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ThomasProbert

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Everything posted by ThomasProbert

  1. Cheers, Cees, Hopefully the spar will be up to the job - time will tell I suppose. Now it's all set up it feels strong enough, but we'll see! And yes scribing is going to be a challenge, but with all of the sanding and filling of the surface it's only going to be scribed once I've finished building it, otherwise I'd just be sanding any detail I add to it it off. Something had been bugging me about the overall look of the fuselage, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The shape is right (according to the plans anyway) but something looked out. Then it occurred to me what I'd done whilst looking at pictures of the real AEW2s... the windows I'd made in the fuselage were too high and out of position... it was throwing the whole look of the fuselage. So, it was out with some plastic card last night, and I filled in the original windows and will now make new ones, which will hopefully solve the problem. More updates soon... Tom
  2. Evening all, Time for another update for you - it's the last day of my Easter holidays and I return to work tomorrow so things may well slow a little for a while, but I've made the most of the few days of freedom... I've been working on the stabilisers and after the last update I sparred them internally and glued them together. The area where I'd increased the chord was filled with plastic card to bring the gap up to the level of the rest of the aerofoil, and this was then filled and sanded smooth to blend everything in. Lastly, I made some hinges for the elevators from Evergreen plastic strip. It was then a case of consulting the plans carefully to establish where the stabilisers are situated, and this was a case of measure thrice, cut once, before I inserted a spar from thick left over sprue: The completed stabilisers were then test-fitted: And with some careful trimming the fit is quite satisfactory - only a quick lick of filler will be required: On the underside you can also see where I've done a little re-shaping of the underside as I wasn't happy with the shape: I've also started adding the upper escape hatches on the top of the fuselage: As well as making the lower radome aperture on the lower fuselage behind the bomb bay: Speaking of radomes - this chunk of resin has arrived: Yup... I'm going to complete this project as an AEW.2, my favourite of the breed. So, with the elevators added it's certainly starting to look like a Shackleton... which is a bonus I suppose I'm off to fill the stabiliser to fuselage join now, so cheerio for now. Tom
  3. The inserts extend about 5mm either side of the gap - nice and strong! I added some more card in the gap to bring the surfaces flush last night, and these will then get a final blend with filler next.
  4. I've made a start on the stabilisers, which will be based on the ID Models Lancaster parts: The later model Manchesters, Lancaster, Lincoln and Shackleton all share the same span, but the chord was increased on the Shackleton. Here you can see how the chord needs to be widened with the Lancaster parts being placed on the Shackleton plans. I've also removed the elevators as these are a little basic in shape and I will make my own at a later date: So the solution is to cut the stabilisers down their length: And add a plastic card insert to widen them to the correct chord: Now that's sorted, it'll be a case of filling the gap and constructing the stabilisers in readiness for adding to the rear fuselage... Until next time, Tom
  5. Have shot some primer on the centre-section this afternoon - has come out well on the whole: Just need to give it a good polish with some micromesh now - I always allow the paint to harden for a good 24hrs first though. Tom
  6. You'll have a lot of fun with this kit - I finished it a few months back and it was really enjoyable and trouble free. With the after-market you're investing in it's sure to be a stunner...
  7. A quick update for you... I've been working on getting the wing centre-section fared into to the fuselage which, surprise surprise, involves plenty of filler. I actually apply more than is needed, but this makes the whole process of blending everything in that much simpler, giving a smooth transaction between the parts. P38 sands very easily so it's no hardship: Tools of the trade: an old patio table at the bottom of the garden, lots of sand paper of varying grades, water to keep dust to a minimum, a wooden block to avoid creating bumps and troughs whilst sanding, face mask and of course the model itself. It's essential to sand outside as the dust gets everywhere, and my dearly beloved tends to get excited if I do it indoors, especially if she's just done the dusting And the result - as you can see with some careful sanding and the use of fine finishing paper and micromesh you can get a beautifully smooth result which is ready for priming: Hopefully I can get a shot of primer on tomorrow... Until next time, Tom
  8. Hopefully it won't - I'm going to be working on the outer sections separately anyway so adding them to the inner sections after they're complete shouldn't be too tricky. Plus I think it'll be easier to get the dihedral correct with the centre section already in situ.
