1/72nd Matchbox Halifax- FINISHED

[stevehnz]

Impressive work there Tony, I think your fixes will look quite excellent.

Steve.

[Thom216]

Props for the fab job on the nacelles! Who needs aftermarket?!

[woody37]

Hi Tony, great progress, love what you’ve done to improve those engines. Who’d of thought that a Revell engine pull be used to improve a Halifax model? 😂

 

it looks too late but I may have a ac canopy for the matchbox halibag but won’t be able to check until Friday. Let me know if you can use it

 

cheers

[Deve]

Nice to see the same boxing of the Halifax that I recieved one Christmas from my Gran many years ago.

On 11/27/2017 at 10:50 PM, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

I also have a set of radiator parts in resin, not sure if they are Aeroclub or not. I think I will have to hunt them down and check them out.

I have a set of the Aeroclub Morris radiator intakes in resin so John must have switched at some point.  They're in a box with said Christmas Halibag (reduced back to parts), a set of Granger plans and most of the other Halifax goodies Aeroclub did waiting for me to return to it. I'd rescribed the wings and was looking at the issues with the nose as the Revell kit was announced and all it got packed away.  I'll get back to it.... one day.

[Arniec]

7 minutes ago, Deve said:

Nice to see the same boxing of the Halifax that I recieved one Christmas from my Gran many years ago.

I have a set of the Aeroclub Morris radiator intakes in resin so John must have switched at some point.  They're in a box with said Christmas Halibag (reduced back to parts), a set of Granger plans and most of the other Halifax goodies Aeroclub did waiting for me to return to it. I'd rescribed the wings and was looking at the issues with the nose as the Revell kit was announced and all it got packed away.  I'll get back to it.... one day.

You are more than welcome to do it here Deve.

The more the better.

 

Cheers,

[Deve]

Maybe I'll blow the dust off and revisit it over Christmas. I'm a bit short of build space at the moment so no promises.

 

In the mean time I'll keep watching Tony's impressive level of output!

[Rabbit Leader]

OK - Inspired by Tony O'Toole's Halifax, who's in for a Group Build? 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-BRAND-NEW-MATCHBOX-PK-604-HANDLEY-PAGE-HALIFAX-1-72-SCALE-PLANE-MODEL-KITS/312013837941?epid=2255360267&hash=item48a5795675:g:QagAAOSwv-ZaHyvL

 

Postage is (always) on the high size, however if you divide it by twelve it doesn't look that bad! 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[dogsbody]

My cast metal Aeroclub Matchbox Halifax collection:

 

 

 

 

Chris

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

               Another update,...... After applying the black sides and undersides it came to the upper surfaces but I failed miserably applying the wavy edge demarcation line with the firt coats of Dark Earth,..... so I`ve gone for applying it to a straight line,.....then adding the wavy edge using black,....I think I`ll find it easier that way! Also,...I tried last night,... and I`m struggling to paint under artificial light, especially with my new glasses,.... the hand and brain don`t seem to connect properly yet,.....so I`ll be trying again under daylight!

 

Here is how I started this morning following an evening of Dark Earth application;

 

  

And during the day,.....on my tea tray,..while watching `The Crown' on Netfix I`ve put the first few coats of Dark Green on too;

Cheers

         Tony

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

              Well I`ve tacked those scalloped demarcation lines again and hopefully they look OK!

 

So next job is to put a coat of Humbrol 35 gloss varnish onto the model and when that is dry move on to the decals,

 

Cheers for now,

                      Tony

 

PS,....Fudge the dog is fast asleep in her basket,....models bore her to death! 

Edited December 1, 2017 by tonyot

[Ventora3300]

On ‎30‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 02:51, Rabbit Leader said:

OK - Inspired by Tony O'Toole's Halifax, who's in for a Group Build? 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-BRAND-NEW-MATCHBOX-PK-604-HANDLEY-PAGE-HALIFAX-1-72-SCALE-PLANE-MODEL-KITS/312013837941?epid=2255360267&hash=item48a5795675:g:QagAAOSwv-ZaHyvL

 

Postage is (always) on the high size, however if you divide it by twelve it doesn't look that bad! 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

Not many takers here so far - it seems a bit too daunting for me to kick off right now, given the work that tonyot is putting in. I'm surprised someone has all these old kits in one place. Best of luck if you go ahead.

[Rabbit Leader]

20 hours ago, Ventora3300 said:

Not many takers here so far - it seems a bit too daunting for me to kick off right now, given the work that tonyot is putting in. I'm surprised someone has all these old kits in one place. Best of luck if you go ahead.

