Clunkmeister

Ok folks, I decided to not attempt to patch in a high visability color like Day Glow Orange, so I stripped it all back, reprimed it in white and this time, shot the blue bands first. Next up is the Orange, then careful edge masking and touch up the Voodoo Grey on the belly. Anything I can do to minimize potential pitfalls by keeping tape off the orange is OK by me. I believe so, Bill, yes. I'll verify it tonight, but I do know I wanted an FS color, as I was pretty certain they wouldn't have just grabbed any old paint can out of the paint locker to do the job. I found out something I didn't know, though. There is an FS color for High Visability orange, and there is another FS color for flourescent red orange, which is somewhat redder and is what I use on my early USN T-28s. Who knew? Certainly not I, that's for sure. I, like many, I'm sure, seem to pay more attention to the mysteries of RAL and RLM tinting than we do the stuff in our own backyard. There is a bit more head scratching going on here as well. I know there is absolutely NO question as to the shade on the fuselage band, but the wing tips and elevators? That's another story. The shades seem to match in the period pics, but in others, the wingtips and stabilizers seem decidedly red. The spinners are definitely red, as they certainly don't match anything else. For such a well documented aircraft, there sure isn't many period detail pics out there. And that's half the fun, right? I've also read where the areas around the nacelles were often painted light grey, not left in NMF. Apparently to facilitate clean up after long patrols, I expect. I've seen them both ways, but for visual interest, I think I'll add the grey to break up those massive surface areas of aluminum. And for the distinctive walkways, I'll be masking and painting those as well. If I had the printer and software I needed, I'd even make masks for the big numbers on the bottom of the wing. I LOVE the look of painted numbers. But, one of the goals of this build is to showcase the work of those many individual and companies that have developed new products specifically for this build, and to show what can be done relatively quickly with a decent basic kit and a bit of passion and vision. We have so far: 1. A new RCAF decal package now available from Belcher Bits made specifically for guys like us that features not only a postwar bird, but also three notable Lanc Mk.X's that give us, with the HK kit, the freedom to create these icons of RCAF lore. 2. The possibility of the main bits needed for converting the Lanc X into a MR or SAR bird coming available in the future 3. The distinct possibility of some specially designed postwar block tread Lancaster wheels and tyres being developed and possibly released in the future. 4. Airscale's superlative cockpit set that's absolutely a required item for not just this, but ANY 1/32 Lanc build. It wasn't developed for my specific build, but you better believe I'll sing the panel's, Airscale's, and Peter Castle's praises to the High, Holy Heavens y'all. I'm a bit premature here, but I just have to say that the support for this project has been overwhelming, and I just hope I can come through on time and do it justice.

Thanks again, Carl! Seriously awesome it is. I'm taking a new approach to the high viz lower striping on the big Lanc, as the pics show.

And I’ll be following your build closely. I’ve built exactly one jet in a whole bunch of years, and that was earlier this year for a friend. So a Pole opened a poll to build a Pole. Hmmmmm

Funny, I just got the AFV Club version of that kit. I was deciding between Israeli and Polish. Now it’s simple... the Poles for the win. Pulling up a chair here.

Something incredibly COOL just showed up in the mail. Carl sent me this, and for once in my life, I’m speechless!!!

Ron, I can’t tell you much about them other than they leaked and used oil like champs, and, if you kept throttle applications smooth, keep the temps fairly constant, and didn’t overspeed them, they lasted forever. I’m loving this, Ron! Seriously. Keep going, man, I’m watching a master modeler at work here.

It’s looking every bit the predator, Carl! Right up with your best so far! Time to get crackin’ on and power through to the end.

I actually love this! Except for some of the curvaceous MiG and Sukhoi fighters, I’ve never been a modern grey jet lover whatsoever. But I’ve now changed my mind. This Hellenic F-16 just looks the part. F-16s are pretty much ubiquitous, but just realistically add the dirt on the airframe and you have a winner. It’s so very easy to overdo this type of weathering, but you pulled it off in spades! Nice!

That nacelle and wing is FILTHY

I thought that too, but this might be a bit much. The grey area I might have just made it look like a field repair, but I need the orange to be straight and clean. Out of desperation I used some CA and kicker to handle a stubborn bomb Bay Area. Afterwords I gave it a cursory wipedown and micro sanding on the outside. I think I’m going to find kicker fluid residue under the grey paint

So,... guess what happens when you get lazy? So now, instead of spending the day I had slotted in for applying decals actually applying decals, I get to spend half of it fixing some poor prep work. All I can think is that I was concentrating so much on the NMF areas, I missed a single area on the bottom. The top stripes are flawless, and the NMF is perfect, so we just pull back the bottom, wipe it down better, reprime and respray. And yes, they’re the same size, just the camera distortion. Otherwise, I’m feeling quite chuffed.

Well, it’s sitting there in a box with the fuselage together and the lower wing half on, and I just needed a break. F-5F showed up on my doorstep, then the Lanc hollered....

Speaks volumes for saving all your pics. You never know when they’ll be useable on LSM.

Gazz! Where in heck did you get that pic? It’s PRICELESS!!!!

Heck yeah!

Well, 104 doesn't look like it has a fairing in the in-flight pic

yup, me too. The Lanc is full time now. Tomorrow is Duild all day Day, followed by the weekend. Hopefully, much will get done.

I'm excited about this, Mark. This was a highly utilized aircraft throughout Overlord and beyond. After my truck's done (after the Lanc), I have an MDC Tiffie I've been chipping away at that would be good company to your F-6A. If time allows, I'll be onboard

Ummm, Oxen pull, they don't push. Unless...... you're developing super secret high tech pusher technology for next generation air suspension ox carts. And Happy Birthday, old chap!

I could use that to take the sloppiness out of my rear end. But, if it's an oxcart, sell the powertrain on the black market and buy a good steer...

You mean like some of the rest of us Dane Bramaged bunch?

So, drill a shallow hole and paint a black triangle. Simple dimple. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

Tony, the bleed air anti icing system post on the Felixstowe was the best gag EVER!

It’s MM with an FS number and yes, I sure hope so, using a small edge of detacked Tamiya tape on paper

Dayglow ugliness