New 1/72nd Revell Halifax Mk.III- DONE,...FINISHED!

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

Well I`ve made a start on the new Revell Halifax Mk.III and the new wings and cowlings look great but I`m not sure about the engine fronts and the propellers,......the front opening could be a bit wide the props a bit too `paddled' if that makes sense with small hubs,....but I think that I can live with it? Compared to other conversions that I`ve made in the past the exhausts and upper air intakes may be a bit small too, but again I think that I can live with them,.....what do you think?

Sorry for not including pics of the interior etc but these are just the same as the earlier Mk.II/V kit anyway. Here is the main airframe together with the wings still not attached;

As you an see the windows for the earlier variants have been glued into the nose securely, covered with filler and sanded smooth, as have the portholes in the rear fuselage which are not applicable to this later variant;

So just a sanding session and then it is time to apply some paint,

Cheers

Tony

Edited November 15, 2015 by tonyot

[Beard]

Firstly, I'm no expert but I've just had a look at a few photos on-line and the propellers look too wide and blunt to me. Of course, that could be due to the angle the photos were taken from (both of your kit and the real thing).

Could I live with it? I suppose it depends on how much it would annoy me every time I looked at the finished kit.

[dogsbody]

Any pics of the build prior to this point in the spacetime continuum?

Chris

[VG 33]

I was about to ask you some questions about this kit as I've got one.

Patrick

[JimHead23]

It looks pretty good to me Tony and you have probably made enough of them to know best?

The cowlings certainly look good.

Regards

Jim

[woody37]

Tony,

IMO, I would live with the engines unless you can easily run a strip of card around the inner edge, but those props are a bit too much off. Hopefully we get some decent aftermarket ones.

Either way, I'm looking forwards to sitting back and watching

[Honeybee]

Hiya Woody.

Have a word with the General, he got some examples of props from John Adams at the weekend so he'll know whether they are more suitable, I think the kit ones are too broad and paddle like. Like the build so far Tony, nearly bought one in Belgium at the Affligem show but got sidetracked.

Regards

Paul

[bigbadbadge]

Hi Tony

Great work as usual fella, I am no expert but Props look odd, could live with the cowls though. Good luck on the rest of the build.

All the best
Chris

[tonyot]

Thanks everybody,.......I totally agree about the props,......I was thinking of sanding the blades down but I might just check the spares box for a set of Aeroclub props instead. I`m also in two minds about wrapping a section of plastic card around the inside of the exhaust rings. Why did Revell get these wrong?

Cheers

Tony

PS- I didn`t take any construction pics because I put it all together last night and didn`t want to have to wait for daylight to take progress pics, especially as I`ve done these elsewhere for the Mk.II version and the interior is identical. Even the wheel wells are identical so the only new parts are the wings and cowlings as seen above.

PPS- For interior views just look at this thread as it is identical,...apart from the fact that the later Mk.III has been finished with a black cockpit;

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234978739-z-nose-halifax-revell-mkii-freightdog-resin-update-parts/

Edited October 13, 2015 by tonyot

[Gondor44]

Does this kit come with the Boulton Paul type "D" turret as an option to allow a Mk VI to be built or is there a conversion set out there which includes a Boulton Paul type "D" turret?

Gondor

[tonyot]

Does this kit come with the Boulton Paul type "D" turret as an option to allow a Mk VI to be built or is there a conversion set out there which includes a Boulton Paul type "D" turret?

Gondor

Sorry Gondor,

No the D turret is not included, pity as I want to build a A.Mk.IX! The best bet is to modify the late rear turret from the Airfix Lancaster, but it depends on how accurate you want it to be.

Cheers

Tony

[Gondor44]

Sorry Gondor,

No the D turret is not included, pity as I want to build a A.Mk.IX! The best bet is to modify the late rear turret from the Airfix Lancaster, but it depends on how accurate you want it to be.

Cheers

Tony

Thats a pity.

