Christer A Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 It is known that I probably have the worst self control on this side of @corsaircorp but this is actually @Roger Newsome s fault. I was looking at his Whitley build thread when it dawned upon me that this bomber should not been named for a suburb in Coventry, it should have been named after the king of the woods, the moose! After all, someone must have taken a close look on the muzzle of the moose when designing the nose of the Whitley. spot the difference? Atleast I cannot unsee it anymore 😵 But I digress... Vacation is getting closer by the minute, and the need to start another summer kit grows equally fast or even faster. Yesterday I couldn't stop myself anymore, I just HAD to cut some plastic and stick a few bits together, and whoops, another kit was started. But who's counting? Anyway, I started with the wings since I'm still waiting for some Eduard Etch to complicate the office a bit. After a happy evening snipping plastic and shoot some primer I arrived here. Very novel approach to the rear fuselage I'd say (it was called corridor, right?) Can't wait to shoot some grey-green on it and see how it looks... The engine nacelles was both tricky and great at the same time, but that's typical of moderin Airfix IMHO. There's a nasty ejector pin mark on the firewall and I didn't take the time to fix it since my judgement is that it'll be impossible to see! Right, lets try to work for a few more hours before heading home to start spraying. 15 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Newsome Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 I'm glad it was my fault and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. You never know you might inspire me to build the other one I bought, then it'll be your fault. 😄 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Was'nt there, did'nt do it Come on Guys have fun in starting models !! Even FM ones !! Now you gonna induce me in looking for a 1/48 Whitley…. And a Wildebeest ! Sincerely. CC 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 Thanks for the cheers guys! Summer is indeed upon us, and everything has turned green: Well, interior grey/green courtesy of Xtracrylix then...and due a very long period (with Swedish standards atleast) och high heat and no rain everything has turned yellow instead. I wonder what the function of the small holes in the corridor serves? Are the crew expected to hang their coats there? Is it a Wailing Wall? I have no idea... The corridor will recieve some aqua gloss tonight and will then be subjected to weathering before the windows are installed. It's kind of funny with a loose roof like this, but once one sees all the small roof windows the purpose becomes clear. Let's leave the corridor for a while and focus on the rather massive wing: Those wing spars are really high, but gives great support for the 36cm wide wing. Off course, the cord and depth of the wing is anything but slim! Note to self, don't forget to add those windows... Lets flip it over and see how it looks from the other side. Lots of pretty details to add to the gear bays. I reckon it's hard to paint it all with the top wing in place, so I took a gamble and added the framework first. Hopefully it wont break of due to clumsy handling. 😇 Fit is generally good as long as you keep to the modern Airfix standards of avoiding paint on mating surfaces and also religiously removes all traces of mold separation lines. The framework is surprisingly sturdy though. In the front end it attaches to the engine firewall, and it's also secured to the roof of the gear bay in the top wing. One could almost believe that it's supposed to hold the main landing gear, but no, that's not the case. MLG attaches in to soeckets on the wing spar instead which should lead to a very sturdy installation. Good! Then I just shot a few drops of ultimate black primer (gloss) in preparation for metallic paint this afternoon. After looking at a few build threads here and there on this site I found a trap that was taken care of. The fit between engine nacelle and the wing leaves something to be desired, but with a slight carving of the raised rib it improves a lot! The lip is sort of visible in the gear bay though but only if you're using endoscopy , and that is not allowed to be used at any model contests that I've participated in. Lucky that! Let's leave that instrument to medical proffesionals. Another tricky thing regarding the engines: Airfix would like you to assemble the radiators after the nacelle halves has been joined which is slightly awkward. On the flip side it is possible to smooth the lower part of the duct before wiggling the radiators in place. If assembling them before it will lead to a tricky join to smooth I guess? Everything should also be painted night but I guess the radiators are a dark metallic shade instead, since paint will hinder their efficiency. Plenty of things to ponder with the engine nacelles overall. Now I just need to survive at work for a few more hours, then the vacation starts! 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 I love the Whitley so I shall be dropping in on a regular basis. Martian 👽 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 You're welcome to pop in here anytime Mr Martian! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 Reinforcements have arrived! I haven't done any proper testing of Montex mask before, so this will be interesting. They mask more windows than Eduard (the frgot a few), also includes masks for insignia and letters and cost a little less. What could possibly go wrong? We'll see, no doubt! I started with another dreadful task, Gun turrets! Bombers are usually filled with them, and it's an unholy combination of clear plastic, tiny windows, masking all over the place and tiny details. A real mojo-killer. Airfix provides quite a few things to make it look busy, and in this small scale that'll probably be good enough for me. I was toying with the idea to run some ammo bults to the lower boxes but I chickened out pf it. But I did replace the four plastic Brownings with some exquisite brass items instead. Just cut the original off, drill a few holes and secure the new ones with CA-glue. Hey presto! Unfortunately, no Vicker K was found, so the front turret will look a little more boring, but with just one single peashooter I guess it was quite boring to start with. A first coat of paint done, and there will be drybrushes and washes tomorrow. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 14 minutes ago, Christer A said: I haven't done any proper testing of Montex mask before, so this will be interesting. They mask more windows than Eduard (the frgot a few), also includes masks for insignia and letters and cost a little less. What could possibly go wrong? They are vinyl, and whilst the sets I've used are a good fit they are very prone to lifting on compound curves- especially when a coat of paint has already been applied over them. So be really careful when you apply them on the turrets! Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Nice work on the turret, Christer. I find them tedious but strangely fulfilling to put together. