Dansk Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Cool. They’re so small that filling them with glue’n’glaze or pva might do the trick? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 I dropped hints about G-George for several birthdays and Christmases in a row but no dice Looking forward to this - I'd go for rivets, slightly sanded, myself. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 Time to open this box again and get all the bits out. There's a lot of black plastic here! I tested the fit of the fuselage halves and they look to line up very well. I wonder if I can avoid messing up the seam joints as I've been prone to doing on these old Airfix kits. There are no transparencies provided for the fuselage windows so I've a plan to try out some clear silicone seal before I close up. I fancy doing G-George with wheels up and on that big stand. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Good to see this one underway, should be an interesting build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 Getting G-George underway now (since A-Apple is nearing completion). The basic cockpit floor, pilot's seat, instrument panel and control column are assembled to the starboard fuselage half. My idea for this build is to leave anything which is black just in the bare plastic. The crew painting is underway in Humbrol 96. The engine nacelles and props are off the sprues ready for assembly. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Did some dry fitting of the main parts on G-George. I'm going to have to paint all the upper surface before assembling the wings and tailplane if leaving the under surfaces unpainted. No real problems except for the mid upper turret which was creating a gap in the fuselage seam and much filing of everything round about it was required - still doesn't rotate though. Actually, the shape of it is 'speculative' - looks more like a thimble set too low. I had a thought that one of the other Airfix kits of this era (e.g. Stirling?) would have a better rendition which I could 'borrow'. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Great to see this one taking shape, amazing to think as nippers we would have had this thing finished in a weekend ! cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Just now, JOCKNEY said: Great to see this one taking shape, amazing to think as nippers we would have had this thing finished in a weekend ! cheers Pat Thanks, Pat. Yes - my heart did sink a bit when it dawned that I really couldn't whack this all together and then get on with the painting if I wanted to avoid sticky ailerons and turrets and the dreaded 'stepped' seams - which I am sure I can remember from 1969. Must do better this time... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 The dry fit looks like things should go together without too much fuss and take on the great shape of the Lancaster. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 It just struck me that the tactile experience of all those rivets would be far more satisfying than one of today's sunken panel line efforts - am I reminiscing too much here? Of course there is then the disappointment of trying to get the decals to settle down over them all without silvering! 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) 13 hours ago, Ventora3300 said: Actually, the shape of it is 'speculative' - looks more like a thimble set too low. I had a thought that one of the other Airfix kits of this era (e.g. Stirling?) would have a better rendition which I could 'borrow'. If you are building a Stirling Mk I with the FN 7 upper turret then the Mk III mid upper will be spare. AFAIK both were FN 50 turrets so that should work. Pete Edited June 29, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 (edited) On 29/06/2020 at 23:03, PeterB said: If you are building a Stirling Mk I with the FN 7 upper turret then the Mk III mid upper will be spare. AFAIK both were FN 50 turrets so that should work. Pete Yes, I do have two boxings of the Stirling so visited one of them to 'borrow' the mid upper turret, top only. There it is alongside the 'thimble' that comes with the Lancaster. Gunners are painted and installed in their turrets and guns 'popped' on to the ball made of the gunners' hands and 'DO NOT CEMENT' I can't remember this from my 'kid build' but actually this is quite effective as a flexible mount - hope the guns still move once the turrets are fully assembled. Here is what the turrets should look like - from the new tool kit assembled as 'A-Apple' (nearly finished, honest!) I'll have to paint the framing on G-George's turrets to resemble these before gluing together. Edited July 7, 2020 by Ventora3300 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Airfix used the old "ball and socket" mounting for the turret guns on both the Lanc and Wellington original moulds, and as you say they actually work pretty well. If the gun slips off it is easily put back with the help of tweezers. AFAIK they switched to the more common ring and pin mounting in the Halifax and B-17. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Nice work on the turrets and their occupants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 17, 2020 Author Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) On 07/07/2020 at 18:22, PeterB said: Airfix used the old "ball and socket" mounting for the turret guns on both the Lanc and Wellington original moulds, and as you say they actually work pretty well. If the gun slips off it is easily put back with the help of tweezers. AFAIK they switched to the more common ring and pin mounting in the Halifax and B-17. Pete That's interesting, Pete. Actually, there appears to be a bit more detail such as the gunsight on the ball and socket method. The guns still look like 20mm cannon though! On 07/07/2020 at 20:03, modelling minion said: Nice work on the turrets and their occupants. Thanks, MM. I think I'm spending too long on these... Turrets together and you can see how painting the framing is going to be a hit or a miss on these transparencies. Here is the kit turret installed in the fuselage - too round and too low. I've cut the top off the mid-upper turret and put on the one from the Stirling. The gunner has had to have a cushion put under his butt to raise him up so he can see out! Alongside is the 'new tool' turret from A-Apple (with non-kit gunner installed). A vast difference in shape even with the turret top from the Stirling. Once I tear myself away from the turrets, the undersize and missing windows forward of the main wing root in the fuselage halves need to be addressed. It doesn't get any easier, does it? Edited July 20, 2020 by Ventora3300 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 I think that your work on the turrets has paid off, cutting the mid upper one up and adding the one from the Stirling, a brave move. