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Italeri Stirling IV - LJ849 QS-E, 620 Sqn, D-Day.


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Hello everyone

 

I'm embarking on my second Italeri Stirling build, after my Stirling I W7449 a few years ago:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234997690-italeri-172-stirling-i/&tab=comments#comment-2268420

 

That build was best described as 'leisurely' so I think this one will hopefully be a little speedier - forewarned is forearmed and all that, now that I know some of the foibles of Italeri's kit. This will be done as Stirling IV LJ849 QS-E of 620 Squadron, whose crew had an eventful D-Day, and an even more eventful time afterwards. They left Fairford at 22.50 on June 5th with a complement of paratroopers on board (including actor Richard Todd), landing back at Fairford at 01.45 on D-Day itself. They then took a glider across on the afternoon of D-Day, and after releasing the glider were shot down by German flak. The pilot, Gordon Thring R.C.A.F., managed to crash-land with no major injuries to the crew. Unfortuntately they were taken prisoner after mistaking a German patrol for Americans.  They were taken to a chateau by their captors, and held in a barn. The area was under heavy attack by R.A.F. Typhoons, and the Officer in charge of the Germans realised their position was hopeless. The rear gunner, Sgt. Gerry McMahon D.F.M. was wearing his medal ribbon, and the German commander assumed him to be an officer, and surrendered to him. The Stirling crew of six men marched 60-odd German troops back to the Allied lines and into Canadian hands. They returned to Fairford by June 9th, and when McMahon returned home he found his parents en route to his own requiem mass. His mother, needless to say, fainted when she saw him...

Here's his own version of the events of D-Day:

 

https://storylines.rafbf.org/world-war-2/gf-mcmahon-d-day-landings-june-56-1944/

 

McMahon was born in Darlington, so it's another build with a local North East link.

 

On to the model. Here's what I've got left over from my previous build. A box of miscellaneous bits and bobs plus leftovers:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-02

 

and some bits of scratch-built odds and ends, plus Eduard's Stirling IV interior set:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-01

 

I've got some more photos to upload later, but Flickr is having a right old hissy-fit at the moment...

 

More soon.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

 

Edited by Simon
edited wrong link
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Now that Flickr has sorted itself out after yesterday's shenanigans, here are a few more photos...

 

I've made a start on the interior of the nose compartment. I posted a question about the accuracy of Italeri's interpretation on the Key Publishing Forum a while back:

 

https://forum.keypublishing.com/forum/historic-aviation/79068-stirling-project-update/page43

 

and as you can see from our very own 12jaguar's reply - it ain't that accurate! There are no doors behind the upper glazing, and the turret ring doesn't look anything like Italeri's version. So, using the kit parts as patterns I'm making new upper and lower sections:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-07

 

So here's my trial interpretation of the turret ring, sling seat and map table, with the kit part for comparison:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-10

 

italeri-stirling-iv-11

 

It's just a first test, but hopefully will work okay. The lower part will have a footrest and will be much shorter than the kit part, as marked in pencil, so I'll do a trial fitment for that next.

 

More soon

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Apologies for the lengthy wait for updates - life has a habit of getting in the way of things!

 

Anyway, some progress to report. I've re-looked at the nose turret aperture, and redone it to a more realistic size (new one on the right):

 

italeri-stirling-iv-12

 

This is how it sits in the nose:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-13

 

Meanwhile, I've been re-visiting how I did the underside of the cockpit floor on my Stirling Mk. I  I've used the same basic parts as I made for the Stirling I, but tried to hopefully produce something a bit more representative, given that plenty will be on view through the nose glazing of the Mk. IV. Here are the two actuators (?) from under the control columns:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-14

 

and in position and painted with a few odds and ends added:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-15

 

italeri-stirling-iv-16

 

There are still a couple more bits to add, but I'm pretty happy with it so far.

 

I've also been looking at detailing the nose interior. Here's the port side:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-17

 

and the starboard side, which still needs a parachute stowage box:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-18

 

 

And the cockpit itself, with some scratchbuilt extras to make it look a bit busier:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-19

 

Again, this still needs some bits puting in place, but so far so good.

 

Once all that's done, I can crack on with finishing the nose compartment and getting that in place. After that there's just the engines, undercarriage, wings, tail, painting, markings...it'll all be over by Christmas, I reckon.

 

More soon (hopefully sooner than last time...:whistle:)

 

Simon

 

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What a great link, thanks for posting that. I read it, fascinated, then burst out laughing (I'm sitting in the pub and got some funny looks!) when I got to the end and read his crew list, including the nationalities, and saw he listed himself, not as English, but "Geordie". Love it!

