TC`s build thread.

[tc2324]

You know that Manchesters were actually designed to have a belly turret?  They were removed quite early because they were considered ineffective at night.  The weight saved extended payload and range.  The mount was used later in the Lancaster for the H2S radar set.   I'd suggest that a belly turret would be more use than the waist gunners.

For the nose, I'd suggest the B-24 turret by itself.  There isn't room for it and a power-operated chin turret.  If you extended the nose, as on the Australian Lincolns, you could put in cheek gun positions, as well.

IIRC I`m pretty sure that some early Lancs had an underbelly turret as well... I know that the 617 Sqn Lancs on the dams raids had a belly gunner position.

Thanks for the input.

[tc2324]

You know that old saying, `a bad worker always blames his tools`. Well I don`t have many tools so I`ll have to blame myself....

Fitted the fuselage and all the little bits that needed to go in it today and here are the results. Try as I might I just couldn`t get the front end or belly to stay together. The rear end is perfect so I`m wondering if the plastic had a slight bend in it towards the front..?   Anyway, nothing a little bit of filler won`t solve....

[apophenia]

IIRC I`m pretty sure that some early Lancs had an underbelly turret as well...

If it's of interest, all Canadian Lancster Mk.X up to KB855 were fitted for mid-under turrets as well (although only one-in-four Mk.X delivered actually had turrets fitted in Canada). For some reason (maybe wartime censorship?), most photos of KB700 hide the belly turret.
Here are two links to Simon Glancey profiles showing the mid-under turrets fitted

KB700 - mid-under turret with enlarged bomb bay
http://www.wwrgallery.co.uk/proddetails.aspx?prodID=287&mainid=&id=&si=&page=&topID=

R5508 - mid-under turret without enlarged bomb bay
http://www.wwrgallery.co.uk/proddetails.aspx?prodID=281&mainid=&id=&si=&page=&topID=

[tc2324]

IIRC I`m pretty sure that some early Lancs had an underbelly turret as well...

If it's of interest, all Canadian Lancster Mk.X up to KB855 were fitted for mid-under turrets as well (although only one-in-four Mk.X delivered actually had turrets fitted in Canada). For some reason (maybe wartime censorship?), most photos of KB700 hide the belly turret. Attached is a small image of 'The Ruhr Express' where the mid-under just sneaks into the frame.

Here are two links to Simon Glancey profiles showing the mid-under turrets fitted

KB700 - mid-under turret with enlarged bomb bay
http://www.wwrgallery.co.uk/proddetails.aspx?prodID=287&mainid=&id=&si=&page=&topID=

R5508 - mid-under turret without enlarged bomb bay
http://www.wwrgallery.co.uk/proddetails.aspx?prodID=281&mainid=&id=&si=&page=&topID=

Thanks for the info apophenia  Lots to think about with the options now. 

[tc2324]

Getting back to the SHAR for a second, this is how she looks at the moment.





Love the way this blurred picture makes the cockpit area and engine fans look good...  I was trying to show that the intakes fitted perfectly to the fuslage.

[/QUOTE]

[Cobra]

Sweet Job on the Harrier have You Decided on Paint & Decals Yet? just asking. Dan

[GTX]

Lancaster Belly Turret - F.N.64:






Regards,

Greg

[tc2324]

Cobra, going to that Argentine look.....

GTX, many thanks for the pictures. Thats a great help.

So today I hit a snag with the SHAR and it wasn`t the air intake doors...! When it came to fitting the main u/c gear I came across this.....,



As you will notice while one wheel fits ok the other side is missing it`s fitting.   Not sure if this is generic to the mould for this kit or wether I just got unlucky, but I had to cut and shape to fit a bit of the sprue......,



Anyway, the SHAR is now on it`s feet and ready for priming.



More soon.

[Taiidantomcat]

Nice job! 

[tc2324]

Nice job! 

Cheers mate. 

Finally made my mind up on the colour scheme. Was going to include high vis colours so to avoid friendly fire, but then changed my mind. Gave it a slight black wash before I weathered it for that dirty look.

Here are the results, now for the decals...

[tc2324]

Decals applied. Now for the photos and backstory. Even have snow for the exterior shots....

[pyro-manic]

Very nice! I was going to suggest the three-colour rudder stripes like the Skyhawks had, but you've already finished.

[tc2324]

Thought about that idea myself, but wasn`t sure if if would look right so didn`t do it.

[tc2324]

Can put this one to bed now. Have written the back story as if it were written by one of our lovely british newspapers....!  Enjoy.


Can We Have Our Jump Jet Back??

WikiLeaks has been releasing thousands of secret diplomatic cables in recent weeks and today the British Government was further embarrassed by WikiLeak release that a British Harrier jump jet had been captured during the Falklands conflict 28 years ago. The secret comunications between the then British Tory goverment and the new Argentine democratic goverment, along with 3 low quality black and white pictures, come from a secret file that was marked to be kept sealed for at least another 22 years and clearly express that the British would like their Sea Harrier back as a sign of `good will` after a conflict that had all but destroyed diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The report states that on a mission sometime between the 1st and 6th May 1982, a Sea Harrier on a mission to attack a target on East Falkland, took ground fire during and attack run. The pilot soon discovered that due to the damage he would not be able to make it back the British carriers in the task force, so the Royal Naval pilot is reported to have gained altitude with the intention to eject over land. However, on pulling the handle, the ejection seat would not fire. In the subsequent investigation after the war, the Admiralty beleive that ground fire also damaged the ejection seat. With no chance of survival if he tried to ditch the Harrier in the cold seas, the pilot made the decision to land quickly and try to destroy the aircraft once it was on the ground. More bad luck was to follow as his decent and landing was seen by a group of Argentine troops on patrol and the aircraft was quickly surrounded. Shortly after the raid the Royal Navy posted the pilot and aircraft as MIA, although the International Red Cross soon confirmed the pilot as safe.

Within days the Sea Harrier and pilot were quickly recovered to the Argentine mainland and it was only after the repatriation of the british pilot after hostilities had ceased that the British Goverment learnt the truth behind the loss of the aircraft and made the decision to conceal the truth from the public domain for fear of embarrasment. After all, to the outside world the Sea Harrier jump jet had become one of the official hero`s of the whole conflict and Britain wanted that reputation to remain intact. Subsequent investigations by the British secret services discovered that the Sea Harrier had been recovered to the Argentine Airbase at Córdoba which was home to the Argentine Air Force Flight Test Centre. The MI6 report states that the Harrier made a number of conventional flights in mock dogfights with other Argentine Air Force aircraft. No Argentine pilot was allowed to `hover` the british jump jet in case they lost control. Within weeks it had became grounded due to lack of spares and maintanence issues and it was no longer considered an operational aircraft.

In December 1983 the British goverment then made their request for the recovery of the Sea Harrier in secret communications in exchange for humantarian aid. It is understood that the Argentines refused to even accept the existance of the Harrier and declined the British offer by January 1984. It is now that the whole issue was to buried in a top secret file in a vault in Whitehall. That is until today.   

The British Ministry of Defence has refused to confirm or deny the story, however it is understood that an investigation for the `whistleblower` that released the story to WikiLeaks is underway. The Argentine ambassador was today unavailable to comment on the report.

Pictures of the `captured` Jump Jet.

[tc2324]

And a couple of colour pics for those who prefer them.