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Airfix 1/72 Lancaster II LL716 A2-G, 514 Sqn


Simon

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Nice hatches Simon, can't wait to see the masks off.

Nice paint job too.

Those props look pretty 'par for the course' - I invested in a Citadel 'Mouldline Remover' which seems to 'know' what's prop and what's flash - a quick, gentle pull down each side of the prop blade and it's done with no damage. I guess other tools are available (I have some others), but this one seems particularly quick and easy.

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Are those the props that came with the kit? I ask because the props in your photo are the wrong pitch to be on a Bristol engine and they don't look like the props in my B.II kit.

 

Lanc%20prop.jpg

 

 

Chris

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1 hour ago, dogsbody said:

Are those the props that came with the kit? I ask because the props in your photo are the wrong pitch to be on a Bristol engine and they don't look like the props in my B.II kit.

 

Lanc%20prop.jpg

 

 

Chris

 

Oops - well spotted that man. They're the props from my Mk.I (FE) B.III kit. Sorry! :doh:

 

It's my age, you know...wibble.

 

Simon

 

 

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3 hours ago, Simon said:

 

 

Oops - well spotted that man. They're the props from my Mk.I (FE) B.III kit. Sorry! :doh:

 

It's my age, you know...wibble.

 

Simon

 

 

 

I know all about that age crap! It ain't nice. Though I've finally got the number of functioning brain cells down to a manageable number.

 

Chris

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On 10/03/2017 at 2:41 AM, dogsbody said:

 

I know all about that age crap! It ain't nice. Though I've finally got the number of functioning brain cells down to a manageable number.

 

Chris

 

I've been working hard at doing that for years now - think I may have gone too far... :banghead:

 

Anyway, another quick update. I've managed to get the upper surface camouflage done. Here are the horizontal tails (note the internal spars - I had to cut them back to make them fit as the tolerances were so tight):

 

Lancaster-II-125

 

and the upper wings, complete with walkways and the dinghy stowage masked and painted, rather than use the kit's decals:

 

Lancaster-II-126

 

Lancaster-II-129

 

and finally the fuselage:

 

Lancaster-II-130

 

Lancaster-II-132

 

Lancaster-II-131

 

All ready now for the Night undersides, and starting to look like a Lancaster at last!

 

More soon

 

Simon

 

 

Edited by Simon
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So, another quick update. The lower sides are all done now - here are the wings:

 

Lancaster-II-136

 

Lancaster-II-133

 

I've also added the main undercarriage assemblies, as well as the completed engines:

 

Lancaster-II-137

 

Lancaster-II-135

 

I've also done all the external painting for the fuselage, and so have been able to start some work on the bomb bay. Here ar the two sections of pipework added to the interior walls:

 

Lancaster-II-140

 

Lancaster-II-141

 

Note the cradles for the larger 'Cookie' bombs - I added them before checking my references...:doh: According to the 514 Sqn. O.R.B., my Lancaster LL716 was carrying the following bomb load on the Op it was lost - 11 x 1,000lb M.C., and 4 x 500lb G.P., so a load of 15 bombs. Unfortunately Airfix supplies 12 bomb racks, and no bombs (booooo!). From reference photos of preserved Lancs, I'm not sure the racks they supply are right. Here's a shot of the CWHM Lancaster, from Wikipedia:

 

Andrew_Mynarski_Memorial_Lancaster_bomb_

 

And here are the Airfix racks, top, the ones from the Revell Halifax, and my 'modified' Airfix ones:

 

Lancaster-II-138

 

Lancaster-II-139

 

So, I needed 15 of them, so I've nicked some from my Airfix Lancaster I/III F.E. All I needed to do was to figure out how they'd fit the 15 bombs in the bomb bay, so I reckon it could be like this, with the four 500 pounders up front like this:

 

Lancaster-II-142

 

(There's a photo here on the Lancaster Archive website which shows four smaller bombs crammed in, with two sitting lower on what looks like the racks mounted on a cross-beam).

 

And the 11 1,000 pounders would probably sit in four rows of three, two, three and three respectively:

 

Lancaster-II-143

 

Curiously, Eduard supply different style bomb racks for the Tamiya 1/48 Lanc than they do for the 1/72 Airfix one.

