What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

Friday 3rd July 2020

In the stash I have a 1/72 X/YB-35 flying wing and those of you that have built this kit will knock from experience that there's a problem with the joining of the wings. One wing fits perfectly whilst the other sags which got me thinking about using the wings from the 1/72 Monogram B-36 Peacemaker.  The original wing will be cut to accommodate the new wing and will act as a strengthener to the join.
I know that the X/YB-35 fits over the B-36 fuselage as I have tried this before but I have never used the YB-49 kit for the same purpose.
I need to finish off most of my started builds or recycle them,  then have a massive tidy up when I get some time off.

[McColm]

Saturday 4th July 2020
I've just seen this month's rosta and I will be very busy,  so there will be little time for any whiffery.  It also looks as though I will be covering holidays all the way through August as well but I have given my holiday application form to my supervisor requesting the first two weeks of September.

[McColm]

Tuesday 7th July 2020

And now for something completely different 
Yes I have taken inspiration from the 1/72 Mach2 RB-57E and added the resin nose from the DB Productions Canberra TMK.17 ECM trainer. I have glued this upside down as it's a better fit. The cockpit interior is a bit wonky but everything else fits quite well. I haven't decided on the engines yet as I used the main ones on the turbofaned Lockheed Constellation. I found the cockpit canopy glazing from an old RB-57E Airfix model which doesn't fit at the moment.

[TheChronicOne]

Saturday 4th July 2020
I've just seen this month's rosta and I will be very busy,  so there will be little time for any whiffery.  It also looks as though I will be covering holidays all the way through August as well but I have given my holiday application form to my supervisor requesting the first two weeks of September.

Same!!!!! There seems to be no end to it! Hopefully you get those two weeks.....  Sept. isn't TOO far away..... in some regards anyway.

[McColm]

Thanks, 
Meanwhile my mind has wandered into the possibility of a kitbash between the Mach2 VC10 and the AMT/ERTL X/YB-35 flying wing. The two combined,  dry tested look awesome. Just need to add the main landing gear to the X/YB-35 to get the ground clearance and source the engines.
Unfortunately the B-36 wings don't complement the Blohm and Voss
BV-222 . I'll use the B-52 wings.

[McColm]

Friday 17th July 2020

The 1/72 Airfix Avro Shackleton AEW. 2 hasn't revealed any problems yet, the two fuselage halves fit snugly and yes you still can't see any interior details apart from the cockpit area. I dry fitted the AEW work stations inside the Mach2 Avro York and I can't see any of the details either through the windows. I might go for the option of making them rectangular on the starboard side 
I came across a set of mini-guns for the AC-47 and thought of putting them in the weapons bay.

[McColm]

Saturday 25th July 2020

Due to an ongoing investigation at work I find myself on a  one day week which means that I shall have a few weeks leave.
The Avro Shackleton R-4360 with Wasp Major engines and DC-6B propellers fitted to the wings from a Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser compliment each other. So does the new vertical tail fin,  crude but it works.  I'm still concerned about the nose bulge and whether or not to add guns.
This build could be considered as the export version of the Avro Shackleton MR. 2, emphasizing on the alternative to the Lockheed Neptune.

Another future build could be centered on using the 1/144 wings from a damaged Boeing 747 and the remaining parts of the 1/72 Boeing B-377 sort of Model 367-81 alternative jet variant. Although I do have an already started build of a Boeing C-97 with the wings from a Lockheed Constellation. Donor parts will be sourced  to finish it.

The  ideas still kept coming,  daft as they might seem a swing-wing B-52 

[Tophe]

I'm still concerned about the nose bulge and whether or not to add guns.

I personally prefer "no gun", but feel free to decide yes or no.

[McColm]

Monday 27th July 2020

It seems like a lifetime ago that a fellow whiffer asked me to build a 1/72 Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter based around the 'Air Staff wish list of 1945'.
Freightdog does the 1/144 conversion set which has 3 separate antenna,  although a fourth set could be fitted in the tail making it into the original fore-and-aft scanner system FASS.
However mine is completely different as I am using the 1/72 Academy Boeing C-97 kitbashed with parts from a 1/72 Heller Lockheed L-749 Constellation and the RVHP Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star early version.
The Stratofreighter has the twin tail fins and wings from the Heller kit,  the engines are the resin improvement set and the rotodome is from a 1/72 Grumman E-2 Hawkeye fitted on top of the vertical tail fin (recycled from the Lockheed Starburst AEW.1 tanker- it's a kitbashed 1/72 Lockheed Constellation Super-G. 'Four for turning and four for burning ', originally with the Irish International Airlines decals.  The upper tail fins are mounted above the jet turbofans from a Monogram B-36 Peacemaker on the wingtips,  the lower tail fins are still in place but the middle fin is missing,  four resin Rolls-Royce Merlin 85s didn't give it enough power hence the turbofans. There's a pair of resin hose and drogue inflight refuelling pods under the wings and a FLIR pod under the nose. The AN/APS.20 radar is carried underneath the fuselage-this is from a Airfix Avro Shackleton AEW. 2. I will replace the plastic landing gear with the white metal set and repaint it at some point.
The landing gear from the Academy set has been bodged to the Heller wings,  just have to see if the original propellers fit,  a ladder could be fitted to prevent it being a tail sitter.

