A journey of optimism. Or utter foolishness. Three down, one to go!!

[Roland Pulfrew]

Bomb bay installed but intrigued by Airfix’s choice of colour.  The instructions suggest ‘56’ aluminium, but of course that includes all of the external parts of the very complex set of bomb bay doors, which is obviously incorrect.  
 

 

Equally, having everything aluminium would reflect light quite nicely in the hands of a searchlight.  
 

Fortunately, a bit of Googling has produced this from this website: https://pacificeagles.net/vickers-wellington/

 

 

which shows the well worn black innards of a Wellington bomb bay.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Plan this evening was to try and start getting some colour down on the Welly and the Harrow. Started ok, but then the airbrush started playing up 😕

 

Unfortunately, as I haven’t used the brush in a couple of weeks, decided that a full clean was probably in order!  That took a while, then the carpet monster decided to swallow the return spring.  By then it was late and after a 5 AM start, I decided it was time for bed.  Still at least I got to check a few of the seams on the Welly

 

 

Hopefully better luck tonight!!

[The Spadgent]

Just peering in. It’s been a while so this was a lovely catch up on these three wonders. Looks like you’re in for some fun on the HP O-400

Here’s my one if you’re interested. There’s a link to the WIP in there too which may be of some help as I think I managed to hit every pitfall. 😱

 

Loving that you’re doing. Three at once is always going to be a challenge.

 

All the best. 
 

Johnny.

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

7 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Just peering in. It’s been a while so this was a lovely catch up on these three wonders. Looks like you’re in for some fun on the HP O-400

Here’s my one if you’re interested. There’s a link to the WIP in there too which may be of some help as I think I managed to hit every pitfall. 😱

 

Loving that you’re doing. Three at once is always going to be a challenge.

 

All the best. 
 

Johnny.

 

Thanks Johnny. I think I’m a bit behind the drag curve with these at the moment, but at least I’ve sorted the airbrush issues - almost 🤦🏻
 

But that aside, at least I got some colour on this evening.

 

Thanks for the link to your 0/400 build, some useful tips in there.

[Head in the clouds.]

Just caught up with this build and I have to say you have taken on a mighty work load with very different kits. There is some good old head scratching and problem conquering going on and it is good to see you getting top side of it all, the Harrow and Wimpy coming on nicely.

I thought I was mad when I decided to build 3 Sea Kings together, one and half years later and I am still at it but the finish line is in sight, you have have my admiration for taking on 4 at once. 👍

keep up the good work.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Despite my initial optimism, work commitments have taken their toll and I’m off on the road for the rest of this week, sometimes I wish our hobby was more portable! 
 

At least 2 of my 4 are starting to look as though they are getting close and I’ve started a bit of work on no. 3, but I’m also supposed to have started the Africa GB.  I feel over commitment coming on!! 
 

Anyway, progress on the Wellington and Harrow. Engines on, undersides sprayed and now starting on the upper surfaces with a little pre-shading, ready for the camouflage.  Just trying to decide whether to mask up all the canopies and add them ahead of the camouflage, or to add them, pre-painted, later.

 

Interwar and WWII aircraft glazing - another of the reasons I prefer modern aircraft.

 

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

Amazing the difference the first coat makes to the look of a model.

 

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

OK. Looks like my journey was utter foolishness. Work commitments, a forthcoming job change and the fact I’m off to the Middle East for six months, means I’m unlikely to get these finished to my original plan. The good news is I should have some spare time when I get back at the end of the year!!

 

still, just to keep things ticking along whilst I can, there has been some progress:

 

 

I’m quite pleased with how these are starting to look now. Only hope I can keep them that way whilst I finish all the trick, boring, fiddly glazing bits!! 😄
 

 

 

Yes there was a stray bit of masking tape just in front of the fin 🤦🏻

 

 

[Paul Thompson]

At least when you next get the chance, what you've done is far enough along to inspire you to finish them off rather than long-term-store on the Shelf of Doom.

 

Paul.

[Marklo]

Lovely work.
 

Most of what I build is small and will fit in a Tupperware container and I can assemble a basic tool kit in same. I recently had to spend two weeks in hospital and so I built a few Airfix 1/72 tanks and worked  on my Sopwith snark while away  

[Roland Pulfrew]

OK, now that I’m back from my sojourn in the desert, it’s time to resurrect this topic and crack on. Good news is that only minor repairable damage occurred on the move back in May, so nothing too much to worry about there. Next stage is that reason why I sort of dread WWII bombers - the glazing!  Time to get the masking tape and a new sharp scalpel blade into action…….

 

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

Yep, WWII glazing - my bete noire!  🤦🏻 Still, Wellie gun turrets masked and painted.

 

 

[Lewis95]

One of the main reasons I dread opening a bomber kit. The bloody glazing. Literally. As I'll undoubtedly stab my finger at least 4 times.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Oh my! Another year gone. Where does the time go? Well my excuse is 6 months working over seas, a wedding, a change of job and moving house!!  But it’s past time for excuses and time to resurrect this topic so here we go, a little bit of progress and the Welly is on its main wheels:

 

 

 

[Brandy]

Nice to see this back. Still looking forward to the HP 0/400!

 

Ian

[Fritag]

1 hour ago, Roland Pulfrew said:

Oh my! Another year gone. Where does the time go? Well my excuse is 6 months working over seas, a wedding a change of job and moving house!!  

