HK 1/32 Lancaster Mk.I WIP: Moving Along Again 8/11/2020

[Wingco57]

Me too but don't forget that the pic of the turret under restoration is in fact a completely new built replica.

Cees

[FME erk]

On 10/26/2019 at 7:59 PM, Dennis7423 said:

I found a little bench time this morning, so I got cracking on Phantom a little bit more.

 

I turned my attention to the nose turret, building off the research we've been discussing lately. Why not, as the mojo is currently situated there.

 

The Lancaster bomber used a Frazer-Nash FN5 nose turret. The kit's turret is quite nice out of the box, but has some subtle shape issues. That, and I can't leave well enough alone. Additionally, with much of her innards not going to be the standard black we're used to, it's going to be a focal point of the model. I needed to kick it up a notch, even if only subtly. 

 

The easiest mod for the kit parts is drilling out the various lightening holes in the different structures. A simple, quick task immediately improves the look:

 

received_407179460227530 by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Another simple task is to separate the gun sight from the turret controls. These are molded as one piece in the kit, but the sight traversed up when the guns were elevated. For a kit with the turret guns in a flat, level position, you could get away with it. I elected to separate them:

 

received_416354449055998 by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

I also drilled out the gun sight, which is solid. I'll put some Tamiya clear yellow in there when it's painting time to capture the amber color.

 

A more obvious niggle with the kit are the upper support arms for the turret. On the kit, they are molded as straight triangles:

 

received_666987883829619 by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

On the real thing, they are an intricately curved and rotated piece of metal:

 

received_426209424753274 by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

So, out with the needle files, and away I went. Fortunately, the plastic is thick enough to reshape what's there to better capture that piece:

 

 

 Then, do the same for the upper turret. Piece of cake! It's the little things, right?

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

You are so right Dennis

[Dennis7423]

3 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

Me too but don't forget that the pic of the turret under restoration is in fact a completely new built replica.

Cees

Oh but of course! Just a good, clear pic of the curved support piece. That's about all I'll use as reference from that photo :-)

 

Have a full day off tomorrow compliments of having to go to work today on my day off, so hoping to make more progress on the build. Might be the only bench time I see for a few weeks, but we'll see! Already thinking of more mods I want to do to the kit parts...

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[FME erk]

Any updates Dennis please ?

[Dennis7423]

14 hours ago, FME erk said:

Any updates Dennis please ?

Hopefully soon! I haven't had much bench time the past few weeks, and likely won't for a few more. November is quite busy with work training and classes for our adoption. I'll try to sneak it in when I can, however.

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Dennis7423]

A brief update, but an update nonetheless!

 

While waiting for parts associated with the front FN5 turret to dry, I continued work on the cockpit, and began mods to the FN-20 rear turret.

HK molded the rear turret floor as a flat piece, which is inaccurate. The rear turret had a bowl at the bottom of the turret where the gunner could put his feet, which also contained several other boxes and such associated with the operation of the turret:

 

eecf65b4efb148f9944920ace109e851 by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Wingnut Wings appears to be molding this correctly on their soon to be released kit:

 

32044 1_32 Avro Lancaster B.Mk.III Type 464 (Provisioning) CAD render (FN.20 rear turret) by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

I started modifying the kit part:

 

73546232_537993106992717_3587851615622660096_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

The hole right now is square, and once more of the internals are fit and I get a sense of the size and dimensions, I will round out the cutout. You can start getting the idea here:

 

74569032_814196029011923_1386552684533776384_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Moving to the cockpit, the pilot's pedestal has been reattached, 3mm lower than before:

 

75233644_493736614547576_2356345648451682304_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

The bracing on the port side will be recreated, as well as the pulley system under the pedestal floor that is visible from the nose glazing.

 

That's all for now folks! As always, comments and critiques are most welcome.

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

 

 

[Fidd88]

Hi Dennis,

The "triangular" parts you mention are known as "chordal brace stiffeners", and I feel your pain regarding these, as they're spectacularly hard to construct in CAD. I think I drew mine over 40 times, and printed 3 different versions - and they're still not completely right! It might be easier to fabricate them from sheet material - perhaps litho-plate as the twist is fairly gentle. I'd suggest a 2 piece approach here as the curves of the channel underneath are different to the twisting of the larger upper piece...

Incidentally, the plastic "sight bar" you show from the kit also had some issues. The thickness of the bar is about 30% thicker than it should be, and the arms coming down to the sight are too wide as viewed from gunner's perspective. Finally, you might want to look into the correct curvatures of the ammunition feeds on the FN5, as they should emerge from the front edge of the tanks in the sponsons at an angle of 45 degrees upwards before gradually curving upwards and twisting through 90 degrees. Bullets were in the tanks "nose inwards" so simple inspection should determine if the latter curve is correct. 