 

Oh, and the detail you're putting in is pretty amazing too!

 

Ian

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello again, back with another quick update:

 

I've been finishing off some of the odd bits and bobs from the cockpit and forward fuselage. First off, here's the folding step to the bomb aimer's compartment:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-20

 

On the starboard nose, I've added the parachute pack:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-21

 

and also the internal ribbing for the nose itself:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-24

 

Moving back, I've finished off the area under the pilot's seat, adding some cabling:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-22 italeri-stirling-iv-23

 

I've also started on the rear fuselage interior. This has been done mostly to enable me to add some supports to the kit's rear undercarriage legs, which are not the strongest. Here are the three bulkheads above the undercarriage bay itself:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-26

 

italeri-stirling-iv-28

 

I've added a roof the the UC bay too:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-27

 

I'll get the undercarriage supports in next. I'm planning to have the rear crew door open, so will add some of the detail to the rear cabin.

 

More soon.

 

Cheers


Simon

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello again

 

Been too hot to work upstairs for the last week or so, so progress has slowed (even more than usual!). Anyway, here are a few bits to update:

 

This is the supprt for the rear undercarriage:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-29

 

There was a complete rear u/c set on display at the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum at Manston for a few years, and there are a few photos of it online. It's now at Cosford, waiting to go on display there.

 

Here it is in place - it makes the two rear u/c legs much more stable:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-30

 

 

I then figured out that the rear section of the fuselage, just aft of the door, should in fact probably be bare aluminium, rather than black. There's a recovered section of LK142 in a museum in France, which shows this. So:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-31

 

Needs toning down a little to make it a bit less stark.

 

I've also been busy with the interior on the rear fuselage. New floor section, plus the para drop doors. The Italeri kit has (nearly) all the right bits, but not neccessariy in the right order, to misquote Eric Morecambe. From photos and drawings, there are two Elsans, plus the ammunition boxes for the rear turret. Space is tight, so I did a quick layout to see what needs to go where:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-36

 

 

The planking on the kit part seems a little clunky, so I've redone that. And there seems to be some sort of matting in the 'cabin' area in a couple of photos. Here's my interpretation:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-34

 

And finally, at the other end, I've got the bulkheads in for the nose section at last - been putting this off, for some reason:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-37

 

I think the lip for the nose glazing will need to come out too.

 

More soon...

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

 

 

Edited by Simon
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7 hours ago, DJJunis said:

Simon,

Excellent...very well done...what was it two years to recover from the first one? 😀

 

All the Best!

Don

It's just over three years since I started the first one - I think it took that long to summon up the courage to do another...:whistle:

 

Thanks for all the kind words everyone!

 

Simon

 

 

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Like Courageous, I just now discovered this build- impressive corrections and scratchbuilding! I will be following with great interest. A very unique looking bomber that is seldom seen as a finished model. Can't wait to see the RFI photos!

Mike

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On 7/31/2019 at 4:26 PM, Tony C said:

Another one of those "why do we add all that detail, when nobody will see it" builds!

 

Love it...:thumbsup:

Becasue it's there...even if you can't see it. (That makes absolutely no sense to anyone but a modeller :doh:)

 

So, another quick update with the gubbins for the rear fuselage. These are the rails for the para's static lines, one each side:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-41

 

 

italeri-stirling-iv-40

 

I'm just doing as much as could be seen through the rear door. No point in going over the top (!). Here are a few bits and bobs from the port side. Note the additional Elsan:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-39

 

And the starboard side with the kit's photo etch base for the other Elsan and the guard for the DR Master Compass, plus a few additional bits:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-46

 

The little 3cm clothes pegs are holding a section of piping in place. I picked on on eBay - they're absolutely brilliant as they're small enough to get into awkward spaces, being wood they don't scratch plastic, and they're not too strong. I cut the ends at an angle to make them more precise.

 

Here's the rear floor section all painted up, and worn a bit by the Paras' boots:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-43

 

I've also had a re-look at the 'matting' in the rear fuselage. Some photos seem to show a different sort of covering on the floor for'ard of the door, which I'm guessing is canvas. So, I made this with a section of 10 thou card, with the creases created with a small round file. Primed with Halford grey primer, then painted with Humbrol 116, then very lightly sanded with a very worn piece of emery paper to reveal the primer:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-45

 

Nearly all done with the rear fuselage now. Just a few odds and ends to add. I'm toying with the idea of adding some lights inside, but that's just a possibility at the moment. I've got absolutely no experience of adding lights. :huh:

 

I've plenty to keep me busy while I make my mind up...more soon

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Simon said:

Becasue it's there...even if you can't see it. (That makes absolutely no sense to anyone but a modeller :doh:)

Cheers

Simon

 

Aaahhhh but....

