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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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Tom,

Question, how did you fit the outerwings onto the centresection? They are a butt fit and there

Is quite some dihedral.

Cheers

Cees

 

Cees,

 

You are correct there is some dihedral, so my solution was to make some plastic card spars using the front views of the wing on the Granger plans. I inserted them into the ends of the inner wing sections first (securing them to the front and rear of the u/c bays) and when the glue had completely cured I slid the outer sections over the top of the protruding sections. Any gaps between the inner and outer sections were filled with a mixture of plastic card and car body filler to make a very strong join.

 

Great work Tom, you make it look so easy!

 

Doug

 

Doug,

 

In all truth it is easy - it's just a case of trial and error and have having some good plans to follow. There's nothing more challenging here than inserting a resin cockpit for example - in fact from experience having done a few of those I'd prefer to scratch-build any day of the week!

 

I've almost completed the rudders now so hopefully I'll get them finished and attached over the weekend - standby for an update  :)

 

Thanks for the interest,

 

Tom

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Tom,

 

This is the coolest build I have seen in quite some time! Your students are very lucky to have a teacher as talented as you are. I look forward to you updates.

 

Cheers,

Wayne

Thanks Wayne!

 

I run a modelling club at my school, as well as teaching them the boring stuff such as maths and English! It's really popular and there's actually a waiting list to get in!

 

I buy the Airfix starter packs and make it as fun as possible, but at the same time show them the skills they'll need to build a reasonable model.

 

Some take it really seriously, others not so, but the main thing is they're enjoying a hobby and hopefully it'll sow the seed... If just one continues to build then I feel I've done my bit to promote and continue the hobby.

 

It's all good fun!

 

Tom

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Thanks Wayne!

I run a modelling club at my school, as well as teaching them the boring stuff such as maths and English! It's really popular and there's actually a waiting list to get in!

I buy the Airfix starter packs and make it as fun as possible, but at the same time show them the skills they'll need to build a reasonable model.

Some take it really seriously, others not so, but the main thing is they're enjoying a hobby and hopefully it'll sow the seed... If just one continues to build then I feel I've done my bit to promote and continue the hobby.

It's all good fun!

Tom

Tom,

 

Great philosophy! Model building skills apply to many facets of our lives. Building models helps develop problem solving skills and contributes to understanding three dimensional construction.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Cheers,

Wayne

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Tom,

 

Great philosophy! Model building skills apply to many facets of our lives. Building models helps develop problem solving skills and contributes to understanding three dimensional construction.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Cheers,

Wayne

Couldn't agree more!

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Thanks Tom,

That's my solution too. A Hampden is winging it's way to Holland soon hopefully.

Cees

A Hampden eh? I must confess one if these hasn't really been on my radar, I simply don't know enough about it. I'd be interested to follow your progress though.

 

I'm very tempted to order a Shorts Stirling. As I've got the Lancaster and Halifax I think it only right I complete the collection of Bomber Command's 'big three'...

 

The trouble is that huge 1-32 Sunderland sitting in the stash is screaming at me "me next!"

 

Tom

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Tom,

I took many pics at Cosford of the Hampden project( see the walkaround on LSM). And have a lot of books but

Still you have to make conpromises.

A Sunderland eh, that would be great. But that Stirling, I have a fully illustrated manual. If you take on the

Stirling, I mail you scans with everything you want to know.

After you finish the Hally first of course.

Cees

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Tom,

 

Just thought I'd take the time to tell you that not only is your work on this Halifax fantastic, but the time you take with your students will make a bigger impact than you may know.

 

As an 11 year old boy, I had a teacher who built 1/72 aircraft and hung them from his overhead light fixtures. This fascinated me, and he showed me some of them, along with showing my Scout troop what the hobby was all about. This fueled my desire to build and, more importantly, do the historical research regarding my subjects. All of this went on hiatus, however, when I joined the US Army at 18.

