Halifax B Mk. I/II/GRII - Revell 1/72

[Michael51]

Chaddy.

 

Thanks for the information.

 

This is all very interesting. The two 10 Sqn chaps I spoke with were at Melbourne, one from at least June and the other from perhaps July or August 1943.

 

This still leaves the question about a D-finned, perspex-nosed Merlin Halifax with a mid-upper turret and that blister up in the air.

 

I would value any further detail you might have in your records on that mod.

 

At my age, you can never have enough information on Halifaxes, especially from 'Shiny 10'.

 

Michael

 

 

[chaddy]

Michael

 

The initial, unofficial, installation was carried out by Cheshire's squadron 76. The actual mod number for the perspex blister was Mod639B.

 

Many MkIIs were retrofitted with the new fin and rudder assembly (Mod814) at their bases. The ones you refer to are probably those that had retained the perspex blister where fitted.

[Michael51]

13 minutes ago, chaddy said:

Michael

 

The initial, unofficial, installation was carried out by Cheshire's squadron 76. The actual mod number for the perspex blister was Mod639B.

 

Many MkIIs were retrofitted with the new fin and rudder assembly (Mod814) at their bases. The ones you refer to are probably those that had retained the perspex blister where fitted.

Thanks Chaddy,

 

I have PM'd you so as to keep Ced's build continuity - lest I go off on a tangent,

 

Michael

[chaddy]

1 minute ago, Michael Enright said:

Thanks Chaddy,

 

I have PM'd you so as to keep Ced's build continuity - lest I go off on a tangent,

 

Michael

Fair enough. I think Ced has enough info now

 

Unless he'd like me to post the combat report that 'proves' JB910 had the aforementioned blister.......

[Finn]

Is it too late to give it some teeth?:

 

 

Jari

[CedB]

Just back from 'Dunkirk' with the boys and I'm taking the Ladies out tomorrow...

I'll digest posts and reply, hopefully soon.

Thanks chaps  

[Michael51]

1 minute ago, chaddy said:

Fair enough. I think Ced has enough info now

 

Unless he'd like me to post the combat report that 'proves' JB910 had the aforementioned blister.......

Well I certainly would like to see that information.

 

By the way, do you know anything about 'my'  (1/72) Halifax Mk II srs 1a, LW336?

 

That is the one the two 10 Sqn chaps I met and interviewed, Geoffrey Fenton and Denis 'Gerry' Girardau flew in from, I believe, late August 1943.

 

Michael

[Finn]

Here is another Halifax with 2 turning:

 

 

what are those posts on top of the wings for?

 

Jari

[Michael51]

I believe these are wing fuel tank air vents

 

Michael

Edited July 28, 2017 by Michael Enright
m

[TonyTiger66]

2 hours ago, Finn said:

Here is another Halifax with 2 turning:

 

 

what are those posts on top of the wings for?

 

Jari

 

Thats a great photo. Looking at both wing outer leading edges, it would appear that a lot of the camouflage layer of paint has worn off, exposing the (primer?) coat below. Do any of you chaps know what colour that undercoat may have been?

 

Halifax bombers look like a great subject on which to try some weathering 

 

Best regards

TonyT

[Michael51]

1 hour ago, TonyTiger66 said:

 

Thats a great photo. Looking at both wing outer leading edges, it would appear that a lot of the camouflage layer of paint has worn off, exposing the (primer?) coat below. Do any of you chaps know what colour that undercoat may have been?

 

Halifax bombers look like a great subject on which to try some weathering 

 

Best regards

TonyT

Tony,

 

Being an early version, I suspect that what passes for leading edge weathering may be the application of the yellowish anti-icing paste then in wide use.

 

As far as I know - which is not necessarily that far - the camouflage was applied directly to the bare metal as they emerged from the production line,

 

Michael

[Biggles87]

Some great period photos on this thread. Does anyone remember a TV documentary many years ago about abandoned WW II airfields?

The title was something like ' If ghosts exist then surely they would be here ' and there was some excellent wartime footage including a beat up by, I think, a Lancaster. I didn't have a video recorder then, more's the pity.

You've probably already thought of this Ced, but to save some filling and filing you could cement some very thin plasticard in the recessed areas behind the nacelle radiator flaps.

 

Keep on keeping on.