This was just a bad attempt at humour, sort of like a group build within a group build so to speak! 

I was just amazed to find all these old stock kits on eBay and was equally surprised to find a similar listing for Stranraers and Lancasters!

Thanks to Tony, I've now ordered a single kit and will bookmark this thread for whenever that Halibag enthusiasm happens to enter my overloaded head. 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

 

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

                Well I got the decals on today,..and they were excellent quality,.....but unfortunately the code letters were just a tad too big, being the standard 48in high variant,...whereas those on this Halibag were none standard at around 42in! The nearest standard decals I could find were 36in,...too small,....so it came down to cutting the decal codes down and with one of the letters being an `N' this meant some reassembly was required! The letters were all wet by now,....and one set even had a thin white outline,......so I decided to replicate the aircraft during two different stages in its career,......first the appearance seen in the 1943 photo;

 

And on the other,....as it would have looked earlier on the 28th November 1941 when it dropped the brave Czech agents who were responsible for killing Reinhard Heydrich in Bohemia, and who were tragically betrayed by one of their own to the German`s, resulting in a final shoot out in the Karel Boroejsky Church in Prague. The films `Operation Daybreak' & `Operation Anthropoid' both cover this immensely brave but tragic story and I highly recommend them, especially the former.

Modelling wise,...this time a set of greyed out fin flashes and a roundel were used from a Dutch Decals sheet (although the aircraft in the photo that I was using as reference actually had an even  darker grey covering the white areas, so I may paint over this after the varnish has dried) and 1/48th Xtradecal 30in MSG codes were used, but these also needed to be trimmed slightly.  As reference for this earlier Halibag I used a photo which appeared in an article in Flypast Magazine, Oct. 2013 called "Very Special Duty" which includes a rare photo of a 138 Sqn Halifax Mk.I taking off during early 1942 from Stradishall, which was the units base before Tempsford. The actual aircraft in the photo is hard to identify as the serial and individual code letter are covered, so it could well be L9613.

 

 

 

I had been toying with this split identity but when the decals played silly buggers I had no choice,.... and I`m now glad that I did it!

 

Cheers for now,

                       Tony

Edited December 3, 2017 by tonyot

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

               Today I have mostly been sticking on wings and adding matt varnish,...along with a watercolour wash! 

 

So next some weathering and adding the smaller parts plus undercarriage etc,.....I may have a go at fitting some Revell exhausts as they better represent the type seen on this particular aircraft,

 

Cheers

          Tony

 

PS,... I`ve also swapped around one of the fin flashes which was back to front,...doh! That is what happens when the missus is trying to rush you out of the door to go shopping!! 

Edited December 3, 2017 by tonyot

[Beard]

Sometimes, the best outcomes are the result of a mistake and I think the 'dual identity' is splendid.

[Thom216]

That's looking really good. Next model show, I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for one.

[Rabbit Leader]

This is just looking so good Tony and I congratulate you on taking the risk to complete this kit with different decals to depict different time eras. In this case, I think you've most certainly won. I've often thought about doing the same, however feared to be ridiculed for inaccuracy etc. Top marks should also go for delivering a lovely camouflage pattern with the best wavey black line seen on a Halibag. 

 

Not sure how the voting works at the end of GB's however you seem to deliver speedy and excellent results that other mere modellers can only dream about (I include myself at the top of this list). 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

[stevej60]

Excellent progress Tony

[tonyot]

Thanks Fella`s,..... I really appreciate your encouragement again with this model!

 

Well,..with its time travelling dual identity......it is finished!!!

 

To finish off I used left over undercarriage legs and exhausts from the Revell kit and a scratch built tail wheel guard to prevent the agents parachutes from becoming entangled on the tail wheel. The real aircraft appears to possibly have a tail wheel shroud too,.....but as I couldn`t make this out well enough to scratch build I left well alone!;

 

late 1942-43;

 

 

 

1941- early 1942;

 

 

So that is it,.....hope you like it!

Cheers

          Tony

[Rabbit Leader]

4 minutes ago, tonyot said:

So that is it,.....hope you like it!

Cheers

          Tony

Like it? - I think I truly love it. 

OK - Can I vote now??

 

Well played (yet again) Mr. O'T. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Arniec]

Great job Tony. She looks ace.

 

Cheers,

[Beard]

That looks most excellent.

[Thom216]

Great job! Build and paint are excellent, with a nice touch of weathering.

[72modeler]

ToT,

 

Well, you've done it- again! Very, very nice update of the MB kit and I love your choice of scheme and markings, too! Well done, sir!

Mike

[Deve]

What a lovely Halibag, excellent work Tony.