 

Fast forward to 2005. After being diagnosed with PTSD stemming from my combat tours, my therapist asked what hobbies I used to have or would like to try. Immediately, model building came to mind. So I started back up. I believe my ability to totally immerse myself in a subject has helped me keep my sanity, and family, together. All the little things asscociated with PTSD are channeled through my hand and into my models. I've learned how to keep calm and patient. Things that the "fog of war", if you will, robs you of.

 

I learned it so well, I was able to help a fellow vet build a diorama of the incident in Iraq that earned him a Silver Star. Building that diorama, has allowed him to regain some peace and closure.

 

All because someone, like yourself, took the time to share his passion for his hobby.

 

Thought you'd like to know. :)

 

  

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Tom this build is true modelling. Great skills and problem solving on show.

 

Like Lawman 56 I returned to the hobby after 28 years of policing saw me diagnosed with PTSD. A mere beginner again really and never even thought of a a vac kit but someday maybe.

 

Many thanks for sharing.

 

Regards ,

 

Kent

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I take my hat off to you Tom, both for your amazing scratch building skills and the news that you run a modelling club.

I actually started at age 6, and taught myself to read because if I couldn't read, I couldn't follow the instructions.. yes, old kits instructions consisted of a couple of exploded diagrams and a list of words, telling you to glue the oleo, part no 45 to port main U/C leg. We learned what each part was called as we built...

Hampden vs Sunderland B) Build both!!

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Tom,

I took many pics at Cosford of the Hampden project( see the walkaround on LSM). And have a lot of books but

Still you have to make conpromises.

A Sunderland eh, that would be great. But that Stirling, I have a fully illustrated manual. If you take on the

Stirling, I mail you scans with everything you want to know.

After you finish the Hally first of course.

Cees

 

Thanks Cees - I'll bear that in mind if I eventually get around to building it. 

 

Tom,

 

Just thought I'd take the time to tell you that not only is your work on this Halifax fantastic, but the time you take with your students will make a bigger impact than you may know.

 

As an 11 year old boy, I had a teacher who built 1/72 aircraft and hung them from his overhead light fixtures. This fascinated me, and he showed me some of them, along with showing my Scout troop what the hobby was all about. This fueled my desire to build and, more importantly, do the historical research regarding my subjects. All of this went on hiatus, however, when I joined the US Army at 18.

 

Fast forward to 2005. After being diagnosed with PTSD stemming from my combat tours, my therapist asked what hobbies I used to have or would like to try. Immediately, model building came to mind. So I started back up. I believe my ability to totally immerse myself in a subject has helped me keep my sanity, and family, together. All the little things asscociated with PTSD are channeled through my hand and into my models. I've learned how to keep calm and patient. Things that the "fog of war", if you will, robs you of.

 

I learned it so well, I was able to help a fellow vet build a diorama of the incident in Iraq that earned him a Silver Star. Building that diorama, has allowed him to regain some peace and closure.

 

All because someone, like yourself, took the time to share his passion for his hobby.

 

Thought you'd like to know. :)

 

Tom this build is true modelling. Great skills and problem solving on show.

 

Like Lawman 56 I returned to the hobby after 28 years of policing saw me diagnosed with PTSD. A mere beginner again really and never even thought of a a vac kit but someday maybe.

 

Many thanks for sharing.

 

Regards ,

 

Kent

 

Thanks for sharing your stories guys - hopefully in the future (the combat experiences and PTSD aside) some of my students may a similar story to tell.

 

I've now completed the rudders on the Halifax, and they are now installed on the tail fins. Once again, as with the flaps and elevators, they were made from plastic card. I used thicker card this time as I needed to be able to sand it sufficiently to get the shapes right where the rudders curve along their top and bottom edges. Again, I took the slightly easier route here and scribed the surface detail on rather than attempt to re-create the slightly raised rib detail:

 

S1030769.jpg

 

S1030787.jpg

 

The next few show the model now complete, with all flight control surfaces finished and installed:

 

S1030784.jpg

 

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S1030770.jpg

 

My next task is going to be re-scribing the surface detail lost during the filling and sanding process, and then I can think about adding some of the finer details such as completing the wheel bays and cockpit interior.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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  • 3 weeks later...