Many thanks for posting the CAD render of the FN20/FN120.

[Fidd88]

Sorry Dennis, I should have thought, if you want a scaled 3d printed version  of these, I can rescale mine to 1/32, or, prefereably, you could let me know the precise length of the existing part, or let me have it as a pattern. I'd need to thicken my drawings, the current one it is 1mm wall-thickness, which scaled down would become 0.14mm! But that wouldn't take long to do. If you know the distance between the outer edges, I could have a go at printing the sight bar and gunsight. As I lack a printer, the minimum charge by the commercial company I use is £40 and I'd need to charge a little for time spent adjusting the drawings, especially of the sight, into a printable configuration. But it is possible. I'd suggest doing 4-6 of the chordal brace stiffeners as they are likely are incorrect on the FN50 mid-upper as well? This wouldn't affect the price of £40 plus postage. In the ordinary way I'd just do them at the same time as I was producing parts, and let you have them free, but I've no need for parts currently...

If you really wanted to go mad, I could see if it's possible to rescale and rework my drawings to produce a greatly simplified turret where the sighting bar still remains parallel to the guns when moved! I'd say it's just about possible with some difficulty, and would be pretty fragile... The printing costs would be tiny, but the time spent adjusting the design to work in 1/32 would be fairly considerable.

I hope in time to rework all my turret drawings into a single design capable of being printed in any scale and built, but that's years away. Scratch-building replacements may well be a better proposition!

[Dennis7423]

A small update today.

 

Interior work continues. I have completed the basic renovations to the pilot's pedestal, and now I can start attaching the smaller bits in anticipation for further detailing with plasticard, photo-etch, and various gauges of wire:

 

75593867_2718980981496237_6343334317262897152_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

You'll notice, too, that I have begun the corrections associated with the pilot's seat. I have lowered the floor mountings, and have begun further fixes to the seat. I recently acquired a 1/32 resin set intended for the Revell Mosquito to covert it to a Tse-tse. I will use the Tamiya kit for this conversion, which has a nice and complete cockpit. What was included in the Paragon resin set, however, was a nice resin seat that I could steal the lower seat pan from. Some cutting and fiddling, and it will work nicely to correct the very long, deep kit pilot's seat:

 

76605025_1254169184791918_600204937833480192_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Moving back to the turrets, the basic frame is built for the front Fraser-Nash, and now I can start scratching some of the smaller bits, to include the ammo chutes:

 

75380352_2441406749437231_2237330163354304512_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Moving to the rear Fraser-Nash, I have completed removing the turret floor in preparation for a new lower bowl. None of the parts are attached here, just checking sizing and whatnot:

 

76767483_1698135893644842_3507912855380819968_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

I have also started molding parachutes for the interior, using a modified True Details RAF parachute as my master. Also featured here is an American parachute, of which I am molding several for another 1/32 B-17 project (B-17F "Nine Yanks and Jerk" from the 100th BG) and a 1/32 B-24J (B-24H "Callipygia" of the 489th BG):

 

75380030_564308527719298_372482056652849152_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

That's all for now folks! Next update should have some more interior bits fitted to the pilot's pedestal, as well as further work on the turrets and front interior. As always, comments and critiques are welcome. Stay tuned!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Dennis7423]

All-

 

Happy Thanksgiving to those that are celebrating tomorrow. I hope it is a great time of fellowship with your families, both blood and chosen!

 

When I left you last, I was completing some upgrades/corrections to the cockpit. I have since completed some of those, and wanted to share the progress with you.

 

The pilot's pedestal has been lowered, and the support framework has been added. The control wheel has been upgraded with the brake lever and the center cap, and I boxed in the column itself. I also added the control cables for the control wheel below the pedestal, as these will be visible from the nose to the keen eye that looks inside:

 

76978619_423979045215840_7982335116347179008_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

77006274_2839194226114116_6833098152514420736_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

76726111_473347983567332_3309174719911034880_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

The conversion of the pilot's seat has been completed as well. I extended the rear seat pad at the bottom to better represent a full cushion once the lower pad was removed from the kit part:

 

72985956_2823751524336486_3125124599499456512_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

And here it's blue-tac'd in place on the pedestal. Pretty pleased with the result:

 

76686426_1015083235501409_6044080808761753600_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

76779594_2509705899127561_5003582568503705600_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

That's all for today. I will have more to post on the turrets next time, as work has continued on them. Hoping for some bench time tomorrow with the holiday!

 

 As always, comments and critiques are welcome. Thanks folks!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Axeman]

Nice work!

[Jeff]

[Wingco57]

It it itches you have to scratch it. Very nice.

Cees

[IainMackayDall]

I love the detail of the cables under the pilot seat for the stick controls.

