SleeperService

I can't believe a plan is working!! Here is proof After 7 years in the wilderness the damage to the wings has been fixed and the next step will be enlarging the wing mounted oil cooler inlet - I originally made the opening the right size but then lined it with card...Doh! One advantage of the hiatus is that more information on these rarely seen birds has come to light. The major item is that the seat in the second cockpit was moved back such that the bulkhead is behind the radio's former position. I was wrong to leave the oxygen equipment and fuselage mounted gun compartment in place as both were stripped out. Also removed was the Norden bomb sight mount and the drift sight mountings from the rear cockpit sides. The drift sight was mounted in the bomb aiming position which makes sense as communication would be vastly improved. The radio was moved forward to allow more weight to be carried in the rear area which was completely gutted. Not even a seat was fitted as the passengers tended to sleep during the flights. This caused a stink when the US Command found out and demanded seats be fitted and used, this was eventually defused by transferring the tasks to nominal RAF control and was the reason the black and orange markings re-appeared. That's it for this report, next time should see progress and even paint in the internal spaces.

Not just the young 'uns there are no end of service people into model making and in the RAF all of them went through a training stage. There are several trainers since the Tucano so plenty to go at and gliders are likely the easiest thing for new acolytes to build. I've been wondering about the large 1/48 subjects too. So I'll wade in with 1/48 Lancaster - make the nacelles and engines separate so it can easily be re-released as a Mk.II 1/144 SRN.4 in the Classic range. I doubt that any 1/48 vehicles will appear as it's obvious that the designers don't care about them. However, if they did a good Series II or III Landy would compliment a lot of the aircraft range.

Watch this space folks! I'm taking a break from my XB-38 build before one of us kills the other. As I found the missing float a few days ago and have a set of Eduard etch on the way at a very nice price this is now off the pile and on the bench. I wasn't happy with some of the work I'd done so I've stripped it back (the Humbrol aluminium was still not hard!!) Tomorrow will be repairing the wing damage...

As am I. Also hoping that 2024 marks me completing a GB in the time allowed. My record is pretty pathetic.

In case you aren't aware this is pretty superb https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-complete-f-111b.html the rest of the site is equally awesome. @81-er Would a Saunders Roe S.R 53 in service scheme be acceptable? I have a cunning plan if so.

Here you go. A very easy to use set I think the Big H stock them nowadays https://www.alleycatmodels.co.uk/meteor-mk4-conversion-6614-p.asp

Are they really What-Ifs if they were drawn up at the time and development started (even if only for a few months)? That would thin out the potential subjects just look at the development chart posted above.

I was thinking the same but I'm now looking at a Tamiya 1/48 Elefant or doing a Porsche suspended JagdTiger as T-Rex offer the parts and tracks. Decisions, decisions.

I've turned up the Academy F-86F-30 from the deep stash is the kit right for a 6-3 wing or do I need to think again?

I haven't looked into that claim yet so take it with a pinch of salt. I think lining the front fuselage with Milliput or similar before assembly would be good insurance in case better information comes to light. This plane was huge so edge distortion is a certainty, I think the best we can hope for is factory drawings appearing from somewhere.

I've been looking at this area for a couple of days now and I believe that Halberd are pretty close to the real deal. There are a couple of views showing a more definite break which seem distorted in other ways and a lot of drawings, profiles and model photos showing a clean line from front to rear that can't be right when you look at the nose area. I think it will look different under a coat of primer as the light reflecting from the resin surface could be misleading. There's film on Youtube of this beast with the engine running which makes anything else seem like a kitten. Awesome. I've just read that the fuselage was based on the XR-12 Rainbow engine nacelle so best get six while you're at it 🤪

All I got was a flyer for a pizza shop. I've got a part-built FJ-4B from the Matchbox GB and the Academy kit both in 1/48. I'm hoping Caracal get their FJ-4 sheet out soon. No idea what to do with the Academy kit but it will certainly need new decals. Frustrated that my latest GB entry didn't pan out despite my best efforts (very poorly moulded & brittle plastic) I think I can manage a Sabre. Count me in.

I'm in! No idea what yet but something will come to mind by whenever.

