Jeff Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 notice the dingy release handle, not sure I have paid attention to that detail before..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted July 5, 2019 Author Administrators Share Posted July 5, 2019 Just now, Jeff said: And Packard's too ? Hope that is of some use, maybe just some FYI and interesting pics, glad you like... Packards of course. And yes it is. Placing an order today. I've always wondered at the actual differences. I know that as production went on, more and more minor changes were made, most done to ease production issues. Then later, other changes such as answering the cry from crews to give them something better tail guns resulted in the 50 cals being added in the rear turret. I've always wondered why Britain, (and Germany for that matter), insisted on carrying forth the idea of rifle caliber guns in all their aircraft, long after they knew how the .50 caliber outclassed everything else short of an autocannon. The Germans stuck with the 7.92mm and the Brits stuck with the .303..... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 This baby is going to be the darling of the Nats.........looking stunning Ernie............somewhere I have the history of the addition of 0.5 in the rears, I’ll dig it out........ 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leitch144 Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 My understanding was the B.I Lancaster had Rolls Royce engines and the B.III had Packard built Merlins, in the next few years engines got mixed around, add ons like Different propellers and Bomb aimers blisters changed and were mixed and matched on both B.I and B.IIIs which makes it very differcult to identify just by looking at a picture. I thought the B.X was designed for the Tropics but never ended up in that theatre, Canadians of course did their own thing a threw in a Martin upper turret. .50cals and ammunition are a lot heavier in the long run, they only used .50cals in the Rose? rear turret on a Lanc, I do believe most gunner kills were from the rear turret? My grandfather did 40 missions mainly in B.II which he much preferred over the Merlin versions. Andy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 1 hour ago, leitch144 said: My understanding was the B.I Lancaster had Rolls Royce engines and the B.III had Packard built Merlins, in the next few years engines got mixed around, add ons like Different propellers and Bomb aimers blisters changed and were mixed and matched on both B.I and B.IIIs which makes it very differcult to identify just by looking at a picture. I thought the B.X was designed for the Tropics but never ended up in that theatre, Canadians of course did their own thing a threw in a Martin upper turret. .50cals and ammunition are a lot heavier in the long run, they only used .50cals in the Rose? rear turret on a Lanc, I do believe most gunner kills were from the rear turret? My grandfather did 40 missions mainly in B.II which he much preferred over the Merlin versions. Andy Andy, my wife's uncle a FL/Lt Navigator with 408 Sqdn RCAF preferred the B.II's as well...... his a/c never took a hit.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted July 5, 2019 Author Administrators Share Posted July 5, 2019 Andy, the Mk.X was just the designation given to differentiate a Lancaster built at Victory Aircraft in Malton, Ontario. The first several hundred were VERY similar to their British built cousins with the exception of the Americanized construction materials and equipment. They almost all went to bomber Command in Europe , and contrary to popular belief, were not held over specifically for RCAF use. however, many RCAF crews received their aircraft in Canada after training, and flew their new bomber off to war. When the RCAF was gearing up to join in the fight against Japan, the "Tiger Force", or at least Canada's contribution to it, took the newest, lowest time, most modern aircraft available, retrofitted long range tanks, and took off towards the east. Of course, it all came to naught after the A-Bombs ended the war about four years too late. The returning Tiger Force's aircraft, which had been gone through, tuned up, and had numerous modifications made to them is what formed the basis of the RCAF's postwar Lancaster fleet which served well into the 1960s, and is the one big reason we have so many surviving examples of this aircraft still around today. Rare indeed, is an actual British built Mk.l or Mk.lll. Of course the Mk.ll is an extinct beast today. Mk.X's were already sen with great nostalgia in Canada when they were retired, and very. very few were scrapped. Most went to museums or put up on pedestals as ornaments. The RCAF stated that the lancaster was wholly suited for it's designated mission of long range patrol, and had, over the years, been extensively modified to fit that role. Indeed, it was simply the tired airframes and the scarcity of Merlin repair parts that eventually grounded the fleet. Of course today, pretty much everything for a Merlin is, has, or will be reproduced as needed, but in the 60s, it was just an old, obsolete engine. From what I've read, when the Germans up gunned their fighters, the .303 didn't cut it anymore, so the .50 was a definite improvement. From what I've read, at first, Bomber Command was none too impressed with that modification. The Martin turret, in my opinion, was ill conceived and poorly thought out. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leitch144 Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 My grandfather was with 514 Andy 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leitch144 Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 Always wanted to build a B.II (only choice is the Airfix 1/72) which I have, but more of a 1/32 builder, 1/48 at a push. Chances of a !/32 conversion probably nil, using some Beaufighter engines and cowls maybe a start but the nacelles are different. Maybe one day take a go at it, but need to afford a 1/32 Lancaster first. Andy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 which ones did you order Ernie? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted July 7, 2019 Author Administrators Share Posted July 7, 2019 Hmmmm 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 WOW cupcake, she is looking killer ! I love it.....harv 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grunhertz Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Looking awesome sir 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted July 7, 2019 Author Administrators Share Posted July 7, 2019 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 looking great Ernie. The British had stocks of millions of .303 rounds left from WW1, thats why they kept using this calibre. When Halifax W1048 was recovered for the RAF Museum in 1973 it had thousands of rounds still in it's containers including many made during the 1920's. Cees 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzaS Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 That looks sweet, Ernie! You could pretty much argue that no defensive a weapons were successful without the bomber box. Even then, bomber gunner kill claims are generally a joke once compared to real loss figures. The USAAF would have had to drop it's daylight bombing campaign had not effective long range escorts appeared in 1943. It was wing-mounted .50 cals that enabled daylight bombing to continue. Meanwhile in Japan, most Japanese planes couldn't even climb to where the B-29 operated. And those that could were mostly armed with Japanese .50 cals and .30 cals. The late war types that had 20mm's were working with really bad synthetic fuels and were more too-little-too-late. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJTX Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 That is looking absolutely amazing Ernie! I think I big Eagle could be headed your way. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 The lightning bolt really brings it together. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 man that looks good Ernie I adore civvie style schemes on older fighting aircraft & this is about the pinnacle of that type of thing Brilliant! Peter 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Super duper cool Ernie!!! 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Awesomesauce ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FME erk Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Lovely paint work and that decal is such a nice touch , bring it on ! Thing with the .303 guns, bomber crews were not there to slug it out with night fighters but they could bring down a night fighter with a well aimed burst. The American P51 only became the escort to their bombers when it had the British Merlin added I am looking forward to seeing the paint work on the wings and tailplane Ernie, she will look ACE David 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 8 hours ago, Clunkmeister said: YYYUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our RCAF post war birds were THE prettiest in the WORLD.... and I am proud to say I have flown in them when they were the prettiest, rather than the dull grays of today, back then they had real character, and were recognized anywhere in the world as RCAF...... this is gorgeous Ernie, I'm loving it......and for the record, those fuselage strengthening strips by the mid upper you scratched didn't get the love they and you deserve, I looked really closely at what you did, and how they turned out, compared to the real deals and I will say, you absolutely NAILED them, they are a small addition BUT wil make this model pop ! Top Drawer buddy ! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grunhertz Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Beautiful work Ernie 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzaS Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Yeah....that lightning bolt is awesome! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted July 7, 2019 Author Administrators Share Posted July 7, 2019 The Belcher Bits decals are performing flawlessly so far. Next time I think I’ll build a Lanc with some visual pop! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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