Worms

Gorilla 5 minute 2 part epoxy gives you wiggle room and a very strong joint!

I've started!

More railings...and some steps.

5 degrees I believe.

Well I've found pictures of 2 more lanc MK VIIs with no Martin dorsal turret and with H2S and bulged bomb bays, NX668 and NX697, both in Tiger Force paint. Unfortunately I'm not sure whether I can post them ref copyright...they are extracts from a book on the internet....suppose I can post the link to the book!....Pages 22 and 23. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dHo7CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=nx668+lancaster&source=bl&ots=0frKTNUWRy&sig=ACfU3U3tBSqKxe26zthBh6Q0ktlDTsC_fQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQwpySlPfnAhUBYsAKHeEZAQ0Q6AEwAXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=nx668 lancaster&f=false

@JOCKNEY...I don't know whether you had noticed but when I dug mine out today I noticed that there seems to have been a major ordnance retention malfunction according to the box art...The securing chain is still on the Grand Slam! 😳

Thanks Dave, a Tallboy capable Tiger Force Lanc has been on the cards for ages . Finding a credible subject has been the problem! At least I nownow there was definitely one out there! Looking forward to seeing what you have planned!

Some railings!

My cunning plan is to model NX618, a B Mk VII FE constructed at the Austin factory in Longbridge. She was recorded as flying to RAF Defford in Worcestershire for inspection in August 1945. I have no pictures of the aircraft so I don't know whether she was equipped with bulged bomb bay doors and lacking a dorsal turret as a 'special' for use with the Tallboy as has been implied in some documentation but, I have contacted Defford Airfield Heritage Group with a request for more information from their archives...if they have any. If information suggests that she was so equipped then I will be basing her on the 'old' Airfix Dambuster B Mk III 'Special' kit with resin bulged bomb bay doors and a homemade Tallboy that I knocked up on the lathe ages ago.... If it turns out that she was produced as a standard FE then I may sideline her for a B Mk VII FE conversion from a 'new mould' Airfix B Mk I/III kit and move on to NX664... She was sold to the French Aeronavale and re-numbered as WU21....I have managed to find a picture of this 'plane in her French colours showing the bulged bomb bay doors, H2S radar dome and lack of a Martin dorsal turret. Source: http://avions-de-la-guerre-d-algerie.over-blog.com/article-avro-683-lancaster-68786992.html I hope this isn't too complicated...I'm getting confused already! Here's the basis for a Tallboy modified effort...

Am I ok to build the MKVII that was inspected at Defford...probably NX618...without photographic evidence?

More info, NX611 (Just Jane) and NX622 were of the first batch of 150 MKVIIs intended for Tiger Force. I have found reference to NX618 that was at Defford but there are no references as yet to what she was used for but, "RAF Defford became the main station in Britain for the development of airborne radar during and after the Second World War. The airfield housed the Telecommunications Flying Unit (TFU), carrying out flight trials for the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), which had moved from Worth Matravers to Malvern in May 1942." source: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome/features/raf-defford