Sign me up. I recently binned my part built entry from the Obsolete GB as a new kit is on the way and I'd lost/used parts on other things. So a recent sweep revealed the 1/48 modelcraft F-82G in 'Precision 1/48 scale' or a Czech Model Me263A-1 in '1/48 scale' which makes me feel uneasy. There are two vacform canopies in a Olde Worlde Public Bar Fagnolia too. This one features the names of parts represented which is good as it would be hard to tell otherwise. I briefly considered a KittyHawk F-35B but then remembered to take my medication and I'm feeling much better now.

I had the same experience with their Ta-154 Moskito, Mail order from MJH(?) in Wimbledon by letter and Postal Order. The canopy was my downfall.

I have mine and it's a beautiful piece of work literally highly detailed plastic parts but in resin. Not cheap but fantastic value for money. The Ultrabolt is a pinnacle of madness and will also be ordered but my next purchase is the P-38 floatplane.

I'm sorry to have to say this but this blasted project is one step forward then two back. I'm no nearer than I was weeks ago to even completing the wings. I'm now at the point where I need to step away for a short while and recharge my enthusiasm for this project. It's not going anywhere except to the side of my work area while I research another stalled project and maybe grab a quick win from another Mountain of Doom resident. On a more hopeful note I'm going to modify the engine parts to get then at least nearer to the actual subject, then cast them up as a hollow part. Nobody else should have to go through what me and @LorenSharp have endured, especially as I've recently found out that there was a proposal for a XB-38 & YB-40 hybrid gunship. I'll carry on the build here if everybody is cool with that very soon. Sorry for failing yet again but I really tried this time.

It's certainly getting tight again but we need GBs with broad appeal if the concept is going to grow, the world has enough 'planes and a few others' type sites.

I thought so too but it bit me again when I was momentarily distracted. The two week extension gives me a chance to beat it though.

I'm truly thankful for the two weeks extra. The wings on my project are still fighting tooth and nail...

That is a superb build and will be referred to when I bash my kit together. Has anybody else noticed that the door handles in the linked pictures are standard household door furniture? If Airfix have any brains the SR.N4 will be re-released before much longer.

Voted for this digits crossed it makes it. Too many aircraft specific options for my liking so only voted three GBs.

Oops I forgot to update this until a notification nudged me. So where is it? Finished!! except for the figures that didn't work together... Marked up as a Polish Army vehicle that is still running after a hard life. As a What-If? it's reached Polish territory in mid-1946 after a long return from the depths of the USSR. I intend to have a couple of crew collecting bottles of water from the Baltic as happened in real life. As it carried only a few rounds of ammunition IRL I've decided to add a T-60 based sled for extra supplies (which actually happened) towed behind it. I've also taken advice from others and have two further books on order for figure painting, the one I have is for very advanced figure experts and will be going to a new home soon when the guy gets back from holiday. It's by no means perfect but I'm happy with it and enjoyed finishing it. The mine-stomper may return next as I think I know how to build the rear steering fork...we shall see. There are bits to do including toning down the markings but that'll wait until it's little companion is complete.

Well what a great result! Congratulations on getting the Beast finished and looking pretty damned good if I may say so. Knowing what you started with it's even more impressive and looks a lot more like an XB-38 than simple assembly of the conversion pieces would give. It does look good in silver though.

You have found what I've been looking for, the Civilized conversion is the same. I've been looking at photos in D&S 11 and Vol 2 of David Doyle's B-17 and couldn't see where things were going awry now I can't unsee it. I've just shot some primer on my nacelles and it looks as if the lower nacelle tapers in too sharply narrowing the front. At the inlet top front there's a return to reduce the top edge width, I think about 18mm back from the front face behind the spinner the cowl taper needs reducing to add about 1.5 to 2.0mm to the width, in effect making the front more of a vertical oval rather than egg-shaped. Doing some quick and rough measurements from photos I get a spinner length of 10.5mm for a diameter of 15.25mm and mine are far too pointy as well coming in at 13.82mm. I think we have copies of the same conversion or an amazing set of coincidences. I think I'll sleep on this nugget. Good work there and that paint looks mighty fine from here.