  9. Cheers, Cees. The fact it's Lancaster parts from the ID kit means it's easy really. The outer wing sections may slow me down a little though!
  10. A start has been made on making the wings for the big Shackleton... I have the great Mr Chadwick to thank for making my life easy for this part, as the the original Manchester wing centre section was carried through to the Lancaster, then Lincoln and finally the Shackleton. Therefore, it has just been a case of using the ID Models' Lancaster wing centre sections for this, but with some minor modifications. Here's the vacformed parts removed from the backing sheet and rubbed down to the correct thickness: These were then checked against the plans, and the exact position on the fuselage was worked out. Also, the Lancaster's fuel pump fairings would also need to be removed as these were not present on the Shackleton: I then set about removing the pump fairings, undercarriage bays as well as the inboard flaps, as I plan to have these down on the finished model: The wheel bays and flap apertures were made from 1mm plastic card, and installed on the lower wing halves - this provides a very strong structure to support the weight of the model: The main spars were then trimmed slightly and the lower wing sections glued to the spars with poly cement for the strongest possible join. A few extra bits of bracing were added at this point, too: With the lower sections dry, the upper sections were then glued over the top, making sure a strong bond was attained to the internal spars etc: Some gaps at the upper wing root needed plugging with scrap plastic card in preparation for filling: The next task will be getting everything blended in nicely with filler and the joins made good. Now where's the P38..? Until next time, Tom
  11. Hi Cees, The model will be fully scribed and riveted in due course - there's no point doing any of the surface detailing yet as there's still a lot of sanding and filling to do which would obliterate my hard work. For example, the flight deck and cockpit roof needs to be done, and that'll all need blending in, as well as the areas around the wing roots and stabilisers. And you're quite right - Lincoln tailplanes with increased chord - although the elevators were identical. Tom
  12. A very productive last couple of days... The fuselage has had some further fettling with more filling and sanding, and has also had a few coats of filler primer with some sanding in between each coat to rid the surface of any minor imperfections. So, here's where the project stands now: So I'm now at a stage where I can start to think about the wings and stabilisers - I think I'm going to have a crack at the inner wing sections initially as these, being identical to the Lancaster, mean it'll be a nice and simple job of using the ID Models parts... in theory, anyway. Until next time, Tom
  13. Very nice, Cees. Am I right in thinking that Manchesters were green throughout, and didn't have the black forward interior seen on the Lancasters?
  14. Sandpaper is my best friend at the moment... Yes I do indeed have the Aeroplane publication, along with many others useful for reference. Thankfully, information on the Shackleton isn't too hard to come by.
  15. I've sprayed and initial coat of Halfords' filler primer onto the fuselage; this enables me to check for any errors or blemishes more easily than when it is in a mish-mash of plastic card and filler, and it also shows off the shape of the model more easily as it's all one uniform colour. Considering the amount of different card panels and bits of the Lancaster I've cobbled together and added, it's gone remarkably well, even if I do say so myself! However, as expected there are a few areas that showed up as needing some additional work, which have been addressed with my trusty P38 filler. Forward section: The rear section had a dip on the left side which needed remedying, so I've added some P38 here which will be blended in and hopefully bring it level: So... where's the sandpaper? Tom
  16. Hopefully it'll not be released any time soon, but it'll just be my luck that HK announce it as soon as I've added the finishing touches! I'm a little too young to remember them clearly, although I do have a vague memory of seeing one (or rather hearing one) at a Mildenhall airshow in the very early 90s. Yes, you do read correctly, the tail section will be cut off for two reasons: 1) To enable me to add some detail to the interior, 2) The tail section is ever so slightly twisted and will need realigning before a final blend with some filler. All in a day's work... Tom
  17. Hi Cees, It's getting there... there's still an awfully long way to go and there's no certainty of success just yet, although getting the fuselage out of the way is probably the biggest hurdle. Windows will be acetate sitting on inset frames - this way they can be added after the painting process. I hate masking so don't envy you at all with the Manchester; there's a lot of windows there. Tom