No one will ever see these details other than us..  in this group when this model is
shown, and all sealed up during some a comp show. But, we have all seen, that this detail is there.
So it does exist is our collective minds, and will live in all our future modelling desires.

 

[Dennis7423]

All-

 

Work continues on cockpit bits and bobs to update the accuracy of the kit. When I left you last, I had finished updates to the kit seat and pilot's pedestal. I made a few more additions, after studying some more photos and the CAD images from impending the WnW Lancaster. I added an additional travel prohibitor in front of the control column, added the prominent piping around the pilot's controls, and began work on the camera. I added the cone for the lense, and moved the camera forward so that it was centered in the opening in the fuselage. I also have begun building the framework that surrounds the camera itself:

 

77272949_718727508617794_2839201887801049088_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

78942790_589756851820593_942594581004812288_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

The resin parachutes I made up have nestled nicely in place as well:

 

79527358_467913170393188_2441821428991918080_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

I also added an additional bench seat that I observed in the WnW instructions:

 

78193145_760392777798346_3975118336982777856_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Moving back to the turrets, I have completed the upper framework for the nose turret, and have begun working out the ammo chutes:

 

78399925_533358627216260_7938352310478962688_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

Once I have those sorted, I have some flexible resin .303 belts to add to them before boxing them in appropriately. Then I will begin further outfitting the turret with other scratch-built parts to bring it up to snuff. This little guy might be the first completed part on the kit, as I won't get to painting the cockpit until I get the forward portion of the bomb bay sorted out.

 

I did more work on the rear turret, too. I have begun adding some of the missing framework, with more to come once I sand and shape what I have already. The lower "bowl" has been attached too, and will require some further meddling before it'll fit nicely into place in the tail. A spare AMK 1/48 Mig-31 burner can was just the right size, so I cut it down and made it work. Once I get that sorted out, it too will receive further outfitting to detail it appropriately:

 

78496954_432151957459290_7932891976821637120_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

As imposing and huge as the Lancaster is, the turrets, because they will be mostly natural metal inside rather than black, will be a focal point for viewers. I certainly want them to draw people in and further enjoy the rest of the build as they go.

 

That's all for now folks! As always, comments and critiques are most welcome.

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Jeff]

Really nice job on the 'chutes Dennis.... this is really interesting....

[FME erk]

Dennis for your clarification, the 'bench' alongside the wireless operator seat is actually a step  to aid clambering over the main spar.

I love what you are doing so far, keep at it, I think you 've got something good going on  . . . particularly within the turrets 

Ian

 

[Dennis7423]

1 hour ago, FME erk said:

Dennis for your clarification, the 'bench' alongside the wireless operator seat is actually a step  to aid clambering over the main spar.

I love what you are doing so far, keep at it, I think you 've got something good going on  . . . particularly within the turrets 

Ian

 

Good to know! Thanks Ian, I appreciate the encouragement and the info!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Dennis7423]

All-

 

Small update today, as bench time was pretty limited over the last week or so.

 

I have completed the basic internal structure of the rear Frazer-Nash turret, which was missing from HK's kit parts. They provide a good start, but some of the additional bracing needs to be added to be more accurate. I used the great CAD images from Wingnut Wings to outfit the structure. Now that it is completed, I can refine it a bit with some filing, and add additional detailing. It's coming along nicely:

 

80005875_1702651516537895_5785239266023964672_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

78885941_448994522679680_2971810420404256768_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

And she fits nicely inside the solid glazing:

 

78679787_433133367359067_3684887150316224512_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

 

That's all for today folks! Hoping for some more bench time this Monday, if the wife doesn't fill the day with tasks.

 

Happy modelling!

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[nmayhew]

anything more on this?

[Dennis7423]

On 5/31/2020 at 1:09 PM, nmayhew said:

anything more on this?

 

It's been stalled for a while, as other projects jumped into the queue. I keep looking at it though... thinking about starting it up again here shortly, after... I finish a few other projects :-)

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Dennis7423]

Folks-

 

Wow, it's been a long time since I gave an update! I think it's about time.

I had shelved the Lancaster after getting frustrated trying to sort out the ammo chutes for the .303's in the turrets. The kit molded parts have the ammo chutes going in a funky direction, and I sanded them off fairly quickly with the intent to create something more accurate. I was having a hard time scratch building them, so it went to the SOD for the last 6 months or so.

I pulled out my Tamiya 1/32 Mosquito the other day, and observed that I had purchased the Eduard Brassin armament set for it, which contained resin ammo chutes for the nose .303's. The were perfect! They were structured correctly, and even had the correct bend in them. I was able to heat them in boiling water, shorten the curve a little bit, and then trim to fit. Viola! They worked perfectly. I ended up ordering two more sets from Barracuda Resin to complete the upper turret, and also to replace the ones I robbed from the Eduard set. While the Eduard set is pricey and covers the entire gun assortment, the Barracuda set covers only the ammo chutes. It's also significantly cheaper to boot.

