Winnie

I should, considering I got the grand prize last time, but I'm just about level with the surface at the moment... But thanks for the work you do Ernie! I promise to do better next year!

OK Lads! It hasn't been relegated to the shelf-of-doom yet! I finished up some details, and ran into a couple of issues, and then started a separate sub-assembly. There are many tings that can be built on the side to make final assembly somewhat easier. I DID run into a rather large problem though, I have glued the halves together and there is a gap, almost a full mm (32nd or so inch) where the outer skin joins the after fuselage. This is puzzling as the front and rear of the bomb bay are perfectly joined... Anyway, I shall grit my teeth, try to fill and sand with plastic putty in a way that I won't have to sand away detail. From what I hear there was a taped seam, so perhaps I can hide it. It's turning into quite the amazingly large model too! It's very large. getting tedious to swing around the desk! Wing and flap with gear bay Again Nigel to the rescue, he found a piece not mentioned in the instructions that is the rear end of the firewall... Piece K13 goes towards the gear bay, and then the D piece goes in front towards the engine, this insures the perfect placement of the engine! Oil Tank is indeed red... I checked the references! Whether the flaps are interior green? Personal choice to break up on the black. lots and lots of black (Gotta order more Tamiya LP-5) A little oil wash, but nothing will be visible through the door... But hey, I manned up and did it! Same thing with this side, not much will be seen. She's long... Only the 32nd A-10 I built ages ago was longer I think... the thought that went into this is amazing, to prevent a very long visible seam on top, they have a upper panel that glues on with seams in rivet lines, hope that works well, but pretty amazing really! The gap... I Probably screwed something up somewhere, but I cant figure out what. The bomb bay forward and aft bulkheads are in the correct place, and everything else is dependent on that... Anyway, not completely dead on the bench, but now the dreaded Command Evaluation is at hand, and I have to go away for 4 shifts to determine that I indeed is capable and worthy of the command of an aircraft and crew...

I painted the "Dunny"... I thought I saw somewhere there were decals for the flare chutes, but I have no idea... Can't see that in the instructions anyway, also I think I'm building an early Lancaster, so maybe this flare chute is wrong, but it brings visual interest for inside the door, so I'm sticking with it! Also curious if the control runs would be a different color, such as zinc-chromate, I may do them in that color just for breaking up the colors. Also may do the hydraulic lines on the floor black. very miniscule weathering, just a little dry brushed aluminum on the floor boards, but I like it for what'll be visible through the massive (sarcasm) door.

THe details get sparse behind the spar, the "bunkroom" has no interior, until around the rear entrance, where there is a "passenger seat" for dropping behind enemy lines, a toilet and flare chutes. as well as the rear and dorsal turrets of course. I don't have the skill to do a cutaway, but I'll do my best to make it look like a lanc... Second picture shows cockpit attached to the bomb bay floor!

I've always been told to never pull the needle out the front though. Even the pro's that paint full size stuff pull the needle from the back? There is a bushing that sits in the front that is fragile... Anyway, I have an Iwata HP-CS and a Neo, the Eclipse I use a "tripple action handle" which makes the pulling of the needle a breeze.

So I got some work done, I put it in the box last night in frustration, but -re-watched the Nigel's Modeling Bench video, and figured out HOW to get the pieces together. I still suspect I put a part on in the wrong place, but I can't identify where it is. Anyway, lesson is for anyone building this model, attach the cockpit floor to the bomb bay roof, and work from there! Add the cockpit sides, then add the fuselage parts. The front main spar NEEDS to be attached with the cockpit floor attached, so the work sequence NOT described in the instructions, can't be followed... doesn't make sense but there it is. To re-iterate, on the second instruction segment, where it starts with the "port cockpit", attach the cockpit floor to the bomb bay roof, and attach the front bomb bay bulkhead before you continue. Finish the cockpit, add the front spar, then do the bomb bay. it'll be long and flimsy, but I don't see any other way.