Aha, found it! "Selection of Equipment. The ending of the German war on 8 May 1945 permitted planningfor the deployment of Tiger Force to gain momentum, although itscomposition and the associated dates continued to change to reflectuncertainties in aircraft availability and modification states, and theavailability of bases. Before the month was out, the stated intentionwas to equip the main force with tropicalised Lancaster VIIs, modifiedto operate at an all-up weight of 72,000 lbs with one 400-gallon bombbay tank, no mid-upper turret, the new FN82 tail turret and appropriate radio and navigation aids. The radio/radar fit was discussed at ameeting held at the Telecommunications Research Establishment(TRE) at Defford on 8 June when it was decided that it should include: GEE Mk III, REBECCA Mk II, LORAN Mk I, a radio altimeter, IFF, twin VHF radios, a radio range receiver 87, Marconi HF W/T,H2S Mk IIIG or H. This equipment was to be installed by No 32 MU at St Athan whence selected aircraft were to be flown to Waddington and/or EastKirby to have enlarged bomb doors and equipment associated with the TALLBOY bomb fitted by civilian working parties. A Lancaster VII modified to Tiger Force standards was inspected at Defford on 1 August. Since 1 May, all new Lancaster production, Mks I, III and VII, hadbeen delivered to No 41 Group and held in store to meet therequirements of Tiger Force. Because there was some uncertaintyover the reliability of supplies of American-built engines, however, it was decided not to use the Lancaster III with its Packard Merlins. The first Lancaster VIIs, the preferred variant, had begun to roll off theproduction lines (they were being built by Austin Motors atLongbridge) in April and, to permit crew familiarisation to be undertaken, the first eighty aircraft were required by 15 July, with another eighty in August and subsequent production continuing to atotal of 450 aircraft. This was a somewhat optimistic target,however, and, in the event, it proved necessary to use Mk Is as well. Aircraft destined for the Far East theatre were designated LancasterB I(FE) and B VII(FE) and finished in a tropical scheme of black undersurfaces with white top and sides." But further on.....Special Missions Wing, RAF. Forming at Waddington, to be called forward, late 1945. No 9 Sqn 20 Lancaster B.I(FE) or B.I (Special), No 617 Sqn 20 Lancaster B.I(FE) or B.I (Special) Source: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/Research/RAF-Historical-Society-Journals/Journal_44_Misc_ACM_Graydon_as_CAS_Air_Land_Co-op_in_Op_TELIC_Tiger_Force.pdf It also answers the other question I was going to ask about H2S and turrets! As one of my interests is the airfields of WW2 in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and Defford being a remarkably interesting experimental base in Worcestershire, I'm planning to build the aircraft mentioned if that's acceptable....can't find any pictures though!

I'm considering a Tiger Force Lancaster. I am hoping to build a 9 or 617 squadron aircraft as requested by General Spaatz for a pair of Tallboy Squadrons... Now, I'm assuming these aircraft would have been B MKI converted to carry the Tallboy with bulged bomb bay doors. Presumably these aircraft would have been modified to FE spec?.....or, would they have used MKVII aircraft modified as the BI? I have found no pictures of a bulged bomb bay MKVII or, BI FE yet the 9 and 617 squadron aircraft were due to be shipped out in August 1945 so, does anybody have any ideas please?

I too have one of these!

In between tending the sheep, working, and holding off on everything to watch England play a fabulous game against Ireland in the six nations (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿👍🍾)....I was researching KGV's radar types. It would appear that the type 279 on both masts isn't represented in the kit, nor in Tom's Modelworks PE...oh well scratching it is the only way forward 😳

Thanks a lot, but judging by the progress you have made so far on that rather vague kit (I had a look at my Nelson last night and very rapidly opened another bottle of wine!) I should imagine that the paintwork will be very relaxing! 😉

Ha ha, cheers Jeff, having just been looking at NotDaMama's Nelson thread I'm glad I picked KGV! The fit and detail is pretty good...in fact the fit is quite tight in places. Boot topping....think I'll make a submarine next !

I'm glad I went for KGV now and not Rodney....🤯 You're making short work of the problems though, looking good!

Amazing how quickly things progress when you remove the masking tape! The armour belt presents a problem with masking and paint bleeding and there are a few places that will need a touch up. The boot topping could be straighter and parallel too 😁. The deck and all superstructure is just dry fitted at the moment. Loads of photo etch to do now....that'll probably slow me down!

Lots of masking and painting going going on, re-priming the upper hull to lose the AF red over spray!

A little more progress...

I was looking for brass barrels in 1/600 but at 30 dollars a pop plus postage I thought I would try a 0.023" drill bit...quite happy so far! Acrylics are not only easier to clean up, they dry really quickly and, they mix really well. I am limited to a couple of model shops locally, all of which supply Tamiya acrylics which are almost foolproof...they must be! 😁

Drilling out the 14"ers was nerve racking...just another 6 to go!

I've read all of the research that you have put into these paints Jamie and looked at thousands of photos and thought...hmmm, I'm not sure but, when you experiment with lighting and take into consideration the effects of old film, different conditions and mess about with paints and see what happens in different lights it really is amazing. You can reproduce effects seen in some old photos...amazing. Thanks very, very much for all the effort you have put in. I feel guilty that I haven't bought your paints now. Any likelihood of producing your paints in acrylics?

And a couple of shots, admittedly of extremes of lighting that can really confuse the issue. Not much contrast in the first photo... But a huge difference in the second. The (well my version of) 507a,almost looks like pale grey! But believe me it is pretty dark. In some lights it looks really blue, in others, very grey...pretty good camouflage I suppose!