[McColm]

Tuesday 28th July 2020

I've started to build the new Revell Avro Shackleton MR.3 and so far the pieces seem to fit,  although there's some flash and a little sanding to be done.  Just like the Airfix kits, there's a bit of interior detailing that can't be seen through the windows which I left unpainted. I have glued the bomb bay doors shut,  added the wings,  tail fins,  glued the two fuselage halves together and flattened the nose.
The kit provides the outer engines with or without the viper jets which are in the closed position. They look as though they are the correct shape. I haven't added the guns to my build,  but added the ariels under the wings.  These have snapped off leaving the stumps. So far this has been an out of the box build.  I'll wait until I have added the landing gear to judge the ground clearance.

[McColm]

Sunday 16th August 2020

I have been watching the Stockport plane crash on YouTube,  it's very informative especially in the investigation part which has given me an idea on what to do with my 1/72 Revell DC-4. Originally I was thinking about the Northern Star fitted with the engines from the David J.Parkins Avro Lincoln conversion set but what if four Rolls-Royce Griffons would this be the Southern Star. There would be a lot of soundproofing needed for passenger comfort.
Monday sees the start of 'Project tidy up ', my yearly tidying up of my room. Once again I will find things that I thought I had thrown away or wondered why did I keep that.
A little D.I.Y. is needed.

[Tophe]

the viper jets which are in the closed position. They look as though they are the correct shape.

This word "correct" seems surprising for us what-if modellers, as we prefer dream (and "mistake") than RW...

[McColm]

Thursday 27th August 2020

I'm out of glue, unless I find some in the stash. Life can be cruel when you run out of money and there's a bank holiday,. Payday will be on Tuesday 1st September.
On the bright side I have found a bit of putty/filler along with a few surprises, all in 1/72 scale.
Along the same lines as the Avro Yorktown tilt-engine Heliplane,  a Fairey Rotodyne which has the rotor stack and side sponsors from a EH-101 Merlin helicopter,  the tail is from a Grumman E-2 Hawkeye with the lower tail fins. Where  I have removed the wings from the fuselage they are covered by two halves of a Avro Shackleton MR.3 wingtip fuel tanks. It's uncanny but it looks right.
Back to the Convair Peacehaven (1/72 Monogram B-36 Peacemaker). I glued the Roden An-12 Cub cockpit front end to the Peacehaven which slots over the front radome. This was removed. I shall sand down the join. Both upper wings have been glued on. It's not brilliant but it will do and they are lined up. This has only one large bomb bay,  although the rear looks as though it could have been continued for a second bay, if cut out. Details at the front could have been a camera platform.
Although I won't be installing a rear loading bay,  I think that I can get this to look as though it has.

[McColm]

I'm not too sure if this build can be considered for the 'Prototypes Build ' as the front end was already built.
All the main parts from the 1/72 Monogram KIT 5703 B-36H/RB-36H Peacemaker are fitting rather well apart from my attempt to shorten the wings to four engines. With a lot of PSR the joints will disappear.
A dry test of the lower wings stuck on with masking tape and the tail flaps added.
The Peacehaven has flown around my room on it's four Pratt and Whitney R-4360 radial engines,  it was a bit chilly for the pilots as I haven't installed the cockpit glazing. I used my duvet to cushion the landing as the legs haven't been glued in place yet. They fell off after take off.
Even with four engines the Peacehaven looks enormous against the C-97.
I'm still deciding on which variant to do I will probably wait until I have fitted the landing gear.

[McColm]

Friday 28th August 2020

When I try and use my mobile phone to call someone it says 'transfer ' on the screen. I have press the 'bank to original settings ' but to no avail.  Well it was a cheap phone,  no frills,  pay as you go.  So it's off to Argos or Tesco on Tuesday to get a decent one around the £100 price tag.
The Peacehaven now has a troop carrier pod/gondola in the space of the bomb bay,  it's the fuselage of the 1/72 Canadair Twin Otter. The wings are blanked over by the two bumps usually fitted to the rear of the RB-36H, whilst the third  plugs the gap and holds the new pod/gondola  in place. This is a first for me as everything is in a straight line down the middle.
The nose wheel which hasn't broken off yet  The bump fitted to the RB-36H is now glued  under the new nose. The search radar has been relocated and fitted in the glass nose which will be painted,  so it looks solid. More lumps and bumps will be added from a 1/72 copy  AMT/ERTL  Boeing EC-135N  kit .
The two underwing jet pods have been glued in place as per instructions, " four for turning and four for burning ".I just need to find the suitable ECM bumps to replace the rear guns.
I'm going leave the main landing gear to last, as well as the propellers which have a habit of breaking off.  Maybe I can use the spare set from the 1/72 Revell Airbus A400M  or contra-rotating propellers. Not too sure if anyone makes a resin or metal set
I'll start the PSR when I get back from visiting my mum and little sister down in Falmouth Cornwall,  nearest  railway station is Penmere. It's a 8 minute walk so Google Maps says , that's next week.  I'm travelling down by train,  I know,  I haven't been on the new trains yet,  so this will be an interesting experience. I'm also using an e-ticket for the first time as well.  The GWR website crashed during my booking so I used Trainline instead. It's about £7 extra but they don't reserve a seat in Standard Class. I'm changing at Truro onto the local line which terminates at Falmouth Dockyard.
My mum has already sent me her list of jobs to do during my stay. My little sister Jill Wright runs several Wellbeing courses from her home. You might have seen her on Facebook or you can just Google  Wellbeing . Her son Tom took part in Junior Bake Off and got into the last four.  He hasn't been introduced to model kits yet...the model shop in Falmouth closed down but I think there's one in Truro.
Whilst I am down there I shall check out the Rugby Club  car boot sale  and see if I can pick up a bargain.