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1/32nd scale Avro Shackleton - scratchbuild project


tomprobert

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  • 4 weeks later...

Evening all,

 

It's been slow going on this project of late due to work commitments, but more importantly having a young baby is seriously eating into my modelling time... wouldn't change that for the world, though.

 

Anyway, if you recall from a previous update, I've got a test shot of the HK Lancaster cockpit, printed in solid plastic:

 

26731049471_1274b7c461_c.jpg

 

Which I aim to get looking like this:

 

27331964761_9903c5ba93_c.jpg

 

So the first step was to remove the rear section of the Lancaster canopy, leaving me with a forward section which is identical in profile to the Shackleton cockpit, the only difference being the Shackleton's fuselage and this cockpit is wider than the Lancaster, so I carefully split the Lanc cockpit down the middle. The windows themselves then need to be drilled out, which was done by drilling numerous pilot holes:

 

26796267303_8c018156c3_c.jpg

 

The excess, unwanted plastic was then cut away using the tips of some sprue cutters:

 

27369509416_7efa9e32c5_c.jpg

 

And after the ragged edges had been carefully files away, I was left with two forward sections of Shackleton cockpit framing. The upper escape hatches were the only modification to the Lancaster framing made at this stage:

 

27369510306_774207152c_c.jpg

 

The frames were then carefully glued to the rear upper fuselage removed from earlier in the build. Here you can see the additional width of the Shackleton fuselage in relation to the Lancaster and Lincoln:

 

27305111512_38794901af_c.jpg

 

26795239474_9710700d6d_c.jpg

 

A couple of test fits shows that things are progressing as planned:

 

26796268163_a457400ce6_c.jpg

 

26795100244_88b5d66423_c.jpg

 

It's all a bit rough at the moment and I'll need to do some fine tweaks, but you get the idea. I will now need to finish off the missing framing, fill the gap down the middle and get it all smoothed in to the upper fuselage section. It won't be attached properly until I've done the interior of course. 

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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A little more progress on the cockpit today guys and gals...

 

I've added the scale 2ft widening strip down the centre of the cockpit roof from plastic card, and also scratch-built the forward frames for the glazing from Evergreen strip:

 

27427191736_cdf3436a03_c.jpg

 

27461656995_a0ff18845c_c.jpg

 

Now all that's needed is to refill a small blemish or two and prime it up to see how it looks.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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that is some incredible work Tom - I find doing stuff like that so hard as I seem to always end up squeezing something too hard while filing or cutting and the whole lot collapses in my hands..

 

bloody marvellous :clap2: 

 

Peter

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excellent work mate!!!

 

how are you going to tackle the glass - thermoform?

 

All explained in the post below, Rich.

 

Today I have completed the cockpit roof area - it's had a spray of filler-primer which has hidden the multitude of sins below:

 

27449902266_e829026078_c.jpg

 

And with some fine tweaking of the cockpit bulkhead...

 

27484306305_8bf7caf159_c.jpg

 

The section fits a treat...

 

27449903236_37df323543_c.jpg

 

27484305415_cd19a529dd_c.jpg

 

...if you ignore the big gaps that is. But they'll disappear when it's fitted properly, he says hopefully.

 

I'm pleased to have got this part out of the way - it was worrying me as getting the cockpit right is critical in getting the character of the real aircraft. I'm confident that when I've added the observer's glazing atop the nose section it'll look acceptable. The real fun will be the glazing itself, but 'Tigger' Wilkes has come to the rescue and supplied me with three of his canopies for his 1/32nd Lancaster which I can cut up to drop the glass areas in later in the build.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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that is some incredible work Tom - I find doing stuff like that so hard as I seem to always end up squeezing something too hard while filing or cutting and the whole lot collapses in my hands..

 

bloody marvellous :clap2:

 

Peter

 

Hi Peter,

 

The 3D printed Lancaster canopy is actually quite robust, even with the glass sections removed. It has plenty of give and springs back quite nicely when pressure is applied.

 

I did manage to break the right hand rear-most window framing though with a slip of the modelling knife, but a quick fix with Evergreen soon solved that  :)

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