converting the HK Models prototype Lancaster into a Manchester.

[Wingco57]

Thanks chaps, I do my best.

The forward windows have been fitted, these are selfmade from a CD-cover as are most fuselage windows. They will need some sanding and polishing.

Then some surgery to the turret fairing, i cut out the acorn and fitted the sidepieces.

the acorn had been modified and it looks it was successful, still need to gaps with plastic strip but another problem solved.

cheers

Cees

[Dennis7423]

Great solution to the acorn problem Cees! Keep up the great work. Following along with much interest!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Bomber_County]

Cees, you ought to bring the Manchester to Telford, be fantastic to see it........

[Wingco57]

I did some years ago but had to repair it afterwards.

[FME erk]

I thought I was the only one who had noticed the nose turret fairing was wrong. Pleased to see the modification,  it will look a lot better

[Wingco57]

Been some while but the Halifax is the focus of attention at the moment.

But while in London the past few days I also visited the IWM Lambeth and noticed that the Lancaster cockpit held there had the bulletproof glass fitting, I thought it was a Manchester thing. Learning all the time.

Cees

 

[Wingco57]

Here some more pics as the Manchester and Lanc noses are similar.

Cees

[CyberGolem]

Speaking of learning. If it weren't for scale modelling it's highly likely I'd never known of these great planes. Forums like this make the learning all the more enjoyable and thorough. I hope to visit the UK one day and visit some of the museums that house these amazing birds.

[Dennis7423]

Wow, those photos are incredibly helpful! I will be using those in my build as well. Thanks!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Fidd88]

19 hours ago, Dennis7423 said:

Wow, those photos are incredibly helpful! I will be using those in my build as well. Thanks!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

Many thanks indeed for posting those pictures, from me as well, as they've brought to light an error in my turrets too, so although it's too late to fix now on the built models, it'll be corrected on the master-drawings on which future builds will be based.

[Wingco57]

Time for a long overdue update. While I had the airbrush out, the nose turret interior got a black undercoat. The interior will be aluminium as this is an early Manchester.

[Wingco57]

Been playing around with Vallejo dull aluminium, which is the perfect colour as regular aluminium is too shiny.

[Fidd88]

That's coming on really nicely! You could, if you were feeling really keen, have a go at adding the various hydraulic pipes which are visible especially on the outsides of the arch and thence forwards around the forward face of the chordal braces. Very fine single-strand copper wire could do the job nicely. I don't know if Manchester turrets had them, but Wellington turrets of this era had rotatable ventilators in the top corner of the half left and half right (as viewed by the gunner) front window panels. These were to clear cordite-fumes, which otherwise could make the gunner feel pretty unwell in a confined space.

[Wingco57]

Thanks, and I thought of that, but i don't think I will. The focus is on the aluminium structure that draws the eye towards it.

 

[Wingco57]

Turret interior finished, next masking the exterior for the black and camouflage colours.

[Wingco57]

And masked, bit crosseyed now.

[harv]

Yummy ! Love this.....harv 

[woody37]

Great to see it on the move again Cees, lovely progress. How did you glue the little fuselage windows? incredibly neat and something I hate doing as I usually get glue all over them!

[ThomasProbert]

Little steps... but great to see some Manchester action. 
 

Can’t be long until some paint now..?

Tom

[Wingco57]

@Woody37, I use very little glue on the inside of the fuselage and carefully push the windows in from the outside. Mostly luck

[Wingco57]

The canopy and turret have received their interior green and black base coat ( what you see from the inside).

the fuselage needs some cleaning up and neatening of the bombbay doors joins then the other windows can be masked in preparation of spraying the camouflage colours.

[Wingco57]

After the completed nose turret was glued  in place, it was time to reconstruct the fairing pieces. The teardropshaped fairing on top was placed first so the length of the sides could be determined and a piece of plastic strip was glued on the top to lengthen them. After trimming and shaping they were glued in place. In service these fitted not always that well, so I had to make them not too nice.

The nose turret looks much better faired in now imho.

[Wingco57]

Shape of things to come, what a beast.

[ThomasProbert]

Amazing - any progress with the engines yet?

[Wingco57]

Hi Tom, not yet but I am already thinking how to tackle those. If 3d-printing doesn't work ,  making a wooden master is the next best option and crash mould new nacelles. That way panel lines can be scribed. The 1/48 model I did used Miliput nacelles of which I had to make two identical ones but scribing was out of the question.

Live and learn I think

But for now I concentrate on the fuselage with tail only as a project. The basic inside colours of the windows have been sprayed yesterday to get a consistent interior colour and I still need to rescribe some panellines on the nose, and the elevator hinges need to be made. When that is finalized I can start masking for the big paintjob. It would be great if the fuselage and tail are finished. Only then the wings will be next. Another massive project but the devil is in the details.