very much wv908,that's fantastic and very much appreciated :-)........Neil

[WV908]

No problem Neil

Work has continued on WR963's interior, but it isn't primed yet. There's a lot of wiring and other stuff to build, including a lot of details in the nose, various tanks etc.... and the galley. Airfix omitted this (and about 1/12'' of flooring), both of which need building. The galley is about half finished at this moment in time, requiring a toaster, two blanking walls, two storage racks, the back and kicking plate to a seat and one further seat. After all, if i'm a modeller, I should be able to scratch build... right? So, lets have a gander at the photos (the fore door does still need it's window blank cutting out);

Rhubarb crumble and custard anyone? This was last night and is making me feel rather hungry again... I've just had a full bowl of beef stew!

Both doors cut out, refined and with handles added;

This is the floor plan, which i ended up modifying and half of which has become a cupboard;

Doors and bulkheads tacked in;

Fitting the sink in, having made the partition and fitted the cupboard front and worktop;

Sink front and tap fitted, with the base for one of the chairs inserted;

The final bit for tonight;

The parts for the toaster have been laminated and are curing overnight. If anyone has any photos of the fore side of the galley partitions, it would be appreciated.

Cheers, WV908

Edited October 19, 2015 by WV908

[perdu]

excellent

I hope you are going to paint the inside of the cupboard...

No seriously that is lovely scratchbuilding

Looking forward to the toaster unveil

[WV908]

Hi Perdu,

Thanks for the kind words, unfortunately the cupboard will remain closed, although you'd be surprised just how much of the galley can be seen when shining a light through one of the windows or even the crew door when the fuselage sides are together. I was tempted to do a roasting chicken inside the oven, but i think i'll stick with my cup of coffee in the forward spar cup holder

The interesting bit will be making the seats look realistic. I'm just using flat plasticard, so i'll have to be clever with the painting on those.

Cheers,

WV908

Edited October 19, 2015 by WV908

[Procopius]

Sweet baby J, is that a tiny faucet?

[WV908]

It certainly is Procopius, I think I may have gone a little bit nutty tonight with making that thing. It's quite prominent though and can be seen through the window

Cheers,

WV908

[Fritag]

Awesome

[perdu]

Rub bits of the seats away then use some kind of wash to emphasise the creases?

Hows that for helping???

seriously I think they'll look great as they are when you make them

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

1/72 taps (faucets for the Geordie / US brethren)? I love this place!

[Beard]

I thought that I'd seen everything, then along comes some-one with a 1/72 tap.

Splendid.

[Learstang]

No doubt Eduard will soon be providing us with an etched tap/faucet. No idea about the toilet paper holders, though. Great work on the interior, WV908; I can't wait to receive mine!

Regards,

Jason