What's on the workbench!

[PR19_Kit]

Sort of Whatif the British had a go to rectify the faults.

The only faults the Seamaster had were political ones, by the time Martin were building the production versions it was working very well indeed. But the USN, or the DoD, lost confidence in the idea of the seaplane striking force and cancelled it.

Personally I see the hand of the USAF here, , maybe LeMay himself, they REALLY didn't want any competition to the SAC in the nuclear strike role.

[jcf]

The Seamaster was an incomplete weapons system, the aircraft was there but they never completed
developing the support half of the equation, and to make it a truly mobile system not tied to land bases
was going to require a very substantial investment in specialized support vessels. This meant that the budget for
other 'bottoms' would most likely be reduced, as the money would probably have to come from the other folks
building budgets, which would have meant a major funding fight with the regular surface folks, the
regular aviation carrier folks and Rickover and his sub boys. Which makes it most likely that a budget
request just for Seamaster support vessels would have died in committee.


As it turned out, Rickover's nuke subs proved to be the most effective solution for USN strategic nuke delivery. 

[NARSES2]

Yup whilst the idea of a Seaplane strike force has an almost romatic feel to it and is obviously right up Wif street for the likes of us as a practical idea it was way past it's time.

I once saw a BBC documentary on the great era of passenger flying boats and they finished with the Princess and a retired RAF senior officer waxing on about how if we had continued the development then by now, the 80's, we would have 1,000 seater flying boats which needed no runways, there was a previous UK airport expansion row going on  , and would thus be much more politicaly/ecologicaly acceptable. His point was that no major city was more then 50 miles from a large body of water. Now whilst I'm not sure about his facts he didn't mention that some of that water might be a tad difficult to use in winter 

As I said ; romantic but practical ?

[PR19_Kit]

His point was that no major city was more then 50 miles from a large body of water. Now whilst I'm not sure about his facts he didn't mention that some of that water might be a tad difficult to use in winter 

True in the UK, but not elsewhere in the world for sure.

And like I said above, the Seamaster as an aircraft was working well at the time of its cancellation.........

[NARSES2]

His point was that no major city was more then 50 miles from a large body of water. Now whilst I'm not sure about his facts he didn't mention that some of that water might be a tad difficult to use in winter 

True in the UK, but not elsewhere in the world for sure.

And like I said above, the Seamaster as an aircraft was working well at the time of its cancellation.........

I agree re the Seamaster kit and as for the suitabilty of open water as commercial runways ? Most places in the world would have problems at some time of year. Above 45 degrees North and South winter colud be a problem, in the tropics then tropical storms would be. I know they effect airpors as well but no where near as much

[McColm]

Thanks Guys,
Not too sure if a Water Bomber  conversion would have  been a better solution rather than the scrapman.
I've looked at the BAe Nimrod AEW resin conversion set and the front nose section could fit but the rear resin part is circular and the fuselage is rectangle.

Getting back to the builds.
The  Victor 3 AEW has had the air intakes painted gloss white in readiness for assembly. The new canpoy painted internally.

Sea Moose amphibious AEW painted gloss white.

Wyton camera packs fitted into the two weapons bays.Filler/putty cleaned up. Bought the Air-Craft-Models Washington's of the Royal Air Force decal kit and etching set.
Thinking white gloss upper fuselage, artic red wingtips and tail surfaces, gloss black undersides.

[McColm]

The new fighter styled cockpit canopy is glued in place but will need filler/putty to blend in with the fuselage and new nose section.
Wings have been glued on to the fuselage. One side is better than the other may need FOD  door-panels or fine mesh to hide the imperfections.
Started on the undercarriage,  carpet monster has eaten the front wheel guard.
Will leave overnight to dry.

Reinstated the bomb bay doors on the Airfix 1/72 B-29 Wyton AEW.

[McColm]

In the kit there is instructions to build the C-87/Consolidated C-IX Liberator (RY-3) of No.168 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force Rockcliffe Ontario Canada 1947.
  So I decided to build the Liberator freight version /Express  (twin tail fins).
There were plans to build a twin engine version of the Liberator and the Privateer but didn't get past the drawingboard. Even a seaplane version both in civilian and military options.
  Thinking of a twin engine Liberator Freighter /Airliner.
Still got the Airfix B-24 in the stash although the single tail fin and teardrop side blisters look good on the Shackleton Mk3. (Heavy bomber idea with Napier  engines ).

Used Vallejo acrylic paints on the EB-29 AEW Wyton but painted the fuselage and wings matt black. Looks sneaky.
The same artistic licence has been applied to the Sea Moose. The spoof with the roof.The white gloss looks too clinical, needs a grey to tone it down.

[McColm]

My Anigrand 1/72 Martin XP6M-1/P6M-2 Sea Master arrived today.
Prototype or production,  I'll read up on the reviews so I know which canopy to use on the Mach2 kit.

[PR19_Kit]

The XP6M-1 was quite a bit different to the production P6M-2s, it's difficult to see how Anigrand can make one kit for both types.

The canopy on the prototypes were like an airliner cockpit, with V shaped windscreen, 8 windows and a metal roof, whereas production Seamasters had an all-over plexiglass canopy with only 4 windows and a massive curved roof/window. AFAIK the Anigrand canopy is the latter type as I bought a couple of them for my Mach 2 kit.

[McColm]

Thanks Kit.
The twin engines B-24/Privateer works. Been reading  Robert E.Bradley "Convair Advanced Designs - San Diego 1923-1962".
Consolidated proposed the LB-29, a B-24 airframe with  a twin-engine  configuration using larger engines. Similar proposals for the PB4Y and B-32 were thwarted by the demand for the big engines by other programs.
The  LB-24 twin engine bomber did appear in a brochure dated 8 February  1939 and revised in June 1939.
The LB-24 lost out to the B-26 and B-25 medium bomber.
There were no twin engined B-24 or twin engined Privateers built in the prototype stage or production models.
Although I have seen a photo on Google of a twin engined B-17. Not too sure if this was a prototype or something built from spare parts.

There's also a chapter on High Performance Flying Boats  (1951). These designs could be added to the Sea Master.One looks similar to the Be10.

[McColm]

Sunday evening was special as I managed to get a ticket to see Hogwarts in the snow.  Tickets for this have been snapped up but if you don't mind the odd hours, there's a few left.
The Great Hall was seasonally decorated with 12 Christmas trees and a flying witch at the top. The backlot had fake snow,  well bubbles. The chessboard  isn't there anymore. The platform was packed and is now a throughafair to get to the cafe and butter beer kiosk.  Flourish & Blotts stall is no longer. Gone to is the tombstone of Tom Riddle.
The artwork and cardboard models of the sets are opened up.
The castle is dressed in snow.
The lighting for  Diagon Alley was a lot darker than usual. More props from Borgin and Burkes on show, possible Knockturn Alley exhibit in the future!
Well it would explain the price hike.
Next door scenery from the new film and huge green screens.
Butter beer was smooth didn't have the ice cream. Pictures on Facebook page, search under Steven James McColm.

Monday,
Slept in and used the two pack Millputt filler on the Victor Mk3 AEW, EB-29 Wyton and LB-87 twin engines airliner/transporter.

Need to get some more paint and wet n dry paper.
Also to sort out canopies and propellers.

[McColm]

With 8 builds on the go breakage were bound to happen.
The Avro Carlton lost it's spin top support but now had the Mk3 canopy fitted and propellers from a Grumman E-2A. Just need to replace the tail skid. A raid in the spares box has come up with a Fujimir replacement parts.
The canopy has also been fitted to the Airfix Bristol type 170 Biffo Rotodyne.Canopy painted black.
Lockheed Proteus  has got the Avro Shackleton Mk2 main white meteal landing gear and resin tyres. I have put an order for  Freightdog for the extended nose wheel which should fit nicely at the back.
Filler sanded down on the Victor 3 AEW and Boeing EB-29 AEW Wyton.
Tripple tail section damaged on the Sea Moose.
LB-87 Privateer Express has had it's single tail vertical fin reglued. Outer engine ports filed down ready for putty/filler. Nose wheel snapped off. Might test rear landing tail wheel instead. Waiting for ClearFix to arrive.
Should have added the windows to the twin Bristol Freighter before gluing the two F uselages together. Airfix Rotodyne stack glued in place to cover the join.  Filler/putty used to fill in gaps.

[McColm]

As regular readers of this blog are aware there's one build almost completed and the other (the flying cross) which uses two fuselages glued together just past the wing section. I've  managed to create 18 Windows down the new fuselage sides.
Both builds use the stack from the Rotodyne kit and both have stub wings.That's where the similarities end.
The Biffo Rotodyne has the dustbin AEW whilst the Flying Cross is a pure cargo/transporter- roll on roll off.
The Biffo has parts off the MH-53 Sea Dragron including the tyres and landing gear. Tail clearance gained by cutting tail fins. Just need to add the decals and rescue hoist.Also used the rotors from the MH-53, with jet pod tips.

[McColm]

Bought six under-the-bed storage boxes for the present stash just need to label them for contents purposes.
I came across the 1/72 Hasegawa Martin SP-5B Marlin which was a surprise. I knew that I had purchased the 1/72 Shin Meiwa PS-1/SS-2 as I had plans for a Nimrod winged version or a Gunship variant.
The Shin Meiwa wasn't all there which gave me idea to use the T-tail and the landing gear.
As the fuselage is roughly the same size as the Marlin these parts should fit in theory.
A turboprop twin version would make sense as I can't find the Shin Meiwa wing however I have found the torpedo pods.
I can remember seeing a three engined Marlin look-a-like in one of my Convair books. Known as the P6Y, but that used a Wright R-3350-32W and two J85 jets that provided full Boundary Layer Control flow over the entire wingspan.