1/72 Airfix Avro Lancaster Dam Buster old tool---shelf of doom

[vandee]

I have decided to finish this. I asked about replacement landing gear but have had no luck. So
I broke off the gear and legs that were on and just glued the main gear doors shut. I got some
dimensions as to where the stand goes so next I will carefully layout and cut for the stand, I will
purchase one from Airfix made for this model. Then I can finish building and order after market
decals as the kits are worthless, they are old, yellowed and stained.-John

 

[vandee]

X marks the spot. Now to drill a few holes. Gotta love those mm and inch measurements. I am ambidextrous.-John

 

[fubar57]

Gear doors look like they fit better than most

 

[vandee]

Thanks, they almost dropped in. I still have to mask and paint them flat black. This isn't
going to be a fast and easy fix. I dread cutting the slot.-John

 

[vandee]

Three 1 mm holes drilled, now to connect the dots.- John

 

[Wurger]

 

[herman1rg]

MM, Inches: I use whichever is best at the time.

Secondly, which aircraft are you going to depict?

 

[at6]

In it's day it was still the best kit available. Good work on the paint.

 

[Crimea_River]

A square tapered file is a good tool to finish off that slot. That slot doesn't seem stout enough to support a model of that size and weight. Methinks it will wobble a bit and that your bouncing bomb will miss.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[vandee]

MM, Inches: I use whichever is best at the time.

Secondly, which aircraft are you going to depict?

I am hoping to find decals for T for Tommy. I mainly use mm
because my inch scale is almost worn out. It's getting hard to
read the numbers.- John

 

[vandee]

The slot is done and I added the bouncing bomb. I just need to gloss cote then I can decal it. That
won't be for a few days as the humidity here in Florida is out of control during tropical storms, may
be back down by next Wednesday. I bought a set of decals on E Bay for the "new mold" 1/72 Airfix
Avro Lancaster Dam Buster which has T for Tommy. Now all I need to do is purchase an Airfix stand.- John

 

[Airframes]

Looking good. The 'Upkeep' mine should be Dark Green though.
I remember the days when every Airfix kit included a transparent stand, and a decal, with the title, to place on the stand base.

 

[vandee]

It is a darker green. I lightened the photo to see the details on the black fuselage and went too far.-John

 

[Airframes]

Ah, I understand.

If you wish to add the spotlights, I have a copy of an original 1962 letter, from AVRO at Manchester, to Bruce Robertson, author of a few Lancaster books, where the location and angles of the lamps are shown on a drawing. However, recent research suggests that this may be partly inaccurate, and that the rear lamp was housed under the transparent cover of the redundant dorsal gun position.
There are photos of this in one of the recent 'Wingleader' on-line magazines, and it looks as though this very well might have been the real location of the rear lamp.

 

[vandee]

The spot lights are on according to the 1980s Airfix kit. Thank you for the offer, I also am
thinking that it is missing the hand held machine gun under the plane behind the bomb bay.
I am thinking on someday building one again using the new Airfix kit and doing as you say.
For now this will suffice. Thanks again-John

 

[Airframes]

Just had another look at the underside of your model, and I can see the lamps. These are located as per the AVRO letter / drawing I mentioned.
Although the aircraft were delivered with, or with the provision for, the single ventral machine gun (typo in my other post, should have read ventral not dorsal !), the gun was deleted, although the flush, circular fairing was still in place, as it was considered that it would not be of much use, considering the entire operation would be conducted at low level.
Part of the fairing cover was transparent, designed to allow the ventral gunner to see to aim the gun, and it was in this 'window' that the latest research suggests that the rear spotlight was mounted. Whilst this may be correct, it seems strange that in the AVRO correspondence, and all other references, the rear lamp is shown in the location on your model.

 

[Crimea_River]

I'm told that some of the Upkeeps just had red primer on them. Don't know if right or wrong.

 

[Wurger]

 

[vandee]

I'm told that some of the Upkeeps just had red primer on them. Don't know if right or wrong.

There is a picture showing a "captured unexploded" Upkeep mine from a crashed Lancaster and the Germans said it was a reddish brown color. I think similar to
red oxide primer. I have seen 2 images and both are B&W. -John