Italeri 1/72 Stirling I

[phildagreek]

Looks good!

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Lovely neat scratching. Nice one

[Brandy]

You're doing sterling work (pun intended) on those wheel bays...keep it up, she's looking great!

Not so sure about the panel lines though...who designs these things..Airfix are just as bad!

Ian

[Simon]

Not so sure about the panel lines though...who designs these things..Airfix are just as bad!

Ian

I don't find them too bad, certianly compared to the old Matchbox kits, but I'm hoping a coat of primer and some paint will make them less less obvious.

Simon

[TonyTiger66]

Hi Simon, Ive just caught up with this in one very pleasurable read.

My (late) grandad was navigator in a Stirling. All I know is that it was 'P for Penelope''. I made the Airfix for him 14 years ago and it was quite fun. I really enjoyed the tractor and bombs!

I have this one in the stash, this thread is going to really help, although I'll never be able to super detail like this - incredible work!

Best regards

Tony

Edited March 23, 2016 by TonyTiger66

[Simon]

Hello again everyone, a quick update for today, with more work on the wheel bays. I've been struggling to find references for the wheel bay interiors, but came across this photo:

https://218squadron.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/mds00178.jpg

Note the engine nacelles sitting on trestles in the foreground, which show their internal construction. So, here's the bulkhead, with some ribbing and the internal framework:

 

The lower curved internal section looks like it must be a continuation of the wheel bay sides I'd already made, and sit at the front of the wheel bay, something like this:

 

I've also made a front wing spar, to echo the rear one supplied in the kit, and the outboard internal ribs, so here it all positioned is in situ:

 

 

I've test-fitted the undercarriage, so fingers crossed it all goes together...!

More soon,

Cheers

Simon

Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon
relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr

[12jaguar]

Hi Simon

Looking great. Apologies, I've looked for some decent images of the u/c bays but can't find anything that gives a good view

John

[Simon]

Hi Simon

Looking great. Apologies, I've looked for some decent images of the u/c bays but can't find anything that gives a good view

John

No worries John, thanks once again for looking.

Simon

[Graham T]

Astonishing!!

[woody37]

Excellent progress, love what you're doing with those gear bays:)

[Brandy]

Beautiful, clean, scratch building. Very impressive!

Ian

[Simon]

Another update for today, but a little bit off-topic. I came across this iamge on the IWM website:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207788

and it got me thinking. I'm considering placing the Stirling in a suitable diorama setting, and the half retracted undercarriage might add something a little different - I thought maybe the Stirling could have a 'sticky' starboard undercarriage unit that's being inspected, with the port one and tailwheels down fully. I've been asking around for references for the rather Heath Robinson support jack they're using, and the helpful folks on the Flypast Forum pointed me to this WW2 documentary film called 'Speed Up On Stirlings', available to see on Youtube, which has some really useful references.

So, with the aid a set of drawings from the Stirling Air Production manual, I did a quick schematic to help me get my head around the construction:

 

As you can see, it's pretty complex, and looks far too fragile to hold the weight of a Stirling. Obviously this will be an issue at 1/72 too, as it's not a light model. So, I thought I'd use some 1mm steel tubing for the main supports, and have used some I-beam from Evergreen for the base. Here's what I've got so far - the basic elements for the base frame and the uprights:

 

 

I've no idea if the cross members supporting the upright struts are like that, so it's an educated guess. This is still very much in the 'experimental' stage, so may or may not work, but there's only one way the find out, so more soon...

Cheers

Simon

Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon
relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr

[Supertom]

People like you are why some others pick up knitting. Stop it.

Erm, I mean, fantastic work

[Simon]

Another update for today. I'm slowly getting all the fuselage parts ready so I can close the fuselage up. The nose turret needs to be inserted before the fuselage halves are joined, which is a bit of a pain, but the nose and rear turrets are now pretty much done. I've given the internals a coat of Revell Aluminium - Stirling Mk.I turrets were not black inside, as can just about be seen on this photo from the IWM Collection:

http://zoom.iwm.org.uk/view/31616&cat=photographs&oid=object-205188201

Rear turret:

 

 

 

Nose turret:

 

 

 

I've also added some detail to the FN7 upper turret. This has proved a little difficult, as references are a bit thin on the ground, but I've added a few bits and bobs, such as the extra tubing and gunsight:

 

 

Meanwhile, at the wings, I've made some closed doors for the wing bomb cells out of 20 thou plastic card, cut to the right width and scribed to represent the join. I thought it would be easier that trying to close up the kit's 6 doors per wing.