I haven't done a huge amount on this project of late as I'd been distracted by my HK B-17. Now that's finished, the Halifax is back on the bench. Well part of it is - most of it hangs off actually  :D

 

You may remember previously I had had a go at making my own main wheels from left over B-29 parts. Although they were ok, to be honest they could have been better but a real lack of any options of after-market parts in this scale meant they'd have to do.

 

Until... 'Lancman' from the LSP forums to the rescue! The Halifax and Lancaster share an almost identical main wheel (in fact the MkV used modified Lancaster undercarriage units) so he kindly sent me a set of 1/32nd Lancaster wheels he'd moulded for his ID Lancaster.

 

Well cast in resin, and spot on in dimensions:

 

S1030626.jpg

 

After filling a few tiny air bubbles and a coat of primer later:

 

S1030966.jpg

 

And a test fit in my scratch-built main undercarriage units:

 

S1030970.jpg

 

S1030971.jpg

 

A huge improvement over my earlier efforts.

 

Something that had been bugging me was the port exhaust on the port outer engine. When I originally cut the apertures for the exhausts out when making the nacelles, I didn't get things lined up exactly right and it sat a little too low and had a 'nose down' attitude on the engine. It was only by a few mm but it was bugging me, and I was worried that when the large stacks were added it would become more obvious - well it would to me anyway.

 

So, out with a sharp no11 blade, remove the aperture, raise it by 2mm and re-insert:

 

S1030974.jpg

 

And a generous helping of filler to blend it back in:

 

S1030978.jpg

 

The fasteners will need to be reinstated when the sanding has been done.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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Tom, good to see you attending those nagging bits, better do it now while it still can be done.

The Halifax and Lancaster tyres are identical. Even the Stirling shares the same hub. Some nice

Standardisation. The Mk V Dowty landinggear is totally different from the Lancaster though.

Only the same manufacturer.

Cees

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The Halifax and Lancaster tyres are identical. Even the Stirling shares the same hub. Some nice

Standardisation. The Mk V Dowty landinggear is totally different from the Lancaster though.

Only the same manufacturer.

Cees

 

Thanks for clearing that up Cees - I thought I'd read somewhere that it was the same unit but perhaps my memory is failing me  :unsure:

 

I have read numerous accounts of the MkV landing gear not being as sturdy as the MkI,II and IIIs - with numerous collapses. This meant they had to carry a reduced bomb-load and further tarnished the Halifax's reputation in Harris' eyes. I believe most of the Vs were put on glider towing duty or into Coastal Command where the all up weights weren't as heavy as in Bomber Command.

 

Tom

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Tom,

That's true, but the weakness was caused by an inferior manufacturing process. The legs were cast instead

Of forged. That caused the legs to crack under high load. Therefore the Mk V was used for glider towing.

The Lancaster couldn't do that. Harris was biased. The Halifax was not a bad design but development

Took some time. The Hercules versions were equal or better than the Lancaster. Then again I am

Biased too heh heh.

Cees

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Tom,

That's true, but the weakness was caused by an inferior manufacturing process. The legs were cast instead

Of forged. That caused the legs to crack under high load. Therefore the Mk V was used for glider towing.

The Lancaster couldn't do that. Harris was biased. The Halifax was not a bad design but development

Took some time. The Hercules versions were equal or better than the Lancaster. Then again I am

Biased too heh heh.

Cees

 

And don't forget that the Halifax was well suited to many other roles other than as a bomber - something the Lancaster never achieved to the extent the Halifax did. Plus it was far easier for crew to get out of in a hurry...

 

Tom

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The gear is on - well temporarily anyway.

 

I've done a test-fit to check that everything is nice and level and sits as it should before I finish detailing the gear bays. I've had to make one tyre slightly flatter than the other as the left wing tip was 3mm lower than the right (I think the left wing has a slight warp which I've only just noticed, but hey ho!) but it doesn't notice to the eye so I'm happy. It's as good as I'm going to get it anyhow...

 

IMG_3824.jpg

 

IMG_3854.jpg

 

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IMG_3820.jpg

 

I've also just had confirmation that the prop blades and carb. intakes that I've had cast are on their way too... happy days.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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