What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

Monday 11th June 2018

Got back to London Victoria coach Station at 6:25am this morning, as I took the overnight coach service with National Express. It's a non-stop service with no breaks only transfers or people getting off at the allocated stops.
Waiting for me on the kitchen table was a pile of parcels.
The Airmodel 1/72 Kit 31 Martin P6M-2 SeaMaster looks as though some of the smaller parts are missing. A raid in my spares boxes should provide the parts. My first thought was to kitbash this with the Revell HP Victor but on second thoughts the Airfix BAe Nimrod is a better fit. I intend to extend the cockpit using as much as the clear canopy as possible. Keeping the T-tail. Possible dummy floor with some seating and windows.
1/72 Hasegawa Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune. First thought change the engines to Tynes with twin tail fins and Avro Shackleton T4 paint scheme.
1/72 Academy KC-97G, the Hawkeye spin top was a request from a fellow Whiffer and now I have the parts it should make an interesting build.
1/72 Revell F-4K Phantom II. Straight from the box.
1/43 Heller Humbrol Jaguar XJS. Add it to the RangeRover and Rover SD1.
Got to collect two parcels from the Post Office.
Almost forgot the 1/72 Veb Plasticart Be-6 flying boat.  I'll change the engines and add an MAD boom.

[McColm]

Tuesday 12th June 2018

Been working on the Veb Plasticart 1/72 Be-6. It's a straight forward build but I don't like the engines so I've turbo charged them. With a few tweaks it could pass for the Be-12 Mail.
Well the Starliner hasn't been successful. I think that I will stick with the plastic kits, perhaps the Airfix B-29 might be a better option.
Got next week off. Time to finish some of my started builds.

[McColm]

Thursday 14th June 2018

The Veb Plasticart Be-6 has undergone major changes. The MAD boom from the Airfix BAe Nimrod had been fitted over the rear gun turret. The radome from the Mach2 Super Frelon has been glued to the nose of the fuselage. The engines have increased from 2 to 4 by using parts from the Novo/Frog Avro Shackleton MR.3. So I can't really call it the Be-6 Madge anymore.
I was thinking along the lines of the Saro Griffon.
The Griffon would have been in competition with the Avro Shackleton as a replacement for the Shorts Sunderland in the anti-submarine, anti-ship, SAR and troop transport roles.
Eventually the Rolls-Royce Griffons would have been replaced with turboprops or turbofan engines with openings in the commercial side resulting in an aerial water bomber. Both flying boat and amphibious options being available.
The Saro Griffon would end up with the role of protecting the Exclusive Economic Zones or Tapestry Missions.

[McColm]

Friday 15th June 2018

I had a great idea of whiffing a swing-wing flying boat using the 1/72 Monogram Rockwell B-1B Lancer and the Airmodel vacform Martin SeaMaster fuselage and tail. The engines would be relocated above the wing vane. I might be able to use the existing landing gear.
I did do a Google search but couldn't find any examples of VG flying boats.
I removed the forward bomb bay for another build ages ago but I could use the the bay doors on this build, similar weapons bay to the F-35. Which would reinforce the fuselage.
The SeaMaster will lose it's roof and vertical tail fin but will get the tail fin back , the rear seats in the Lancer will get two large side windows plus additional windows along the fuselage. The canards will be kept. I haven't worked out a paint scheme yet.

[TheChronicOne]

HMMM.....  now that sounds fascinating! Swing wing flying boat..... .     ..  great idea!! I hope it works in practice as well as it sounds in theory. 

[McColm]

Sunday 17th June 2018

Just dry testing the radome from the 1/72 Douglas Skyraider AEW with the CMR resin conversion Avro York. This seems a better fit than the radome from the Revell Avro Shackleton AEW.
As to the Monogram 1/72 Rockwell B-1B, a forward swept wing and keeping the midships position. I'm not too sure whether the Northrop Switchblade got past the drawing board or a full sized aircraft was ever built, but a jet powered flying boat version. Might be a bit over complicated to build.
First I must finish off some of my started builds, now that I can paint outside.

[McColm]

Tuesday 19th June 2018

I started the 1/72  S & M models
SSM72-015 which is the Williams Brothers Model Products Curtiss C-46 Commando reboxed with S & M Models decals;
C-46D 44-77951 1st USAF Tachikawa AB 1966
C-46D 51-1120 ex 44-78393 402 TAS JASDF Shimofusa AB 1965
S &M Models do the EC-46 as flown by the JASDF as a separate kit but I can't find any info on the subject.
However I have run into problems and tried to follow the one page of instructions.
I've gone for the twin fin tail arrangement. The left-hand side wing assembly fits perfectly whilst the right wing doesn't join as well to the fuselage. I've used the engines and undercarriage from the Revell/Novo/Frog Avro Shackleton MR.3, the main landing gear tyres are also from the same kit. The tail wheel is from the Williams Brothers model kit.
There's plenty of gaps to be filled in.

[McColm]

HMMM.....  now that sounds fascinating! Swing wing flying boat..... .     ..  great idea!! I hope it works in practice as well as it sounds in theory. 

