Avro Type 690 Leeds - the true story

[PR19_Kit]

The canopy's in place, but it'll need a bit of fairing before I mask it up for painting.

The Wooksta was dead right about the engines, the fit of the forward sections to the cowlings that are already on the wing is ATROCIOUS! 

When I first built the FROG Shackleton kit back in the 60s I'm sure it wasn't that bad, and this is a FROG kit I'm working with now, not a Revell re-pop. I've had to carve away the inside of the forward engines AND file the mounting flanges on the wing cowlings before they'd fit, each one having been numbered as they're custom filed!

Sadly the #4 cowling came clean off the wing during the filing process so I'll glue and PSR that one before gluing it back on.

In the process I noticed that both the #1 and #4 engines point inwards a few degrees if you glue the cowlings to the wings without any gaps in their joint lines, so I've filed the mounting faces to ensure they point forwards.



Here's the #4 engine after falling off the wing. Note the massive gaps in the joint lines on top and at the sides.

[The Wooksta!]

I know you're probably wedded to a company scheme, but the Transport scheme colours  (Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over Azure Blue) are dark enough to hide a multitude of flaws.

As long as you've a dirty great yellow P in a circle, you've not broken the rules.

[PR19_Kit]

Indeed I am, and I've already printed off the B Condition codes etc.

But an RAF Leeds would look good too, and I wonder about mixing a Mach 2 York and another of my collection of Shackletons and applying that scheme, and the P of course.

[PR19_Kit]

It's got engines (well, three of them anyway...) AND a canopy! 

Lots of PSR stuff to do on both those areas yet though.

[The Wooksta!]

Indeed I am, and I've already printed off the B Condition codes etc.

But an RAF Leeds would look good too, and I wonder about mixing a Mach 2 York and another of my collection of Shackletons and applying that scheme, and the P of course.

Let me know when you want to start and I'll cast the relevant bits.

[PR19_Kit]

Let me know when you want to start and I'll cast the relevant bits.

You're on! 

I'll wait till after the lockdown eases before I get a Mach 2 York, and I'll work out a better method of extending the fuselage than used with this one.

[NARSES2]

That last picture has me wondering what a combination of that fuselage and a Liberator's wings and engines would look like ?

[kitbasher]

It's got engines (well, three of them anyway...) AND a canopy! 

Lots of PSR stuff to do on both those areas yet though.

That to me is crying out for tricycle u/c and a back end modified to take a loading ramp plus doors.  Sort of a low-tech Hercules, an alternative to the Hastings?  Maybe if you're going to make some more as indicated, Kit?

[PR19_Kit]

That to me is crying out for tricycle u/c and a back end modified to take a loading ramp plus doors.  Sort of a low-tech Hercules, an alternative to the Hastings?  Maybe if you're going to make some more as indicated, Kit?

That'd be the Avro Cleckheaton.

The later turbo-prop version (4 x Pythons...) was the Avro Pontefract of course. 

[PR19_Kit]

Just about naff all done on the Leeds today, it's been FAR too hot and humid to do anything serious.

I did some more PSR on the engines and around the canopy and sprayed a couple of primer coats, but nothing serious. I did get some more Stratos Silver paint though, which will be the basic NMF for the undersides eventually.

I might do something tonight if it cools off a bit.

[McColm]

That last picture has me wondering what a combination of that fuselage and a Liberator's wings and engines would look like ?

It works very well. I tried using the Liberator wings on a vacform Avro York. Instead of the four engines I went for two. I didn't get around to finishing it. Sorry no pictures. 

[PR19_Kit]

The B-24's slightly less wingspan than the Leeds, 10 ft or so, but a lot narrower chord, so it might LOOK as if they were longer. 

More detail PSRing and priming today.

[PR19_Kit]

I may have a duff tube of course, but I'm not getting on at all well with this Deluxe Perfect Plastic Putty.

It's anything BUT perfect for me, OK, it dries fast, but it's just like chalk when it's dried, quite difficult to sand smoothly and I have to junk the first 0.5" of it out of the tube as it's almost solid.

I was trying it out for the fine detail PSR round the canopy and engines on the Leeds, but I'll think I'll go back to my fave Presto stuff, at least it's strong.

[zenrat]

Does sound a bit odd Kit.  Mine doesn't behave like that.

[NARSES2]

Does sound a bit odd Kit.  Mine doesn't behave like that.

Nor mine