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 Lovely work, you are making me want to start my Stirling when I have far too many builds on the go as it is ! Cheers Pat 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) On 17/07/2020 at 16:25, modelling minion said: I think that your work on the turrets has paid off, cutting the mid upper one up and adding the one from the Stirling, a brave move. Thanks MM. I thought it was worth trying to do something about that undersized mid-upper turret. I remember when I saw the real thing eventually on a video, I thought 'That's wrong -the Airfix kit that I remember shows different!' On 17/07/2020 at 22:46, JOCKNEY said: Lovely work, you are making me want to start my Stirling when I have far too many builds on the go as it is ! Cheers Pat Thanks, Pat. Well, you know what they say......... Maybe you can save up the Stirling for a GB next year - I don't think it is a quick build either. Lovely job on 'A Bit o' Lace' BTW. (I also noticed that a very similar bit of art (in red too) appeared on the hull of that Catalina that was parked up beside your Jag - great pic.) I spent more time on adding in another 'slit' window behind the main cockpit and enlarging the one in front of the wing root to the full size, which lets you see in to the Wireless Op's position... Talk about 'mission creep'...I also though that a Nav's table and W/Op table was required with the partition between. Included an extension of the cabin floor to fill in the black hole which you can see looking in the top of the cockpit. Made a start on the upper wing camouflage so I can get the wings assembled. I'm using the small pots of acrylics that come with the Airfix Starter Kits to try to speed up the build, starting with some 29 Dark Earth left over from a recent P-40 build. It got a bit lumpy as it dried so I actually used the 'brush out with water' tip from @JOCKNEY (thanks again, Pat) after this pic was taken. I have some 30 Dark Green from a Spitfire Mk.1a kit which I can also use once I sort out this Dark Earth. Edited July 20, 2020 by Ventora3300 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 Really enjoying what you are doing with this. Even though Airfix have re-tooled the Lancaster twice, this one still looks great. A tiny touch (much much less than a drop) of soap really helps acrylics and lets them stick to the plastic without beading up if you dilute them. Also, if you added a drop or two of red to your pot of Hu 30 green it will kill the bluish cast and darken it, which makes it a bit closer to the accepted norm. Although there are pictures of Lancasters where the green looks pretty faded and more like Hu30. Whoops, talking about colour matching... time! Regards, Adrian 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 4 minutes ago, AdrianMF said: Really enjoying what you are doing with this. Even though Airfix have re-tooled the Lancaster twice, this one still looks great. A tiny touch (much much less than a drop) of soap really helps acrylics and lets them stick to the plastic without beading up if you dilute them. Also, if you added a drop or two of red to your pot of Hu 30 green it will kill the bluish cast and darken it, which makes it a bit closer to the accepted norm. Although there are pictures of Lancasters where the green looks pretty faded and more like Hu30. Whoops, talking about colour matching... time! Regards, Adrian Many thanks, Adrian. I think the colours really make the kits come alive, though. Interestingly, I had read many times about the Humbrol 30 being 'too blue' and in fact the unmixed pot (which had been sitting with a starter kit for some years in the loft) had a big splodge of light blue in it and my heart sank. (I had already convinced myself to move to 116 on other builds but was pleasantly surprised by 149 on the other Lanc A-Apple). I'll try your tip with red - your coat is always welcome here! (Congratulations on that outstanding Hudson, BTW). All the best. Mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 Some nice work there Mike. Adding the table will make a difference as with the new fully sized window you will be able to see more inside. Good to see the camo going onto the wing upper surfaces. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 5 hours ago, modelling minion said: Some nice work there Mike. Adding the table will make a difference as with the new fully sized window you will be able to see more inside. Good to see the camo going onto the wing upper surfaces. Thanks again, MM. Only me peeping in the large windows no doubt but don't want the fuselage to appear unlived in. Now, taking @AdrianMF's advice, I added a couple of drops of red to the 30 and painted the starboard wing - you can see a difference in shade from the port wing which was painted with straight 30 as provided these days with the Airfix Starter kits Masking on the fuselage sides which covers all the windows..... ...which ties in neatly with the plan to fill the windows with clear silicon sealer - now curing (fingers crossed)! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Adding the red has certainly improved the green, another great tip from Adrian. Coming along nicely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 22, 2020 Author Share Posted July 22, 2020 Got all the top surface camouflage pre-painting on now (some scraping of bleed-through on the demarcation to black to correct) and the 'silicon sealer' windows are revealed - the sealer didn't push through to the outer skin of the fuselage on all the windows as hoped but it still looks as if there is something there rather than black holes. Of course, now I have remembered all the other 'windows' that the kit doesn't have, like those either side and below the bomb aimer's bubble and the two circular ones on the escape hatches on the fuselage top spins. Back to work with the small drill and sharp knife. At least the wings can be assembled now and the engine nacelles tackled. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Nice neat painting, I hope that it all goes together well and doesn't need much filling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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