  18. Afternoon all, I've a little more progress to report on the Shackleton project, and have had some time at the bench despite my new daughter's best efforts to keep me away... I've been working on the extreme rear of the fuselage, as I'd got as far as making the skins to the rear of the bomb bay, but not a lot further. Progress was slower for the rear section, as being quite different to the Lancaster in this area, I've had very little of the Lancaster kit that was of use. However, there were a few bits here and there that with very careful planning and cutting to shape I was able to incorporate. Despite this, there was a whole lot of filling gaps with regular plastic card, often heat shaped in hot water, and then plenty of subsequent blending in with filler. Thankfully I remembered to build the tail wheel bay at this point as this would have been a right pain to add later! You can see how the filler hides a multitude of sins... P38... a modeller's best friend! So now the basic outline (apart from the flightdeck area) is about done. There's still a little fettling to be done at the extreme rear as I'm not totally happy with the shape, but this area has to be cut off anyway as I need to add some detail to the extreme tail section such as the internal ribbing and the observers cushions and such-like. Therefore, a little more shaping and fine tuning can take place when I reattach the tail section. From the rear: And from the front: Hopefully it'll all look a little more uniform with some primer on - that'll be the job over the next few days. Until next time, Tom
  19. The E model had more a traditional 'steering wheel' like control column - this was replaced with the smaller version in the F. 'Early G' models were actually late build Fs. The chin turret was added to the F airframe in very late in production blocks, mainly by Douglas if memory serves me correctly. These late chin turreted Fs didn't have any cheek guns and actually used the three side window nose arrangement as seen on the early build E Models. Some had field mods to add cheek guns again though, but these varied greatly between aircraft. When the G proper came on line, again initial deliveries used the three small window arrangement, but modification centre and field mods soon started to appear to reinstall the cheek guns. These were then reintroduced to the production lines and continued until the end of production. In short, to do a very early build G, (or in truth a very late F) you'd need to use the E nose, but graft on a chin turret and astrodome, and also use the G clear nose piece. Again this varies though, as the early chin turret models had a deeper nose cone, more similar in shape to the F model. It looks as if HK provide an F nose piece without gun apertures, so that'd be the one to use. Use the shorter, more rounded cowlings, with paddle blade propellers. Stinger tail turret, and the top turret provided in the E/F kit. If you wanted to do an early G proper, you'd need the upper turret from the G kit. Early Gs had open sliding waist windows as seen on the E/F models. Then, the three piece waist windows were introduced, followed later the staggered, one piece windows as provided in the G kit. You'll have to make your own waist windows if you want to produce a mid-block G as none are provided in either the E/F or G kits. To be honest it's a minefield. If you can find a specific picture if the aircraft you wish to replicate that's by far the best way to get an 'accurate' model. It may still require one scratch work though, as although HK have covered a lot of the production blocks with the G and now E/F releases there's still a huge amount of variations! I have details of all serial numbers and production blocks, so if you have a particular airframe in mind and have its serial number I could tell you it's configuration with a good degree of confidence. Happy to help if you like. Tom
  20. Hi Jeroen, The primer is from Halfords, an automotive paint manufacturer here in the UK. It goes on like treacle but shrinks back to a nice flat finish and covers any minor blemishes. It'd be no good on injection-moulded kits though as it'd fill any fine surface details, Time at the bench has been a little limited over the last couple of weeks due to the birth of my daughter Imogen, but I've nevertheless managed to sneak a little building in when the little 'un was snoozing... I've been working on the skinning of the fuselage centre-section since the last update and using the Lancaster fuselage sides have made good progress. If you recall from earlier in the thread, I'd got as far as marking and cutting out the main panels from the Lancaster: These were then sprayed black to stop the interior looking hollow, and then glued to the skeletal bulkhead structure with poly cement for a very strong join. With the Shackleton having a wider fuselage than the Lancaster I added a strip of plastic card along the upper and lower joins to cover the resulting gap, and then blended the whole thing in with my trusty P38 car body filler. After the fist session with the wet and dry we are here: This will now get a thorough coating of Halfords' Filler Primer to see how it all looks - I can see that there's a blemish or two to attend to, but with the fuselage all being one uniform colour it'll give a good indication of how it's shaping up. Until next time, Tom
