Invader!

[bar side]

I seem to have been mostly building jets lately, but a kit has been looking at me curiously from the stash for a while.  I got it on an impulse buy from eBay a couple of years ago and it looks to be a nice kit.  The idea was to build it as a preserved aircraft to sit alongside my G-FIRE.  And maybe include some motors & lights

 

 

I was trying to think about options for a display airframe.  There haven’t been many on the European circuit through the 70s & 80s.  There was the sad case of the glass nosed C model that crashed at Biggin Hill.  I wanted to avoid that, plus the kit is the gun nosed B model anyway.  So I think the only real option is the Sugarland Express

 

 

Now the dilemma continues.  As you can see Sugarland Express has had its upper and lower turrets removed and windows fitted in the rear fuselage.  So if that needs doing why not go full SEA camo?

 

 

Nice but cropped props, tip tanks and more, probably easier to buy a kit of one, no matter how cool they look.

 

So options are still open.  Build as per kit with turrets etc and maybe add some invasion stripes?  Or maybe strip out the turrets and adapt the kit yellow tail stripe & do something like this?

 

 

Decisions, decisions.

[Snafu35]

Hello, Bar side.

 

I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you as well on the fact that the nose of the Sugarland Express does not match the moulding that is proposed in the box of the Monogram/Revell model.

This model is also on my desk, and I'm looking for a pin up decoration for a B26 solid nose with SIX guns.
I found a reference at Kitsworld.

 

I will follow your work.
Have fun with it.

 

Regards,

Eric-Snafu35

[bar side]

9 hours ago, Snafu35 said:

Hello, Bar side.

 

I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you as well on the fact that the nose of the Sugarland Express does not match the moulding that is proposed in the box of the Monogram/Revell model.

This model is also on my desk, and I'm looking for a pin up decoration for a B26 solid nose with SIX guns.
I found a reference at Kitsworld.

 

I will follow your work.
Have fun with it.

 

Regards,

Eric-Snafu35

And the bottom picture aircraft has an 8 gun nose!  Might have to break out the brass tubing…

[bar side]

So what do you get in the box?

 

 

The nose is a six gun, but not in the way you might think.  Four on one side & two on the other

 

 

I thought I would check the motors I have are up to the job of turning these sizeable props. Some brass tube fits fairly snugly over the motor drive shaft.  It fits in to the back of the prop nicely.  So blutac and see how it looks

 

 

There is a back section to the engine moulding that will need a motor sized hole cut in it to take the back of the motor some proper backing and support for the motor.  And the aperture for the prop shaft is a bit big - I will see about fittings tube section in there to reduce any prop wobble.  So assembled

 

 

Wired on to a battery pack

 

 

Considering it’s a Heath Robinson test with lots of blutac it’s not bad & running fairly central without much wobble.  The brass tube is slipping in the motor spindle, but I can cramp that up tight later

 

And a few more bits off the sprue & taped together.  Seems to be mainly surface panel lines not recessed.  I don’t think I will rescribe so I hope the fit is good.  Wing tip lights are part of the wing so will need cutting out & lenses making, plus a groove cut to take the led wires.  There are lenses for the under wing landing lights which I might light up.  I assume strobe anti collision lights came later?  I think the Later examples had one on top of the tail.  So this is rough size with a Phantom for scale

 

 

So redrilled nose guns and plated over turrets.  Side windows worth doing?

[Mattlow]

Nice start.

 

May I ask where you source your motors?

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[bar side]

Just now, Mattlow said:

Nice start.

 

May I ask where you source your motors?

 

Thanks

 

Matt

Cheers. EBay 3v micro motors.  Cheap & pretty good.  I have had these ones a while & they have nice long drive shafts.  They can be a bit short sometimes.  Power via a couple of “penny” lithium batteries in a switchable housing.  That will either end up in the bomb bay or with an external plug in power lead.  It would be nice to power them separately so I can do start up one at a time

[Riksbar]

Time to dig out Always again!

[bar side]

While browsing FB the other day I spotted Kermit Weeks work on his A-26B.  It’s got the right nose to avoid any problems and hopefully lots of pictures to find for reference

 

 

She has been around for a while and this photo is at Madera CA in 1982.  She retained her turrets so that could save some work

 

 

All I would need is a tail code & 51 C for the sides.  Didn’t appear in Europe but seems a very easy option

[bar side]

The engines have a bulkhead behind them and I need the motors to slot through this.  The kit has a spindle between this bulkhead and the prop and I want to fill this space with the motor.  And I need something a bit better than blutac!  So hole cut in the bulkhead

 

 

Now left like this the motor will move so it needs a frame to hold it.  Something like this

 

 

So taping it together this is the bulkhead 

 

 

Then the engine goes on that

 

 

Then the cowling and the prop

 

 

The power lead is running out through the wheel well.  So it sits something like this.  I think this is the starboard engine on the port wing at the moment!  It will get sorted when I do the other side

 

And running

 

 

So all looks good.  Just have to decide if I put a power sockets in each wheel well & power them separately or run both through to the bomb bay and plug in there.  Plus I could do the lights and motors all off one lead or separately

 

I tidied up the power leads on another twin motor today as well.  My Islander had a fixed lead running off it but I converted it to plug in sockets today.  These are outside  unlike the Invaders ones

 

 

And all up & running

 

 

 

 

 

[bar side]

I have just been watching Kermit Weeks’s Invader on its test flight.  Slight canopy issue!

