Whirly

While activity on the nacelles is somewhat stalling, I made some progress on the wingtip pods. After studying all the images I had, I gained confidence that those pods were the same used by the F6F-5K Hellcats, based on appearance and approximate size. Unfortunately I couldn't find a single word on these devices in the references I consulted, so this is just my interpretation. Once accepted this "fact", I built up with plasticard the wingtips to make something resembling the Hellcat installation: Some confirmation of my approach came from measuring the wing chord of both a/c at the aileron joint: it's exactly the same when comparing the Matchbox kit and an Eduard Hellcat. For the pod themselves I located these external tanks in my spares box. They are not perfect, but close enough for my needs. If I'm not mistaken they come from the first Airfix Bae Hawk boxing (about 1976 vintage). I need to build up the wingtip attachment to obtain a thick fairing. Here you can see it on the Hellcat, I guess the cap was used for aerodynamic purposes when there was no tank attached. Thanks for looking!

Well, despite the years passed by, I remember a lot of sanding, sanding and sanding again 😀 Thank you all for the appreciative comments, they mean a lot!

Thank you Jeff, hope my slow progress is not too boring! 😀 The Privateer nacelles are really a complicated matter and due to the poor visibility in images it's hard to find confirmations. The bumps underneath each nacelle are oil cooler duct outlets, it's an exhaust for the air coming from the lower inlet in the naca front. I'll deal later with the engine exhausts, it's another critical piece of research. They are a fantastic product, I couldn't do without them now!

Then there are the engine nacelles... Unfortunately their shape and lack of details are very problematic. First, I added a 1mm shim between the halves as suggested by the instructions for the resin engine replacements. Re-thinking about this later, I reckoned that it shouldn't be a full lenght addition since the rear nacelle width needs a drastic reduction to be more realistic. This is more or less the correct shape obtained with epoxy putty, filler, super glue and a very coarse file to remove the excess before finishing, Thanks for looking!

Again on the tail skid: after all it's better that I didn't remember to open the holes, since they are positioned too forward! While we are at it, another minor issue with the kit is the shape of the fin cap: without repeating, please refer to this very explicative post by @Navy Bird: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235093253-172-revell-consolidated-pb4y-2-privateer/page/13/#findComment-4163355 And now a digression on the wings: the main wheelwells are detailed with an 'agricultural' representation of the wing structure. I ruled out a complete rebuild but a bit of correction at least is undeferrable: there is no physical space for the wheels to retract into, so I carefully removed a little depth with a motor tool. Much better now, compared to the original. Don't forget to treat the upper surface of the wings which is marred by severall small sink marks due to the thick wheelwell structure.

These model is a bit vintage, I'd say completed around 2012... I started this build during the Emergency Service GB in 2011, then things got a different bend and I missed the deadline. Eventually I finished it and it was a pleasant experience: painted with Tamiya spray due to the sheer size, I was very happy with the result, only details and the yellow areas added with the airbrush. Only big problem is storage. I conceived a complex solution with two main spars for sliding the wings over them so that they can be removed, but in the end it was unpractical and I feared damages to the props and u/c while assembling and disassembling. It's a pity because I could not install the distinctive HF wire aerials, but I don't dare make any changes! Fast forward 13 years, Howard @hsr enquired me about the final fate of this build and so everything resurfaced, included finding that I had not posted anything about the happy conclusion. So here it is! Here's the original posting, not much about the build though. Thanks for looking!

Sign me up please, I have several choices in my stash!

Me too! I have the Magna conversion, though it's a bit... rudimentary!

Boys, you were fast! 😀 Absolutely my fault: I checked the instructions (something no self-respected modeller would ever do, you know 😉) and saw that part 75 must be installed after opening out a couple of holes in the lower fuselage. The curious thing is that you are instructed to open those holes in all three steps dedicated to the different versions you can build from the box. Since I'm building a fourth version I completely overlooked this step And now I'm left with the missing well.

My fears were confirmed and I had to re-do all the small fuselage windows with new transparent plastic, attached with superglue. very tedious job, now waiting for treatment with Micro Mesh and Tamiya polishes to restore transparency. While doing that, I started work on the tail fairing replacing the redundant gun turret. Actually I coudn't find any clear image of the real one, it just seems to follow the lines of the rear fuselage to end in an angular fairing, different from that seen on USCG Planes. Also, I realized only now that the Matchbox kit does not supply a tail bumper. A strange omission, since it is a detail common also to every B-24, and much more difficult to add the corresponding well now that the fuselage is closed 🙄 Thanks for looking!

Perfectly agree, same experience: the stbd wing is a difficult fit and needs a good deal of massaging with files and a motor tool to make room for the front wing.

Sorry, I was a bit confusing: I meant two lights for the early ones delivered directly from Sikorsky (HAR21 & HAS22), see for example WV218 here Do as you like though, I just wanted to help clarifying their purpose 🙂

Hi Colin, those are landing lights. Initially two on the early marks, then just one and the other faired over, at least this is what appears from available images. https://www.alamy.com/westland-ws-55-whirlwind-har3-royal-navy-rescue-helicopter-hovering-above-the-landing-deck-of-r31-hms-warrior-a-colossus-class-light-aircraft-carrier-in-the-pacific-during-operation-grapple-image460598496.html?imageid=C0EF96FF-5204-4D6E-BE1C-3BCC89C1358A&p=496337&pn=1&searchId=96b15fc563004a59dc3b306dd1378ea0&searchtype=0 https://www.alamy.com/in-safe-hands-a-raf-winchman-helps-the-injured-party-aboard-a-westland-whirlwind-har10-helicopter-as-it-hovers-over-the-cliffs-at-flamborough-16th-august-1968-image462967055.html?imageid=4D97135D-9B47-469B-B03C-0F93A8A30F29&p=62486&pn=1&searchId=96b15fc563004a59dc3b306dd1378ea0&searchtype=0

It is UV resin: I used it previously for landing lights with good results. Here I made an experiment: I attached the kit provided windows with resin and filled all the gaps to level them with the fuselage because they are a very bad fit and also slightly oversized. I started the sanding phase and this attempt seems a failure: the resin does not adhere well to the plastic and it is esfoliating leaving white spots in the windows. I think I will replace completely the windows and stick them with superglue to be safe.

I see this subject is getting some interest, so I'd better show something 😀 I started with the main fuselage to incorporate all the mods needed, I used the side insert meant for the cargo option because there are no waist turret to deal with: A - this is an optional window which needs to be opened up according to the instructions, the correct insert is part 89. B - this is an open window which is not visible in the subject I'm building, so I blanked it off with the kit windows supported by plasticard. J - needs to be opened up, checking the position with the simmetrical window in part 12. E - I chose to install the fin before mating the fuselages, so that I can have it exactly vertical. D - I added a mounting mast for the beacon. Many modellers lamented the weakness of the fuselage seam which can be forced open by the weight of the wings, so I added some reinforcements: F - a thin plasticard lip to support the upper join C - wood supporting block to stop the fuselage 'squeezing' when pressed from the sides. Glued with two part epoxy for maximum strenght. A good alternative would be to add wing spars, but I didn't want to do all the measurements and you have to take into account the space occupied by the main gear wells. G - second wood supporting block H - this window has been completely overlooked in the kit: not that much visible in images, especially in the GSB livery, but it is there and symmetrical to the stbd side. I - the other side is similar, just another window to add which is not an option in the kit: copy its position from A. Thanks for looking!