Tamiya's Lancaster build.

[treyzx10r]

Looking forward to this one Steve,been trying to snag a Lanc on evil bay but they get crazy high prices!

 

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

Will be keeping a close eye on this one as I have just started the exact same kit, I went a little mad and ordered every bit of PE I could and resin bits too. Having spent a couple of hours just on the 3 front seats I may be some time building it, lol.

 

[stona]

Will be keeping a close eye on this one as I have just started the exact same kit, I went a little mad and ordered every bit of PE I could and resin bits too. Having spent a couple of hours just on the 3 front seats I may be some time building it, lol.

Good on ya!

I'm going OOB. I have a scenario in mind that would have the bomb bay closed so I won't need to improve what is a bit of a weak area. I've been eyeing up all the clear parts suspiciously and may invest a fiver or so in some pre-cut masks. It's not an unreasonable outlay and may preserve my sanity! I remember that Eduard used to do them.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

I got the masks from Hannants, no way was I going to stress over all that plastic lol

 

[stona]

I got the masks from Hannants, no way was I going to stress over all that plastic lol

Thanks for that,they are on their way!

Steve

 

[Dave W]

I recently bought some photo etch for my Lancaster.Didnt cost the Earth either.

 

[stona]

Thanks Dave,I'm going to do the interior OOB as most of it is not very visible once everything is "zipped up".

I've made a start but haven't had much time to devote to the Lancaster recently.

There's a never ending debate about the interior colour. As far as I can tell Lancasters that weren't very early conversions from Manchesters had the interior in "Night" from the bomb aimers position back to the wireless operator's position in front of the main spar. This makes sense as the fuselage was constructed from three sections and that makes the front section black (Night).

Cheers

Steve

 

[tecdes]

There's a never ending debate about the interior colour. As far as I can tell Lancasters that weren't very early conversions from Manchesters had the interior in "Night" from the bomb aimers position back to the wireless operator's position in front of the main spar. This makes sense as the fuselage was constructed from three sections and that makes the front section black (Night).

Cheers

Steve

Sure you have already been there Steve but for those who have not the Lancaster Forum are great for information. When I built a Wellington recently I got a lot of help from two characters who flew in this aircraft. Not only colours but detail for instance of rope handrailing & flooring etc. Bet there are many more there who flew in the Lancaster.

Laurie

Lancaster-Archive Forum (LAF) • Index page

 

[stona]

Thanks Laurie,I have seen that forum. Sometimes the chaps who actually flew in these aircraft are not the most reliable witnesses. A family friend,sadly no longer with us,flew as a navigator in Lancasters before being shot down and being made a PoW. I asked him years ago about the bomber(s) he flew in and he couldn't be certain of the interior colour,even of his own little "office". I always take seriously and respect their recollections but also bear in mind that the memory of such insignificant (at the time) details from 60-70 years ago cannot be 100% accurate. They were remarkable young men but those left with us are still only human and are now getting on a bit.

I think it was Nigel Julian who asked Russ Kyler about the interior colour of his P-47 and was asked in return the colour of his first office chair! A point well made

Cheers

Steve

 

[tecdes]

Yes you are right Steve in part. A couple of bits of info they sent to me I could not understand until I realised they had flown in the earlier Wellington & mine was later in the conflict.

Problem is there are so many conflicting bits of info out there, not necessarily not as they were, but for certain reason things were changed from the original. The Wellington being a case in point where they started operating at the begining & finished at the end. Read a book recently where the crew were making changes in the middle of Italy high up in the mountain regions to suit their flying needs. Next pilot of that aircraft would have considered his craft a standard.

On the office chair easy if it was in my era. Gray grey & gray in that random order.

Laurie

 

[ian lanc]

Nice to see another big-un' being made! Hope you enjoy building the nacelles :bangin:

When you come to making the canopy up please to my advice and check that

the side windows are not a really tight fit! 99.9% of the kits windows are not

good and with them being a tight fit it will crack your canopy in the corners

and IT WILL CRACK and IT WILL RUIN your model! You need the windows to

fit nicely and not be tight.

Looking forward to more updates.

I'm in the process of making VeRA the Canadian Lanc' and that is a nightmare :granade:

Cheers.

Ian.

 

[stona]

Thanks Ian. I will definitely bear that in mind once I get to the canopy! I know that you are a man who has built a lot more Lancasters than I have

I stole the interior colour scheme (sort of) from one of your builds somewhere. I was going to do it all in Night but rather liked a bit of Interior Green as well.

