amblypygid Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Well, I disagree, Martin; about it not being such a great war machine! I'm of the persuasion that the Halifax was unfairly maligned because a) it went into operation first with Merlin engines despite having been designed to use radials, and b) it was designed to constraints that did not entirely apply to the Lancaster. More flexible operationally, and better crew survivability. Had HP had the opportunity to redesign (as Avro did from the Manchester to the Lancaster), who knows what they'd have come up with? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Too busy/tired with work this week to get anything done until today. The base camo is now on, but we're off for a few days' walking holiday tomorrow, so this will almost certainly be the last progress until next weekend. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Took a while longer than hoped, but got back to some painting and decorating yesterday. Photos taken late last night, but the port side decals are done: DK Decals behaving impeccably and settling nicely under Microset 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Looking great with the badges on now Chris. The sheer wing area of these big beasts always takes me by surprise! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Seconded! Good job Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Thirded! Looking good mate Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Thanks, chaps. It weirdly feels like I'm nearly there, when I've still got loads to do (mainly u/c and turrets). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJJunis Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Chris, That is awesome...very well done! All the Best! Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Decals look good! Håkan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Those decals really look good, she's definitely looking the part. Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted June 15, 2018 Author Share Posted June 15, 2018 Very kind of you all to say. I've moved on to the remaining parts which are largely hand-painted. As always, I look at the turret glazing and decide that masking really isn't necessary, but I think I still managed a passable job on the, thanks to the ever useful cocktail stick. The turrets in the kit are very basic: just the guns, really, though I'm not sure there's much else to include in the mid-upper turret. There's a wee moulding flaw or something on the rear turret that I haven't been able to polish out as it seems to go right through the plastic. Irritating but hardly critical. I think next step is to varnish the airframe and then I'll start to install the exhausts and landing gear. Getting there, slowly but surely. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 Three weeks down the track and I finally get to put Jane's legs on. Exhausts have also gone in, and I started de-masking, though I'm having trouble remembering which windows are masked, and which aren't! The wings could do with a good dust as well. Shockingly unrectified seams on the cowlings, which I hadn't noticed until I took this photo. Here she is in some early summer sunlight. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Yeah, I'm not really impressed with the way Revell moulded the front ring of the cowling with the rest of it, in two halves. The carb intakes on the top should have been separate parts, too. That's just slackness on Revells part. Airfix did a much better job of it on their Lancaster B.II kit. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 No, they didn't do any favours to the modeller. That said, the kit has otherwise been very good. My pet irritation is the main u/c, which doesn't locate well, and then has to withstand a fair bit of shoving about when the wheels go on. You can see the extent of the scratching on the wheels as a result, and I had to glue both u/c assemblies into the wing three times. I eventually resorted to dumping superglue into the wheel bay to try to strengthen the join at the rear, which was particularly wobbly. Seems to have worked in the end, though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelT Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 That's a big model, I'm glad I didn't have to paint it, I'd have run away and hid. You're doing an incredible job on it too, I just read the entire thread to catch up, those decals are great, decals are my next panic attack waiting to happen I hope I can do half as well. Aren't photographs a pain in the rear? I sit with my reading glasses in front of the window with a magnifying lamp and more lights than Blackpool Illuminations yet every time I take a photo I sit and think WTH how did I miss that!? I'm a little late to the party here but I will certainly be following along from here on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 Cheers, mate, you're too kind. It is a big beast, though unlike the Victor it will fit into the cabinet. I've found the DK Decals to be very good, wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again, and they have an excellent selection of subjects (good value, too). Lighting and photography are a pain for me as I live in an old house where illumination was very much a low priority on the plans (they didn't do a particularly good job of avoiding draughts either, but it's still here after 300 odd years, which I doubt will be the case for many of the houses they build today). I should get one of those LED lamps to illuminate my workspace but I need to do more research ( @CedB, surely you have tested something like this? 