What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

I couldn't sleep last night,so I picked up the 1/72 Revell 04395 Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress.
With the radome removed from the Hasegawa Lockheed Neptune kit and a sharp knife, this is now glued in the bomb bay. There's no interior detailing as I managed to get glue on most of the glazed parts.
I'm using  the book "Beyond the Horizon" by Ian Shaw as a reference to the Boeing PB-1W. Although the Royal Air Force did use the B-17 for experimental work during World War II, not too sure if it was for AEW but that would fit in with my other builds.
All the reference material points to a clear glazed nose with or without under wing fuel tanks. I think a bit more research is needed.

[Captain Canada]

Two aircraft I've never seen before !

[McColm]

I couldn't sleep last night,so I picked up the 1/72 Revell 04395 Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress.
With the radome removed from the Hasegawa Lockheed Neptune kit and a sharp knife, this is now glued in the bomb bay. There's no interior detailing as I managed to get glue on most of the glazed parts.
I'm using  the book "Beyond the Horizon" by Ian Shaw as a reference to the Boeing PB-1W. Although the Royal Air Force did use the B-17 for experimental work during World War II, not too sure if it was for AEW but that would fit in with my other builds.
All the reference material points to a clear glazed nose with or without under wing fuel tanks. I think a bit more research is needed.

Part 2
The wings and tail, engines and landing gear have been fitted. This means the next stage will be PSR and painting. I've got the Revell SM  350 but I might paint the under wing and fuselage matt black with  brown/grey and green upper surfaces.

[McColm]

Parts from the Avro Sentinel AEW based on the 1/72 Anigrand Martin SeaMaster with the Airfix Avro Vulcan wings, V tail and resin radomes from the Mastercaster Nimrod AEW, will be used on several newish builds.
Probably a bit too ambitious with the build.
The wings will go on the Blohm & Voss BV222 Viking.
The resin radomes are going on the Revell Dassault Breguet Br1150 Atlantic, I'll change the engines with a pair from the Revell Airbus A400M.
I thought of using a pair of engine pods from the B-52D on the Grizzly with the resin rotodome.
The second Atlantic will be a four engined version.
As for the PB-52, this will get the fuselage of the SeaMaster. Engines above the fuselage.
Subjected to parts available

[TheChronicOne]

Sounds glorious! Wild stuff!     

[McColm]

There's a few surprises with the current builds.
I can change the tail of the SeaMistriss to a V-tail. I'll see if the German Navy Anniversary Breguet Br1150 Atlantic decals fit. Got a rattle can of black high gloss paint that I could use. She looks sleek with the Roll-Royce Spey engines shoulder mounted.

[McColm]

Sometimes you get a second chance to create something special.
Having watched the promotion film of the airliner version of the YB-49 Flying Wing, this has to be whiffed with a different engine layout.
There's a lot of info on YouTube and Google.
The kit is the 1/72 AMT X/YB-35, there's a few faults with the kit, but this can be overcome.
The flight engineers station will probably be moved to a new position under the cockpit. This gives a better seating plan either side. Allowing for the landing gear wheelwells.
Engines could be straight from the box or from an old Frog B-47. I was thinking of fitting them at the rear instead of underneath the fuselage an alternative to the YB-49. I'll see what fits when the kit arrives.
Convair had a similar design with a pair of massive floats and an extended tail cone.

[McColm]

Been working on the Martin SeaMistriss, fitted the V-tail  and the resin solid tail from the Airways Douglas EB-66C Destroyer conversion set minus the fin.

The Breguet Br1250 flying boat "Mystic" now has the nose and rear tail cones from the Cammett BAe Nimrod AEW conversion set. Along with the tail fin from the Matchbox HP Victor. This combination seems to suit the Valiant wing and I can use the Mastercaster parts for a future build based on the Dassault Breguet Br1150 Atlantic.