Well I have decided to use the Mach2 SeaMaster kitbashed with the Monogram Rockwell B-1B Lancer.
The vacform SeaMaster will now get the Revell/Matchbox HP Victor wings and V-tail.

[TheChronicOne]

Sounds like it should work pretty well. It's a great idea and most importantly should look cool. lol


I want to try a swing wing airliner. Strobes had started one but not sure how that's going.

[McColm]

Sounds like it should work pretty well. It's a great idea and most importantly should look cool. lol


I want to try a swing wing airliner. Strobes had started one but not sure how that's going.

I struck lucky with the Revell  Boeing SST supersonic clipper twin kit models . One features the wings swept and the other in the landing/take off position.
I got this second/thirdhand , the decals were missing and they both are in need of restoration.  The unswept version now has the Revell 1/144 droopy nose Concorde cabin, with the Concorde engines and undercarriage. The vertical tail fin is from the original kit. I can't find the other one, but the twin fins from the orange plastic glow-in-the-dark 1/72 Northrop F-19 are a good fit.

The landing gear does fit with the gear down on the Rockwell B-1B seaplane. The Victor tail fits well, so does putting the engines above the wing junction spur. I'm using the Cutting Edge CEC72030 B-1B nozzles and cans/tailpipes, I glued the Monogram  turbine fans to the backs of the cans/tailpipes. I've also opened up the cockpit but with the tinted canopy I can't see that much detail through it.

Meanwhile the 1/72 Airmodel vacform Martin SeaMaster ( Majestic MkIII). The wings and cockpit cabin are from the Revell/Matchbox HP Victor K2. The weapons bay is from the Airfix BAe Nimrod using the bomb bay doors from strips of spare vacform. I might be able to get 4 x ALCM Tomahawks in the weapon bay.

[McColm]

Saturday 22nd June 2018

I'm getting used to working with vacform kits. The Airmodel Martin SeaMaster isn't the easiest kit to build. I've noticed that when I start adding interior details  the two fuselage halves don't line up properly. This isn't a problem as I am building a weapons bay with the doors in the open position.
I haven't got any pictures of the weapons bay, so I'm just making it up as I go a long.
The T-tail has been scratched built using parts from the Monogram B-1B tail, which doesn't look too bad.
I'm using plastic card to strengthen the interior. The Victor wings are a good fit.
I'll use the in-flight refueling pods on the Sentinel AEW build.

I tried using  a Rotacraft Engraving power tool to remove and shape some of the filler from my previous builds with limited success. Even on the lowest setting the plastic dose start to melt if you sand in the same place too long. You also get marks from the sanding drums but these are easily removed with fine wet and dry paper.
I guess the lesson is not to use too much filler/puty in one area, just build up in layers until the gap disappears.

[PR19_Kit]

This isn't a problem as I am building a weapons bay with the doors in the open position.
I haven't got any pictures of the weapons bay, so I'm just making it up as I go a long.

The Seamaster doesn't have 'doors' in the conventional way, the entire bomb bay rotates along its longitudinal axis with the weapons mounted on the inside surface of the door. When it rotates they're on the outside and are released in the normal way.

The bomb bay door's marked in red on this pic with the axis of rotation in green.



When I get home on Sunday I can post some pics of the interior from THE book on the Seamaster, that by Piet and Raithel.

[McColm]

This isn't a problem as I am building a weapons bay with the doors in the open position.
I haven't got any pictures of the weapons bay, so I'm just making it up as I go a long.

The Seamaster doesn't have 'doors' in the conventional way, the entire bomb bay rotates along its longitudinal axis with the weapons mounted on the inside surface of the door. When it rotates they're on the outside and are released in the normal way.

The bomb bay door's marked in red on this pic with the axis of rotation in green.



When I get home on Sunday I can post some pics of the interior from THE book on the Seamaster, that by Piet and Raithel.

Thanks Kit.

[McColm]

Sunday 24th June 2018

Despite my best efforts not to start another build, I found that I had a 1/72 Heller Humbrol Lockheed 1049 G "Super G" in the stash.
I have managed to glue the 1/72 Academy Minicraft Boeing B-29 A Superfortress wings and outer engines. I made a hash of the inner engines so I have replaced them with two from the KC-97G kit.
I'll see if the flying boom fits the Stratoliner.

[McColm]

Sunday 24th June 2018

Despite my best efforts not to start another build, I found that I had a 1/72 Heller Humbrol Lockheed 1049 G "Super G" in the stash.
I have managed to glue the 1/72 Academy Minicraft Boeing B-29 A Superfortress wings and outer engines. I made a hash of the inner engines so I have replaced them with two from the KC-97G kit.
I'll see if the flying boom fits the Stratoliner.

The boom arrangement on the KB-29P works better on the Stratoliner, although I am slowly changing the shape of the outer engines to match those used used on the Connie.
The Stratoliner is the closest build to the Lockheed Starliner. Apart from the wings and engines everything else came from the Heller Humbrol Lockheed Constellation kit. The  3 blade propellers give it that Connie look.