I did think of useing the FN82 as they look simmilar but I would rather use something made for the purpose. Perhaps someone like Freighdog will made a conversion set for us?

Gondor

[Jonny]

Pardon my ignorance, but I thought many (most?)Mk.III Halifax's had the 'square' wingtips?

I bought my kit today (regrettably SWMBO was shopping with me and I suffered a heavy interrogation after I'd sneaked off & re-appeared with a large blue box under my arm - another story) and am disappointed that Revell's instructions (page 7) refer to a MkIII and Mk.V while later referring to the kit-supplied B.Mk.III and A.Mk.VII [sic] pp16 and 17.

I can't (yet) make out whether the square wingtips are included in the kit - no mention in the instructions or the sprue diagram (P.5).

Can any experts (TonyOT / Woody / General for example) help me? I'd rather like to complete my Halifax as 'Friday the 13th' if I can find my old Airfix decals.

Thanks in hope,

Jonny

[tonyot]

Hiya Jonny,

I wouldn`t call myself a Halifax expert but I can say that the squared off wingtips required for Friday the 13th are included in the Mk.III kit, just as they were for the earlier Merlin engined version. The instructions are a hotch potch and many of the sections which mention the Mk.II & V must have been intended for the earlier Merlin engined version kit. Due to the earlier kit sharing common parts many of the parts from the earlier kit are still included on the sprues.

Here is a nice piccy of Friday the 13th showing the early B.III straight wingtips;

Later Mk.III `s had extended rounded wing tips and this continued onto all following versions.

Hope that helps,

Tony

Edited October 13, 2015 by tonyot

[Jonny]

Thanks, Tony ... I should have checked the plastic but after the drubbing I got from SWMBO thought it best to just sneak a look at the paperwork!

Having had a quick look at the plastic the propellers look more like B17 than Halifax!

Ho hum ...

[Gondor44]

Pardon my ignorance, but I thought many (most?)Mk.III Halifax's had the 'square' wingtips?

I bought my kit today (regrettably SWMBO was shopping with me and I suffered a heavy interrogation after I'd sneaked off & re-appeared with a large blue box under my arm - another story) and am disappointed that Revell's instructions (page 7) refer to a MkIII and Mk.V while later referring to the kit-supplied B.Mk.III and A.Mk.VII [sic] pp16 and 17.

I can't (yet) make out whether the square wingtips are included in the kit - no mention in the instructions or the sprue diagram (P.5).

Can any experts (TonyOT / Woody / General for example) help me? I'd rather like to complete my Halifax as 'Friday the 13th' if I can find my old Airfix decals.

Thanks in hope,

Jonny

Hiya Jonny,

I wouldn`t call myself a Halifax expert but I can say that the squared off wingtips required for Friday the 13th are included in the Mk.III kit, just as they were for the earlier Merlin engined version. The instructions are a hotch potch and many of the sections which mention the Mk.II & V must have been intended for the earlier Merlin engined version kit. Due to the earlier kit sharing common parts many of the parts from the earlier kit are still included on the sprues.

Later Mk.III `s had extended rounded wing tips and this continued onto all following versions.

Hope that helps,

Tony

THe Halifax B. Mk V and Met. Mk V were identical to the Mk II other than haveing Dowtey main undercarriage rather than the usual Messier undercarriage. Not sure about the changes that made the Mk VII at the moment.

Gondor

[tonyot]

I can see where Revell got the shape of their props from as they are supposed to have liased with Trenton and their fabulous restoration;

The above have been reproduced here for info purposes,.....I couldn`t find M.Berry but if you would like me to remove your great pics then I gladly will.

So,....I`m presuming that these are the correct propellers,....were paddle blades a late war addition? This Driffield based Halibag and a post war Halton also have similar props;

Reproduced for info only.

Here is a post war Airborne Forces version, although the props are hard to determine,....note the treaded tyres and pannier under the belly,...this would have a D Type turret too;

Cheers

Tony

Edit- Gondor- Re your last,..... I was speaking in terms of operational development after the Mk.III,........ie all Hercules powered variants following the Mk.III,..!!! The Mk.V was a Merlin engined variant of the Mk.II which incorporated a different undercarriage! OK V comes after III numerically,...but not in terms of Halifax development!

