Lancasters, Tallboys and 1/48 Questions

[JohnT]

I am hoping some Lancaster experts can set me straight.  For boring personal reasons I fancy doing my 1/48 Tamiya Lancaster as LM220 "Getting Younger Every Day" which was a B1 or so I understand.

 

It has a number of issues that modifications from the kit

 

The upper turret goes and will be faired over and I will need to choose the correct bomb aimers blister big or small.   Now answered and solved thanks to RJP below

 

The bomb bay doors are bulged and here is the first question.  Are the bulged doors the one and the same for the "normal" load out and the Tallboy load out?  I have had a read and some say they are and some say they are not.  If they are not would anyone notice the difference and if they are different in what way?

 

I also read that the cockpit floor needs raised a little as does the bomb bay roof - gulp!  I might cheat there.

 

I can get a 3d printed Tallboy from here and it looks the part however that is not a photo.  I suspect the price is such that I will speculate and buy it.

 

www.shapeways.com/product/P9W45JP2C/quot-tallboy-quot-bomb

 

Also Kits World do the decals for her so another problem solved.

 

Anything else I am missing maybe?

 

Thanks for pointers and help in advance as always

 

John

[RJP]

Have you tried a google image search?  I found this, and one of the photographs shows the later bomb aimer blister: 

 

http://www.planetdiecast.com/index.php?&option=com_content&view=article&id=88814&catid=13

[JohnT]

4 minutes ago, RJP said:

Have you tried a google image search?  I found this, and one of the photographs shows the later bomb aimer blister: 

 

http://www.planetdiecast.com/index.php?&option=com_content&view=article&id=88814&catid=13

 

Thanks for that.  I did do one based on "Lancaster LM220" and got lots pictures of corgi die cast models along with profiles but not much in the way of actual photos.  I found the one at the top of the link but the one at the bottom clears up the blister size - fantastic thanks.

[NG899]

Hi John,

 

Stretching the memory banks back a few years, to 2005 on this one. I built a 48th scale Lanc a family friend flew with 115 Sqn at RAF Wicthford in mid-late 1944, HK551, A4-E, back then and made a good few changes to the kit.

 

HK551 had smooth-fronted bulged bomb bay doors which could take 8,000lb-ers. These were similar in profile and contours to the bulged doors used on the Mk.IIs, but without the step in their profile at the front; which is why I have called it smooth-fronted. I made mine closed and built them from styrene sheet formers, planked with styrene strip, covered in filler and sanded smooth. The model depicts the aircraft after its return from a mission however, technically, all the guns should be pointing skywards; to avoid any injury to others or damage to hardware caused by careless cold ground crew fingers and ricochets off the ground.

 

If you drop me a PM with your email address, I'll send you my build notes, the finished model appearing in a Model Aircraft Monthly article in January 2006, which included a lot of 'wet-film' build images; sadly not scanned.

 

Other than the bomb bay doors, areas I suggest you look at are:

- All turrets > I scratch built the internal details for all and would now use resin or metal gun barrels too.

- The cockpit > again, I scratch built all the internal details, making use of the kit's instrument panel and control column yoke.

- Propellors > HK551 had the early pointed ones, which I made by reshaping the kit parts.

- Engine nacelles, exhaust and shields > I recommend the Belcher bits items to replace the kit ones.

- Bomb-aimer's blister > the kit has the shallow one, I got HK551's deeper one from a Paragon set which, iirc, had the under-fuselage blister in it too.

- Ailerons and elevators > the Tamiya kit has the late/post-war metal ones, HK551 had fabric covered ones, having sanded the kit ones free of rivets, I added rib details from styrene strip.

- Tyres > HK551 had untreaded tyres, I filled the kit ones and sanded the smooth, adding weighted bulges from filler.

- Additional detailing like rudder and elevator trim tab balances, the Monica aerial and window dispenser were scratch built.

 

I also opened the rear door and added some interior detail in there for the fuselage structure, ammunition runs and flare chutes. Remember that on the outboard engines the outboard exhaust passed under the wing, not over it. I have seen too many good Lancs spoiled by the weathering going over the wing.

 

Here are a few photos to help you visualise what I have said above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Nick

Edited January 6, 2018 by NG899

[JohnT]

Nick

 

thats a lovely build and very helpful.  I will PM with my e-mail address.

 

much appreciated

 

John

 

 

[Finn]

Here are a couple of drawings i found online that may be of help:

 

 

Jari

[JohnT]

Jari

Many thanks for those. Very helpful for the modification that may be required

 

John

[NG899]

John,

 

Three more photos added to my original post. If you can get hold of a copy of Lancaster at War Vol.2 by Ian Allan there are good Avro drawings in the front and back which will help. (I'll reply to your PM this afternoon.)

 

Cheers

 

Nick

[Mancunian airman]

Dont forget to polish off the turret framing on the front turret so that you can frame it correctly  . . . .

 

The rear 'Escape hatch' needs to re-sized as well to match the front one

 

I think your aircraft had windows so that shouldn't be a problem

 

Here is my effort that might give you some ideas ?

 

 

Research is a must I believe so Good Luck with the build

Edited January 6, 2018 by Mancunian airman