1/32nd scale Avro Shackleton - scratchbuild project

[mackem01]

The Shack is back! Happy to see this again.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

^ wot the Mackem said

[Max Headroom]

Yay!

 

Trevor

[12jaguar]

And I seem to recall that there's a Stirling lurking somewhere in Tom's to finish list😉

 

John

[woody37]

This coronavirus aint all bad, we get to see Tom digging out his unfinished builds! can't wait to see more progress

 

[tomprobert]

10 hours ago, 12jaguar said:

And I seem to recall that there's a Stirling lurking somewhere in Tom's to finish list😉

 

John

Indeed there is, John - it’ll get its turn on the bench again one day...

6 hours ago, woody37 said:

This coronavirus aint all bad, we get to see Tom digging out his unfinished builds! can't wait to see more progress

 

Ha! The extra time at home is certainly helping - although the wife has had other ideas today and I’ve been redecorating the living room... not overly impressed with that but the Brownie points will no doubt come in useful!

 

Tom

[Max Headroom]

32 minutes ago, tomprobert said:

although the wife has had other ideas today and I’ve been redecorating the living room... not overly impressed with that but the Brownie points will no doubt come in useful!

 

Tom

Anti Flash White, Hemp, Extra Dark Sea Grey.....?

 

Trevor

[tomprobert]

Howdy folks 

 

I hope everyone is managing to stay healthy and out of the way of this ghastly virus - I've been making the most of my time at home and have made the elevators for the big Shackleton.

 

Scratch-building this sort of thing is really straightforward, and can be covered in the following steps:

 

Step 1:

 

Using scaled plans, cut yourself four elevator shapes (two left and two right) from plastic card. O.25mm is about the right thickness:

 

IMG_1877 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Step 2:

 

Again, using plans to guide me, the main panel lines are scribed on. This is done before further construction as it's far easier to scribe on to flat plastic card than when it's on the airframe:

 

IMG_1879 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Step 3:

 

Rivets are added:

 

IMG_1883 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Pressing on to the soft cutting mat has actually left a nice oil-canning effect - bonus!

 

IMG_1885 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Step 4:

 

Using off-cuts of sprue, the leading edges of the elevators are made and attached to the hingeline:

 

IMG_1886 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Step 5:

 

Top and bottom 'skins' are then sandwiched together:

 

IMG_1888 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Step 6:

 

The leading edges and end plates are then blended with Milliput:

 

IMG_1891 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Step 7:

 

Fit your latest creations to the stabilisers:

 

IMG_1893 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

And there we have it! Well - not quite. Still some fettling to do with the hinges and they also need priming. Unfortunately the local Halfords is closed due to the virus and I've run out of primer, so that'll have to wait. 

 

Stay safe people and thanks as ever for stopping by.

Tom

[Max Headroom]

Good stuff as always.

 

As a matter of interest, who makes the riveting wheel? I'm intrigued and sometimes I think that I 'need' one!.

 

Trevor

[tomprobert]

7 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Good stuff as always.

 

As a matter of interest, who makes the riveting wheel? I'm intrigued and sometimes I think that I 'need' one!.

 

Trevor

Hi Trevor,

 

The riveting wheel is from Trumpeter - it comes with 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 - sized 'wheels'.

 

Tom

[Max Headroom]

.......hmm.....

[xffw45343tg]

52 minutes ago, tomprobert said:

Unfortunately the local Halfords is closed due to the virus and I've run out of primer

Which sort was it Tom, the yellow filler stuff, grey or white? I may have some in the garage that perhaps I can post (as part of a vital shopping trip, of course, and carefully dipped in alcohol before, during and after packing naturally). After all, your beautiful models help keeps us all sane whilst we're in detention...

[tomprobert]

4 hours ago, Kirk said:

Which sort was it Tom, the yellow filler stuff, grey or white? I may have some in the garage that perhaps I can post (as part of a vital shopping trip, of course, and carefully dipped in alcohol before, during and after packing naturally). After all, your beautiful models help keeps us all sane whilst we're in detention...

That’s a very kind offer @Kirk but I’m happy to wait it out. I need a few other colours from Halfords anyway, so will go and spend a fortune when the shops open again. 
 

Thanks again though!

[Pete B]

Great to see updated progress on the Shack Tom!

As I've also been catching up with the thread, I ought to mention the tailcone you decided to reshape. There's a reason the rear fuselage is shaped as it is, and the hints about the Lancaster heritage are not far from the truth actually....
If you google VW131, the prototype Shackleton, you will find photos showing the extra armament she carried originally - with side mounted guns either side of the nose, a top turret, and most importantly - a rear turret!
During the course of development, the rear turret was dropped altogether, and the nose ones removed on the MR1 only to reappear on the MR2 mounted differently. The tail area had to be modified into the 'observer' configuration that you are modelling now.

Here's a link to one such image of the original tail turret:

VW131 Tail Turret

[Learstang]

VW131 was the second prototype Shackleton, the first was VW126. VW126 also had the tail turret and nose barbettes, although I don't believe these were ever armed. VW131 was armed, as shown in your photograph. The third prototype, VW135, featured neither the nose barbettes nor the tail turret, but was built to near-production standard, with only the dorsal turret, which also appeared on the MR.2s as manufactured. I do find it interesting how different the MR.1 appears when compared to the MR.2; I suppose having a more attractive nose and back end do make a difference, even with aeroplanes.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited March 31, 2020 by Learstang

[Robert]

Looking good Tom, you make it look so easy. Hope to see it at our meeting, whenever it maybe. 

 

Hope you and the family are keeping well.

 

Regards

Robert

[tomprobert]

4 hours ago, Robert said:

Looking good Tom, you make it look so easy. Hope to see it at our meeting, whenever it maybe. 