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 Thanks for the heads-up Will! I've also got the tip that slighlty heating the masks with a hairdryer could help them to conform better. I plan to paint the turrets first, to evaulate the masks performance, and also not let them sit for too long (as I usually do) so that the risk for leaving residue lessens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Nice work Christer! The guns looks great! Håkan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Looking good Christer. Those turret details in particular. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Wow ! Pretty good turret Christer ! I will have a look in my docs and stock... Just remember about K-guns... I don't remember the brand, I bought some 1/48 ones for my Shagbat but there was 1/72 ones too... Please, Don't talk of the Whitley to @BS103... He will have some weird envy too.... You did great my friend, I will have a look for the K-guns. Sincerely. CC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 14, 2018 Author Share Posted July 14, 2018 Thanks guys! The turrets have been resting for a while, sans masking just to be on the safe side. Instead, I've been focusing on finishing the corridor. After a simple wash and some dry brushing I decided that it was enough, after all almost nothing can be seen anyway... As others have noted, the guiding tab for the stabilizer is a bit underdeveloped, which can give lots of flexibility when trying to attach them. A few strips of plastic sorted out that, and then we arrived at the magnificient rear end all done. Gigantic stabilizer, fins that look like an afterthought and those bracers? Yes, this is early 30:s design all right! Bonus question: Should the flaps be deployed or not? Yes, RAF wasn't very keen to have them hanging loose and allt that jazz about raising them as soon as the wheels touched the ground or the crew needs to pay the beers on the mess hall that night, but as I intend to display the bomb bay doors open, I could probably get away with dropped flaps too. What do you think? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 14, 2018 Author Share Posted July 14, 2018 Extra update! Remember this? After painting the radiators and the assorted duct with Tamiya NATO Black (which will be my starting point for the Night paintjob), the radiator fronts were wriggled into place. Surprisingly,this worked quite well, which means that the Airfix instructions were correct, again. Then I started with another favourite activity: Hot Clamping Action! Some sainding here and there gave a quite decend fit. How decent we'll no doubt see once the primer goes on... All in a good days work! I also managed to bike 78km around the countryside in slightly less than 3 hours so the day was even better for it! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Nice work, Christer, and good time on the bike trip! Håkan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 Thanks Håkan! The last 20 km had a quite strong headwind, which I'm had a strong allergic reaction to (out of breath, laboured breathing, heavy tired legs and my heart beat like crazy) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Hello Christer ! Hey take care my friend !! I know too well these conditions... My bike is hanging in the shed, collecting spiderwebs for years Luckily, I'm not allergic to plastic and modelling is better for my already torn heart... As long as you beer at SMW, you can drop the flaps Pretty good job on your moose.. Look great ! Sincerely. CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 Thanks for the cheers! After a quite long vacation to Berlin, I'm getting ready to start modelling again. Unless I get the urge to restart a BF110 again off course! More pictures from Deusche Technische Musee to follow soonish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 I had a go with the cockpit yesterday! Quite a lot of plastic that's supposed to go into the front... Trim wheels and throttles will be enhanced with etch. Tricky stuff! Since the bracket for the wheels have a larger gap then the thickness of the wheels, I decided to add some tiny shims. No need to have them to be round, since they can't be seen in the end. I also made a start with the instrument panel Compared to the airfix offering, this includes the compass, but other than that I don't think it's that much more detailed. Some levers for the navigator/bomb aimer, all paimted with UMP black primer. The forward bomb bay is supposed to be black, so that was also masked off. Tinkering with belts. Nice comfy chair for the pilot, swivelling set for the navigator and a stool for the radio officer? The gunners were forced to half sit´half stand. I guess equality wasn't a thing in Bomber Command... Today I hope to merge all this into one unit: And maybe some light weathering... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Nice work Christer! Håkan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 27, 2018 Author Share Posted July 27, 2018 Thanks Håkan! The already thin hair on my scalp was subjected to another torment yesterday. Tiny tiny etched control leavers are supposed to be attached to the throttle quadrant somehow. Two pinged away to who knows where, but in the end I got enough of them to make a decent throttle and with that, I was finished with the cockpit. Finally! There was some contraption on the Eduard fret that's supposed to go into the front gunners position but the most prominant part was lost when it fell from the table into my lap and was never seen again. Nothing to do about that, so I just squezeed it all together and mated it to the wing. Now let's see if one can wrestle the rear fuselage in place too! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 30, 2018 Author Share Posted July 30, 2018 Time for another update in the current heatwave. Ok, so I'm swedish and more used to +9ºC, but I do manage to make some progress in this little machine. Or not so little really... Let's see how the rear fuselage fits onto the wing and front fuselage. Definitely a bit too draughty. Well, I could always glue it together anyway, and fill with putty, and sand, fill and sand some more. But I rather not actually. Since nothing can be seen in the rear fuselga unless using some fancy endoscopy, and I can't really see that happening 😎 I started to fettle with bits of sprue to force the fuselage out a little bit. Tadaa: It looks like no putty will be needed here then - mission accomplished! Let's add some windows to the front part then It seams that it's still possible to push the front turret in position, which should make painting and masking easier, or so I hope. Time to have a go at the Montex masks then. It does work, but a lot more stiff than the Eduard masks, or regular tamiya tape. Let's get it on! 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 This is starting to look rather splendid! Martian 👽 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 Thanks Martian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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