BIG warning to all considering this build! Attach the cockpit floor and forward bulkhead to the bomb bay ceiling BEFORE doing anything else. Border may not have had the instructions from the originator, and it looks as if it may require surgery to fit the two parts now. I know Nigel from Nigels Modeling Bench had mentioned something similar, but it's more extensive than even he thought. so be aware! I'm on overtime, so don't have images, but I started to try to attach it today and ran into trouble!

@HubertB I have the Titanic in 1/200 as well, at less than 10% build, but it is a massive undertaking... I have a shitload (if I can use that term) of aftermarket, including a self-produced set, but It'll be WAY more than 6 months to complete that project!

I have a special hobby T-2 I want to build, it fits with the water theme, as it was a trainer most carrier pilots had as a first carrier landing from the 70's to the 00s anyway. Quite a few I'm sure ended in the drink too...

Vacation is over, straight into 8 shifts.. . well I THINK I may have some benchtime this weekend!

Mine is the HpH B-52H... I can't afford it, so it'll stay on the Wishlist for the while, but I desperately want one...

Looks amazing. I may have to do mine after the lanc!

OK, some more work completed, the nose section is getting closer, some more decals coming shortly, but work is in the way... I'm trying to get an hoiur in here and there but 12 hour night shifts are a pain at times... Anyway, here we go: It looks busy, and when the last pieces and gun turret goes on, it will be very busy indeed! This is going to be awesome!

I got some more done, but no images, it is a NICE kit!

Looks better on camera than in real life! anyhow, I did paint all the larger surfaces etc, some by hand some with airbrushing. I used the kit decals where applicable (except the 2 i broke) so I had to use some airscale instruments to help. thankfully nobody will be reading them so they won't notice that the Tachometers are actually altimeters... the kit decals are super-fine, they look strange on the paper, but they conform nicely using the newly acquired Mig Decal solution. Awesome stuff! of course I got a chest cold, so haven't really felt like sitting at the bench, but hope to get back to it shortly! I have followed Nigel's build, just need to catch up to the new ones! Cheers!

Thanks for the comments folks, I have done a stint of dayshifts, so not much work time, but got my hands on it this weekend! More paint, and assembling sub-assemblies. progress is happening but s l o w. As I think the end is near on this part, I get slapped back to reality! Anyway, cockpit is about to be put together, next is the bomb-aimer/ nose gun turret area. there were some punch mark on the forward facing bulkheads, which was strange, but I filled with some Surfacer 500, so the hope is that it will be subdued enough! Cheers H

Giving me ideas for mine!

Gorgeous!

There are SO many detail in the cockpit. I keep going back and forth on the second page and keep finding stuff to add. I'm not a Lanc expert, actually know very little about it, so most of the colors are fantasy, but hey, it looks like a Lanc to me! I've spent probably 4 hours today and there seems to be not much progress. Cheers Harald

I don't know what happened, i was doing the same process... I'll redo when I get good internet in a few hours!

A dab of paint. For you who have the kit, be careful, the tolerances are super tight!

cockpit parts cleaned up and getting ready for painting basics. Floors need 3 coats... black base, aluminium, then interior green for chipping... Surprised at the amount of flash on the parts, nothing real big, but separation lines on nearly all the parts so far... armrest repaired. It's the left side of the seat if the seat is facing forward.

I'll have to do it with a parts repair, I just have no funds for AM at the moment, this move killed us financially... But hey, the details out of the box are out of this world!

As I have recently received this amazing kit, I shall have to start it! First little bits attached to the seat, found a broken part, the armrest on the bulkhead side is broken, I'll attempt to repair, but may just leave off. There WILL be paint and chipping before I attach the seat yes! Cheers H.

the spaghetti straps are there to wrap around the arms to prevent flailing. the two levers at the bottom sides of the seat swing forward. they are either red, or red and white depending on the era. I haven't decided yet which one, but a camo one for sure.