 

Nope, can't think of a rational argument, guilty as charged!:mental:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Back for another monthly update (!). Fuselage rear is all done as far as I can go for the moment, so on to the wings.

 

Previous experience with the Italeri Stirling shows that the undercarriage bays are pretty sparse. I've invested in the Eduard Stirling exterior set for this build, but I'm giving the undercarriage wells some extra bits and bobs.

 

I'm found some excellent photos in the Haynes Stirling manual, and so I've changed the details from my Stirling I build. Here's the front bulkhead, Eduard etched lattice and an additional front spar:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-47

 

I've cut the bottom off the bulkhead, and added it to the front of the U/C bay:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-48

 

The other (top) section of the bulkhead can slot in from above. I did find the Eduard lattice very fragile, and prone to being bent while other work went on, so I've reinforced it with some plastic strip:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-50

 

Note that I managed to glue the undercarriage location plate in upside-down, which caused much gnashing of teeth. Out it came, reluctantly, and I made a new one from plastic card. D'oh...

 

Next up was the upper part of the front spar, which appears to be the same construction as the rear spar Italeri supply in the kit:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-49

 

Here is the top section of the front bulkhead in place temporarily:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-51

 

and an oil tank tried for size:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-52

 

Moving to the rear of the undercarriage bay, there is absolutely nothing there in the kit. From my various references the rear has a section that curves upwards from the rear spar, and where the large gouge flaps sit. The flaps themselves have a cut-out section. Here's my first go:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-53

 

I think perhaps that the rear spar should be further back than Italeri have designed it. Here is the final version, with additional bracing:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-54

 

and primed:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-55

 

and here's the section of the gouge flap in place:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-56

 

There's still plenty of stuff to go in there - I've done a fuel tank to fill the gap outboard of the lattice, plus there's all the gubbins on the front bulkhead. More soon...next month at this rate!

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I wasn't quite sure what you were referring to in your explanation, but the pics filled the gaps. Very impressive detailing, that's a huge improvement!

 

Ian

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16 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I wasn't quite sure what you were referring to in your explanation, but the pics filled the gaps. Very impressive detailing, that's a huge improvement!

 

Ian

Ian

 

It's easier to understand the gouge flap/wing section when you see the drawings.

 

Simplified wing/undercarriage/flap cross-section diagram, also showing the motor/gearbox for the undercarriage (labelled A, B and C):

stirling-wing-section-01

 

Detail of the gouge flap and the roller tracks that it runs on as it's lowered:

 

stirling-wing-section-02

 

Wing interior construction, showing the curved rear section that the gouge flap sits in, as well as the inner wing bomb bays:

 

stirling-wing-section-03

 

 

And details of the flap itself:

 

stirling-gouge-flap

 

You can only see a small section of the wing interior and the flap through the undercarriage bay, so no need for a full width flap.

 

There's a video on Youtube called "Speed Up On Stirlings" which has some excellent shots of Stirlings being built, and one section shows the gouge flap being installed into the wing.

 

Simon

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Another quick update. Here is one of the wing fuel tanks I mentioned yesterday:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-57

 

And here it is in place with the inners painted black:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-58

 

This is what you can see from the underneath:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-60

 

italeri-stirling-iv-59

 

I'm got a few bits to complete for the undercarriage and nacelle interior, then it's on to the engines. I've found out yesterday that the kit's exhausts have been 'short shot' around the 'porcupine' bits - not great news:

 

short-cast-exhausts

 

If Italeri can't supply some better ones, I do have a potentially cunning plan, which may or may not work, using the Quickboost 72101 exhausts for the Hasegawa Beaufighter...

 

More soon...

 

Simon

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello again

 

Just a quick update today, fininshing off the interior of the wing and undercarriage bays.

 

Here is the actuator for the undercarriage in place:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-62

 

and the oil tank in the front of the nacelle:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-61

 

I suddenly realised that the tops of the gouge flaps should be the same colour as the upper surface of the wings, so a coat of dark earth for them. Luckily I'd just taped them in place, rather than gluing them:

 

italeri-stirling-iv-63

 

The wings are all done and dusted now. They'll need the navigation/formation lights adding to the wing tips, but I'll do that once they've been glued together. More on that anon...

 

I'm busy with the engines at the moment, and trying to get the exhausts sorted with a couple of options. Italeri have promised me that they're sending replacement ones, but Plan B and possibly a Plan C are in the pipeline in case they're short-cast like mine...

 

Cheers


Simon

 

 

 

 

 

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