 

 

 

 

[bar side]

Getting some of the internal structure in place and I can’t help thinking that I could avoid plug in wires and external leads by putting two switched battery holders in the bomb bay.  Make the bomb bay doors removable to switch lights & motors on.  She won’t get a detailed bomb bay but I was going to pose it closed anyway.  Things aren’t going to come along quickly as I have had to order some more leds and they have a week or so lead time to get them.  That means the wings can’t go together for a bit

 

[bar side]

Sorry for the interruption to the updates - was away on hols in Italy last week.  Things were delayed anyway waiting for some new leds to arrive.  They came while I was away so broke them out today

 

 

I opened up the below wing landing light and cut out the wing tip nav light

 

 

I drilled through the fuselage side to carry the wiring in to the bomb bay and carry the power to the motor.  One side tested and now need to do the other side

[bar side]

Bit more done on the wings today.  Lights fitted to the other wing & all the cables located in to the bomb bay.

 

 

So that will all work.  Now to look at the body

 

 

I think I need at least two leds inside the body.  One behind the instrument panel for a bit of cockpit glow.  And maybe one back in the rear bay, or behind the pilot?  There is a lot of nice detail in there, plus a control panel decal.  So maybe drill out a couple of the instruments plus let the light shine out a little under the panel too.  There is a nice compartment behind the panel too, but the solid nose means ever in front is hidden.  It looks like the nose interior detail is for a glazed nose C model

 

 

And the rear compartment.  There is a central assembly that goes floor to ceiling in there. Going to have to work out what it is as it protrudes through the floor & ceiling

 

 

Just proving that I can get a couple of power packs in to the bomb bay.  One for the motors and one for the lights.  Let’s face it, if the props are running and it’s on the ground then it’s not likely the bomb bay doors will be open.  So they will be closed but I will be able to remove them to turn things on & off and change batteries

 

 

More soon!

 

 

[pigsty]

32 minutes ago, bar side said:

There is a central assembly that goes floor to ceiling in there. Going to have to work out what it is as it protrudes through the floor & ceiling

If you mean the thing that looks a bit like a periscope, I gather it's the sighting system for the dorsal and ventral turrets.

[bar side]

4 minutes ago, pigsty said:

If you mean the thing that looks a bit like a periscope, I gather it's the sighting system for the dorsal and ventral turrets.

Cheer - that would make sense!

[bar side]

A very handy & timely update from Kermit!  Nice close up pictures

 

https://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/kermit-weeks-a-26-invader-flies.html

[bar side]

Time to do something to the interior of this Invader.  First the main instrument panel.  I drilled out the main gauges as the panel has a decal and hopefully I can encourage some light through those holes

 

 

Now interior green.  There seem to be as many shades as there are preserved airframes.  So hope this doesn’t offend.  Floor is a bit dirtied up too

 

 

No yoke yet and the section ahead of the front bulkhead could be cut off as it will be lost in the nose 

 

 

 

Putting a light behind the panel with the decal on - micro set & sol still drying

 

 

Well this is all you will see - less once the canopy is on & crew in

 

 

Now I can work out where internal lights can go.  One behind the ip & does it then need a second at the back of the cabin?

[bar side]

Test fitting a couple of lights in the cockpit.  I think I might make the back light red to give a different look

 

 

[bar side]

Cockpit should look something like this one, although I think this is a twin seater

 

[bar side]

A close up Unc the light behind the instrument panel.  I added an orange film cover to diffuse the light a bit

 

 

The cabin rear light was a bit too subtle so I enlarged the hole and pulled the light forward

 

 

So the cockpit is about done.  Still need to paint & fit the yoke and check the pilot can fit.  I will put crew in after the fuselage closes & before the glazing goes in

 

 

And test fitting the turrets.  I had considered plating them over as a preserved example, but Kermit Weeks has both in place on his recently restored example

 

 

fuselage side glazing is in so getting nearer to fuselage close

[bar side]

I have glued in the cockpit to one side of the fuselage & I think I have all the bits painted to get the whole fuselage together

 

 

the plan is to tidy up the wiring and get ready for the wires coming in from the wings.  
 

[Alan P]

Fine work so far! Impressively complex to fit everything in.

[bar side]

Cheers @Alan P fit is pretty good to be honest.  Designed for wheels down & bomb bay open so would be a bit fiddly to close everything up.  Liking this kit quite a lot - liking the props after a lot of jets.  So much so that I may have just picked up a Mosquito!

[bar side]

Got the body closed up today

 

 

Then I remembered that I hadn’t put in the nose weight so the nose came off again.  Didn’t get much done as I spent most of the day watching these

 

 

Plus some F-35s

[Troffa]

Great work! I've had a hankering to do an Invader for years, and after a SEAC painted example I have the one featured at the end of the Terrence Malick neo-noir classic "Badlands" in mind.