 

Hope you and the family are keeping well.

 

Regards

Robert

Hi Robert,

 

You never know, by the time we’re allowed to meet at the club again this thing might be finished!!!

 

All good here - hope you too are staying out of harm’s way. 
 

@Pete B and @Learstang thanks for the additional info on the early Shackletons - with the rear turret fitted the Lancaster ancestry is really clear. It’s a shame there are none of the older breed preserved as I think they have a certain charm about them. 
 

Tom

[Learstang]

It is indeed a true shame, Tom. VP293, a T.4 (the trainer version of the MR.1) was preserved as late as 1986, but was scrapped except for the nose section (which still exists) when the Strathallan Collection, of which it was a part, went under. It was the last complete MR.1 airframe and a true loss. In doing research for my Shackleton book, I haven't been exactly overwhelmed by the success of either British or South African efforts to preserve their Shackletons.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[tomprobert]

5 hours ago, Learstang said:

It is indeed a true shame, Tom. VP293, a T.4 (the trainer version of the MR.1) was preserved as late as 1986, but was scrapped except for the nose section (which still exists) when the Strathallan Collection, of which it was a part, went under. It was the last complete MR.1 airframe and a true loss. In doing research for my Shackleton book, I haven't been exactly overwhelmed by the success of either British or South African efforts to preserve their Shackletons.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Was that the airframe retained for training purposes for AEW2 crews? 
 

Let’s hope the good folks at Coventry can the air under their Shackleton’s wings - it’d be fantastic to see one grace the skies again. 
 

Tom 

[Learstang]

Tom, you may be thinking of the 'Dodo' (WR967), which was a T.2 (trainer version of the MR.2) that crashed, then had its wings outboard of the inner nacelles removed, and the rear fuselage removed, and used as a ground trainer for AEW.2 crews. I don't believe by the time of the AEW.2s there were any T.4/MR.1As still operational with the RAF. VP293 survived as long as it did because it was used for experiments by the A&AEE at Boscombe Down, and the RAE at Farnborough until 1975. It was then sold to the Strathallan Collection/Museum in 1976. Yes, the Shackleton Aviation Group, at Coventry, are continuing their efforts with WR963, which is capable of fast taxy runs, but not flight. Yet.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

[tomprobert]

8 hours ago, Learstang said:

Tom, you may be thinking of the 'Dodo' (WR967), which was a T.2 (trainer version of the MR.2) that crashed, then had its wings outboard of the inner nacelles removed, and the rear fuselage removed, and used as a ground trainer for AEW.2 crews. I don't believe by the time of the AEW.2s there were any T.4/MR.1As still operational with the RAF. VP293 survived as long as it did because it was used for experiments by the A&AEE at Boscombe Down, and the RAE at Farnborough until 1975. It was then sold to the Strathallan Collection/Museum in 1976. Yes, the Shackleton Aviation Group, at Coventry, are continuing their efforts with WR963, which is capable of fast taxy runs, but not flight. Yet.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Thanks for the clarification, Jason - I was aware they kept an early model for training purposes but didn’t realise it was just an instructional airframe. What a shame it was pranged. 
 

All the best,

Tom

[tomprobert]

Evening all,

 

Making the most of self-isolation, I've made a start on the cockpit interior. I absolutely Detest (with a capital D) making cockpits - I find it tedious enough painting kit cockpits so scratch-building them is even worse. I've been putting it off as long as possible with this build, but it's got to the stage where I can't put it off any longer.

 

I thought I'd start with the instrument panel and get that out of the way first. I'll say now that this is far from a perfect replica of a Shackleton MkII instrument panel, but the overall effect is close enough for my liking.

 

The initial job is to make the panel itself and this was done using plastic card. I made some basic rudder pedals beneath from more plastic strip and card. The individual panel sections - in this case the Shackleton seems to have two centre panels (lower one larger and the upper one slightly smaller) and then a panel with the primary flight instruments for each the pilot and co-pilot - were made next and offered up to the main panel for sizing. When the shapes and sizes were correct, I then set about using Airscale's excellent instrument bezel sets to start bringing the whole thing to life:

 

 Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

The whole panel then got a spraying of matt black, with a drybrush of dark grey to bring out some of the details:

 

Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Next was adding instrument decals - again the excellent Airscale sets to the rescue here:

 

Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

A clear gloss varnish was added to the instrument faces to represent the glass, and some light weathering added on the rudder pedals before it was fitted to the forward bulkhead:

 

Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

The macro photography makes it look a lot rougher than it actually is, and I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far. Obviously lots more to do, but as I'm currently in the swing of making instrument panels and the like, I may have a go at the Flight Engineer's panel next. Stay tuned...

 

Tom

[tomprobert]

A little more done to the interior over the last few days - I've been concentrating on the Flight Engineer's panel and the bulkhead immediately behind the pilots' seats.

 

Here's the bulkhead and panel before any paint - once again Airscale's instrument bezels came in handy:

 

IMG_0042 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

The Milliput sections appear to be a fold-away observer's seat - these will have seatbelts added before the final fitting.

 

A quick spray of matt black followed by more of Airscale's decals and some basic detail painting:

 

S1030251 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

And where it'll fit on the flight deck:

 

S1030252 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Still lots more to make and help me keep busy over the lockdown. Speaking of which, I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

 

All the best,

Tom

[Learstang]

Excellent work on the interior, Tom!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited April 9, 2020 by Learstang

[LorenSharp]

Just when I thought your work couldn't get any more impressive. If I didn't know any better I would have said you invented a shrinking ray to make the interior out of the real article..This goes beyond a like button. We need a WOW! button.