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Hasegawa and Academy 72nd scale Liberator`s side by side,.... Eduard boxings built as SEAC & RCAF aircraft. FINISHED


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Hiya Folks,

               Well I`m into my Liberator`s at the moment and I have at least two more `Coastal' white and grey ones planned,...... (EDIT,....I have decided to make both aircraft,.....using the Eduard boxings of the Academy and Hasegawa kits,... built side by side) 

 

I had been undecided about which one to build at first,......but having now received the Eduard overtrees featuring the Hasegawa parts,.....I`ve decided to build both the RAF SEAC and RCAF options seen below? I have wanted to do built these aircraft for some time and I will be doing so thanks to DK Decals who have included them both in their RAF & Commonwealth Liberator`s sheet,...... but which on to do here? These are the ones that I have in mind;

 

RAF;

Liberator GR Mk VI, KH331/W of 200 Sqn, which was later re numbered as 8 Sqn and used for Special Duties over SEAC, 1945.

38914151310_5717f126b0_z.jpgSEA0271 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

26852910168_bce34b85f1.jpg8 sqn charlton by Tony OToole, on Flickr

38914151410_52239bfa6e.jpgliberator_lg by Tony OToole, on Flickr

25853038967_3685575fd3_k.jpgDSCF2328 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

RCAF;

Liberator GR Mk VI, 3742/A ex 10 (BR) Sqn, RCAF, Canada, ex 10 BR Sqn which went on to serve with the Eastern Air Command Meteorological Flight from July- September 1945. This aircraft started off with a sharkmouth which was later converted to this impressive animals head design;

38914151610_ce095ee383_b.jpgLIBERATOR RCAF NOSE ART by Tony OToole, on Flickr

25853091827_f529430e90_b.jpgLiberator from 10 BR Sqdn at Torbay in 1944. by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Image result for liberator 3742 rcaf

Cheers to John M for the above pic

 

******Artwork deleted!!*******

 

 

The kit;

Eduards re box of the Academy B-24J with RAF SEAC decals and etched brass,..... these pics are from the Eduard website.

 

2110.jpg

00.jpg

11.jpg

14.jpg

 

I won`t be using the decals this time,....but will be squirrelling them away for another few builds;

13.jpg

 

The decals;

DK Decals excellent RAF & Commonwealth Liberator`s;

 

Image result for dk decals liberator

B24_RAF_navod.jpg

 

So there we have it,......so many Liberator`s and so little room for them!!

 

Cheers

         Tony

 

Edited by tonyot
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I'll admit I'm a tad biased with my preferences, but I'd vote for the SEAC one! The words "Special Duties" make it even more appealing!

 

However, it's up to you Tony, so do what you fancy doing.B)

 

Mike.

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Cheers Fella`s,...... actually,......after just receiving my `after trees' from Eduard which contain the Hasegawa kit,....... I`ve realised that it also includes parts for a later variant with the nose turret,...... so rather than building just the Academy kit as one of the afor mentioned options,......I shall now build them both using Academy and Hasegawa parts alongside each other!

 

Here is the artwork for the Eduard/Hasegawa kit;

Riders in the Sky 1944 1/72

 

Here are the Eduard/Hasegawa parts, again from the Eduard web page;

2121_002.jpg

2121_003.jpg

 2121_004.jpg

2121_006.jpg

2121_007.jpg

2121_008.jpg

2121_009.jpg

 

2121_03.jpg

 

I also ordered the overtrees for the Eduard Coastal Command conversion boxed as "Riders in the Sky 1944" and here they are with British specific parts;

2121_010.jpg

2121_005.jpg

As you can see,..... including the parts from the basic kit and the additional Eduard sprues,.... there are parts to enable 2 x Boulton Paul 4 gun turrets to be built,..... plus the 2 gun .5in tail turret used by some Canadian Libs,...... plus the British waist gun positions used on Mk.III`s and of course a Leigh Light and rockets plus earlier propellers with narrow blades.

 

The full package includes etched & resin parts, instructions, decals plus a very nice looking book,..... but I couldn`t afford the full package! 

 

So,.....I`ll be building two Eduard boxings of the Liberator,......with parts from Hasegawa as here,.... and also Academy,

 

Cheers for now,

                      Tony  

Edited by tonyot
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13 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Just for clarity, I first posted these pictures here: http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php, back in 2009.

 

From " RAF & RCAF Aircraft Nose Art in World War II " by Clarence Simonsen, published by Hikoki Publications, 2001.

 

lib-1

 

Lib001

 

 

 

Chris

Apologies Chris,......I did copy the artwork from the web,.....it was quicker than scanning it from my Hikoki book,..... but the lower photo was sent to me by a friend in Canada. I wasn`r aware that you had previously posted them here on BM. 