🤔) No piccies this morning, but I attached the gear doors last night. About an hour to stick four bits on and get them straight. I hope they're still straight this morning... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 On 05/07/2018 at 07:56, amblypygid said: I should get one of those LED lamps to illuminate my workspace but I need to do more research ( @CedB, surely you have tested something like this? 🤔) Who me? Maybe... I've got four of the damn things now and I have to say that the cheap ones are, er, disappointing. This one was OK to start with but then some of the LEDs went on the blink - literally - and it can only be used in two of the modes now; it's over the decal bench. Looks like the've changed the LED design so might be OK now? This one had the same problem and is now over the spray booth, but again they've changed the design. The digital display looks like a nice feature but, if you angle the lamp for optimum lighting, only really works when you have your head resting on the desk. My first was a cheapo Maplin one and that has an irritating control for the brightness - now unavailable I guess. I finally raided the piggy bank and bought a Dyson CSYS - it's gorgeous. I love Dyson anyway (they're British, you know) and I fully expect this to be passed on to the children. Actually there's another - this one recommended by The Baron for close up work. I'm afraid I didn't get on with it Not much help I know but I guess it's 'pay around £20 and be prepared to throw it if it breaks' or 'Ouch, that's dear, obviously made to last'. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelT Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 All I use is one like this from Ebay. I bought it for the magnifier but to be honest I use the light far more, it's always there when you need it and remarkably it actually stays put after you move it about (to be honest at the price I paid I thought it would require some remodeling before it did that) so you get the light right where you need it. It has a fluorescent tube which could be brighter but is adequate in the daytime (we're in the depths of winter down here) but at night it's great. There is a diffuser over the lamp which I have considered removing to see if it brightens it any but haven't got around to doing it yet. I have no idea how easy it is to get the tubes or if it would take a higher wattage without turning into a blob but I shall look into that one day perhaps. The magnifier is one of those things that is extremely useful for those odd occasions you need it like drilling out the barrels on the Spitfire guns and such but it's not the most user friendly thing in the world. Anywhere but center of the glass is out of focus and it seems to work better with a larger distance between your eye and the glass with the piece held closer to it. It's certainly not something you'd use all the time as it'd drive you nuts but when you do need it then it does the job very well. Each arm section is eighteen inches long so it has quite a lot of reach and I drag it all over the place but have never had to un-clamp it from the desk to reach anywhere yet. There's no doubt about it the thing is cheap and certainly not commercial quality but I wouldn't be without it and if it broke beyond repair I'd definitely be looking to get another one like it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 THanks, both. It didn't take too long to cross the Dyson off the list, Ced. I'd expect a new pair of eyes for that price! After consultation with my wife, who does a lot of handicrafts, I've opted for one of those illuminated magnifying goggle things... Easier to swap around, and since I work on the floor, I need something that doesn't rely on a desk-edge clamp. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Nice progress on the turrets Chris. Always a pleasure seeing each stage of this one appearing. As to lighting, I'm beginning to think that the 'ideal' light is a mythical quantity as no single light design seems entirely satisfying. I was able to blag one of the lights off of an old studio rostrum camera recently so trying to repair that and install a daylight bulb... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 On the back of the tail turret, did you leave part of clear? In reality, Part # 112 should be all black. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 All of it? There are side windows that I thought were clear. (I must admit that my finishing mojo is not good at the moment, which is why there's such slow progress.) Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, amblypygid said: All of it? There are side windows that I thought were clear. (I must admit that my finishing mojo is not good at the moment, which is why there's such slow progress.) Cheers Chris My mistake! No, just the back entry doors. Leave the side windows clear. Chris Edited July 9, 2018 by dogsbody Can't spell! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJP Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Looking good CJP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_ Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Lighting: 2 of these - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/lighting/work-lamps/tertial-work-lamp-white-art-00355722/ 2 of these 5000K bulbs- https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/lighting/light-bulbs-accessories/ledare-led-bulb-e27-600-lumen-dimmable-globe-opal-white-art-50347857/ £32. Job's a good 'un. And you can replace the bulbs. Bonus - it's Ikea, so you get to use your building skills on them. 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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