1/48 Halifax 346 Sqn PN365 (H7-B) - Finished!

[Tail-Dragon]

This is magnificent - the only words I can come up with!

 

About the props, I see Quickboost has released a set of props for the Revell 1/48 Beaufighter, might these work for you?

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/QB48896?result-token=FjSSo

 

 

 

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

I feel you pain about the rear turret. Mine came with no frame, base or guts. I cut flat card to make the floor and back panel. I scratched a gun mount and added some spare .50s. The top turret has Master brass units.

[tonyot]

That tail turret looks amazing mate,.... the painting is coming on well and I really like the French roundels,...... they look like they have been modified on the squadron, which is how it was.

Cheers

           Tony.

[woody37]

10 hours ago, Tail-Dragon said:

This is magnificent - the only words I can come up with!

 

About the props, I see Quickboost has released a set of props for the Revell 1/48 Beaufighter, might these work for you?

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/QB48896?result-token=FjSSo

 

 

 

 

Thanks, It’s been great having time to spend on it. Those props don’t look too different from the blades I’ve got from two Tamiya Beaufighter kits but the Halifax had more paddle shaped blades which has been the dilemma. I can get shape accuracy or rotational accuracy!

10 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

I feel you pain about the rear turret. Mine came with no frame, base or guts. I cut flat card to make the floor and back panel. I scratched a gun mount and added some spare .50s. The top turret has Master brass units.

Fortunately I had the guts but can’t find the mid upper guts so will use the defiant guts for that one. Apart from that, I’ve done pretty much what you did. It was dreading tackling it but it’s come out better than I thought it would.

 

8 hours ago, tonyot said:

That tail turret looks amazing mate,.... the painting is coming on well and I really like the French roundels,...... they look like they have been modified on the squadron, which is how it was.

Cheers

           Tony.

Most decals seem to have the roundels and codes in bright red but I’m not sure where the evidence for this comes from. I’ve never been convinced of this although happy to be wrong If there is some colour footage or written evidence somewhere that I’ve missed. All I’ve read is that the colours were reversed so I’m even doubtful over the lighter blue used.
 

cheers

[Cees Broere]

Again breathtaking work on your masterpiece Neil.

Just one thing, IIRC the later Halifaxes ( and Beau's) had the cowling rings painted in a sort of mattblack heatresistant paint to prevent glow.

Cheers

Cees

 

[tomprobert]

Lovely job on the rear turret, Neil. Looks top notch. 
 

I’m going to take the easy way out when I do mine and fit the later Boulton-Paul D-type rear turret with the twin-fifties based upon the one in the Tamiya Lanc. Looking at the rear fuselage, it’s going to need to be widened a little me thinks. 
 

I love the subtle weathering too - it’s really bringing the paint to life. 

[mick b]

1 hour ago, woody37 said:

 

Most decals seem to have the roundels and codes in bright red but I’m not sure where the evidence for this comes from. I’ve never been convinced of this although happy to be wrong If there is some colour footage or written evidence somewhere that I’ve missed. All I’ve read is that the colours were reversed so I’m even doubtful over the lighter blue used.
 

cheers

Hi Neil,

 

All I have found is the page below from an old 1969 copy of Aircraft Illustrated drawn by Alfred Granger highlighting the use of French colours in the roundels etc.

 

 

This is also mentioned in the caption to a photograph of a 347 airframe in my 1961 edition of Bruce Robertson’s Aircraft Camouflage and Markings although it says it had ‘Normal B type roundels’ on the upper wings.

 

Obviously no idea of their sources and Granger may have just have been going by the earlier book although he does specifically mention the serial number as being in the original dull red.

 

Mike

 

[woody37]

5 hours ago, Cees Broere said:

Again breathtaking work on your masterpiece Neil.

Just one thing, IIRC the later Halifaxes ( and Beau's) had the cowling rings painted in a sort of mattblack heatresistant paint to prevent glow.

Cheers

Cees

 

Thanks Cees, easy enough to do if this was a standard thing

4 hours ago, tomprobert said:

Lovely job on the rear turret, Neil. Looks top notch. 
 

I’m going to take the easy way out when I do mine and fit the later Boulton-Paul D-type rear turret with the twin-fifties based upon the one in the Tamiya Lanc. Looking at the rear fuselage, it’s going to need to be widened a little me thinks. 
 

I love the subtle weathering too - it’s really bringing the paint to life. 

