"Sugar's Blues" Late War RCAF Lancaster

[Jeff T]

Brilliant work on the blister mod Tom!

 

Especially when you were looking at getting the nose only kit for a new canopy if it all went pare shaped.

 

Cheer's,

Jeff.

[Uncarina]

6 hours ago, mozart said:

Very impressive work on the canopy Tom, I love to see well considered and executed mods like that.
 

The picture above is interesting, impossible to prove but the positions of the names correspond to those of the navigator, engineer and bomb-aimer so it’s quite plausible. I wonder if other pics exist of the port side anywhere? 

 

Thanks Max! It was a big hurdle I kept thinking about since the beginning of the build. It’s definitely a milestone that’s past. I’m wondering the same thing about starboard side pics of Sugar’s Blues or other aircraft in 428 Squadron once they landed in Canada.

 

29 minutes ago, JT68 said:

Brilliant work on the blister mod Tom!

 

Especially when you were looking at getting the nose only kit for a new canopy if it all went pare shaped.

 

Cheer's,

Jeff.

 

Thanks very much Jeff! The HK canopy is so nice to begin with, I’m so glad I could keep it that way. And yes, getting a second kit just for that part? I shudder at the thought, but in for a penny, in for a pound.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

"No. 428 Squadron flew the RCAF’s first Canadian built Lancaster Mk. X operation on 14 June 1944. Percentage of Canadian RCAF aircrew was 73.20% and ground crew was 91.91%.”

 

“[Sugar's Blues artist] Sgt. Thomas Walton served as a wireless/air gunner on a No. 428 [Ghost] squadron Lancaster KB864. In 1945 he was promoted to the RCAF rank of Pilot Officer. Tom was the nose artist who decorated both sides of his bomber with impressive paintings completed on request of his American pilot Latumer and his favorite 1931 Jazz song “Sugar Blues.” Pilot Officer Latumer was known as Capt. “Overshoot” after he had crash landed two Canadian Lancaster bombers, KB766 [3 December 1944] and KB795 [7 April 1945].”

 

https://clarencesimonsen.wordpress.com/category/tom-walton/

 

 

I've been working on the less glamorous but critical aspects of finishing up the surfaces prior to painting: priming with Tamiya AS-12, spotting flaws, filling, sanding, restoring rivets and panel lines, repriming, lather, rinse, repeat...finally she is at a stage that I am ready to start painting! First steps, a fine polish of all primed surfaces and prepping the canopy. First I applied the interior canopy masks from DN Models:

 

 

I then used a thick coat of Tamiya Rubber Black for the interior:

 

 

I carefully removed the masks, not wanting issues with adhesive with the warmer temperatures of spring in Tucson Arizona and to make sure the edges were sharp. After this I applied the Eduard outer masks:

 

 

HK Models actually molded some of the canopy frames more flush with the surface, and happily it is these that Sugar's Blues had as interior panes. I then masked over them and will be painting with MRP RAF Dark Green. Once the canopy is painted, some of them will be dark green and the interior frames will be black, which I will then cover with Archers rivets. That's the plan anyway!

 

On another front, yesterday I received a revelation from this website: https://clarencesimonsen.wordpress.com/2017/05/

If you scroll down halfway the author identifies Sugar's Blues artist, which I've shared in the quote above. In addition, photos I've never seen before:

Here you see her on June 8 1945 when she landed with the first group of nine Lancasters in Gander Newfoundland upon 428 Squadron's return from Europe. If you've been reading my entire build log you'll know that's where my Uncle died in the Liberator crash two years earlier. And the revelation, a starboard photo of Sugar's Blues, with artwork I've never seen:

 

And a close-up:

 

 

It's a ghost dropping a bomb, with "Ghost SQD'N" enscribed. My challenge will be reproducing this! Until next time (which hopefully will include paint results)...

 

Cheers,  Tom

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Uncarina

[monthebiff]

Very nicely done Tom, slow but carefully considered progress. L9ve it!

 

Regards.Andy 

[Uncarina]

Thanks Andy! I appreciate your support. I have pretty limited time these days but hope to start painting soon.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Bomber Command nut]

. . . and no sign of the crew names relative to their positions as seen in previous photos ??

 

Looking forward to seeing some paint 

 

Ian

 

PS Just read that link concerning the story of Lancasters arrived in Canada after the war , bloody marvellous and such a great record of the artwork !!!

Edited April 15, 2021 by Bomber Command nut

[Dennis7423]

Looking good Tom! Looking forward to seeing some paint on the old gal. I too am hoping to lay some paint down in the next week or so. We'll see if I get the opportunity!

 

- Dennis S.

   Thornton, CO USA

[Uncarina]

4 hours ago, Bomber Command nut said:

. . . and no sign of the crew names relative to their positions as seen in previous photos ??

