1/48 Lancaster MK.II conversion options anybody, Please?

[SleeperService]

Hi Everybody.

 

As the only 1/48 conversion I know of, Paragon Designs 48120, seems to be unobtanium has anyone any ideas about how this conversion could be achieved please? Any ideas considered.

 

I'm actually considering a 48th York C.II project as a York has been on my 'Must-Build' List since I was a nipper. The recent death of two of my school-mates has made me focus on actually doing and finishing some things that are important to me.

 

Hope someone can help.

 

Cheers

 

Nick the Mortal After All.   

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    I was planning making a Mk II using a couple of 1/48 beaufighter kits, ( and converting them to IIf ) and using an old airfix magazine 1:72 conversion article as a guide. 

 

  but i found a paragon conversion on e bay, they turn up sometimes. 

 

   cheers

      jerry

[Work In Progress]

Your ideal friend is someone who has recently made, or intends to make, a pair of Merlin-engined Beaufighter II out of the Tamiya Beau kits. And then you basically swap engines and do some scratch-bulding on nacelles (which isn't that hard, tbh - some sheet stock spines and Milliput will do it).

[Troy Smith]

Hi Nick

 

silly question, have you asked here for one?  

 

Neil from Paragon is still about,  and has the moulds,  so at  some point he may re-appear, or even just go through his storage.

 

regarding the conversion using Beaufighter bits,  it is possible to order sprues from the UK Tamiya importer,  Hobbyco

http://www.hobbyco.net/scripts/oe11.3/cgiip.exe/WService=WSHobbyV3EcomLive/help/contactustab.p?session=jaVmkpobdigDaiiRiKbvnPlafadVhdaj

 

but I asked and  you maybe better off looking for cheap 2nd hand  kits,  you  could probably sell a Tamiya beau with Lanc engines for the person who wants a Beau II.  (typed while WIP was posting)

 

It might be worth working out how much it would be to buy the relevant Lanc and Beau sprues from Hobbyco,  give the  costs of the base kits and  that you only really need the Lanc wings, UC and tailplanes for a York.   

 

How you planning on doing the fuselage?   

 

a quick look to remind me, the old PSL  Classic Aircraft, Their History and How to Model Them: Lancaster No. 6

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Classic-Aircraft-Their-History-How-Model-Them/0850593441

 

has 72nd York drawings, and various other bits, like a Hercules power egg, plus useful pics,  maybe worth getting? 

 

HTH

T

[dogsbody]

Some drawings:

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Neil]

18 hours ago, SleeperService said:

Hi Everybody.

 

As the only 1/48 conversion I know of, Paragon Designs 48120, seems to be unobtanium has anyone any ideas about how this conversion could be achieved please?

 

Nick the Mortal After All.   

 

 

15 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

Hi Nick

 

Neil from Paragon is still about,  and has the moulds,  so at  some point he may re-appear, or even just go through his storage.

 

T

 

 

I do indeed still own all of the moulds and master-patterns for the entire Paragon range, unfortunately I am reasonably sure that I do not have any of the 1/48 Lancaster Mk II conversions in amongst all of my stored items and spares etc. Sorry about that.

 

A 1/48 York would look quite something actually!

 

 

 

[SleeperService]

Wow! What a brilliant set of replies so far. I'm kicking myself actually as I've got the bits to do a Beaufighter Mk.II already. I'm building one for a friend who's father flew them in S.Africa when he finds his photo album. I'll give him a nudge about that.

 

@dogsbody Those are good looking plans by a draughtsman I trust. Where are they from please? They've even got the under fuselage ribs.

 

@Troy Smith I haven't asked as my luck with requests isn't too great, (possibly because I never seem to finish anything as my signature). As a former fabricator I intend to make styrene ductwork around formers with a reinforced carry-through section for the wings. I'll get a copy of your linked book. I will need the rest of the Lancaster (or at least most of it) for another couple of projects. The tail turret for a Wellington VI another Bucket List project and the fuselage for a Museum cockpit exhibit model I've been mulling for a while.

 

@Neil If you've got the masters then I'd really hope you'd look at getting batches made and up for sale. There are some great UK casters if time is your enemy and you could make to pre-orders for a limited time selling the overs on the bay afterwards. Could be a nice little earner Guv. You did a Manchester conversion as well IIRC?

 

Time to go through the BM Classifieds.

[Troy Smith]

Hi Nick

 

another posting  made me think of Etienne Du Plessis great stream, a quick change of the address line

https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=8270787@N07&q=york

 

while not a York II, this maybe of general use,

Avro York by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

note NMF Sterling in background

 

there are  more colour York shots  in the link too.

