"How's that for a Slice of Fried Gold?" 1:72 Lancaster B.II

[dogsbody]

17 minutes ago, Alex Gordon said:

@dogsbody G'day Chris,was this the image you were thinking of?

 

Yes, I do believe that was it. Thanks Alex! 

 

right click and saved.

 

 

Chris

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

I was looking at the fuselage before ploughing on today, and just prior to installing the windows a little light bulb went on 💡 Should the windows be deleted? This is another veritable , as you will note if you wish to follow the below link:

 

 

Checking back through reference photos, you can see from the below shot that the WOp's window is visible, but the window ahead of it is not:

 

 

If you look at the below image compared to the kit fuselage, between the trailing edge and the turret fairing there should be at least 2 windows visible (had they been there!)

 

 

 

This is sufficient for me to conclude that the windows would have been deleted on all B.IIs given their relatively limited numbers. Tsk Tsk Auntie:

 

 

Curiously though, the box art does not appear to have windows - mixed messages Auntie! I think I shall install the windows anyway, spray over them with interior green, and then use them as a base for filling and sanding. More to come later,

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

Hi Roger

 

I imagine it's because it will be the same fuselage as the BI/III hence their inclusion  in this kit.

Chris 

[Dunny]

3 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Hi Roger

 

I imagine it's because it will be the same fuselage as the BI/III hence their inclusion  in this kit.

Chris 

Chris,

 

Probably so - they could at least have told you to paint over the windows though!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[elger]

It really depends on the airframe though - if you do a Google image search of Lancaster IIs there's plenty of examples that also have the side windows. There's a photo of DS604 here that clearly shows that this still had the windows:

 

http://aircrewremembered.com/thomas-arthur.html

 

[Dunny]

5 minutes ago, elger said:

It really depends on the airframe though - if you do a Google image search of Lancaster IIs there's plenty of examples that also have the side windows. There's a photo of DS604 here that clearly shows that this still had the windows:

 

http://aircrewremembered.com/thomas-arthur.html

 

Good call Elger - too late now as I've eliminated mine (I think it's correct for Z-Zombie though). It is indeed a 

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

19 minutes ago, elger said:

It really depends on the airframe though - if you do a Google image search of Lancaster IIs there's plenty of examples that also have the side windows. There's a photo of DS604 here that clearly shows that this still had the windows:

 

http://aircrewremembered.com/thomas-arthur.html

 

Elger,

 

Also of note is the date of your reference - April 1943. I had assumed incorrectly that these aircraft had a brief service life, but they clearly lasted from this time for another 15-18 months. Perhaps the deletion of the windows did occur mid-production of the B.II,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

Some more good progress today - this will grind to a halt tomorrow as I'm back to work (hi ho). Here's the pilot's seat (including the yellow spot of which we shall not speak 🤣😞

 

 

I know some masters of their craft can whip up harnesses in great detail at 1:72, but this Tamiya tape is about my limit! I'm quite happy with the cockpit floor though - looks okay under a Flory 'Grime' wash. Here's the navigator's station added in, including Auntie;s 'Generic Map of NW Europe' decal - doesn't look too bad though):

 

 

Also of note are the windows installed and sprayed. I didn't pay too much heed to cleaning them up. Because you won't see them. Because there aren't any windows. Spraying them was more to remind myself to fill the outsides .

 

Almost ready to button up the fuselage, I just checked on these lights. Apparently they are identification lights, and the below thread informs me that the correct sequence is red, green, amber forward-aft:

 

Thinned coats of each duly applied (I know it's yellow, but not many people look at the undersides of my models 🤣):

 

 

Everything went together smoothly, but noting other builds I remembered that the escape hatches should have clear circular panels, whereas Auntie provide them solid:

 

 

Once everything had been glued together (very smoothly, as it happens), I drilled the hatches out - I'll fill them in with Krystal Kleer at a later stage in proceedings:

 

 

Next - fill, sand, primer, repeat:

 

 

I ended up this afternoon with everything nicely in order, and panel lines rescribed. Finally, here's a shot of the ID lights in situ - don't look too bad:

 

 

I'm really enjoying this one! That's all for now, thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[elger]

46 minutes ago, Dunny said:

Good call Elger - too late now as I've eliminated mine (I think it's correct for Z-Zombie though). It is indeed a 

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

 

yes I think you are correct for Z-Zombie

[Stew Dapple]

That's good work Roger

 

I've got one of these in the stash, though by the time I get round to it I'll probably be too old to remember this

 

 Cheers,

 

Stew

[Graham]

Here's a video clip of BII's in flight.

 

https://youtu.be/o2SWXg9e_0s

 

Graham 

[Dunny]

10 minutes ago, Stew Dapple said:

That's good work Roger

 

I've got one of these in the stash, though by the time I get round to it I'll probably be too old to remember this

 

 Cheers,

 

Stew

Thanks for the kind words Stu - I can certainly recommend it. Tempus fugit and all that...

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

6 minutes ago, Graham said:

Here's a video clip of BII's in flight.

 

https://youtu.be/o2SWXg9e_0s

 

Graham 

Graham,

 

That's amazing footage - thank you for sharing. They are surprisingly graceful in flight - I'm quickly learning to love the purposeful lines of this aircraft,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

Hi Roger 

Good to see the fuselage together and that it was a smooth process.  Pilot seat looked great too. Great work 

Chris

[Dunny]

5 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Hi Roger 

Good to see the fuselage together and that it was a smooth process.  Pilot seat looked great too. Great work 

Chris

Cheers Chris,

 

Also learning a lot about the Lanc along the way - very educational!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[mark.au]

Great progress, and some nice results too.  I go off grid a couple of days and it seems like you’re nearly finished!

[Dunny]

1 minute ago, mark.au said:

Great progress, and some nice results too.  I go off grid a couple of days and it seems like you’re nearly finished!

Thanks Mark,

 

Grinding to a halt for a while as back to work tomorrow!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[dogsbody]

I just went through some of my Lanc photos and most of the B.II's don't show any windows and those that do only show a couple at the rear end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[isaneng]

Dogsbody, does your top pic show the FN64 turret, or am I just misreading it?

[Graham]

I think most got rid of the turret during service life if my memory serves me right.

[dogsbody]

1 hour ago, isaneng said:

Dogsbody, does your top pic show the FN64 turret, or am I just misreading it?

 

It does have the early bulged bomb bay doors and the fairing from the doors to the turret, but the turret has been removed.

 

 

 

Chris

[Dunny]

3 hours ago, dogsbody said:

I just went through some of my Lanc photos and most of the B.II's don't show any windows and those that do only show a couple at the rear end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

Thanks for that - as you may note I'm committed now anyway!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

Look what the internet bought me this morning - very exciting!

 

 

I've got to do a diorama now! You get all of these goodies (although you have to choose between the Bedford MWC and MWD):

 

 

I can now plan the ordnance load too 🤩 

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[Christer A]

Having recently  acquired a B.II this thread is a must.

Those cowlings were magnificent in all aspects. Great stuff!

[Dunny]

15 minutes ago, Christer A said:

Having recently  acquired a B.II this thread is a must.

Those cowlings were magnificent in all aspects. Great stuff!

Christer,

 

Appreciate the kind words - many thanks and welcome aboard!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger