What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

As you know, I have been given the Airfix Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 2009 kit to build as a commission for a work colleague.
The Spitfire and the Hurricane didn't cause me that many problems until I started on the decals.
Where as the Lancaster especially the guns are a nightmare. Keep snapping off every time I move it.
I used the paint provided, but ran into a problem as the same paint pot should have the same colour in it. Even when stirred different shade.
School boy error should have sprayed the Lancaster with high gloss before the decals and matt afterwards. One side looks fine whilst the other, well I'll wait and see in the morning.
I can see why there are loads of aftermarket kits to improve this model.
He now wants to include the pilots, not a problem on the Lancaster, may need a trim for the other two to get them to fit.

[TheChronicOne]

So much sounds so familiar!    The late hour changes, the odd ball paint mishaps...  sounds like me, bro!!   

Them gun barrels.. man, you should just "bite the bullet" (hehe!) and do what I plan to do from now on: either save 'em til dead last, or in the case that they require being affixed earlier or come molded to the pieces already.....  snap them off from the get go, nice and clean (unlike how it often goes when done mistakenly which leads to less than ideal breaks, severances, and bent pieces) and then re-attach at the end.

I can't remember whom or where but I was reading some fellows blog and he was the one that turned me on to the idea. Gun barrels, antennas, masts, etc you name it... if it goes on early or came pre molded, he took it upon himself to cleanly cut that stuff off ahead of time and then glued it on at the end. I haven't done it myself yet but I plan too because I'm simply sick of breaking things.  I don't think but maybe one or two single gun barrels survived on that last Stratofortress kit I built...

[McColm]

Thanks,
I suppose when you are doing a build for someone else you want to get it right. Down to the details and fiddley bits.

[McColm]

I know that the Boeing B-17 was used as a trails aircraft during its flying career in military and civilian life.
Whether or not it was ever converted to three engines with contra-rotating propellers on a pair of floats used in the AEW role is debatable.
The Swedish used them with floats and in a photo I saw on line there was a twin engined B-17. The photo could have been altered.
At least I can use up some of my 2 pack filer.

[McColm]

Thanks,
I suppose when you are doing a build for someone else you want to get it right. Down to the details and fiddley bits.

The Spitfire and the Hurricane look the part where as the Lancaster still looks patchy on the wings. I might try an airbrush or spray cans next time. Caught the bug and want to build all three aircraft using different kits, plus aftermarket kits as well.

[McColm]

I think that I have come up with a solution to build the Lockheed Neptune turboprop version.
I've placed the inner engines from a Hasegawa Lockheed P-3 Orion instead of using the ones provided in the Neptune kit.
Fortunately for me this build has the landing gear in the up position, as I can scribe the landing doors on the underside of the wing.
This is the stretched fuselage AEW &C build that I started a month ago.

[McColm]

That's odd, I tried searching for the Boeing EPB-17E AEW float plane in Alternative History and it came up blank.
On with the build, from 4 engines down to the tri-engined layout. Third engine in the nose, all three have contra-rotating propellers with parts from a Frog Avro Shackleton kit.
Where the outer engines used to be I have utilized the fuel tanks from a Mach2 Valiant. They have been cut down to size to fit and filler/puty applied.

The turboprop Lockheed Neptune AEW has had a pair of tail elevators from the kit glued on, half a wingtip fuel tank from the same Frog Avro Shackleton has been used to cover the gap of the vertical tail fin.
Still working on the BBMF and found another Airfix paint pot with a lighter shade of earth brown. Just waiting for the paint to dry. Ordered Quick Boost replacement gun barrel set for the Lancaster.
I also found the Mach2 WB-57F Canberra that I started. As a recap; cockpit pinched from a B-57G, ECM fairing is from a BAe Nimrod, nose is off a pod from the
EC-135N/E Snoopy and the rear crew compartment fitted above the fuselage is the vacform Varsity luggage store. I have been tidying up and adding filler/puty where its necessary. Still contemplating on adding a second set of engines from a A-10 or S-3A.
I'll check out the aftermarket kits for the Canberra.
I managed to get hold of the paint mask for the Airfix Nimrod. I could use this to add extra windows. I'm going to stick with the USCG colour scheme for the transport/tanker 'Sky Guardian'

[TheChronicOne]

Fascinating.....  a triple engined bird with the crazy noise on the nose sounds utterly cool .....   

[McColm]

Got the idea from the Conroy Tri-Turbo 3
DC-3 conversion..

[McColm]

Carrying on with the theme of tri-engines, I have added an extra engine to the nose of the Lockheed Neptune. They are from the Hasegawa Lockheed P-3 Orion kit.
I originally had used these on the wings of the C-97 Stratofreighter. The two outer engines fitted very well whilst I had problems fitting them into the ceilings of the supercharged engines.
Should make an interesting build when finished.
With all the packing and unpacking, I find myself in unfamiliar territory. With the dozen or so plastic boxes of kits I will attempt to build what's in the box. All of the largest kits are still in their own cardboard boxes which in due course will also be built.

[McColm]

I found some parts from the Revell Blohm & Voss Bv222 A Wiking flying boat. It's missing the glazing.
One of the Whiffers came up some artwork using the wings from a Vulcan on the Wiking. I do have the vacform Vulcan kit in the stash but it's in one of the boxes, so I'm using the wings from the Airfix HS/ BAe Nimrod instead.
On the Wiking nose I have removed the guns and filled in the gaps. I also found some seats from the Revell Rotodyne. I'll need to scratch build some more for the Flying wing passenger airliner. Thinking of using square plastic trunking cut into sections with plastic card for the backrest . I'll probably scratch build the landing gear and interior as the windows are very big.

[McColm]

What's on the bench!

Well it's not a bench but a four tier shelving unit that use to store started builds on.
The top shelf has the C-118, a spares and repair secondhand already built kit that's missing propellers and the rear tail. The previous owner has the gear up and made a stand. Painted in the USAF Military Transport Command colours and decals.
Next to it is my take on the Breguet Br1250 flying boat known as the Mystic.
On the shelf below is the almost completely finished Martin Marina AEW amphibious flying boat with a kitbashed resin Grumman C-2 Greyhound; four turboprop engines with a T:tail.
Below that is the Mach2 SeaMaster with the shoulder mounted Rolls Royce Spey engines, V-tail and tail cone from a EB-66. Next to it is the King Neptune tri-engines AEW.
The base shelf has the shoulder wing  Revell Avro Shackleton Shackletian AEW.. With the PB-1V  float plane Mk2.
An interesting mix of builds, that will keep me busy.

[McColm]

Sometimes it's best sticking to the original plan of having a stretched Airfix 1/72 HS/BAe Nimrod with the rotodome from the Grumman Hawkeye and the resin vertical tail from the Cammett Nimrod AEW 3 conversion set. I had already added the flying boom and 2D jet exhaust pipes from a Harrier. The searchlight was removed and replaced with a drop fuel tank from a Tornado GR1 kit. Cut down to size and glued on.
This build would be presented with the landing gear up on a wooden stand.
The colour scheme is the USCG.

[Captain Canada]

[Captain Canada]