 

Quote

This photograph shows Avro York C.I MW173 “Zipper”. This aircraft was converted to (not built to) VIP standard for use by Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park GCB KBE MC* DFC RAF, as AOC Air Command South East Asia, an appointment he held from February 1945 into 1946. Although Zipper was normally based at Singapore this photograph was taken at Almaya, Cairo, Egypt shortly after the War. The two silver aircraft in the background are the two Tiger Moths of the Egyptian airline Misr Airwork. Sir Keith, a New Zealander by birth, is probably best remembered as Air officer Commanding No.11 Group, RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. A permanent bronze statue to Sir Keith was unveiled at Waterloo Place, London, on Battle of Britain Day, September 15th 2010, to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Battle. Sir Keith retired from the RAF in December 1946 returned to New Zealand, where he remained until his death in 1975, at the age of 82. MW173 was sold as “so much scrap metal” to the Eyre Smelting Co in 1954; its fittings were transferred to another York, MW325.

Avro York, Almaza, Cairo     1946. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Avro York    circa 1945. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

 

B.O.A.C. York    1944. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

 

this may be use use for Hercules

Radial engined Lancaster II. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

finally, I found this ages ago

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234943053-wartime-colour-footage-of-lancaster-mk-ii/

 

Looking for some Lancaster info, and ran across this.

Film of Lancaster Mk II, in colour taking off a flying and landing.

The footage is great. Commentary is nothing special , actually it was annoying me, but I listened to see if said anything about this film, or the planes shown. If it annoys you, kill the sound, as if you know enough to care this shows a Lancaster MkII then you'll probably know what the commentary is telling you already.

Does not even mention these are Lancaster MkII's !

Not seen a mention of this on here, maybe old news, but figured worth mentioning in light of the new Airfix kit.

I'm not aboutto try to search up the Sq, but the first plane looks to be EQ-B, [at 00.05] and the 2nd plane looks to be OW-Q,[?] at about 00.09, better seen at 02.13

This plane seems to have slightly enlarged white areas on the fuselage roundel and tail flash. Though might be be a film 'effect'?

 

Also, while the Mk II Lanc never struck me as that odd in photos, seeing it flying is, well, a bit weird. I think as I have seen film of Lancaster before, and film of Halifax with radial engines and Stirlings, but in motions I see Stirling/Halifax and then lancaster and it's well, odd. Might be just me. 

 

Quote

 

The following information is from the book "RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft; by S.Kostenuk/J.Griffin"..

408 Sqn. (RCAF): The squadron operated the Lancaster II from Oct.43 - Sept. 44. Unit code was 'EQ' and the s/n listed for EQ-B is 'LL642'.

426 Sqn. (RCAF): They operated the type from Jul.43 - May 44. Unit code was 'OW' and the s/n listed for OW-Q is 'DS841'.

Scott

Edited July 15, 2013 by Scott Hemsley

 

cheers

T

[dogsbody]

The Granger drawings are from an article in PLANES magazine, from the early 80's.

 

 

Chris

 

[SleeperService]

Cheers to you both.

 

@Troy Smith  The 1944 BOAC photo is what got me hooked on the York in the first place. A fabulous shot. There are some great pictures and inspiration there!

 

@dogsbody  I have a friend with most of the early Planes volumes I shall mount a raid!

[PhantomPhreakII]

Holy crap.... color footage....

 

Dang... now I do need to build the Mk.II.... I have the airfix kit...

 

This is the one I want to do.. for our local air war musem (and yes it is the 2nd try.. first one  well.... never mind..)

 

http://www.arg1940-1945.nl/engels/lancaster heemskerkgb.htm

 

That pic came out a bit bigger than I had hoped.. anywhoo.. this is te crew of DS835, KO-K the one I want to build

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2018 by PhantomPhreakII
added pic and description

[keith in the uk]

Hi Nick , I think I am about to become your best friend .

Not only do I have the Paragon Lancaster MK II conversion , I am also in the process of converting the Tamiya Lanc into a Manchester so the

Merlin engines will not be needed.

PM me if interested.

Regards Keith.

[Biggu]

I am searching for the paragon Mk!! conversion in 1/48 as well, wanting to do one that my late uncle flew in..................... maybe a poll to see if there is enough interest for Neil to dig out the molds and produce some sets on a limited number..................... do you think we could convince him?? Neil..................... if we all chipped in for a pint or two??  LOL.... It would be really great to have this set available, even for a short time..... I saw a completed conversion at the museum in Nanton last year at the local model show, and the end result is spectacular......... I'd LOVE one... or two...

 

Jeff

[justjim1]

conversion kit from AA models .https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233742434781

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    It would not surprise me if HK did a MKII version in 1:48 

   probably wouldn't need much changed engines/nacelles etc & maybe worst case upper wings, tail mods and turrets 

would make HK a bit more profit 

   cheers

     jerry