[McColm]

I used Microscale Kristal Klear for the first time on the windows of the Martin Marina.
Some have turned out really well whilst others are still milky white.
The Martin SeaMistriss has some PSR work done on it and so has the Breguet Br1250 jet flying boat Mystic.
On days for the next two weeks, so I hope I can add some decals or touch up the current builds.

[McColm]

A large box sent by Bungle greeted me last night.
As discussed the Northrop X/YB-35 Flying Wing.
Rockwell B-1B, lots of scope for whiffing. Yes you could spend a small fortune on the Barracuda Studios resin correction sets try ModelHobbies for the 1/72 kits.
A fellow Whiffer suggested I fit the wings from the Boeing C-135, as I have the wings from the Heller Boeing E-3A I have dry fitted them which works and gives the Lancer a longer wing. Even tried the Airfix Vulcan wings-not too sure about that!
As for the engines well as with the Avro Condor they do look good above the wings. Jet pipes might need changing.
The forward weapons bay has had the ceiling removed, giving a much deeper bomb bay. I'll probably open up the rear bomb bay as well.
Maritime attack or medivac.

[McColm]

I just got a copy of the book " Beyond the Spitfire, the unseen designs of RJ Mitchell by Ralph Pegram.
Been thumbing through the line drawings and concept artwork. This is mostly concentrating on the flying boats but does include the Spitfire and bomber proposals.
I maybe able to base some the designs around Emily and Kate - Japanese flying boats.
The Type 317 B.12/36 heavy bomber reminds me of a cross between the Vickers Wellington and the Avro Lancaster. The wings look as though they came off the Stirling.

[McColm]

Weekend works 1-2 April

Touched up the Martin Marina, ran out of black matt paint so work continues with the Boeing B-17 E  AEW. Which has now got a pair of floats from a vacform AirFrame Blohm und Voss HA 139.
Inbetween drying I've been working on the Mach2 Caravelle. I did dry test the interior from the Airfix Avro Shackleton but I would have to remove quite a lot of seats or make a new floor. I opted to stay with the kit but not add the seat backs. As usual there are issues when gluing the two fuselage halves together. I also opted to include the rear stair entrance. There's gaps in the cockpit but the upper fuselage does line up. The underside is a very different matter, a gap running the length of the fuselage.
This will be masked by  lumps and bumps  from the military Erieye AEW testbed. The engines will also be changed from two to four.
Sunday
I used the engines from a Hasegawa 1/72 Lockheed Orion P-3 and fitted them on to the C-97 which has been kitbashed from a B-29 with a vacform upper deck. The rotodome comes from a Heller Boeing E-3A and the sonobouy multi-launcher is from a Revell Dassault Breguet Br1150 Atlantic. There's a remote controlled gun turret fitted just behind the nose wheel well. The searchlight is off the Hasegawa Lockheed Neptune kit. The front windscreen has been filled in but needs sanding down. I have found a clear windscreen and might use that instead as I'll be able to add weight in the nose.

[McColm]

Got my first commissioned model aircraft build today.
The instructions are to build the kit straight from the box, this being the Airfix A50116 1/72 BBMF Collection: Hawker Hurricane MkIIc, Supermarine Spitfire MkIIa and Avro Lancaster B MkI with a display stand.
Landing gear down, bomb bay doors open.
On the way home I picked up a copy of Scale Aircraft Modelling. There's an interesting article on the long nose Lincoln using the Blackbird Models conversion set and the Red Roo enhancement set.
Blackbird Models also do the Avro Manchester conversion set.

[TheChronicOne]

Man that's cool!  You might feel like a fish out of water a tad bit just doing the kits OOB but that sounds like a righteous project!

[McColm]

I'm on the move again, my landlord wants to sell the house. Got two weeks to find another place. Found a few places on line near Abbey Wood, they are closer to work.
I might hire 'a man with a van' to move my stuff.
So I'll be a bit quiet over the next few weeks.