 

Looking forward to seeing some paint 

 

Ian

 

PS Just read that link concerning the story of Lancasters arrived in Canada after the war , bloody marvellous and such a great record of the artwork !!!

 

Ian, yes that link is a great read. When Sugar’s Blues artist is described as painting artwork on BOTH sides I became very attentive, and then to actually see the starboard artwork made me very happy. This was a part of the build nagging at me a long time. The names painted on later are catchy but don’t correspond to the crew roster, and since the photo only shows part of the aircraft I am going to leave them off. Thanks for checking in!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

57 minutes ago, Dennis7423 said:

Looking good Tom! Looking forward to seeing some paint on the old gal. I too am hoping to lay some paint down in the next week or so. We'll see if I get the opportunity!

 

- Dennis S.

   Thornton, CO USA

 

Thanks Dennis! Your support and collaborative build have definitely propelled me through the project! Looking forward to seeing your work as well.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Derek B]

49 minutes ago, Uncarina said:

 

Ian, yes that link is a great read. When Sugar’s Blues artist is described as painting artwork on BOTH sides I became very attentive, and then to actually see the starboard artwork made me very happy. This was a part of the build nagging at me a long time. The names painted on later are catchy but don’t correspond to the crew roster, and since the photo only shows part of the aircraft I am going to leave them off. Thanks for checking in!

 

Cheers,  Tom

 

Hi Tom,

 

The ghost obviously makes sense (Sqn crest image). I wonder if it was possible that this (right side) artwork - along with individual's names - was applied just prior to the squadron departing back to Canada at the war's end as a 'one off' concession?

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[Uncarina]

Derek,

 

It’s a head scratcher! I suspect both sides were painted at the same time based on the quote from the link and since the names are missing from the photo taken in Gander. I’m also curious why the individual names appear in the 1955 photo but not the ghost artwork. Also, if anyone can find a profile photo of it I would be grateful, since it’ll make it easier to produce a stencil.

 

Cheers,  Tom

 

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Uncarina

[Bomber Command nut]

Are we even 100% positive that the photo showing the names but not the ghost motif is even S-Sugar ???

 

I wouldnt worry about the names to much, I suspect 'somebody' painted them after her war service but by having the varga girl and the ghost motif on there is more aligned to being accurate.

 

cheers Ian

[Derek B]

2 hours ago, Bomber Command nut said:

Are we even 100% positive that the photo showing the names but not the ghost motif is even S-Sugar ???

 

I wouldnt worry about the names to much, I suspect 'somebody' painted them after her war service but by having the varga girl and the ghost motif on there is more aligned to being accurate.

 

cheers Ian

 

Sounds like a reasonable plan to me Tom...complete the model with left and right nose art, but omit the names; they could be added later if more evidence comes to light to confirm that they existed in the correct time frame?

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[Uncarina]

5 hours ago, Bomber Command nut said:

Are we even 100% positive that the photo showing the names but not the ghost motif is even S-Sugar ???

 

I wouldnt worry about the names to much, I suspect 'somebody' painted them after her war service but by having the varga girl and the ghost motif on there is more aligned to being accurate.

 

cheers Ian

The more I think about it, the more I agree Ian. The photos of the port and starboard fuselage taken 10 years later lack the nose art but do have the names. This leads me to think that weathering (or even vandalism) removed the art but the names were added later. 

 

On another note, yes Sugar’s Blues was a late war Lancaster who only flew in the Spring of 1945 but she still managed to fly almost as many missions as Memphis Belle over very threatening targets such as Bremen. For this reason I am planning to have her weathered over some UV faded paint. Should make for an interesting visual story!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[mrp]

The Picture of the Lancaster nose in the bone yard with the children , isn't "Sugar's Blues". Its a 420 Squadron aircraft. I have a couple of similar colour  photos of this  particular aircraft. A number of 420 Squadron (Snowy Owl) painted the names of the crews , in this large style. The names were added by the Squadrons , prior to the return flight to Canada. Some aircraft even had  a nice set of whitewall painted main tires.

428 Squadron painted the nose sections , rear of front turret forward with a gloss black paint. This tends to be seen mainly on 428 Squadron aircraft .The Canadian built Lancasters were painted with a better quality paint than most of the UK built ones. The paint tended to not weather as much as the UK built ones. Some of the returning Canadian Lancasters  had some paint loss on the forward nose section. Canadian Lancasters  sub-assemblies  were also painted prior to all the sections being put together. Sometimes the camouflage  pattern on the top wing, doesn't quite match where the sections meet.

Weathering is a divisive subject to the modeller, and it is always a personnel preference as to how far you want to go. The aircraft were mainly left outside, in all weathers. The fuel tanks filling points across the top wing, would be well worn . Lancaster engine exhaust staining and patterning is a stand alone subject, not to mention fluid leaks and general dirt.

 

 

Mark