1:32 scale Lancaster Mk.1 Hachette Partworks

[Airframes]

Gerry, although two-part epoxy can be rather thick, the clear type can be applied in such a way, using a thin, suitably - sized 'spatula' type of tool, or, for example, a thin blade of brass or aluminium, that it can be spread along the required area, thinning as it goes.
Alternatively, perhaps the resin bond used when attaching glass-fibre mat may do the trick ?
As for CA adhesive, I would have thought that one of the 'thin' viscosity type would work ?
If the setting time is too quick, I believe an 'inhibitor' can be added, to slow down the setting time, and allow for moving the part(s) and positioning as required.
I haven't used an inhibitor, if that's the right term, but I've heard of it, and perhaps someone such as Wojtek may be able to advise further.
Another place to look, or ask, might be a supplier of flying model aircraft materials, as 'modern' builders often have a similar task, with the mix of materials used these days.

 

[parsifal]

Exceptionally good. Man a 1/32 scale heavy. oh my lord.....

 

[Gerry]

Hello once again after a long recess. It's taken me longer than I'd hoped to give an update and I still haven't got a lot to report but hopefully can now concentrate on this particular build. Since I last posted we had our Nationals. I didn't get my Bf 109F-4 Trop finished in time but decided to finish it after the show and that's one thing that delayed progress on the Lanc. The trop is finished now and I'll post some shots on the completed builds thread. I've also been to Telford for Scale Model World '15 with IPMS Ireland. I didn't have anything in competition but the club did well with a haul of two golds, two silvers and one bronze, at least. The club also won the IPMS Award for Best Overseas Display, to which I contributed with my Paddy Finucane Spitfire and Galland's 109E. Very chuffed we were!

Here's a couple of relevant shots from the Hong Kong Models stall which was just across the hall from us.

The first is their full size mock-up of the 1:32 Lancaster they're still developing. On the table, it's enormous - they're A4 sheets underneath! They're promising a launch next year but I'll believe that when I see it.

This is, I think, their 1:32 B-25 Mitchell. Beautiful internal details. They also had a finished B-17 and a partially finished fuselage cutaway. But noting on their stand for less than £150 - £250. And then there's the mortgage for the bigger house...

Back on thread, I just wanted to post this.

This is the sort of basic construction work I'm still engaged in. This is the starboard wing which has now been stringed. Above it is the s/b outer split flap which has been constructed, with the port version to the left. The next number of issues cover similar s/b elements, such as aileron, elevator and tail fin assembly - all of which I covered on the portside. It doesn't give me many new photographic opportunities but at least I'm now on issue 102 so progress is being made.

Hopefully something original to show in the not too distant future.

Gerry

 

[Wurger]

Nicely done !

 

[Lucky13]

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks for stopping by Gerry.

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Gerry, and congrats on the Club's awards. If I'd known you were going to Telford, I would have made the effort to get there !
Can you PM me your e-mail address please?
I sent you an e-mail in early September, regarding detail pics of the Duxford Lanc, as I was going to DX for the BoB airshow, but I think the e-mail address I have for you is out of date.
I managed to get a couple of pics of the flare chute exit and fairing, under the fuselage, and I'll e-mail these, and some others, if you still need them. I could also use some info from you regarding flare chute dimensions, if you're able to measure it.

 

[fubar57]

Nice Gerry. Any progress is good progress.




Geo

 

[vikingBerserker]

Nice!

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent work so far Gerry!

 

[Gerry]

Thanks to all for your positive responses to a very insubstantial post. Hope to do much better next time! Terry, I've sent you a PM.

Gerry

 

[SANCER]

It's good to see you back Gerry. Congrats for your Club's awards.
Looking great so far

Saludos cordiales.
Luis Carlos

 

[Gerry]

Thought it was about time I posted another update. I've been working steadily on progressing the build but haven't had all the time I thought I'd have post-Christmas. However, I am making progress and thought that, this being a new year, it would be useful (for me) to take an overview of where the build stands now and to root out all the various parts that are semi completed or put aside till later. I also wanted to test fit the various elements, to see if there are any problems (there are some) and see for the first time the model standing on its own feet, as it were. (I've just reread the complete post and think it will have to be split.)

Don't get too excited with the initial photos. None of the sections have been permanently attached yet but cobbled together with cocktail sticks, white tack, mini pegs, double sided tape and supported on towers of Lego type blocks to give a sense of the overall size of this monster. This created its own problems with a couple of collapses in the process, causing some internal fittings to spring loose and a couple of (previously repaired) formers broke again and need repairing. One thing that's clear is that all the fitting needs to be made without forcing, as the pressure of forcing will cause damage as there are few places strong enough to take pressure without breaking.

The first shots are a walk around the dry fit. I've indicated on the first photo the areas I've tackled since my last post. These shots also hopefully give a true sense of scale. That's the good coffee table, covered in white paper, it's sitting on and that's a 12 inch (30cm) ruler in front.

1&2. The port and starboard fins and rudders were assembled.

