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tomprobert

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Everything posted by tomprobert

  1. …but B-24Ds were fitted with the ball turret! Early production B-24Ds were delivered with the tunnel gun arrangement, but this soon proved to be more or less useless in combat. Therefore, later D models were fitted with the ball turret, so again it’ll depend on which aircraft you’re hoping to replicate and where it fell in the D model production run. Also of consideration with the D is the cheek gun on the left side of the nose - early Ds didn’t have this and it was added later as more forward defence was needed. Rear turrets also had subtle differences between early and late. Again, check references carefully… And there’s more - early Ds had narrow chord props; later ones used the wider paddle blades. For any kit manufacturer to cover all bases is simply not possible with the B-24! Tom
  2. Shoo Shoo Shoo baby is painted green as it was once an airliner. The interior was restored in green to hide the work done to bring her back to WWII spec - she was also a natural metal bird and never OD so don’t use this as an accurate restoration! As Alan said above, cockpits are Dark Dull (or Bronze) green and everything else for a G is in natural metal.
  3. That’s come out really well, despite the trials. If you’d not told me about the decal issue, I’d have been blissfully unaware. And anyway, what’s the fun (and sense of accomplishment) building shake and bakes all the time? Sit back and enjoy looking at a model that fought you along the way but has emerged a stunner! All the best, Tom
  4. That’s gorgeous. Beautifully finished and weathered to perfection - I never understand those who weather the hell out of Dambuster Lancs when they were new, low-hour airframes! Lovely job! Tom
  5. I don’t disagree with you, but my point still stands. The vast majority of modellers won’t notice/care if things are wrong, and the vast majority will also build it OOB. And therefore it’s very much up to the individual as to whether they wish to invest in aftermarket items. However, even if you are a “serious modeller” you can still build it OOB and end up with a good result regardless of inaccuracies. Yes of course it should be “right” out of the box, and no one would dispute that, but as you say you can invest as much as you like to make the perfect replica. I’m pretty sure HobbyBoss market this to the average Joe and thus mass-market appeal, at a reasonable price, is probably their priority over a model that’s dimensionally perfect. That’s a shame, but if it’s not your cup of tea then wrestle the old Monogram kit into submission - I’ve done that a few times over the years and know where my next investment in a 1/48th Liberator will be heading 🙂
  6. Buying aftermarket items is purely a matter of choice - the vast majority of those who will build this kit won’t want, or feel the need, to make any additions. Granted, there will be some who will want to correct any perceived issues and add some detail but, as I said, that’s entirely up to the individual. Kit manufacturers provide the essentials, and the majority will be very happy with that - there’s no need to spend a penny more than the basic kit price if you don’t want to. I think the general perception is the Monogram D nose is too pinched along the lower nose area - HobbyBoss actually got this about right with their 1/32 version and were immediately panned for the nose being too bulbous in this area. However, it’s actually a lot more accurate than the Monogram kit! The H-nose has some subtle differences when compared to the J. The bomb aimer’s window set up is different and the shape immediately behind the nose turret is subtly different too - those more familiar with the Lib will be able to tell you more. The H used the Emerson turret throughout its production run, whereas the earlier J models had the Consolidated turret (more or less the same as was used in the tail) and then later batches had the Emerson turret fitted.
  7. Time for some Vulcan love… I have painted the kit’s nicely cast white metal seats and added some belts from Tamiya tape. The pull handles came from a spare Eduard set and have added a nice splash of colour in an otherwise very drab cockpit! I then cut out the beautifully clear cockpit blister (very carefully as only one copy is supplied!) and as has been the case with this the majority of this model, it fitted perfectly. Some tape held it in place whilst I ran some TET around the join: The tape was removed when dry, and all I need to do now is run some Mr Surfacer around the edges to blend it all in: Only the small aerials to add and I can splash some primer. Let’s hope the weather plays ball! Cheers all, Tom
  8. Thanks for this, Ian - I’m planning this myself to do a BA Landor liveried 744. Like Ray, I have some Braz RB211s ready so will be keen to see what the mods are for the wings, too. Cheers!