 

I'm still busy with the maintenance support jack, as well as getting the engines, undercarriage and wheel bays finished, so more soon...

Cheers

Simon

Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon
relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr

[12jaguar]

Hi Simon

I'm pretty sure that for some reason the only turret on a Stirling that was silver was the front FN5a. Here's a link to the a website that shows the interior of an rear turret (FN4?) that appears to be black. Pics of FN7s on line seem to show that as black as well, certainly the interior of our FN7 cupola is black albeit without any of the workings.

http://www.214squadron.org.uk/personnel_s_m.htm

John

Edited April 4, 2016 by 12jaguar

[Simon]

Thanks for the link John. TBH I'm just not sure, but having looked at the links, this Wellington turret (is it an FN4?) looks like it has a black cupola interior, with aluminium workings inside:

http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Personnel_pictures/Scott_Peter_Doig_with_Cattle_and_Crofts_loading_rear_gun.jpg

and from the same page, this one looks like an all-black interior:

http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Personnel_pictures/Scott_Peter_Doig_leaning_on_rear_turret.jpg

And this FN4 from the Ulster Aviation Society looks like a black cupola interior with aliuminium workings:

http://www.ulsteraviationsociety.org/communities/2/004/007/043/072//images/4538210482.jpg

This FN7 however seems to have an all black interior, although it's difficult to see the workings inside:

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/manc_fn7_mu_turret.jpg

but this Stirling's FN7 may have lighter colour interior workings - they look lighter than the exterior colour (Dark Earth?), but it's difficult to tell 100%:

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/60/media-60224/large.jpg?action=d&cat=photographs

It's not that important at the moment, as it's only the nose turret that needs to go in before the fuselage is closed up.

Simon

[Squibby]

Amazing detailing work, I aspire to one day be able to scratch detail like you've done.

A bit late to the party with this question but how do you create the wiring 'straps' for the wiring bundles?

Is it masking tape or foil or tubing of some sort? I've looked into tubing (plastic and brass) and only found sizes too big to be useful for this. I've also tried stainless hypodermic syringe but it's a pain to cut.

[12jaguar]

Thanks for the link John. TBH I'm just not sure, but having looked at the links, this Wellington turret (is it an FN4?) looks like it has a black cupola interior, with aluminium workings inside:

http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Personnel_pictures/Scott_Peter_Doig_with_Cattle_and_Crofts_loading_rear_gun.jpg

and from the same page, this one looks like an all-black interior:

http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Personnel_pictures/Scott_Peter_Doig_leaning_on_rear_turret.jpg

And this FN4 from the Ulster Aviation Society looks like a black cupola interior with aliuminium workings:

http://www.ulsteraviationsociety.org/communities/2/004/007/043/072//images/4538210482.jpg

This FN7 however seems to have an all black interior, although it's difficult to see the workings inside:

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/manc_fn7_mu_turret.jpg

but this Stirling's FN7 may have lighter colour interior workings - they look lighter than the exterior colour (Dark Earth?), but it's difficult to tell 100%:

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/60/media-60224/large.jpg?action=d&cat=photographs

It's not that important at the moment, as it's only the nose turret that needs to go in before the fuselage is closed up.

Simon

Hi Simon

You appear to have uncovered something of a minefield re turret colours....

FWIW, I think the Ulster example is probably cockpit green inside

John

[TheBaron]

I'm late in seeing this build and will be admiring quietly from the sidelines. Just wanted to say that the depth of information flying around in this thread and the quality of your work are compelling viewing. Best wishes for the rest of the build.

Tony

[woody37]

My understanding from research (not in depth so happy to be re-educated!) has been that earlier turrets appeared to be silver, but later ones appeared to have been black (Lancaster fn20).That said, one of the photos linked above appears to be coloured rather than aluminium, so perhaps interior green? Ive always painted the Stirling rear turrets interiors silver.

Loving your build Simon, great inspiration

[Simon]

Hi Simon

You appear to have uncovered something of a minefield re turret colours....

John

Yes, purely by accident!

I had a look through the 'Speed up on Stirlings' film, and these are some views of the rear turret being fitted and tested:

Note that these are two different models of turret (an FN20 in the first image and FN4 in the other two?), but both seem to be light coloured inside. The first photo looks less aluminium and more cockpit green.

