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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

1/32nd scale Halifax: *project complete*


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First coats of black have gone on the undersides this morning - when cured fully I'll be adding a bit of tonal variation to a few panels and the fabric covered surfaces but this may have to wait until tomorrow... 

 

Tom (hoping the fine weather holds)

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I've taken full advantage of the weather and got the remaining paint work done on the Halifax.

 

First up was a masking marathon to protect the upper surfaces:

 

S1030332.jpg

 

...and then the lower surfaces were sprayed black. After the paint had hardened fully I carefully removed my masking to reveal the squadron codes:

 

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I'm pretty pleased with the outcome, and will now busy myself applying the rest of the decals. These will mostly be made myself, along with a few from the spares box.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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That is just incredible. Got to be one of my favourite builds in ages. I'm not as brave as you. I'd need an injection kit to satisfy my Halifax liking....I just wish there was one.

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Tom,

Sounds like a plan. So you are going to convert the two stage Merlin into the single stage version.

About those fuel tank vents on the wing uppersurfaces, are you sure they were fitted to the

Series Ia? I thought they were deleted after the Mk II.

Cees

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Greetings Thomas,

 

 

..... A very interesting vacuum form project. All I can think to say is ..... Excellent ..........  doggyh10.gif

 

 

..................  mike10.gif ................

 

 

 

Mike

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Tom,

Sounds like a plan. So you are going to convert the two stage Merlin into the single stage version.

About those fuel tank vents on the wing uppersurfaces, are you sure they were fitted to the

Series Ia? I thought they were deleted after the Mk II.

Cees

 

Hi Cees,

 

Yes the engine will need to be back-dated. I did it with my Lancaster build a few years back so it should prove fairly straight forward doing it again.

 

I honestly don't know about the tank vents - I've just followed the Granger plans and added them to mine. They're on there now so can stay  ;)

 

Tom

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Another update - I've finished the decalling process, which required raiding the spares box as well as making my own. The serial numbers came from an Xtradecal sheet, and the fin flashes were made from block decal, again from Xtradecal, measured carefully and cut to shape. 

 

The whole airframe has had a base coat of flat varnish, and then I added some more variation to the green and brown as I felt it was a little 'flat' and in this scale needed some more life injected into it. I followed pictures of the real aircraft as much as possible to get a 'used but not abused' look, as well as trying to keep the scale effect. There are about four different shades of the camouflage colours which were applied lightly and built up with the airbrush. The black has had a lot less done to it as period photos show this seemed to wear a lot better than the upper colours, but I may well add a little wear with pastels at some point. 

 

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I think my next task is to give the model a final flat coat, and then finish the exhausts and apply some staining across the wings.

 

Until the next update, 

 

Tom

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Tom,

 

This is some seriously out of this world modelling. It has even turned out better than I expected.

This is a prime example how you can use a good basic vacform kit and take it from there to create

a truly stunning model.

Cheers

Cees

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Not sure what to say really, this is one hell of a project I have to take my hat off to you this is superb work and dedication,

 

Tom,

 

This is some seriously out of this world modelling. It has even turned out better than I expected.

This is a prime example how you can use a good basic vacform kit and take it from there to create

a truly stunning model.

Cheers

Cees

 

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen...

 

Cees as you well know this is why kits such as this are such fun! I must confess to getting a lot more enjoyment out of them than run of the mill injection moulded kits. Yes they cause a bit of head scratching and occasional stress(!) along the way, but they certainly give you a great sense of acheivement when they're done.

 

EVERYONE SHOULD BUILD A VAC ;)

 

Tom

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Indeed, not to mention that the Hercules powered Halifaxes gave the Lancasters a run for their money. But I digress.

Tom you are absolutely right about those vacs. I received the Hampden recentely from John. But the moulds have

degraded now. John mentioned that he would re-engineer them. I really hope so as the Hampden is also very much

a favorite of mine.

Cees

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Tom you are absolutely right about those vacs. I received the Hampden recentely from John. But the moulds have

degraded now. John mentioned that he would re-engineer them. I really hope so as the Hampden is also very much

a favorite of mine.

Cees

 

I'd love to see a Hampden built - not an aircraft I know a great deal about but another of the RAF's bombers that doesn't get much of the limelight.

 

I am seriously considering getting a Stirling at some point, it would be nice to complete the trio of 'heavies'. I can't see one listed on John's website so I may well contact him to see if he has the moulds. The thought of that undercarriage makes me shudder though!

 

Tom

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I've had the airbrush out this afternoon and have applied the exhaust stains to the upper wing of the Halifax. The base colour is Xtracolour 'tyre black' and then I've added some thinned Humbrol light grey over the top nearest to the exhaust outlets to replicate the lead deposits after running lean in the cruise. The picture show this to good effect (used for illustrative purposes only):

 

HP_Halifax_Bomberson_dispersal.jpg

 

Any my attempt:

 

DSC_0006.jpg

 

DSC_0022.jpg

 

I've also removed the masking now it's had a final flat coat, and I am really pleased with how it looks. It needs a bit of a neatening up in places but that's no great problem:

 

DSC_0009.jpg

 

DSC_0028.jpg

 

I will add the remaining glazing at the end of the build - it's handy being able to get into the cockpit incase any remaining sanding debris gets into view!

 

I've taken a few shots of the model in natural sunlight this afternoon to show you the overall paintjob now that it is finished:

 

DSC_0038.jpg

 

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DSC_0004.jpg

 

Slowly getting there...

 

Tom

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