115984721_574545806570140_1501663275536710403_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

With the ammo chutes sorted out, I could move forward with the rest of the scratch building in the nose turret. This consisted of new ammo box covers with the circular cutouts (complete with .303 ammo inside), the turret locking lever, and various pipes and hoses.

115908154_745118143004819_7613127090577830365_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

116420309_603844623657521_4125874062612944937_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

116347576_285479516092194_2984050289915380796_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

Another missing piece of the turrets are the spent casing bags. These were scratched using Milliput, and wiggled inside the turret mechanism. They aren't very flattering, I must say...

116274594_1152592251793364_6747290124345493417_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

Another missing piece, and quite visible, is the framing on the rear of the turret dome. The piece is molded in clear, but it is metal on the rear bird, so being totally neat here wasn't a problem. The stringers were added, along with a passable oxygen regulator and associated hose:

109449528_933406410490108_712335263458866913_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

116353671_700797260553173_7143077821224813437_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

116345491_289098379005505_2976607860387803828_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

With that sorted out, I could start adding some paint. This is only a basic painting with interior black and flat aluminum, with further details and whatnot to be added later. Best I could muster with 20 minutes at the bench this morning before work! Feels good to get a little bit of paint on this beast.

116702278_327074281806705_2974317843926589177_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

The only other piece I intend to scratch build for the nose turret is the metal backpad at the rear of the turret opening. I am planning to fashion this out of tin foil, as its a complex curve. Here's to hoping it works!

As always, comments and critiques are welcome. Thanks for tuning in.

 

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

[Dennis7423]

All-

 

When I left you last, I was finishing up the forward turret. I have since completed the turret, and sealed the halves:

117122746_312562269983226_8167892514025512063_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

117225214_749147109261129_5768932312431124410_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

117597172_632388224374044_1691775739841017005_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

117645106_607605849957330_6287595375774356453_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

A little smoothing out, and then some paint hopefully this weekend to round it out. Getting something on the kit "completed" helps the mojo!

After finishing the turret, I turned my attention back to the forward nose, specifically the bombardier's station. I was humming and hawing about which bomb sight to use... the kit Mk.XIV, or scratch build a Mk.IX CSBS. As I studied photos more, I realized that I had already installed the computer for the Mk.XIV, so I went ahead and decided to use the kit part, with some alterations. I'm not sure it's accurate for Phantom at the point of the war I am modelling, but it's what I am going to go with:

116877587_2931106913662259_5240486897092291091_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

Another very, very weak part on the kit (and quite visible!) is the bomb sight mount. The kit part as supplied is a bit of a clunky beast:

117295036_285405739426375_5407417053890889489_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

116909249_578262852838472_2922658167582022953_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

So, out came the saw, and the plastic rod, for something more accurate:

116839265_307034260732013_7966114306502428928_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

116878754_220872905933860_8354700899743658530_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

Feeling much better about this guy than the kit part. It may not be completely accurate, but it's much, much better.

While I was on a roll, I started tackling the bomb bay. I figured that I needed to get the majority of the bomb bay basics completed and installed before I started laying paint on the cockpit area, as I didn't want to handle the kit too much and ruin the paint in the cockpit. It was a good idea. For those wanting to tackle the Eduard set for the bomb bay, you must have a micro chisel in your arsenal. Without it, I never would have been able to accomplish the removal of ejector pins and the kit bomb mounting hardware. my Dad used to say, "He doesn't know whether to sh** or go blind." I know what he meant by that now. So tedious, but totally worth it:

117292318_1875523899256791_7985159970135171811_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr

Now, I just have to build and install 16 different bomb carriers to install. Each one is about 10 pieces. Can't wait :-p

While we're on the topic of bombs, I understand the Cookie in the kit is undersized. Does anyone make a proper sized one for a Lancaster Mk.I/Mk.III? I know of a resin one that is the larger Cookie, but it is intended for Lancasters with the bulged bomb bay. Or, does anyone make 1/32 SBC's (Small Bomb Canisters)? I would love to have those to hang inside. But, I am not aware of any.

That's all for today folks! Hopefully next time, I can greet you with some paint getting laid down in the cockpit and bombardier's station. As always, comments and critiques are most welcome.

- Dennis S.

  Thornton, CO USA

 

[Bomber_County]

Stunning work, see here for the cookie

http://www.iconicair.com/12000lb/

[Dennis7423]

1 hour ago, Bomber_County said:

Stunning work, see here for the cookie

http://www.iconicair.com/12000lb/

Thanks Phil!