What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

 I had a thought that they would be transport versions for both but I will have to read the book first to find out.
A B-47 with two pairs of B-52 engines is doable and the wings from the B-36 will fit the B-52.
The only problem is the 1/72 model kits are cheaper than the 1/144 scale models.
I'll have to drill some holes in the ceiling with some 4 x2 inch planks. Mock Tudor ceiling! It's okay the ceiling is concrete.

[PR19_Kit]

Missiles mounted on racks on the fuselage sides???   

I can only think of one RW example that did that, and that was the B-47 that trialled the Bell Rascal missile.

[Steel Penguin]

id not noticed those Kit      and they look like SkyBolts as well so not exactly small either. 

[McColm]

I didn't get much sleep last night,  fatal mistake whiffery in the early hours of the morning.
The Lockheed Neptune MR.Mk1 is no longer a MR.Mk1. I have replaced the searchlight with another one but from a later period, painted the end silver and added one of the fuselage windows fra B-36 on the other wing the fuel tank has been replaced by a ESM pod.
The BAe Magestic MR.3.P flying boat now has the landing gear from a Tu-95 fitted to the outer wing fuel tanks and a cut down landing leg from the Monogram B-36 model at the rear .It works but I'm going to need a longer crew ladder.
As for the BAe Nebulous this has the stand from the Airfix BAC Concorde kit which fits into the open weapons bay.
If that wasn't enough I found the fuselage of an old 1/144 Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, I used my razor saw on the wing from the XB-35 and they fit.I don't know why I cut the ends off and kept the wings but 'save it,  it could come in handy one day ' seems to have paid off. Looks like another raid in the spares boxes for some more parts.
I must have kept the propellers from the Tu-142 kit, but I haven't found all of them yet but the props of the Monogram B-36 fit,I have found six so far.
A search on the web and the parts to finish the restoration builds is doable,  getting the patina on the paint finish is a bit of a challenge as I haven't done this to a model kit.  I did this sort of thing when I was a French Polisher/antique furniture restorer and some broken vases. Taking the eye away from the restored part or parts so it thinks it's always been there. Pigments but not paint.
As I edge closer to the month of May,  I think that a few more builds will be finished.

I have an idea for the Lockheed Neptune MR.Mk1,  to add the engines and landing gear from a Avro Shackleton MR.3. It would fit into the space between the Neptune and Shackleton.

[McColm]

Monday 1st May 2023

The first of three bank holidays over here in the UK. Which has got me thinking about turning the cloakroom into a walk-in wardrobe. I have a double wardrobe in the form of plastic tubes held together with plastic brackets. I can take this apart and add extra height as I can decrease the length. Its the cupboard that would have contained the Gas meter if it was fitted. I will add a battery powered light so I can see, it's very dark and cool in there. Some Day-Glo stickers around the door handle as there's no lock on the door but I could put a mirror on the door.
 The fridge freezer is small, I have started to look around for something taller and slimmer to fit,  when I get this I will move the existing one into my bedroom.
As I'm starting to get a bit stronger a few D.I.Y. projects but nothing stressful maybe a bookcase or two. Light bulbs and lamp shades. Some new flyscreens for the windows the balcony door.
Stark white walls and ceilings are okay but a splash of colour I think will look better.
On the positive side my left leg is healing well that's if I don't pick the scabs off. I can walk without too much pain so I will be going back to the gym.
A few more cheaper Avro Shackleton kits should be sufficient to get a few of the current builds finished..I have my eye on a couple of vacform kits which will benefit from the leftover parts especially the wings.

[McColm]

Tuesday 2nd May 2023

I have bought the book B-47 and B-52 design and evolution so it should be delivered by the weekend.
My insomnia flared up again last night, no whiffery just watching the last episode of the Late Late Show on YouTube and the film The Eagle has landed. An odd combination.
Just waiting for the first instalment of the Cost of Living Payment from the DWP, some people have already had theirs last week
Is this what growing old feels like? Lack of mojo and concentration wandering in different directions. I have my independence but it comes at a price. Two years next Monday, time to buy a cake maybe next year I will be making my own.
It seems as though my GP only wants to see me for a blood test and measure my blood pressure otherwise there's no reason to visit the surgery. I'm sure that if there's an app I wouldn't need to turn up at all.
Rant over,  let's go for a walk.