  9. On the topic of apostrophes, don’t get me started on the whole your/you’re thing which drives me insane!
  10. Thanks once again for the words of encouragement! Big steps forward over the last couple of evenings. With the interior complete I glued and filled the Airfix fuselage together and made a plastic card plug to fill the hole for the mid-upper turret. Next, the tails and centre fin were added with the help of some pins, and suddenly we have an early Manchester MkI emerging: There’s a bit of remedial work needed on the tail and fin joints, but overall I’m really pleased how resin and plastic have come together. I’ve actually surprised myself at how quickly this has progressed, but I suppose enjoying a build and being part of a group build does wonders to one’s motivation. Until next time, Tom
  11. Thanks very much, gentlemen! This weekend I’ve had a bit of bench time and have splashed some paint and added a few details to the interior. Being the newish Airfix kit, it hasn’t posed any problems and detail and fit are great out of the box. I first sprayed the interior with Xtracolor British Interior Green as I think I’m right in saying early Manchesters didn’t have the black areas as seen in Lancasters - if I’m wrong it’s too late! I had an old Eduard set which was actually for the Hasegawa Lancaster, but I cut this about (mainly to modify it to a twin-engine instrument set up) and managed to get it to fit as well as adding some belts. I now need to stick everything together and make the joins good and the majority of the graft should then be done… More when there’s more! Tom
  12. Very nice indeed. Right up my street with the restrained weathering and it’s great to see a model actually looking like the real thing instead of a caricature with over-zealous weathering ‘effects’ - bravo!
  13. More progress to report… Wing tips have now been added and blended, and the areas damaged by filling/sanding have been rescribed: I think I can call that a success! On to the fuselage now… Tom
  14. Hopefully - I built this Airfix Lancaster a few years back OOB and it went together really well. All I'm going to need to address is the plugging of the mid-upper position but I think Airfix provide a blank for that as part of the Dambuster parts so it should be fine. Many thanks, both - very kind.
  15. Many thanks, gentlemen - appreciated. Two updates in one day? I’m on a roll! I’ve had added the wing tips today and whilst the fit was quite good, I’ve added some Milliput to blend everything in - hopefully when it’s sanded it’ll all look nice and uniform. I’ve also done some work on the tails - the main stabilisers and fins are ready and primed, with the centre fin done too. These came from the Planet kit. The smaller main wheels (also Planet) have been prepped and just need some primer: This week will be spent doing some sanding/polishing and then I can make start on the fuselage which should be fairly straightforward as it’s going to be the Airfix kit more or less OOB. Until next time, Tom
  16. Slowly but ever so surely, the BUFF inches towards paint. Here she is taking a nap on the bed…
  17. Cheers, chaps - @theplasticsurgeon that’s a beauty and gives lots of inspiration! Time at the bench this week has been spent doing lots of filling and sanding in an attempt to get the Paragon power-eggs mated and blended to the Airfix nacelles and gear bays. I use Milliput superfine white which is a joy to work with - it can be shaped with water and sands beautifully, with no shrinkage. With the dog-work done I’ve taken the wings outside this morning and, with the rare sunshine and dry weather, I’ve given the wings a squirt with some Halfords’ grey primer: They’ve come out ok - despite the drastic surgery there’s not a huge amount of additional work needed: As expected, there’s some rescribing of panel lines to be done, but overall I’m pleased! Of interest is the fact the Airfix and Paragon panel lines are very similar in width and depth which helps keep everything nice and uniform. Bonus! A final shot in some light a little less harsh: Now I be taking a look at the wing tips and ailerons… More when there’s more… Tom
  18. They look like 260lb frag bombs. Therefore, would’ve been relatively easy for 2 men to move (about 110KG in modern currency) and the aircraft’s internal winch could easily to the rest.
  19. Lots of Manchester progress over the weekend. First, the Paragon outer wings were finished off. The trailing edge was built up with plastic card and filled to ensure the resin matched the Airfix plastic. Obviously the old tool kit has a narrower wing: Next, the engines were attached. This was trickier than I had anticipated as they were not designed for this kit - I had to shim and amend the Airfix nacelles/gear bay fairings accordingly to get a decent fit but, some careful filling and sanding should sort this in due course: And a test fit of the wings to the fuselage reveals something Manchester shaped so I must be on the right lines: More when there’s more… Tom
  20. Yup… they added an extra bit of fun. They’re actually quite a bit forward of the elevator hinge which is the darker, deeper line that runs parallel with the trailing edges.
  21. Lovely, Roger - and it’s great to see it finally built after languishing in my stash for so long! Tom
  22. It wasn’t tricky - once I’d worked the spacing out - but rather tedious! The key is also to use the CA glue sparingly otherwise you’ll find the etch sticking to the masking tape guide. Ask me how I know…
  23. I did try the same but quickly gave up due to failing miserably in my attempts to get them all uniform in size… hence some etch ones coming to the rescue. With 230 of the little blighters, I hope I can be forgiven? Anyway, on the subject of vortex generators, the stabilisers have now been done. I now need to busy myself with making lots of little aerials which are dotted all over the airframe! Until next time, Tom
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