I've made the first stage of the nacelles and test fitted them to the lower wings without too much strife. We'll see what happens when I offer them up to the entire wings. I won't be fitting the engines provided so hopefully the rest will fit okay.

I've also made the rather elaborate undercarriage assemblies. I'm not looking forward to masking them off once fitted in the wings.

Cheers

Steve

 

[ian lanc]

I've also made the rather elaborate undercarriage assemblies. I'm not looking forward to masking them off once fitted in the wings. Cheers Steve

Instead of masking up the undercarriage which may break something when you remove the tape,

make yourself two little boxes which will go over the undercarriage and fit inside the wheel well.

They are simple to make and all you need to have is thin card/scissors and standard masking paper tape

push the card down the sides of the undercarriage and bend at the corners so it fits in and blocks off any

area's any over-spray that may foul up any nice painting of the silver undercarriage, Then use the wide masking

tape to actually strengthen the box. Fitting the main-wheels is the last job you do.

Go on make the boxes you will be glad you did and it will stop your undercarriage from being snapped off

I've found having this little boxes most valuable too in protecting the undercarriage from any bangs as you build the 'whoppa'

 

[stona]

Excellent idea Ian,thanks.I foresee a couple of card/tape boxes in my near future!

If the fit is good enough I intend to attach the wings at the end having built them as seperate elements. I know you've done this in the past. Fingers crossed as my work bench will struggle to accomodate the full sized model.

Cheers

Steve

 

[ian lanc]

Excellent idea Ian,thanks.I foresee a couple of card/tape boxes in my near future!If the fit is good enough I intend to attach the wings at the end having built them as seperate elements. I know you've done this in the past. bench will struggle to

Cheers Steve

The box idea has been copied by many tamiya lanc' builders and thanked god knows how many times,

One modellers who masked his undercarriage up that well actually pulled his undercarriage apart

Then he saw my reply about the box idea which was twelve or more posts before his breakage.

These little boxes can be made for other types of aircraft models and are a god-send.

You'll find there is no need to glue the wings into the fuselage if you don't want to as its quite strong on its own.

Regarding the kit decals I would not use the wing roundels as they are too small.

Cheers.

Ian.

 

[flyjoe180]

That's a great idea Ian, cheers.

 

[stona]

I'm battling along with this thing when I can.

I've joined the wing halves without too much grief and have also started to join the fuselage halves. I had to remove all the locating pins to enable the two halves to line up correctly. Very odd,like building a huge vacform kit!

I have also finished the undercarriage and dry fitted it. I had to remove a couple of locating "bumps" on the upper wing to make these fit too.

The fit of the nacelles,the inner ones in particular,is not fantastic. I see some fettling will need to be done.

This is an old kit and it shows

I'll stick up some photos when I get a working camera back. I tried with my phone but the results were even worse than usual.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

Any opinions on the colour inside the canopy and behind the cockpit?

Generally this seems to be done in Dark Green which is what I've done before. Tamiya suggest black which seems unlikely. The problem is I seem to remember that area on the nose section preserved at the IWM being black!

I also remember reading a document which said that the external canopy frame should be painted in one colour,Dark Earth (like Hendon's?)and not follow the disruptive scheme. I can't find it for love nor money and wonder if anyone else can confirm it. Again I remember the IWM example being Dark Green!

Steve

 

[ian lanc]

Do the area under the canopy dark green in either Humbrol 116 matt green or at a push if you haven't got this green use Humbrol 163 satin green

hardly any difference in these greens other than one is matt and the other is satin, remember it should be matt though.

Don't do it black unless you are working from an actual picture of a certain Lanc' your modelling, eg' all white tiger Force Lanc's had a satin black rear section.

Working on my Tamiya Lanc' today Steve and I got a super-glue mark on the nav' side of the main canopy window!! GOD I'M ANGRY

 

[ian lanc]

Oh and paint the canopy brown and green very similar to Tamiya's instructions.

Ensure the back half is green though and not brown.

You can see these B/W and colour pictures shows the green/brown border-line

http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss351/Lancaster-Archive/WP%20Source/Aussie-1.jpg

http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss351/Lancaster-Archive/WP%20Source/BarbaraMaryW4157.jpg

Oh and the nose section at IWM is green and brown by the way....





http://sceptre63.deviantart.com/art/lancaster-front-end-IWM-111559820

Keep up the good work Steve and this thread is useless without pic's.....lol

Ian.