 

Cheers

         Tony

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I don't remember if I had posted it here or not. I had posted it on the What-If forum. I just thought I would post their source here. I always try to include that info if I can. I, too, am guilty of copying images from the net and not keeping track of where I got it.

 

 

Chris

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1 hour ago, dogsbody said:

I don't remember if I had posted it here or not. I had posted it on the What-If forum. I just thought I would post their source here. I always try to include that info if I can. I, too, am guilty of copying images from the net and not keeping track of where I got it.

 

 

Chris

Apart from that one artwork pic Chris,.....the other pics of the real aircraft came from my collection, some via friends or were noted as Australian War Memorial or the original poster, again I apologise for using your picture of the artwork from the Hikoki book,....and I`ve deleted it just to say sorry,

Cheers

          Tony

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Oh no! I didn't mean for you to delete anything. I just noticed the pictures were or looked like the ones I had posted back in '09 on the What-if forum. They have a section for shark-mouthed aircraft. I'm sure that in that time those images have spread far across the Netverse. I was just posting the source I had used, when I first posted. These are not my pictures. If anyone might have an issue with you posting them here, it would be the writer and publisher of the book I had taken them from. On taking a closer look at your photo, I now see that it is a bit different from mine, mine being cropped of the left side.

 

 

Chris

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Anyway,.....onto the modelling,......I`ve made a syart!

 

Hasegawa/Eduard;

Here is the Hasegawa fuselage all but complete apart from bomb bay racks which I shall add later. As the interior is prettu sparse I have decided to use some of the brass etched fret from the other Eduard kit to make it look a bit better. I know that the rear fuselage was generally silver inside, but most restored aircraft are painted, RAF maritime and SD aircraft also flew at night and may have received a coat of paint for glare reasons,.....but most of all,....I have used a colour rather than silver because silver would reveal just how sparse the interior is,.....without adding scratch built stringers etc;

39931494805_d3b6fb7a51_k.jpgDSCF2709 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

40826181981_27905660a1_k.jpgDSCF2710 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

40826181471_d4f5f2c66d_k.jpgDSCF2712 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

39931494475_021b100369_k.jpgDSCF2711 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Wings;

40826179171_dc75c71e20_k.jpgDSCF2720 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

And I`ve also been painting props. engines, turrets etc on the sprue ready to assemble later;

40826178921_9e170ecfe0_k.jpgDSCF2721 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Academy/Eduard;

40826181141_2979eea8d2_z.jpgDSCF2713 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Again, as per above the entire fuselage was painted inside,...but the brass etched instrument panel from the etched set was used. The waist windows will be closed on this model so no detail was added;

39931493855_4a53f7c765_k.jpgDSCF2714 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Wings,....the cowling nacelles will need lots of filler as they are a poor fit with some plastic missing altogether due to short shot moulds;

40826180321_dcb117b552_k.jpgDSCF2715 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Fins,....these have mould sink holes on the inner faces and so they were filled ready to sand later;

40826180001_aef4a30519_k.jpgDSCF2717 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Engines,....the engine nacelles all built up and painted,......I`m in two minds whether to use the brass etch ignition harness or to save them for the spares box;

 39016200100_638e9b5644_k.jpgDSCF2722 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

Some more brass left over;

40826179581_ea21e58c46_k.jpgDSCF2718 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Also,....another model nearing the finish line,......the Airfix Mitchell, being built as an RAF Mk.II;

40826178401_6b015ab03b_k.jpgDSCF2724 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

So I have been quite busy,......time to zip up the fuselage halves tonight,

Cheers

         Tony 

 

Edited by tonyot
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Great progress as ever Tony. Quick question ...what is the consensus on the interior green for CC Libs as I noticed in the Eduard instructions for the new boxing that can be found online they suggest interior green for the cockpit and zinc chromate for the majority of the fuselage ....I know it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things but curious as to what is believed correct?

 

Cheers 

 

Mick

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1 hour ago, franky boy said:

Nice work Tony

 

How are you finding the Mitchell?

 

James

Thanks James,.......yes the Airfix Mitchell is very nice,......some of the panel lines appear a little deep,.....but they can be filled. I`ll be building more of them, put it that way, it is light years ahead of the Italeri kit.

 

2 minutes ago, mick b said:

Great progress as ever Tony. Quick question ...what is the consensus on the interior green for CC Libs as I noticed in the Eduard instructions for the new boxing that can be found online they suggest interior green for the cockpit and zinc chromate for the majority of the fuselage ....I know it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things but curious as to what is believed correct?

 

Cheers 

 

Mick

Thanks Mick,

                 Eduard could be right,.......I`ve seen silver, Zinc Chromate and Interior Green used for the rear fuselage of the Liberator,...... in the pics that I have seen the cockpit seems more like a Bronze Green colour,...... but again, they were built in so many factories and things could change between batches. To be honest,....you cannot see very much of the interior anyway so I`m not losing sleep over it,.......but when I have used Zinc Chromate in the past it just looks far too light for a model,...almost as if somebody has turned the lights on inside the aircraft. The colours that I have chosen ensure that the interior doesn`t look `shine out' from the finished model,....if that makes sense? 

