Dr_Fester Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Well Mike did hint that he would be interested in a build article for the Stirling I'm about to start. First off I have previously requested info on ARC regarding the particular Stirling I am building for a friend. Take a peek HERE So with this build in the back of my mind I picked up an original Airfix kit at a show for £5 and also some numerals for the serials etc. Just had a quick look in the box today and pretty disappointed to find most of the parts with severe warp, to be expected I suppose with a kit of that age. So converting this to a Mk.IV I need to replace the front gun with a clear dome and remove the upper turret, plus a few extra bits and pieces. This one will take some time......... Cheers Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skii Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Yep - you've got a job of work on your hands there Doc, but if anyone can do it .... Keep us posted. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 I'd forgotten all about those pics etc. - I think you may need soem stamina for this one - making your water on the Swordfish seem easy - did you find out what you wanted about Sandy - Tempsford etc etc? I may have some stuff if you like- that converstaion on ARC was so civilised - what made you change?????? David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Thomson Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Best of luck with the build. I think it is a great kit for its day. I did one a couple years ago which appeared in SAM. I may have some references if you are interested. Mine turned out like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Fester Posted April 1, 2007 Author Share Posted April 1, 2007 John, David & Len thanks for your thoughts. David if you have any more of those great shots stashed away anywhere they would be greatly appreciated. Len that is a fantastic build and I have already stored them away as valuable reference material. Some info I am still after on the Mk.IV version when the upper turret is removed do they just fit a square plate across the void or , like the dambuster Lancs, do they have a circular plate inserted? Also does the rear turret have the guns removed to save weight? I'm sure there will be many more questions and any help would be great. Thanks Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango 1 Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Doc, thats a lot of work you have on your hands! I will watch with great interest. Len, thats a cracking build! Superb work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Doc - I have a shitload of references from when I tried to build the Sanger 1:48 Stirling. What an abortion that was! The fuselage halves weren't even symetrical One day I will scratchbuild one in 1:48, but not yet... Anything you need, let me know & I'll have a root through. Also, your buddy Miduppergunner is a bit of a knowledge pot on Stirlings, so you might have to start being nice to him Actually, I think that's how he & I first got talking... you should try being nice to him... he's quite agreeable most of the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 Len - that is a very nice rendering of a Stirling - must have taken more than a little patience and time????? David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Fester Posted April 8, 2007 Author Share Posted April 8, 2007 OK a little progress update of the 1/72 elephant. Thanks to Len and David for supplying some excellent reference material I have made a start with this daunting build. I would just like to say here that Len sent me some of his build pictures for his Stirling found earlier in this thread and the level of interior detail is awesome! The photos don't really do the model justice. Foolishly I had no idea the amount of work involved both updating the detail of the kit and then converting from a Mk.III Stirling to a Mk.IV. Changes include removal of dorsal turret, removal of nose turret and forming a new nose canopy glass. Also I have just noticed that a majority of the windows are omitted, this comes AFTER I have already thinned the inside of the fuselage of each window to a scale thickness. Also 2 of the forward windows have 'bubble' glass which will need to be made. Some scratchbuilt interior stuff around the nose area is also required. So to the build:- Some detailing of the cockpit (most of which will be covered up) and MUCH more to be added. As you can see this includes a solid bulkhead in the nose behind the dome, I have yet to detail this area with map table, instruments etc. I then thought I would have a try at canopy molding for the clear nose dome, a pretty easy shape, so to begin with I made a former from good old pine! In fact I had a few attempts at this as I wasn't happy with the shape of this original master. Then my first go at molding using a primative, dirty method of simply heating some clear acetate over a candle and plunging the master into it. After a few attempts and some scorched fingers I eventually got this:- Squadron "eat yer heart out! " So after some trimming the canopy looks like this:- which should look something like this: Thanks for looking more to follow soon.......... Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Nice work on the nose glass! Sorry I've not presented you with any refs yet... if you could be specific with what you're short of, I'll see what I've got Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Fester Posted April 8, 2007 Author Share Posted April 8, 2007 No worries Mike, Both Len and that old geezer from Norfolk have supplied me with a plethora of material. I was mostly looking for cockpit and interior details along with specific Mk.IV stuff, most of which I have covered now thanks to David and Len. Cheers Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skii Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Oh that is superb. Fantastic work on that cockpit wall and the plexiglass nose, puts it all into perspective when people moan about bad kits. Proper modelling this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Len, that is an excellent rendition of a kit well past its sell by date Pete - very impressed so far (as usual). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Thomson Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Good work on the nose glazing. Told ya it shouldn't be too difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango 1 Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Very nice work on the nose glazing. I'm impressed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Oh dear - here we go again - Festers fan club regurgitated.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Wow , I lovbe this plane and you are doing a great job on it. I want it in 48 scale Best regards. Héctor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Wow , I lovbe this plane and you are doing a great job on it.I want it in 48 scale Best regards. Héctor Excellent, isn't it? If Sanger hadn't stuffed up the moulding of their 1:48 Stirling so badly (upside down wings, assymmetric fuselage halves, mental nacelle halves), I'd have probably finished mine by now... alas it's languishing on the top shelf in my workshop, waiting for me to pick up the cudgel again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedtaylor Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 (edited) Well Mike did hint that he would be interested in a build article for the Stirling I'm about to start.First off I have previously requested info on ARC regarding the particular Stirling I am building for a friend. Take a peek So with this build in the back of my mind I picked up an original Airfix kit at a show for £5 and also some numerals for the serials etc. Just had a quick look in the box today and pretty disappointed to find most of the parts with severe warp, to be expected I suppose with a kit of that age. So converting this to a Mk.IV I need to replace the front gun with a clear dome and remove the upper turret, plus a few extra bits and pieces. This one will take some time......... Cheers Doc Looking good Doc, I have one on the back burner but will be OOB when I get around to it good luck Ted Edited May 29, 2007 by tedtaylor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Looking good there. I like you canopy former, good work. Any more pics?? Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Fester Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 (edited) Any more pics?? Unfortunately not Julian, all boxed up for the forthcoming house move. In fact I'm not even too sure which bloody box its in ! This and many other projects will hopefully start again when I get straight. Thanks all for your comments. Cheers Doc Edited August 28, 2007 by Dr_Fester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Bugger, modeling and moving house is not a good combo, good luck. Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Looking good Doc, I will be following this one closely because I have to build the same kit with the same conversion to a mk VI this summer for a friends dad who flew them in the RCAF during the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Fester Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 (edited) Looking good Doc, I will be following this one closely because I have to build the same kit with the same conversion to a mk VI this summer for a friends dad who flew them in the RCAF during the war. Ron if you need any refs in the future let me know, and if I can find the mold master for the nose canopy I should be able to get one to you if your interested. Doc Edited June 11, 2007 by Dr_Fester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Ron if you need any refs in the future let me know, and if I can find the mold master for the nose canopy I should be able to get one to you if your interested.Doc Very much so, I think I can get a few pics off him of the real bird that I can post Thanks Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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