The Mk.VII had the longer wingtips and had more powerful Hercules engines,...I think that this changed the exhausts layout as these changed around between Hercules engined versions after the Mk.III,....check your references.

Also,....if it helps here is a D Type turret;

Edited October 13, 2015 by tonyot

[stevej60]

Tony it certainly looks like a Halifax to me great job so far,and that,s a nice link to your earlier build and the interior work,look forward to

this build progressing.

[tonyot]

Tony it certainly looks like a Halifax to me great job so far,and that,s a nice link to your earlier build and the interior work,look forward to

this build progressing.

Cheers Steve,

I`m looking forward to your Halibag too mate,

All the best,

Tony

[dogsbody]

I was just wondering what the engines looked like assembled and painted, before being mounted in the cowls.

And yes, the props do look a bit wide at the tips. Here's a job for Colin at Freightdog.

Chris

Edited October 14, 2015 by dogsbody

[John Aero]

A detail from a picture of 'Friday the 13th'. and my P0139 prop. I may work on it a bit more. Remember that in some angles you're looking at the effects of pitch blade twist and perspective. The blade roots on the Canadian restoration are quite different to the wartime photo. The props are DH licence Hamilton Standard.

John

[tonyot]

Hiya John,

Its nice to hear from you. I`m not doubting that your props are accurate for the vast majority of Hercules engined Halifax`s as they are, I was just stating that the props on the Trenton Halifax do seem to be paddle bladed and so I can see where Revell came up with theirs from as they are supposed to have used this superb restoration for reference. Having checked further there are a minority of later variants which are also equipped with these paddle peopellers,......but they are interspersed with others equipped with the more common props as depicted in your PO139 set. I have some of your props `in stock' and I`ll be using those plus I`ll probably ordering some more from you if that is OK?

All the best

Tony

[John Aero]

Hi Tony,

I was just drawing attention to the fact that the Trenton props differed to the more common early Herc props. I'm trying to get a stock for Telford. The Merlin variants were just as bad with three types of blade

Cheers

John

[Graham Boak]

To clear up a few points: the Mk.VI had the more powerful engines, and the starboard outer exhaust was moved to the fuselage side of the engine. You'll also find some fixed gill portions - in line with the wing leading edge IIRC. The Mk.VII was a Mk.VI airframe with the earlier engines, but the altered exhausts and gills.

The kit props don't look like anything seen on a Halifax, not even the Trenton one. Maybe Freightdog will do them, but Aeroclub already do. An improved tailwheel would also be welcomed. I have spare mainwheels already - but treaded ones would nicely for postwar options, as shown above.

If anyone is interested, I've made some comments about the kit, specifically correcting the ailerons and the nacelles, on 72nd Scale modeller.

[tonyot]

Cheers John and Graham,

It all adds to the mix!

Today I had a go at one of the nacelles but unfortunately the light got the better of me for a photo, so I hope that you can see it ,......first of all I added plasticstrip to the top of the air intake above the engine and then wrapped a section of plastic card around the inside of the nacelle opening. When the glue has dried I`ll add some filler and trim the plastic down before sanding the seam down. Hopefully it will work out OK and if so I`ll do the other three nacelles tonight/tomorrow.

I`ll also dig out some Aeroclub propellers and then decide upon which individual aircraft to model, I`m split between the kit option for the well known `Oscar', a SEAC aircraft from 1341 Flt or a 462 Sqn jammer equipped with ABC jamming antennae,...all of which I intend to build sometime. I was going to build it as MZ500, C8-N `Bambi' from 640 Sqn but I think that it might have had a Preston-Green ventral turret fitted, so I`ll have a go at scratch building one of these at a later date?

Cheers

Tony

Edited October 14, 2015 by tonyot