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Lancaster Mk10 DC


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Well as I have had the Belcher Bits conversion set for the Firebee drone carrier for some years now I might as well throw my hat into the ring. I don't know if I can get her finished in the time allocated for this GB but, if nothing else, ot will give the project the kick up the backside that it needs to get started. Having scrabbled around in the loft I have found the necessary Airfix base kit and the conversion kit. now all I have to do is to locate the decal sheet and we are good to go.

Martin

Edited by martin hale
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I have spent most of this evening re-scribing,sanding off rivets and polishing parts with probably a couple of evenings more of that to go still; pure tedium, but it will be worth later in the build. I also opened out the fuselage windows and the large observation window forward of the port tail plane. I am unsure about the windows as none of the pictures I have of the two drone carriers built confirm their existance one way or the other. No matter I quite like them now they are cut out. Found the instructions for the decals but not the sheet itself and we all know what will happen the minute I order another decal sheet don't we? I'll try and get some pictures up tomorrow or Tuesday when I can do them in daylight. Better do some to my TSR2 now or I'll have the followers of that thread on my case!

Martin

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, I've been plodding away at this, mostly working on the changes necessary to the engines. And will probably be able to get some pictures up tomorrow. I have however, found out that these drone carriers were fitted with long range tanks in their bomb bays. This would be a nice feature to reproduce on the model but I havn't been able to find out what these tanks looked like. Can any of the Lanc experts doing this build enlighten me on this point?

Martin

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A day late but here are the first pictures of my drone carrier build. So far I have spent most of my time re-scribing, removing the flame damped exhausts and drilling so many holes for one reason or another that I got a blisteron my palm! Well, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it! I have also cut away the mid upper turret fairings. The fit of the kit is very poor and I am already beginning to wish I had started with the Revell kit.

Martin

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Nice start. :thumbsup2:

I know the ole girl needs a bit of work, but to me, the Airfix kit is still the best Lanc, shapewise.

I've got a load of 'em in the stash and they will all get built, despite owning quite a few of the Hase ones now, too. :)

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It was the shape that persuaded me to go with the Airfix kit. I think that once I have clubbed the nacelles into submission I might actually start to enjoy this build.

Martin

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Well, work continues, to quote Blackadder, at a pace "slower than an asthmatic ant with a heavy load of shopping" . I have decided to have the radiator flaps in the down position and have begun fretting out the wing ribs in the main wheel bays. Today the replacements for the lost decals arrived from Canada together with a few more pictures of the type.

Martin

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I have managed to get quite a bit done over the last couple of days. Mainly due to the fact that I was waiting on some stuff for my TSR2 project and so couldn't get distracted! I have addded a little detail to the top of the wing interiors either side of the inboard nacelles. You probably won't be able to see much when the wings are glued together, but best to err on the safe side. There is a curious square depression in the inner surface of the wing where the nacelles fit. I have no idea why it is there but I filled it as I have now fretted out the roofs of the wheel bays so as to be able to use the inner surface of the wings as the roofs. I have also added the radiator flaps to the inboard engines and boxed in the landing light openings pending the fitting of some Little Cars' lenses later on in the build. Having decided to have the bomb bay displayed open I have replaced the kit parts in preparation for scratch building the interior detail; the kit part has detail that is OK if one is kitting the bay out with a full set of bombs but the detail is far too shallow otherwise. I have also made a start on detailing the cockpit interior and have glued the tail assembly to the model for no better reason than I felt like doing it. great kudos here to Mike Belcher of Belcher Bits who not onlt sent me some replacement decals within a week all the way from Canada, but also included some extra shots of the real aircraft: fantastic service!

Martin

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I was not working today and have managed to get some more done on the Lanc. Now I have mostly done with drilling and hacking at the basic kit and got on to some more constructive aspects of the build I have begun to enjoy this build at last. Anyway, today I have glued the wings together and secured the nacelles in place. While these are setting I have been doing some more on the interior. I replaced the instrument panel as the kit item does not provide enough room for the throttle quadrant and have put the principal frames and longerons in place. Next up the flight engineers panel and the stringers.

Martin

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Here is what I have been up to over the last few days. I have finished detailing the roof of the bomb bay and added the stringers to the starboard fuselage halves. I think the sides of the bay are best left until the fuselage is buttoned up. The splendid chaps on the Key Aviation forum came up trumps with a drawing of the long range tank so at least one of those will be getting scratch built over the next few days.

Martin

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You've got some patience there. That's why I got the Revell kit, so I wouldn't have to do all that !!

The Airfix bomb bay roof has detail on it but it is too shallow to give the right effect. Building up airframe structures is one of my favorite parts of any build, so it was no big deal for me really. It just took a while to do.

Martin

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,,,,,,,Carving and filing pieces of laminated 60' thou plastic card to make a couple of overload fuel tanks for the bomb bay. I still have to add some fine detail to them but the worstbit is over. I know for sure that the Mk10DCs carried one in the rear of the bomb bay but am unsure whether they ever carried one in the front. :unsure: However, seeing as I felt that the bay looked a bit bare with only one in place I have decided to fit two. Well, there's a 50% chance I'm right! :hmmm:

Martin

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Thanks Woody. The Lancaster was designed to take two of these tanks but I have been unable to confirm one way or the other whether these particular aircraft carried two or one or both combinations at different times. I did also wonder if any of the drone control equipment was fitted in the bomb bay or not but the chances of finding this out must be miniscule let alone what it might have looked like.

Martin

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I got up early this morning to finish the long range tanks off. I also took the oportunity to get some better pictures of the bomb bay in better light. Here are the results. The tanks might look a bit wonky as they are not glued in place yet.

Martin

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Edited by martin hale
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