 

Anyway, more soon..

 

Simon

 

 

 

 

Edited by Simon
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That's a near perfect paint finish. I note the tonal variation on the black undersides which is difficult to pull off convincingly, very nice indeed. How did you achieve the effect? Post shading with a lighter shade?

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42 minutes ago, Tomoshenko said:

That's a near perfect paint finish. I note the tonal variation on the black undersides which is difficult to pull off convincingly, very nice indeed. How did you achieve the effect? Post shading with a lighter shade?

 

Thank you. I pre-shaded black over the grey primer base, then applied very thinly-diluted coats of Xtracrylix Night Black. It breaks up the large areas of blackness well.

 

13 hours ago, airbus320 said:

Superb work! I have this kit and if it looks half as good as yours I'll be chuffed! Regarding the bomb loads, is this any use?

 

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc_bomb_loads.htm

 

Chris

 

Thanks Chris - I'd come across that page already, and it has been very useful.

 

Simon

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This is superb. I'm learning much from your way of painting the aircraft in pieces. Also, I note the very subtle modulation of the night undersides. 

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So, another update for today, and a problem to solve.

 

I'd masked the glazing with Eduard masks, airbrushed them with Xtracrylix, and left them for a day or two to dry. Upon removing the masks, here's what I got:

 

Cockpit:

 

Lancaster-II-146

 

Nose turret:

 

Lancaster-II-144

 

Bomb aimer's blister:

 

Lancaster-II-145

 

:huh: What on earth is going on here? The masks have pulled off the paint with them - I've never had this happen before, as the bishop said to the actress. The paint just flakes off - I've managed to remove all of it with just my thumbnail and a wooden cocktail stick to avoid scratching the parts. Is it the paint? Are the transparent parts covered in release agent that affected the adhesion of the paint? Can't be the masks - I've used Eduard masks loads of times before, and never had an issue.

 

I've managed to remove all the paint, washed the parts in soapy water, and ordered some new masks. So, what to do? I've never had to prime transparent parts before, and I don't think that will work anyway.

 

Simon

 

 

Edited by Simon
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You may have done this but, washing with Klear I believe aids the adhesion of the paint . . . 

Is the paint old stock ? Did you allow 24hrs at least for drying ?

 

I ask the questions because I am intrigued myself as to why it happened 

Ian

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8 minutes ago, Mancunian airman said:

You may have done this but, washing with Klear I believe aids the adhesion of the paint . . . 

Is the paint old stock ? Did you allow 24hrs at least for drying ?

 

I ask the questions because I am intrigued myself as to why it happened 

Ian

 

They were allowed to dry for a couple of days, but the paint is a few years old, so that may be a cause. It's annoying, and as I said I've had this problem before, but it's not the end of the world and hopefully easy to sort out. I'll order some new pots of paint - the Night Black was pretty much empty anyway.

 

Simon

 

 

 

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Before removing masks, I always gently cut around the edge of a mask before removing it. This avoids the possibility of paint being pulled away long with the mask.

 

 

Martian

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The bomb load that you are attempting to have this aircraft has me worried. I have a copy of "The Lancaster Manual", "RAF Museum Series" which shows a total of fifteen locating points for bomb carriers, three abreast per row with five rows, of which the middle location in the bomb bay is reserved for 1 x 4,000lb or 1 x 8,000lb bombs only. This is on page 153 of the above publication. Is it possible that the reference you are quoting for a load of 11 x 1,000lb and 4 x 250lb bombs is incorrect having been incorrectly copied or entered into the records wrongly?

 

Gondor

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Here is a load of 14 1,000lbs bombs showing how they were positioned:

 

Lancaster_bomb_bay_Jan_1944_IWM_CH_18554

 

my guess is the 4 250lbs bombs were in the second row, 4 across as in the other pics, probably to maintain the center of gravity. So you would have 3 (1K), 4 (250), 2 (1K), 3 (1K) and 3 (1K).

 

edit: here is another pic showing a full load of what look like 500lbs bombs:

 

lancaster-dreams-apr-bombs-pl-40683.jpg

 

Jari

Edited by Finn
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