The flat vertical support in the second and third photos maybe cockpit green, with the rest of the workings aluminium? Note that the interior of the cupola appears light too - cockpit green also? And the inside of the back looks to be black. As you said, a bit of a minefield...!

Cheers

Simon

[Stirlingbomber]

Have just bought Halifax kit from Italeri, will be referring back once I get started. The subject of mine will be BUA, The Saint, flown by 214FMS Sqn RAF. This aircraft has been the subject of a previous project. I have chosen it because when it crashed after taking off from Chedburgh airfield it destroyed the house which used to stand where my house is now and crashed into the field just beyond. Dead impressed with Obsessed Members work.

[Simon]

Amazing detailing work, I aspire to one day be able to scratch detail like you've done.

A bit late to the party with this question but how do you create the wiring 'straps' for the wiring bundles?

Is it masking tape or foil or tubing of some sort? I've looked into tubing (plastic and brass) and only found sizes too big to be useful for this. I've also tried stainless hypodermic syringe but it's a pain to cut.

Apologies for missing your question - I bundle the wiring toegther (either plastic rod or metal wire), then wrap narrow strips of Tamiya tape a couple of times around them. One they're ready, a coat of paint also helps hold them together.

Simon

[Simon]

An update for today, which is a bit of a mish-mash of various bits and pieces.

First off is the undercarriage. I finally summoned up the courage to start chopping the port main undercarriage into bits to allow for it to be portrayed semi-retracted. The first proeblem was the main wheels, as the Italeri ones are weighted and the port one will be off the ground. No problem, thinks I, I'll get some Resin Art replacement ones from Hannants, which are unweighted and meant for the Airfix Stirling. Once they arrived, however, I spotted a slight problem:

 

The diameter is the same, but they're a lot wider. This meant that the mudguards of the kit needed drastically thinning out so they'd fit the wider tyres, and then the undercarriage legs need amending to accomodate the extra width too. So I chopped off the inner section of the axle stubs, and drilled holes in the lower legs to accomodate a small section of plastic rod. I've drilled matching holes in the resin wheels so they'll slot into place.

 

This is the port leg, already divided into two, and with more plastic rod added to the top of the lower part, which will slott into holes drilled in the bottom of the upper section and sit at the right angle.

The rear sections of the port undercarriage have also been chopped, and I had to add some extra to the rear part, which will be cut to length:

 

Meanwhile, I've made a start on the engines. The exhaust and collector rings are painted:

I used a base coat of Tamiya Titanium Silver, with Tamiya Dark Copper and gun metal over-sprayed on that.

The engines themselves have also been painted up, and test fitted into the nacelles with the photo-etch cowling supports:

 

 

And finally for today, the floor of the bomb aimer's compartment is in place:

 

The fuselage is now more or less ready for closing up, but I think I'll get the wings done first and get them out of the way.

More soon...

Cheers

Simon

Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon
relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr

[Simon]

Another progress report for today.

The fuselage is now all joined up, althought not without some issues. I'm using Revell's Contacta glue, and it seems to be a bit hit and miss in places. I'd glued the fuselage halves together, left them overnight to set, and in the morning, I found that a section hadn't actually glued:

 

I had the same issue with parts of the wings, so either I'm not putting enough on (which I'm wary of - don't like to over-do it and make messy joins), or it's drying too quickly before the bits are joined. It's easy enough to fix, hence the cocktail stick, but a bit of a pain nevertheless.

Anyway, with the fuselage together, I primed it with Halfords acrylic primer, and cleaned up the joins:

 

 

Having to mask the front turret was a right old faff on, and of course once the fuselage was all masked up and primed, something inside the fuselage came loose, so it's rattling around inside until I get the masks off. At least I know where it is, if not what it is...!

The wings have also primed:

 

As well as making new closed wing bomb bay doors, I've made a section to fit the fuselage. The fitting of the kit's four main doors in the closed position looked far too fiddly, so I'm using the two side curved doors, and I've made a flat section for the four bottom doors that should just drop in place:

 

Next up is getting the wings, tailplanes and fin attached to the fuselage, and then hopefully on to the painting up.

More soon...

Cheers

Simon

Edited July 5, 2017 by Simon
relinking images from Photobucket to Flickr