 

John

Edited July 28, 2017 by Biggles87

[Jamie_Graham]

Very interesting project!! I join this thread too!! 

 

Always its complicate the work with the resins ... and i see you have solved properly! I look forward for the next steps. 

[AlexN]

14 hours ago, CedB said:

Just back from 'Dunkirk'

 

I assume that you mean the film, not the wartime event and you took the long way home. Was it any good? What little that I've read about it suggests that it's very good. Is it a UK or US production? That would make quite a bit of difference.

[dogsbody]

On ‎27‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 3:24 AM, chaddy said:

Have you given any though as to how to deal with the perspex observation blister on the underside of the fuselage yet Ced? It can be see in the pic, just any of the H2S dome.

 

 

 

Here's a larger version of this picture. It appears to have a small clear blister by the pitot and the one to the rear of the H2S.

 

 

 

Chris

[chaddy]

Indeed there is a small blister there. That is Mod 904. It seems to be located further aft on this aircraft than usual. It was usually position over the front edge of the small window in the bomb aimer's position. Presumably to allow him to follow the track of the bombs. It is a feature of aircraft with the perspex nose. See Merrick's "Halifax: From Hell to Victory and Beyond", for examples of aircraft with this blister in differing positions.

[CedB]

Well that'll teach me to have time away from the thread... bear with me while I catch up  

 

On 27/07/2017 at 11:42, giemme said:

Oh no, no, no - you and I should have a word about this matter, away from Mrs B hearing range

Ciao

 

Thanks Giorgio - I know, I know... choosing wine in England (at a reasonable price) is a nightmare! In the absence of large supplies of 'local' wines we (in the general population) seem to be subject to 'the deals' that supermarkets do... why else would we hold a 'special' race to get the undrinkable Beaujolais Nouveau onto our tables every year? Just when I find a quaffable red that I like they either change the blend or it runs out. A continuing problem... 

 

Thanks too to Simon and Leon for 'why we should drink wine because it comes with useful modelling materials'. You're fooling no one!   

 

On 27/07/2017 at 15:18, perdu said:

Simplicity looms

Cut one of said large wheels in half and glue a piece of plastic across the cut bit and glue plastic to side walls of nacelle, inside it

Job done AND  a new spare wheel in spares box, just in case...

 

I am pleased to see you are beginning to be beguiled by the six inch, half round, second cut

 

Thanks Bill - great tip and stored for later use! The file is a great tool - thanks again for the recommendation  

 

Tony I think you'll find the riffler files handy for those hard to reach places  

 

On 27/07/2017 at 20:33, rob85 said:

Ced, you could have just rubbed it with a wet finger and the milliput would have adhered nicely to the gap and you would not have needed to sand. Any way, good to see this cracking along and looking so good!

 

Rob

 

Thanks Rob - I did try the wet finger trick but I couldn't get my digits in the angle between the intake dangle - frustrating! The excess that went in the hole did rattle out later so no damage  

 

Thanks chaddy, Michael and Chris for all the additional info on Halifax modifications - interesting stuff. During my (brief) research I did find this article on development and it very much looks as though they were 'trying things out', some mods being done in the field. 

If I'm going to finish this kit soon I need to decide which bits this particular Halifax had at the specific point in time and, because I'm lazy, I'm going to follow the decal diagram, carry on, stick my fingers in my ears and go la la la  

Don't let that put you off posting more info though - it's interesting and very useful for others who may read the thread later.

 

Thanks Jari - those are great photos! ZA-J does have little teeth - you can just about see them here (#36):

 

ZA-J Decals by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

Thanks TT and Michael for information on the paint and anti-icing paste. No primer? What were they thinking?

 

Thanks John - sadly I missed the documentary and couldn't find it on YouTube. Great tip on the radiator flap recess; I'll sort it later  

 

23 hours ago, Jamie_Graham said:

Very interesting project!! I join this thread too!! 

 

Always its complicate the work with the resins ... and i see you have solved properly! I look forward for the next steps. 

 

Hi Jamie - good to have you along and thanks for the kind comments  

 

18 hours ago, AlexN said:

 

I assume that you mean the film, not the wartime event and you took the long way home. Was it any good? What little that I've read about it suggests that it's very good. Is it a UK or US production? That would make quite a bit of difference.