I detailed the starboard fin's inner structure as the official diagram, with plastic rod and drilled card, as this will be partially cutaway when skinned. The elevator behind is skinned and taped to suggest fabric covering and a control rod/hinge added.

The tail planes and elevators, in various stages of painting, are dry fitted. There is a cutaway on the s/board plane, with control rods and structure partially exposed. The fins will be skinned with pre formed skins later but no skins are supplied for the rudders or for any of the trim tabs on any control surfaces. The magazine suggests painting over the bare wood but I reckoned that it wouldn't look right. Cutting and bending skins to fit would be very difficult but I hit on a simpler solution. I have some thin 4" wide chrome tape, which I got from Halfords. This is self adhesive and once the surface it's applied to is pristine and it's carefully buffed down with any creases rubbed out, it works a treat. As you can see I was also able to panel line and rivet it, before positioning.

3. The s/board outer wing was painted and the mid and outer fuel tanks installed and the three remaining engine firewalls and engine support brackets added. It is intended that a large portion of this upper wing surface will be left cutaway.

4. On the s/board wing the intention is to have both engines fully or partially exposed so scratch-built detailing, based on some refs I found, was added to both firewalls before the engine mounts were attached.

All four firewalls were then painted and will later be detail painted before the engines are added.

 

[Gerry]

I just test fitted one of the engine blocks to see what it looks like. There's a lot more supplied detail to be added to the engines before fitting, such as exhausts, shaped oil tanks and rads. I believe, however, that there's a fit problem when the nacelles are added so, to save unnecessary work, I'll wait till the nacelles are test fitted before finalising the engines.

5. The crew cabin was skinned port, s/board and top.

The overhead section, containing the aperture for the astrodome, was cutaway on the s/board side. The exit tube for the flare gun was added to the underside but to be honest, when painted and in position, it won't be visible.

Next, the port side of the cabin was fully skinned. The radio operator's windows were glazed from the inside. Before this skin was added I wanted to give it a basic coat of black. The reason for this was that, because the glazing is held by Glue 'n ' Glaze, I was afraid that if masked for overall painting, the masking might push it into the cabin. This way I can mask around it, on the metal surface. Then I installed the astrodome section.

Finally, the s/board skin was partially cutaway to give a view through the cabin wall to the interior, which is possibly more obvious from the overhead shot.

6. One thing I managed to add at this stage was the dividing curtain in the cabin. Not a great shot, I admit, but it's like a coalhole in there! The curtain itself is is made from light tissue paper, folded and painted dark grey.

I'll finish this section with shots of the cabin in position without the canopy and one with the canopy positioned. The s/board window on the canopy had been removed to improve interior visibility but after this close-up was taken.

7. I had come across a reference for a stowable step to the dorsal turret and decided to scratch-build it.

This I did with scraps from the spare box and it is painted and positioned in the fuselage where it can be displayed either stowed or deployed (marked with arrow)

The section with the dorsal turret and the rear section will be joined together shortly. This is one of my main areas of concern when it comes to joining the fuselage sections. All of the other sections have half bulkheads, at least, as well as the arches of the formers to glue to. The adhesion points for these two sections are the edges of the cabin floor, the edge of a keel underneath the floor and where the ammunition chutes meet. The formers don't touch (although they will be closer together than in the photos when the floors are matched up - and all that will be holding it together will be stringers between the two sections and skinning. There's a fair bit of weight in the skinned tail & fin assembly and I'm worried that the weight will put too much pressure on the joins. There is a chance that I can reinforce across the floor sections, underneath but that's the only solution I have at this time.

I have a similar concern with the join between the cabin and the rest bunk section, between the wings. Although there is a half bulkhead at the base of the formers and the formers touch, there is such weight in the front section that I will need a really strong bond to hold it in place when the supports aren't in place. I don't think that I can reinforce through the bulkhead as they are detailed front and back. I'll just have to see what's possible, hopefully without too much compromise.

8. So where does that leave us? The interior is detailed and completed. I just have to make sure wiring and plumbing runs match up section to section before joining. I know that the next few issues are concerned with skinning and finishing the wings before moving on to the fuselage. Also imminent is the building of the parachute escape hatch in the nose section.

One aileron has been built, awaiting skinning and three of the four split flaps are finished leaving one flap and the second aileron to be constructed. The underwing fuel tank access hatches are either completed or awaiting skinning and painting. And that, as far as I know, will be all the major construction on the airframe done.

The props and bombs will be painted further down the line. That's where I think I'll leave it for now. I now have to disassemble it again, and stow it away in various boxes and drawers. My workspace isn't big enough to have it all out at once. However, I think I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. Just hope it's not an express train racing towards me.

I'll keep posting as I make more progress.

Gerry

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Once again, very impressive Gerry.


Geo

 

[Gnomey]

Great work so far Gerry!!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Just stunning!

 

[Airframes]

Bl**dy marvellous Gerry !
It's really coming together now, and looks every inch a Lanc. It's also pushing me strongly to do my 1/48th scale Tamiya version for the current GB.

 

[pbehn]

Is Hachette Irish for Bacon?