Wingco57 Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Always wanted to build a 1/48 Halifax of which the FM Halifax is the only option ( the Sanger vacform kit excluded). problem is that many consider it to be unbuildable due to the terrible plastic and bad moulding quality. Then again the shape is reasonable. Having tried two earlier attempts, I was given this kit recently and was still itching to start again. although the problems were obvious with a lot of warping. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted October 27, 2019 Author Share Posted October 27, 2019 The tail went together very well. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted October 27, 2019 Author Share Posted October 27, 2019 The wings were a different matter and needed a lot of fettling to get together. The wingroots are anything but square and I cut out the butting area to create a hollow wing. The plan is to slide the wings over the provided wingspars to get the wings square, rigid and the fuselage needed strenghtening as well and I made a thick plastcard bombbayfloor and some bulkheads. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted October 27, 2019 Author Share Posted October 27, 2019 Initially I cut off the wingtips to make an early Mk III but changed my mind and reattached them again. The wingtip lights were fashioned from pieces of perspex and sanded smooth. The wings were then fully assembled including the flaps ( to be fitted down later). although the seperate flap shrouds caused a lot of fitproblems. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted October 27, 2019 Author Share Posted October 27, 2019 The crew entry door fitted actually not at all. To solve this I created some structure near the opening to represent the sill and kept the door open so that the fitproblems are not noticable. Some aftermarket Lancaster tyres will replace the donuttype ones FM provide. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnB Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 You have a LOT more patience than I have! I look forward to seeing this one finished. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krow113 Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 A how-to primer in solving the kit. Well done. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Never seen a big Hallie, settling down to watch...........looking good so far....... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 Here’s the only drawing I have left from the full size cockpit project. I used to have 750+ of these. This one shows the Halifax canopy. The asymmetric layout is obvious. Also that the windscreen lower line as seen from the front is horizontal. Something that is wrongly depicted in the FM kit ( and the 1/72 Revell kit). cheers Cees 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FME erk Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 This is gonna be one heck of a build . . . . I'm watching and waiting . . . . Good luck Neil, your gonna need it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Just now, FME erk said: This is gonna be one heck of a build . . . . I'm watching and waiting . . . . Good luck Neil, your gonna need it Me too !!.....harv 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krow113 Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 Fascinating watching FM Halifax threads. There is one on BM as well right now. All of it ripping stuff. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Fran Posted November 5, 2019 Administrators Share Posted November 5, 2019 Cees my friend, why don´t you just stick with Tamiya or WNW?? Goood luck mate... and I only wish that no other company lauch a new 1:48 Halifax soon.... I would hate if they do that to you after the 0/400. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 Always fancied a 1/48 scale Halifax, bought two FM kits but sold both on after looking at the box contents, still waiting for a better option. But for now I will sit back and watch this one and the Britmodeller builds. Cheers Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 A new 1/48 Halifax would be fantastic but will it ever happen? If the same fate my scratchbuild HP 0/400 suffered after WNW announced their kit, then by all means I am happy to suffer again 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 By the way, the engines, props and cowlings of the FM kit are terrible. I plan to use either Tamiya or Revell Beaufighter parts. Does anyone have any spares they would like to part with? Cheers Cees 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dog Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 Watching with interest as I have one in the stash. At one time Paragon made a conversion set for the Lancaster BII, I wish I had acquired a second set as the engines and cowlings would have worked well on the Halifax. Years ago someone built one of these on the Finescale forum and from what I remember of it the supplied interior is mostly rubbish. I suspect you will do it right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted November 11, 2019 Author Share Posted November 11, 2019 Sooo, with Telford behind us, I felt the creative juices flowing (or could have been the beer) and was itching to start on the Halifax again. I got some useful spares such as a Tamiya Beaufighter for the cowlings, engine, prop etc. ( loosely fitted here) With a second set to follow from a friend. And an Airfix Defiant for the dorsal turret, which luckily has a duplicate cupola. I cut away the previous work done on the bombbay and fuselage stiffeners. Must replace that by something more elegant. Also started rescribing and adding panellines. Having seen Neil’s work (Woody37) over at Britmodeller I hope to do some rivetting too. Cheers Cees 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Some more work. I managed to get rid of the bananashaped fuselage by gentle bending. Also tried to get the typical assymetrical windscreenshape as seen in the drawing posted earlier. The area forward of the windscreen was filed flat and at an angle. Also a start had been made at frame 7, the pilot’s bulkhead compared to the kitpart. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusMac Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 You're putting some serious work into this Cees. I'd love a large(r) scale Halifax but this is beyond my skillset or patience! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Enjoying your progress Cees. Do your Beaufighter engines slide over the kit rear nacelle? Mine are too tight so would need lot's of sanding so I'm planning to use the FM opened cooling flaps instead 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 Hi Neil, Nope, they are a butt joint and I agree that the nacelles need to be modified. IIRC the FM cooling flaps do not fit as the diameter is too narrow. Perhaps a combination of thinning the insides of the Tamiya cooling flaps and tapering the FM stubs will help. But I need drawings to see where the flaps locate on the nacelles. I only have the Mk II drawings and have asked around for some MK III ones at Britmodeller. Cheers Cees 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 Pencilling in missing panellines. Cees 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 12 hours ago, Wingco57 said: Hi Neil, Nope, they are a butt joint and I agree that the nacelles need to be modified. IIRC the FM cooling flaps do not fit as the diameter is too narrow. Perhaps a combination of thinning the insides of the Tamiya cooling flaps and tapering the FM stubs will help. But I need drawings to see where the flaps locate on the nacelles. I only have the Mk II drawings and have asked around for some MK III ones at Britmodeller. Cheers Cees I've tapered the FM stubs and the unmodified flaps fit OK. Looking at photo's the outer stubs need extending anyway. A few have posted drawings, it's them I have been using but photo's are just as useful I think. Got quite a bit on this week but I'll get some more progress pics over the weekend. Cheers 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krow113 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 ...almost making me want to pull out my example.... Almost. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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