I’ll have a look later as I’ve got one upstairs. There seems to be spring loaded plates either side of the turret on the fuselage so cutting these out and putting in the open position may solve the problem

4 hours ago, mick b said:

Hi Neil,

 

All I have found is the page below from an old 1969 copy of Aircraft Illustrated drawn by Alfred Granger highlighting the use of French colours in the roundels etc.

 

 

This is also mentioned in the caption to a photograph of a 347 airframe in my 1961 edition of Bruce Robertson’s Aircraft Camouflage and Markings although it says it had ‘Normal B type roundels’ on the upper wings.

 

Obviously no idea of their sources and Granger may have just have been going by the earlier book although he does specifically mention the serial number as being in the original dull red.

 

Mike

 

Thanks Mick, that’s useful to know. Be interesting to know the sources for these post war articles. I’m sure I’ve seen a post was photo with brighter red markings but has different fuselage roundels so wondering if this is adding to the confusion.

[tonyot]

Neil,.... some of the photos that I posted earlier were all taken at the same time after the Halibag`s were put into storage,....so same camera etc,.... it might be worth comparing those with RAF roundels with those that have French ones. 

 

RAF

 

 

French

 

 

Post War French,.....but was it applied during the war? Probably, yes;

 

This one definitely looks like RAF Dull colours swapped around,......so if there was a change made to lighter colours,... was it done towards the end of the war?

 

This probably hasn`t helped,..... but to be fair,..... who knows for sure now?

 

Cheers

           Tony

Edited May 24, 2020 by tonyot

[dogsbody]

8 hours ago, Cees Broere said:

Again breathtaking work on your masterpiece Neil.

Just one thing, IIRC the later Halifaxes ( and Beau's) had the cowling rings painted in a sort of mattblack heatresistant paint to prevent glow.

Cheers

Cees

 

 

That was fairly standard practice for Bristol-powered aircraft that flew night missions. Halifax B.III's, Lancaster B.II's, Wellingtons and Beaufighters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[woody37]

2 hours ago, dogsbody said:

 

That was fairly standard practice for Bristol-powered aircraft that flew night missions. Halifax B.III's, Lancaster B.II's, Wellingtons and Beaufighters.

 

 

 

Chris

Thanks

[woody37]

4 hours ago, tonyot said:

Neil,.... some of the photos that I posted earlier were all taken at the same time after the Halibag`s were put into storage,....so same camera etc,.... it might be worth comparing those with RAF roundels with those that have French ones. 

 

RAF

 

 

French

 

 

Post War French,.....but was it applied during the war? Probably, yes;

 

This one definitely looks like RAF Dull colours swapped around,......so if there was a change made to lighter colours,... was it done towards the end of the war?

 

This probably hasn`t helped,..... but to be fair,..... who knows for sure now?

 

Cheers

           Tony

Thanks Tony. It's hard to tell from the B&W photo's as to the shade of red. I've got all the decals on now, so will leave them as they are with an interpretation of dull red on the codes and roundels / fin flashes. They look a little dark at the moment but will lighten once a matt varnish is applied

[woody37]

Not much done today but there is some progress. Got the last of the decals on, the fin flashes need a bit more dull red paint as they're a bit patchy but pleased with my first attempt at home made decals thanks to the help of people popping in with advice and for @perdu for giving me a push too. 

 

 

In the process of getting the UC painted ready for assembly too

 

[perdu]

The whole 'look' of her is really 'right'

 

Top job Neil

[tonyot]

31 minutes ago, woody37 said:

Thanks Tony. It's hard to tell from the B&W photo's as to the shade of red. I've got all the decals on now, so will leave them as they are with an interpretation of dull red on the codes and roundels / fin flashes. They look a little dark at the moment but will lighten once a matt varnish is applied

For what it is worth mate I think you`ve got it spot on,...... you were just querying it.  

[bryanm]

Great pictures and build story - thanks!  Mine is quite a way behind yours but is making some progress.  I keep getting stuck and then thinking of a way round the problem - the last one was the tail turret fairing and eventually I did much the same as you.  It's not quite symmetrical now but not far off.  If you make any more canopies from your master, could I put my name down for one?

 

[woody37]

51 minutes ago, bryanm said:

Great pictures and build story - thanks!  Mine is quite a way behind yours but is making some progress.  I keep getting stuck and then thinking of a way round the problem - the last one was the tail turret fairing and eventually I did much the same as you.  It's not quite symmetrical now but not far off.  If you make any more canopies from your master, could I put my name down for one?

