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Richard M · Gold Star Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 3246 Location: Cyprus

Progress of Paula's build will be reported here.
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"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

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Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 24 Sep 2007 18:10 pm Post subject:

It'll be the Lancaster B1 Special getting built on this side of the channel...
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Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 19:38 pm Post subject:

So, I'll be making the Airfix Avro Lancaster B.I with a Grand Slam bomb. The differences between this and the standard Airfix offering of the B.III are obvious when you look at the sprues.

Here are the box, instructions and decals:

The kit is of a Lancaster III, with an extra set of sprues with the different propellers, and the Grand Slam bomb.

Here are the standard sprues for the B.III version:

These sprues are moulded from a fairly rigid version of the standard light grey plastic, as opposed to the black plastic that I encountered when I built the B.III out of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight set. The sprues are generally fine, but there is a lot of flash around the wheels.

These are the two additional sprues that allow conversion of the B.III to the B.I special. One contains the components for the converted bomb bay and the grand slam bomb itself. Whilst the other contains the "paddle" type propellers. The plastic used here is slightly lighter and more flexible.

So, naturally, I've made a start on it. I've painted most of the two men, they just need faces(!), the wheels are painted, as are the landing gear bays, the landing gear legs, the turret components, the cockpit components, the spinners for the engines, the propellers, engine air intakes and the interior of the cockpit.

I've also begun the basic assembly with the bomb bay. This uses components from the main kit and the conversion sprue. Luckily, the conversion spue plastic is good and flexible as I had to bend part of the bomb bay in order to make it fit to both ends of the original bomb bay which is in the more rigid plastic.

Paula
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Ratch · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 19:42 pm Post subject:

farmroad38 · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 19:46 pm Post subject:

Certainly no top turret on the box-art, but none of the pieces on the extra sprues look ike a blanking plate?
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Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 19:52 pm Post subject:

Correct boys, there is no top turret, and on the kit, the fuselage has been moulded with no provision for the turret at all, it's totally blanked off, however, there's evidence of flash where the turret would have been on the B.III.

Paula
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Ratch · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 20:21 pm Post subject:

I wonder whether they modified the mould or created a modified copy

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Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 20:26 pm Post subject:

Don't know - and don't know how I'd tell! The parts are there to actually make the upper turret even though there's nowhere to put it and the sprues with the fuselage clearly have a small plate with "Lancaster B.III" marked on it, so it's definitely some kind of conversion of the B.III kit....

Paula
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farmroad38 · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 20:28 pm Post subject:

Ratch · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 21:07 pm Post subject:

kitnut617 · Posted: Mon 08 Oct 2007 21:32 pm Post subject:

I'm going to watch this build with interest, I've got this kit myself. As has been said there's no opening for the dorsal turret.

Out of interest, my Dad served in 617 Sqn. at the time they were using this big bomb, he was the Instrument Fitter on C Flight.

Robert
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Beaufighter · Posted: Tue 09 Oct 2007 16:11 pm Post subject:

I can't believe how young Guy Gibson was. Wasn't he about 24 when he led the Dams raid?

peebeep · Posted: Tue 09 Oct 2007 16:27 pm Post subject:

Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 15 Oct 2007 08:06 am Post subject:

Right, I've just dropped Paula at the airport and she's off to Seoul for a week on business. However, she asked me to post her Lanc pictures on her behalf. Up to now, no major probs though the nose conversion looks like it could be awkward.

A quick run through:

Cockpit:

Inner engine nacelles/main gear assy:

Fuselage assy:

Wing assy:

Outer engine nacelles and props/engine fronts:

I will probably do a bit of sanding and filling in Paula's absence so that the sub-assemblies are ready to go when she gets back.

Dan
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Airbusians. Medium Bombers GB now underway.

Heinkel51 · Posted: Mon 15 Oct 2007 13:23 pm Post subject:

Coming along nicely there, like the crew figures. Wonder what the LMS's are like in Seoul?

Paula & Dan · Posted: Fri 19 Oct 2007 21:52 pm Post subject:

In Paula's absence I've done a tiny bit of sanding on her Lanc and tonight, with her expressed permission, I got the wings in place...

As for Seoul, she told me today that she had a bit of time away from the EADS/Airbus stand today and had a wander through the public area stalls being set up for the public days on Saturday and Sunday and found one that seemed to sell exclusively Airfix kits. She's going back with her purse stuffed with Korean Won tomorrow (well, today now for her, I guess!)
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Richard M · Gold Star Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 3246 Location: Cyprus

How's it going Paula, any progress on the Lancaster?
Best
Rich
_________________
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

Visit my PORTFOLIO

Paula & Dan · Posted: Thu 01 Nov 2007 20:55 pm Post subject:

I know I've been a bit quiet, partly because I was in Seoul, but also having things to do on the house!

So here she is as of this morning:

With the wings and tailplane attached, as well as the inboard engines with the gear bays.

Since then, I've attached the other two engines, filled and sanded the inboard engines to make the joins flush and attached the blanking plate for the forward turret. The fit for this turret is terrible, so a fair amount of filler has also been applied. I've also started building the grand slam bomb.

It's all coming on quite well, and hopefully by the weekend, I may have started the painting.

Paula
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Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 05 Nov 2007 21:40 pm Post subject:

I've made some more progress, but still not got around to painting. All the engines are now sanded:

I've also attached the forward turret blank. That was an awful fit, and has taken quite a lot of filling and sanding:

I've also added some filler to smooth out the join between the fuselage and the bomb bay as there was a step at the front and the back.

Paula
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Airbusians. Medium Bombers GB now underway.

Paula & Dan · Posted: Mon 12 Nov 2007 10:05 am Post subject:

I haven't got any more photos to post at the moment, but I have made a bit more progress.

I've masked most of the glass, but not all of it yet, so that's nearly ready to be added, I've added the tail wheel, which needs some tidying up and I've sanded the filler that I added to smooth the join with the bomb bay join.

I've also now done a first coat of H64, as a primer, but due to the amount of filler that I've used, it's definitely going to need a second coat!

Paula
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