 

Better excuses than I ever have Roland   Good job, somewhere fun I hope 

 

As Ian says, good to see the Welly back.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Now I remember why I don’t particularly enjoy WWII bombers (at least at this stage)!  I’m beginning to wish I’d just invested in some masks!  And I’ve still got the Harrow to mask up 😕 Still at least all of the Wellies glasswork is done 

 

And now for some fiddly bits on the Harrow. I hope the carpet monster doesn’t get fed!! 
 

Maybe I should have drilled out the front of the intake 

 

 

At least the wheels are starting to look the part though. 

 

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

Today, I ‘ave mostly been masking 🤦🏻‍♂️
 

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

This afternoon, a little more progress. 
 

 

Now on to the starboard side.  Have to say, this went together easier than I thought, but, and it’s a big one, the undercarriage construction looks a feels incredibly flimsy, any suggestions on adding strength?

 

[Roland Pulfrew]

And now with the starboard side on too.

 

not sure when, if ever, this gets to stand on its main gear 😳

[Roland Pulfrew]

Well that was a bit foolish. Having thought that the undercarriage looked a bit spindly, I carried on with adding other bits, a few windows and gun turrets and the like, when I felt a crack.  Unfortunately I was right and I snapped one of the spars; just me being cackhanded.  Having repaired everything, I thought that is always going to be a weak point, so I’ve added a little bit of plasticard over the broken bit.

 

 

Hopefully I can blend it in a bit, very, very carefully, later.  I’ve also added some superglue to the mounting points to try and add some strength to those (that also needs blending in). 
 

It was a bit of a shame, as, much to my surprise, when set down on its feet, the undercarriage felt quite solid.  
 

 

 

Cockpit glazing only inserted for test fit purposes, next job: masking it up for painting and fitting 🤦🏻‍♂️

 

[Paul Thompson]

Having suffered multiple bites from building spindly biplanes, in this case I'd recommend biting the bullet and replacing the 4 weak struts with cocktail sticks, sanded to aerofoil section (it takes minutes at the most using sanding sticks). Seal the grain with thin CA and paint in situ.  Unless you're lucky enough to have some fine gauge Strutz brass struts, in which case just cut to length, stick into place with CA with or without drilling locating holes, depending on if you've had enough or not, and paint. The aim is to stop the whole assembly wobbling sideways and snapping the main strut, so if you can make the replacement the same width as the existing one you can get away with just replacing one per side.

 

Paul.

[Roland Pulfrew]

3 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:I'd recommend biting the bullet and replacing the 4 weak struts with cocktail sticks, sanded to aerofoil section (it takes minutes at the most using sanding sticks). Seal the grain with thin CA and paint in situ.  Unless you're lucky enough to have some fine gauge Strutz brass struts, in which case just cut to length, stick into place with CA with or without drilling locating holes, depending on if you've had enough or not, and paint. The aim is to stop the whole assembly wobbling sideways and snapping the main strut, so if you can make the replacement the same width as the existing one you can get away with just replacing one per side.

 

Paul.

Thanks Paul.  Looks like “Strutz” is no longer available anywhere, so the cocktail stick option may be a player. I’ve also got a stash of those wooden coffee stirrers which might work too. I’ll see what I think when I’ve had a go at cleaning up the repair.

 

Also did find a suggestion for another option: get a piece of brass tube cut to length (I’ve got some of those), insert a piece of wire slightly longer than the tube, crush tube and wire between two bits of metal or wood.  Hopefully, if done correctly, this gives you an aerofoil shape with wire that can be CA’d into suitable holes.  Might give that a go too!

[AdrianMF]

The paintwork looks really nice.

 

Good advice from both Paul and yourself on strengthening the undercarriage. I’ve used both methods and they both work.

 

Looking at the model, in some pictures it looks like the opening in the front of the cowling is very large - it might be worth doing some measuring of cowling inner opening vs outer diameter on both the model and photos of the real thing, and slipping in a ring of plastic strip if the kit one needs beefing up? Pictures like this one suggest there more of a lip to the cowling. It could on the other hand be a trick of the light in your photos, but I thought I’d mention it before you get the propellers on. I have an Airfix Blenheim (old one) that has not enough cowling lip, and it bugs me every time I look at it…

 

BTW I was  surprised by how toy-like the real thing looks in some of the IWM pictures that come up in Google. I was even wondering which set of figures they had used in the diorama!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Paul Thompson]

I should have been clearer, the guy who made Strutz died, and although the machinery went to John Adams he said it was too worn out. Strutz was developed for use with the same guys WW1 resin kits (under the Skyburds 86 label), which can be found for too much money on Fleabay, or reasonably at shows. They came with a bundle of  lengths of assorted width strut. Some people loved them, some hated them. Very strong, and much missed by me at least (German WW1 aeroplanes, particularly 2-seaters, often had very thin struts not easily made from the Comtrail style plastic  material). Incidentally, Skybirds also did plastic kits of early British jets, and DH Hornets, amongst others.

 

I've also read of the flattened tube idea, and seen good results from it, but never tried it. Too much work for lazy me necause I don't think the strength is really needed until you get to 1/32nd and above, which is beyond my comfort zone (athough I think I'll give it a go once I get further with my infinitely slow builds of the Contrail 1/24th WW1 aircraft).

 

Paul.