 

Cheers. Yes, this keeps throwing up challenges. The latest I've come across is the undercarriage legs, they seem to sit too far in to the nacelle so I've packed out the location lug to lift the legs. I've run out of plastic due to low success rate on the canopies so need to go through what I've got. Some of the original ones should be OK, it was only in hindsight that I needn't of adjusted the former. Cheers

[heloman1]

Neil, you are a wizzard, sometime you have to show us your pointy hat! Your work is there dogs...

 

Colin

[woody37]

4 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Neil, you are a wizzard, sometime you have to show us your pointy hat! Your work is there dogs...

 

Colin

This undercarriage is fighting at the moment, I'm going to use my wand and make the ruddy thing disappear shorty 😢

 

I got them fitted eventually then realised one wing tip was about 8mm lower than the other. It's not the undercarriage that's the issue though, more the wings themselves so I've had to take the UC off again to try and compensate in various ways. The drag links (or compression struts?) are soft metal, so keep bending as I'm trying to get everything lined up. I've sanded a bit off the flat spot on one tyre and added a bit more on to the other, perhaps 1mm difference each side. This should extrapolate to about 4-5mm height variation closure at the tips (in theory!) so fingers crossed. That sounded scientific, it was of course guestimation! Thanks god the gear bays are black because it hides a multitude of sins in there!

[Cees Broere]

I feel your pain Neil,.

The FM wings are a bit droopy when build from the box. I superglued some long wooden coffee stirrers inside the halves to make them rigid enough to prevent drooping.

Quality control was not a top priority at the FM foundry unfortunately.

But keep at it, you have made it this far so no turning back now.

Cees

[heloman1]

11 hours ago, woody37 said:

This undercarriage is fighting at the moment, I'm going to use my wand and make the ruddy thing disappear shorty 😢

 

I got them fitted eventually then realised one wing tip was about 8mm lower than the other. It's not the undercarriage that's the issue though, more the wings themselves so I've had to take the UC off again to try and compensate in various ways. The drag links (or compression struts?) are soft metal, so keep bending as I'm trying to get everything lined up. I've sanded a bit off the flat spot on one tyre and added a bit more on to the other, perhaps 1mm difference each side. This should extrapolate to about 4-5mm height variation closure at the tips (in theory!) so fingers crossed. That sounded scientific, it was of course guestimation! Thanks god the gear bays are black because it hides a multitude of sins in there!

Hi Neil, could you not have shimmed the wing root?

 

Colin

[bentwaters81tfw]

I forgot to warn you about that. I had fun, and resorted to surgery and sorcery in the gear bays. I swear they are still odd on mine.

[woody37]

4 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

I forgot to warn you about that. I had fun, and resorted to surgery and sorcery in the gear bays. I swear they are still odd on mine.

Round two just about to start! I did a dry fit last night of the second wheel having the first secure now and the wings appeared quite even. We all know though that gluing after dry fitting produces totally different results 😂

 

EDIT: The first wheel is off again! Angled too far forwards and I missed that. Both are back on and the glue setting. I'll sort the drag links out afterwards once they're firm.

[woody37]

Sometimes you've got to show these FM kits who the daddy is 😂 I'll no doubt live to regret that comment later!

 

So great news. The UC is on and the wing tips are now level to within 1mm although I won't be taking any close ups of the gear bays! TBH, not that bad, just plenty of glue dollups around key joints.

 

This is where it's up to

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close up of the engines now corrected with black finish

 

Still lots to do, not least, 16 wing bomb bay doors to put on, gear doors and get the turrets finished too. I've ordered a resin Vickers gun to finish the nose off as it will be quite prominent stuck way out front on its own.

[woody37]

I wanted to get the masks off to see what state the canopy was in with static build up so got the mat varnish on the fuselage earlier and bit the bullet. As expected, they were caked in the stuff but with a keyboard aerosol cleaner to clear the inside and a brush with Kleer on the outside to restore the shine, it isn't looking too bad. The side windows and top escape hatches are worse but considering what it's been through since they went on, I'll have to live with it. The astrodome base frame needs painting before it's stuck on, it's just resting there at the moment. There's more weathering to do yet, not even touched the starboard wing yet, but as the wings are only pushed on, I can work on them without damaging the fuselage.