  21. Hi Cees, Yes the Manchester, Lancaster, Lincoln and Shackleton all shared a common centre-section and inner wing, only the Shackleton's fuselage was widened when plans evolved from the Lincoln. I'll attempt to use the Lancaster fuselage to skin the lower portions too, but the fuselages did differ in this area. We'll see what a little hot water and bending can do! For the windows I'll just use clear acetate,much as you have done with your Manchester. A little more done to the Shackleton to update you on. I've grafted the nose section to the forward cockpit bulkhead, and have used some more Lancaster fuselage to make a start on the cockpit sidewalls. Whilst doing this, I have cut out the aperture for the cockpit windscreen and the transparent sections, which was done by carefully following the scaled up plans I have: The sidewalls did need a bit of blending with filler but nothing too major. The actual flight deck itself hasn't been started yet, but you can see the area where the windscreen will sit more clearly here: I've also made a start on the upper flight deck area which is again Lancaster fuselage - I've removed the side windows and astrodome opening but haven't got around to any of the cockpit windows themselves yet; this will come at a later stage when I've had more time to think and plan as to how I'll get this done: When it's plugged into the fuselage the shape starts to take on the real thing, which is an added bonus: Obviously there's still a huge amount to do here but it's a start. With the nose section and sidewalls blended in nicely, these sections have had a coat of filler primer: With the roof section applied: For a bit of 'light relief' I've also been beavering away with the new-tool Airfix 1/72nd DC-3 - also serves as a good size comparison: Until next time, Tom
  22. Afternoon all A little more work done on the Shackleton so time for an update. I've given the nose section a good spraying of Halfords' Filler Primer, which was done with a base layer going on, a good rub down, and then a couple more coats with rub downs in between. This has removed any traces of the 'planks' below and has given me a nice smooth surface, which will have the panel detail added in due course: When the nose section is secured to the rest of the airframe and the interior built, I will of course need to add the 'roof' and fairing for the observer's transparencies. I've also started butchering the ID Models Lancaster and have made some of the fuselage side panels - the plans were followed very carefully to get the windows in the correct locations: These then slip over the bulkhead structure: And then it all starts to come together: So far, so good. Until next time, Tom
  23. Evening all, I've been concentrating on the nose section of the Shackleton over the last couple of sessions at the bench, as it's quite a complex area considering the gentle curves and apertures for the nose glazing and turret etc. I felt that if I could crack this it'd set me in good stead for the rest of the project, such as the tail area and engine nacelles. I have cut some plastic card 'planks' and added them one by one to the skeleton structure beneath, which allows the contours of the nose structure to be followed more easily than bending larger 'sheets' of plastic card to shape and getting them to conform. Each 'plank' was approx 3mm - 4mm in breadth, and they were secured with poly-cement for a strong join, both to the ribs beneath and the plank below it as I worked from the bottom up. This created the basic shape for the nose and after the glue had fully cured the whole nose got a thorough sanding to smooth out any rough edges. Then it was a liberal coating of my trusty car body filler, and this again was allowed to harden over night before it too got a thorough rub-down with some wet 'n' dry. I must say that considering it's the first time I've attempted anything like this, it's come out pretty well. A few blemishes to sort here and there, but a resounding success if I can bold enough to say! It did feel more like I was building an old wooden galleon than a cold-war warrior though! Now it'll be a few coats of filler-primer to see how it all looks - no doubt this'll reveal a multitude of sins but nothing some more filler can't sort out. Until next time, Tom
  24. Loving what you're doing here, Cees. Any further progress? Tom EDIT - have just seen your thread in the HKM competition area...
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