 

Thanks Alex - yes, the film! I really enjoyed it although of course it has its critics*, as always. I found some great photos of the aircraft used during filing here and the director (Christopher Nolan, a Brit) was on Radio 4's media show explaining how he'd stuck to film and avoided digital. Brave. There's only one part where this is obvious but no spoilers, I know others will be going to see it.

 

* I'm not a fan of critics and I think Teddy Roosevelt summed it up:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

 

[AlexN]

51 minutes ago, CedB said:

digits in the angle between the intake dangle

 

Fnaar, fnaar.

 

Thank you for the non-spoilered comment about 'Dunklirk'. Good to read that it's shot almost entirely on film - I suspect that the exception is going to be a massive explosion or summat. What I do know about it is that it is three sections, although I'm not sure if they are interdigitated or not.

 

It's a film that I really want to see; I wanted to see WonderWoman, but sadly was never allowed to, and I suspect that Dunkirik is going to be no different.  The alex getting to see a movie in the cinema is a rare and treasured event, and is usually a Bond film or something from Star Wars. Not that I'm complaining - I've like the most recent outings of those two franchises tah I saw - and the Star Wars movie even had a Brit lead! I was AMAZED^TM.

[giemme]

3 hours ago, CedB said:

- I know, I know... choosing wine in England (at a reasonable price) is a nightmare!

That could be easier to sort than you think ... it depends on if you have good connections with an airport operated by Ryanair with flights to Milan Bergamo ... don't want to put too much OT stuff on your thread, but if you really care I can explain

 

Looking forward to more progress on this

 

Ciao

[CedB]

Thanks Alex - the 'three sections' thing is interspersed but not clear if you're not expecting it. Details in this hidden bit:

 

Spoiler

 

The beach story covers 1 week, the boat 1 day and the Spitfire 1 hour as shown in the title at the start of each story. Easily missed.

As the stories unfold you see the same action from different angles - Spitfires from the boat etc - so you have to have your wits about you... 

 

 

Thanks Giorgio - as it happens (ahem), Ryanair fly to Bristol (about 30 minutes away from me) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays... I'm intrigued now - do you have a smuggling ring export business going?

 

 

Oooh look, painted bits!

 

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

I'd forgotten how big these bombers are. And I've forgotten the empennage. Rats. 

[giemme]

5 minutes ago, CedB said:

I'm intrigued now - do you have a smuggling ring export business going?

No, not me; thing is that, if you wait for the right chance, you can fly to Bergamo for a few quids (I sometimes have foreign customers visiting from Europe flying in and out for 30 euros); right outside the airport there's a huge shopping center, and at departures (which are in fact turned to a big shopping center, too) you can buy whatever "liquid" you want with a definitely different tax rate ...

 

Ciao

 

 

[CedB]

Thanks Giorgio - interesting idea!  

[Harley John]

Great work on the Halibag and some fascinating information being shared by one and all including Gimme's information regarding decent red at affordable prices! Knew there was a reason I loved this forum.  

[CedB]

Thanks John - yep, a mine of information, that's BM!  

 

Line up you lot! Johnny's tip painting tip:

 

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

One two three... twelve, check. A bit of additional excitement as the Tamiya tape ran out so I could try the MT Kamoi stuff, starting with the green. Let's hope it's good stuff.

 

Step 45 - drill two holes in part 87, 2X:

 

 

Done:

 

 

Then glue to part 88. Hey, wait a minute! What are these for? They're for the actuators in step 52:

 

 

so you should drill two holes in part 87 for one side and two holes in part 88 for the other side. Luckily I noticed this before I glued so I was able to drill before I glued:

 

 

Yes, one elevator does have two holes in the bottom (fnarr!) - some filler later. I was just following orders...

 

Before my mojo completely died I put some dark aluminium AK paste on the prop hubs:

 

[CedB]

The tailplanes can't go in the wrong sides as the locating slots are stepped:

 

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

Future modellers note that if you follow the steps you'll get to step 47 and find that the elevator won't go into the tailplane without some 'encouragement':

 

 

Yes, like that. the hinges are too long to allow you to insert the peg and push down so you have to slide the elevator onto the hinges and then, gently, prise the end open until the 'end hinge' pops into place.

 

The fit is nice but not tight so they're a bit limp:

 

 

I know how they feel - off for a lie down, mojo drained. Lego action later.