TOPGUN88 Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi guys. Im planning on building a post war RCAF lancaster. I know the 1/72 dambuster kits have the mid upper turret kit blanks in them but is there any other ones that are readily available with the kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 The Matchbox kit has a turret blank. I'm looking at one right now. The mainwheels are a bit oversize, but it's a tidy kit. Perhaps not to today's standard but as good as the Privateer. https://www.ebay.com/itm/MATCHBOX-MODEL-KIT-LANCASTER-B-I-III-SCALE-1-72/282827301589?hash=item41d9d222d5:g:QdcAAOSwuShab2zm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Dont you just love that artwork . . . . You could always make a turret blank from a piece of balsa or a soft white wood. Its easy to contour so you should be in with a chance . . .. Ian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) The current Revell Lancasters all include a turret blank, Cheers, Bill. Edited January 30, 2018 by Heraldcoupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wm Blecky Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) Hi, Something to take into consideration, Canadian built Lancaster Mk.Xs featured a Martin turret which was located closer to the rear of the wings (sorry, off hand I do not recall exactly by how much). As such, strengthening plates were added on each side of the turret. If you look at the top left of this picture, above the CX, you can see it and get an idea of the size of the plates. I have some more info but will have to do a little digging to locate it. I'll post once I find it. Also, take note of the exhausts, there are six stubs and they come out at a downward angle (unlike ALL kit ones with come straight out). The closest that I have come to being able to replicate this, is to take Quickboost's Mosquito exhausts (1 Lanc will require 3 sets) and from the extra set chop off one exhaust and add it to to your Lancaster's. The Mosquito had 5 exhaust stubs vs. the Lanc's 6. Edited January 31, 2018 by Wm Blecky typo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wm Blecky Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 The Quickboost Mosquito exhausts are not a perfect match shape wise (maybe a little gentle persuasion to flatten the ends out a little???), but they are about the closest I think you can readily find: I have also had the Aeroclub exhausts and they are essentially the same as what you will find in the kits (ie. not the correct shape for this project). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJP Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) On the subject of the Canadian-built Mk X, I understand that the first production machine with the Martin mid-upper turret was KB864, named Sugar's Blues. Prior to that, all Mk X aircraft had the usual FN turret. When the Martin was fitted it was placed 6 feet forward of the prior position. Edit: Lancasters in the FMxxx serial range were built after the KBxxx range, out of the normal alphabetical order. All the FMxxx range had the Martin turret too. Edited January 31, 2018 by RJP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Another view of the strengthening plates on a Mk.X. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN88 Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 Thank you very much gents. I have the leading edge pieces and decals. I have looked at the airfix b111 new tool. Any good for this project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Its good to see the Canadian Lanc in another guise !! I wonder if its seasonal or as and when they like to make the chance ?? Sorry if its drifting a wee bit from the turret issue . .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 If I recall correctly it was a temporary scheme, only on the port side, applied last year or the one before. There was an article in Flypast explaining it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawk Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 22 hours ago, TOPGUN88 said: I have looked at the airfix b111 new tool. Any good for this project? I can't find the dorsal turret blank on the frames for the Airfix Lancaster B.III kit on current issue. My Dambuster Lanc is in too deep stash for me to check whether the blank is on the dedicated Dambuster frame. The kit does give the option of gently downward tilted unshrouded 6-stub exhausts, though not with fishtails as on KB732 VR-X. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN88 Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 I have a revell dambusters with a turret blank. I will see if I can mate it on. 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wm Blecky Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 2 hours ago, TOPGUN88 said: I have a revell dambusters with a turret blank. I will see if I can mate it on. 😁 Honestly, you could even use a piece of plastic card to fill that hole if worse comes to worse. Bear in mind what RJP said earlier about the position of the mid upper turret: On 1/30/2018 at 8:18 PM, RJP said: When the Martin was fitted it was placed 6 feet forward of the prior position. As I understand it (and do stand to be corrected), many Canadian Post War Lancasters that were used in Canada, were from stocks of Canadian built Mk.Xs with a Martin turret (albeit removed in Post War service). From what I gather, it was not worth ferrying aircraft back to Canada as there were many still here not yet delivered. Sort of a similar situation I recall reading about US bombers that had been interned in Switzerland during the War. They were stored until war's end and then the crews were brought home while their bombers were scrapped. If your Lancaster is a Mk.X, you might want to think about moving that position. 6' in 1/72 is an 1 inch plus you'd want to add those fuselage strengthening plates. Before you attempt to glue in the Revell turret blanking plate, you could use it as a template to scribe in were the repositioned turret would have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJP Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) Actually, RCAF squadrons (some? many? most?) brought their Lancasters home by air to prepare to take part in Tiger Force. Other aircraft that had arrived in the UK were pulled from the MUs and sent home. KB944 in the museum in Ottawa is an example but there are others. Some served long after the war. There are multiple pictures about. Here is a link to KB739 on the ground at Yarmouth in June 1945. 56 missions complete and a happy looking crew back from the war: http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/photos_lanc/photos_kb739.html Note the details - needle blades on the props, early shallow bomb aimer's blister, early pitot placement. They've already shed the flame dampers on the exhausts, though. It later served with the Winter Experimental Establishment. High spirits! There is a shot of KB865 at Yarmouth and its mates of 419 Squadron in early June 1945 sporting whitewall tires and Type C wing roundels. KB865 had the Martin turret and paddle blades but others in the shot had the FN, some had needle blades. The same endless varations they had on operations, I guess. A fellow could spend a very pleasant afternoon just looking. Edited February 2, 2018 by RJP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wm Blecky Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I am happily corrected! Thanks RJP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wm Blecky Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 I was just going through some saved pictures and found a couple that I thought I would share. Sorry I no longer recall where I found them, but hopefully useful anyways: Similar to the one dogsbody posted, just from a different angle, but you do get a good look at the Martin turret and the strengthening bracket: This one is someone's conversion, gives you an idea of how to approach it, although I feel that the strengthening plates are not quite right (I think a little too long in length and a touch too narrow in the middle): 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 (edited) On 30/01/2018 at 9:12 PM, TOPGUN88 said: Hi guys. Im planning on building a post war RCAF lancaster. I know the 1/72 dambuster kits have the mid upper turret kit blanks in them but is there any other ones that are readily available with the kit? If you can find them, the previous Airfix Dambuster and Grand Slam kits have the mid-upper turret area faired over, eliminating the need for blanking plates etc. A Dambuster kit resides in my stash, awaiting conversion to a Lancastrian. Also the new Revell kit has blanking options. Here's mine converted to a Manchester. Edited February 3, 2018 by theplasticsurgeon correction 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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