[McColm]

Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Bought a Hornby model train set and three shortwheeled carriages, okay it's secondhand but it's in my price range. My miniature Hogwarts Express project, there's track,  a controller and a locomotive. I can add points once the baseboard is sorted out. The floor isn't level, getting down isn't a problem,  getting back up again is but a well placed chair is helpful.
More racking to follow and a pair of battery powered lights for the new wardrobe room.
I  also bought a large magnetic fly screen,  I've had success with the double-sided tape but this can be fiddly and doesn't like to be repositioned where with the magnetic edging they look a lot better.
A soft closing toilet seat,  well the current one is broken. It had a crack which just bigger until it broke.
Got a new mop and bucket so it's a busy Friday or the weekend with deliveries.
As for the 1/72 B-58, the cockpit is going to be fitted into the Lockheed RF-12D that will be renamed the RF-12E Lurcher.
Broke out the superglue and razor saw. The Neptune has a deeper weapons bay with the help of the H.P. Halton conversion set.
The Vickers Wellington, erm not too sure if there was ever a T-tail variant built but this has one.  The rather crude Transport resin conversion set bought on eBay; I've not used it but substituted the parts with my own from the spares boxes. This leaves the landing gear and engines plus new decals.  Although the Wellington was part of the early stages of developing the AEW radar. The Skyraider radome is smaller than the Gannet so it makes for a better fit.
Well I will have plenty of reading to do and any excuse to play with my new train set. Painting the wagons from the clockwork set
Need to get some paint next month.

[McColm]

Friday 5th May 2023

Stayed in all day as I was expecting lots of parcels but only four turned up. Put up a new fly/insect screen in my bedroom. Magestic strip with a tongue & groove surround plus cover. First attempt and what an improvement over the double-sided tape. I'm going to go for the larger size for the kitchen window and balcony door next month.
Soft-closing D-shaped toilet seat fitted,  no instructions and unfamiliar parts. Good job as I have small fingers and I'm left-handed as it's a bit fiddly. I thought that I had ordered a new bucket with a mop but the one that was delivered was slightly bigger but no mop.I have a spare that almost fits so I was able to clean all the floors. Feeling very tired.
I will leave the assembly of the racking to do over the weekend.

[McColm]

Saturday 6th May 2023

It has rained for most of the day and I had two deliveries.  Filler/putty and the Hornby Rambler 00 gauge model train set. The train set was secondhand, one of the curves of track was missing,  luckily I had third radius track and set about testing the locomotive which works.
I was a bit disappointed with the flypast over Buckingham Palace, the Red Arrows could have done the three-way split instead of just flying in a straight line well it was supposed to be a low budget event.
I see that there's been a few changes to the uniforms, with the CR replacing ER. Just been watching the highlights on Sky News, YouTube.
I've noticed on eBay that the phrase received by has been changed to expected by hence the delay by Yodel who should have delivered my book by now

[McColm]

Monday 8th May 2023

I'd like to thank the powers that be for making this day a public Bank Holiday as its to celebrate the time that I spent in the Intensive Care Unit at King's College Hospital,  Denmark Hill,  London. Two years ago on this day I was wheeled up from the Accident and Emergency Ward with the words 'we are keeping you in for observation '. At the time I didn't know that they had found four pulmonary embolisms and I was bleeding inside my left thigh.I remember having breakfast and signing a few forms. Then filling out the lunch sheet,  then it went dark. Four days later I woke up with an oxygen mask and loads of sensors all over my body. A nurse asked me "do I know where I am?" Yes came my reply, 'Catherine Brown Ward ICU'. "Do you know what day it is ", 'Yes it's Saturday the 8th of May 2021', "No it's not, it's the following Wednesday,  you've been in an induced coma. When you were woken up you had a 90 second relapse and after that we performed a blood transfusion,  the good news is that you are cancer free. "
So up and down the country,  people that I have never met before will be raising a glass and tucking into a party in the park or street. Asking the question who is this Steven McColm? Dunno but we got a bank holiday , double pay for some. Can't be bad.
 With my new racking I'd thought that I would have a bit more space but its full with my current builds in various stages of construction. One or two possibly three have been updated. PSR and perseverance.

[McColm]

Tuesday 9th May 2023

A delivery of three shortwheeled 00 gauge Hornby GWR arrived this morning,  the plan was to paint them: one red, one blue,  one yellow and the other from the Rambler Set black but the roofs don't seem to come off so I did a bit of searching on the Internet for the equivalent plastic model kit.
Both Ratio and Peco seems to provide such kits at reasonable prices although Hornby are charging nearly £30 for their small 4 wheeled carriages.
I have the blue one and the brown & cream , I have seen the yellow and green ones but the prices are quite high for me,  that's why I thought of painting them. Now that I know where to find them, I shall see if the prices come down.
In the meantime I am slowly getting through my new book on the B-47 & B-52,
There's also a data section before the index and pages of reference for the book, not everything is covered but you can see where the Boeing design team took their inspiration from.
I think slot shelving should solve the problem in my hobby room, I have an idea to use a couple of the shelves to run some lengths of 00 gauge track end-to-end or an L shape connected with a point and a incline to the main layout.
It depends on how wide the shelves are. The current racking just needs a few more modules to form the base of my layout.
I'll need to invest in some weights so I can lift and use the power tools. The slowly slowly approach. I know there's always next year!