 

Cheers

          Tony 

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Here are some interior pics for anybody wanting to go to town on this area,...all pics taken from the web and reproduced here under fair use;

 

Image result for b-24 interior

Nose, B-24D;

Image result for b-24 interiorImage result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

 

Cockpit;

Related image

Related image

Image result for liberator interior

Area behind cockpit and cockpit;

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

 

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

 

Nose wheel bay;

Image result for b-24 interior

 

Rear fuselage;

;Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

 

 

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for liberator interior

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interiorImage result for b-24 interiorImage result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

 

And the transport variant,....in this case a Liberator Mk.I;

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for liberator interior

 

Bomb Bay;

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

Image result for b-24 interior

 

Obviously, these are a mixture of period, restored and unrestored airframes from early to late models,......but I hope that they are of use,.... bearing in mind that not a lot is visible inside the finished model,

Also,...here is a link to a walk around of the interior of B-24D `Strawberry Bitch' conserved by the USAF and as far as I know in mostly stock condition;

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/b24dinteriorcloseupkh_1.htm

Cheers

        Tony

 

 

 

 

Edited by tonyot
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1 hour ago, tonyot said:

 

 

Thanks Mick,

                 Eduard could be right,.......I`ve seen silver, Zinc Chromate and Interior Green used for the rear fuselage of the Liberator,...... in the pics that I have seen the cockpit seems more like a Bronze Green colour,...... but again, they were built in so many factories and things could change between batches. To be honest,....you cannot see very much of the interior anyway so I`m not losing sleep over it,.......but when I have used Zinc Chromate in the past it just looks far too light for a model,...almost as if somebody has turned the lights on inside the aircraft. The colours that I have chosen ensure that the interior doesn`t look `shine out' from the finished model,....if that makes sense? 

 

Cheers

          Tony 

Cheers Tony. Many thanks for the interior shots too! I managed to get a Hasegawa Lib at a show this year for £30 and just bought conversion trees and cockpit photo etch, so still not nudging £107 yet! Pity they don’t release the decals separate too but suppose there has to be something special you get for buying the kit ?  🤔 I do have the rather smart Aviaeology sheet though. 👍

 

I am guessing Airfix will release the Mitchell with RAF markings eventually as they seem to follow the way of Hasegawa nowadays?

 

cheers again

 

Mick

Edited by mick b
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1 hour ago, mick b said:

Cheers Tony. Many thanks for the interior shots too! I managed to get a Hasegawa Lib at a show this year for £30 and just bought conversion trees and cockpit photo etch, so still not nudging £107 yet! Pity they don’t release the decals separate too but suppose there has to be something special you get for buying the kit ?  🤔 I do have the rather smart Aviaeology sheet though. 👍

 

I am guessing Airfix will release the Mitchell with RAF markings eventually as they seem to follow the way of Hasegawa nowadays?

 

cheers again

 

Mick

Well done Mick,....bargain! I picked up a few in a sale for £20 each a while ago,.....so will be building those soon too! Yes Airfix have already announced an RAF boxing, with RAF and Polish decals,....... strange as the Polish unit, 305 Sqn only flew then for a month or so and was never fully equipped nor operational,.....they converted onto Mossies instead. Dutch 320 Sqn decals would have been more apt really. Here are the schemes 

A06018.1.jpg

A06018.2.jpg

 

 

All the best mate,

                         Tony

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Hiya Folks,

              Another update,....... the fuselage halves have been joined and filler applied to the seams and where needed,........ready for sanding. I shall be leaving the wings off while the White undersides are applied,..... using a rattle can,...or two!

 

Academy/Eduard

Here is the Academy kit,.....this will be the RCAF aircraft with the `monster' nose art;

40840519851_4cff2c1990_k.jpgDSCF2725 by Tony OToole, on Flickr 

 

Hasegawa/ Eduard

And here is the Hasegawa kit which will be the SEAC aircraft from 8 Sqn;

25969016787_a449cf44d1_k.jpgDSCF2726 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

and after the upper nose section was dry fitted prior to be being fixed into place;

 40840518851_d78d6e6870_k.jpgDSCF2728 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

a close up of the nose, showing the good fit of the dry fitted upper nose and canopy part;

40840518521_babcb63e67_k.jpgDSCF2729 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

 

Although the Academy kit is good, and I have built a few, this is my first attempt at the Hasegawa kit and it really is on another level,....... it is much sturdier and more detailed and to me it captures the rugged appearance of the real aircraft better. 

 

Cheers for now,

                      Tony

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