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Lancaster weathering


Finn

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8 hours ago, chuck540z3 said:

Case in point:  Overdone plaid or realistic, when compared to the above pic of the real deal?

 

ZNTxIG.jpg

 

To me, it looks like too much lead over the wing and not enough black carbon.

The heavier, lighter coloured lead deposits tended to stick to the cowling sides and blow away underwing

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, mozart said:

and this, one of my favourite Lancaster pictures and I would suggest fairly typical of your "average" condition:

mp9aAY.jpg

 

 

 

Thanks for posting the pics. It's also nice to see/confirm the staining on the tail from the two inner engines

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12 hours ago, chuck540z3 said:

 

Case in point:  Overdone plaid or realistic, when compared to the above pic of the real deal?

 

ZNTxIG.jpg

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

 

I think that’s absolutely stunning and spot on. I’ve seen other builds on other aircraft and they’ve done the patchwork quilt effect and it looks very arty but not realistic, but it’s down to the modeller I suppose.

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2 hours ago, mozart said:

Reference the above, I think the wings are realistically weathered but I'm not at all sure about the fuselage, the bands are just too prominent to my eye.

 

But would the bands on the fuselage become like that if the canning effect focuses the dirt?

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pomp9aAYj

 

I suggest that this Lancaster is R5727. The picture was probably taken at Dorval Airport in Montreal Canada, after it had just flown the Atlantic , August 1942 ,to become the pattern aircraft for the then National Steel Car plant at Malton Ont . In November 1942 the plant would become Victory Aircraft Limited after it was taken over by the Federal Government.

This airframe had relatively few hours operationally before it was flown across the Atlantic. The exhaust staining is from the 16 hours of flight time it took to get to Montreal.

 

 All that to say, that this picture viewed without the above context, becomes an assumption that this airframe is on active service, when in reality it isnt. Understanding the airframe and its access points will always help influence weathering/ wear and tear. On the Lancaster, main fuel tank fueling points are on the top of the wing. On operational Lancaster Squadrons, typically the ground crew would be clambering over the top of the wing , with their mud soaked  hob nailed boots . The fuel bowsers would be backed up close to the fueling points and fueling hoses would be drapped over the leading edge back to the fuel caps. This would lead to the wear and tear seen on operational Lancasters as well as the exhaust stains from the Merlins. It didn't take many hours to show significant staining.

Also there were differences in paint quality as well as the  flatness of the paint used. Early  built Lancasters tended to exhibit a very flat finish, almost chalk like. Certainly later built and the Canadian built ones would not be as flat. The Canadian Lancasters (KB700 -KB999, FM100-FM229) had an almost satin like finish.

 

The number of operations and service life would also play a part in the weathering of the chosen subject airframe.

 

All these variables do play a role in how you attempt to recreate the finish and weathering on a large scale model , as well as any other subject one is trying to recreate.

 

Mark

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3 hours ago, Finn said:

Here is the back end of a Lanc, note the elevator on the left you can see the panel lines but not on the right:

2506_original.jpgd

Sun is coming from left to right.  That might explain why only one elevator shows "panel lines"?

 

 A lot of what we write off to "weathering" is often just reflections or shadows. 

 

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On 10/25/2019 at 4:25 PM, John1 said:

Sun is coming from left to right.  That might explain why only one elevator shows "panel lines"?

 

 A lot of what we write off to "weathering" is often just reflections or shadows. 


Well said, John. I often tell neophyte modelers that, IMHO, what we call “weathering” is often shadows and light. Which is why I’m often personally happy with old-school Shep Paine wash and dry-brush techniques. Washes for the Shadows and dry-brush highlights for the Light. Not to disparage those who go to much greater lengths than that. But, to each their own as they say.

 

jimbo

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