I've pulled out my 1/50 Spacemodels desktop resin two seater Eurofighter Typhoon model kit. It's missing some of its pieces and the two conformal fuel tanks are the same. The right-side is a perfect fit and on the left there's some gaps that will require a lot of filler/putty. The engine air intake is another problem area. There's no landing gear and plenty of missiles which are a bit hit and miss in the fitting department. Should keep me busy for a week or two. No wonder this was cheap!
The 1/24 Triumph Broadsword has got a pair of headlights from a Ford Capri Mk1.

[McColm]

Wednesday 10th May 2023

I've been awake since 6:15am this morning, so a bit of PSR on the 1/50 resin two seater Eurofighter Typhoon at this rate all my putty/filler will be used up.
I have tried to find a 1/48 two seater Eurofighter model kit or a cockpit detailing set but so far only the single seater although there are 1/48 weapons sets. I will keep looking on line.
My under-the-stairs lights have arrived just need to get some batteries AAA × 3 per light.
Two more deliveries over the next two weeks the B-58 and the Shinmeiwa PS-1/US-1A. Which only leaves me with the Airfix Life Boat and the 1/24 Jaguar XJ-220.I  might have a go at detailing the engine and leaving the bodyshell off.
There's plenty of builds to be finished before that happens plus I will definitely need to clear the work bench so parts don't go wondering off,and the 'where's that piece got to?'

[McColm]

Thursday 11th May 2023

Been reading a bit more about the design changes in the evolution of the B-47 & B-52. There's plenty of line drawings and it's a bit like spot the difference. I really have to concentrate to find the changes although there is a brief account of why the changes were made,  the author tends to group the main changes together. There's a lot of references to other manufacturers and I suppose during the 1950s-1960s borrowing designs from the rival companies made a lot of sense as they would have ironed out any glitches beforehand.
It's interesting to know that the B-52 was originally going to be powered by turboprops,  something that I'm doing on the 1/72 Convair EB-61 Peacehaven AEW.1.
There's a few references to the Boeing C-97 and I will have another go at turning one into a bomber. The engines from the North American B-45 fits the wings of the B-29 so a jet powered variant is another option.
So too is a C-97 with the wings and tail from the B-52. The wings are shoulder mounted.  I have tried many times,  many many times to achieve this. Maybe it will work in 1/144 scale, otherwise I'm going to end up with with more aircraft hanging from the ceiling.

[McColm]

Friday 12th May 2023
 
The have you ever just bought a kit just for spare parts is true with the 1/72 Italeri Convair B-58 Hustler as most of the pieces are now on the 1/72 Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird/RF-12D.
With the leftover parts I will need to buy another B-58 kit as I can create the  Convair MX1964.  Instead of having the standard four engines,  I'm thinking six, two sets of paired engines and two singles or using them all up then having two singles above the wings as well as below.
Been watching videos of how to construct some of the Superquick cardboard buildings, they are very fiddly especially the Station Terminus, the Metcalf buildings seem to be better but can be more expensive.

[McColm]

Sunday 14th May 2023

It's 18°C and sunny peaking at 20°C becoming cloudy. I've been working on my Bristol Olympus SR.1, the crew compartments have been added from the 1/72 Italeri Convair B-58 Hustler onto the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird fuselage. Compartments 2 and 3 contain the nose weights. They will be shown closed although there's some detail on the parts. However I can't see anything through the glazing. An ECM pod has been glued on the vertical tail fin, I might put the pitot probe up there as well as it is bound to get snapped off
One side of the Blackbird had no problems cutting out the hole for the new cockpit but the other side almost fractured. I have kept these parts and will reglue them tomorrow.
The Avro Golden Arrow F.2 continues to have pieces from my spare parts boxes added to it. Photos will be posted tomorrow.
PSR on Big Bertha until my fingers started to ache, the giant glder with four radial engines and a pair of Rolls-Royce Nenes. My build is a car-ferry flying boat.
I've also taken to watching videos on 00 gauge cardboard building kits for Railway layouts, the trials and tribulations of Superquick versus Metcalfe.
Superquick cheap and very fiddly.  Metcalfe expensive but easier to construct. I'm thinking a kitbash using both on my layout. I already have the Hornby  signal box, water tower,  station halt and booking office but they are all different so I'm thinking of using some stone pattern sheets to cover them with a detailing set. Clocks and lamps can be bought separately.
Using shelving as part of the layout seems a standard idea.