Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Completed GBs => Group and Themed Builds => Clear Your Bench GB => Topic started by: Brian da Basher on January 08, 2013, 06:37:51 AM
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In 1934, a minor functionary of the Air Ministry was driving home from an Elks meeting in far-off Scotland and noticed how well the headlights on his roadster lit up the road before him. This is how Lunkers Lighting, LTD. was invited to bid on the new light night bomber requirement.
However, before things were finalized, legendary SIS agent Sneaky McPeekie was able to deliver the wing plans for a new German dive bomber and these were added to the design.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/sneakymcpeekie.jpg)
Rolled out for Air Ministry officials, the new Lunkers Luka featured the gull-wing stolen from Germany as well as very large lights on the cutting edge, spatted landing gear which it was hoped, would light the target.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_001.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_002.jpg)
Featuring a new "Night Black" paint scheme, the Luka certainly looked very intimidating. It seemed the perfect way to spearhead an attack after dark.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_003.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_004.jpg)
On the night of June 3rd, 1936 the Luka took off just as the sun went down, armed with inert ordnance and headed for the bombing range near the Firth of Forth.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_005.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_006.jpg)
Unfortunately, instead of bombing the Firth of Forth, the Luka dropped its payload on the Thirth of Third.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_dive_01.jpg)
While no damage was done, the Thirth of Third is home to the Earl of Thirth, 3rd cousin to the King. The Earl was startled by the falling inert bombs and soiled himself. Before the Luka made it back to base, the political sh*t-storm began.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_upper.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_head-on.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_under.jpg)
Of course, the Luka was stopped dead in its tracks and no further development was authorized. Also, when the Air Ministry returned to work the following Monday, they noticed right away that new office furniture had been delivered.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/airministrydesk.jpg)
Today the Luka has been completely forgotten. However, the incident lives on as the Earl's estate is now known as Brownmore Terrace.
This all began with the classic Airfix Lysander:
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/lysander_box.jpg)
I put parts aside for this years ago, including a pair of Airfix Stuka wings, vintage 1978.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_wings.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_wing.jpg)
I'd sanded down one of the bulges for the landing gear struts, but the project gathered dust for the last three years.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_old_prog.jpg)
Once I started on this again, work went quickly. In only a matter of minutes, I had the fuselage together and the wings on.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_new_prog.jpg)
The rest was fairly straight-forward, although all that canopy framing was a bit of a challenge!
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_dive_02.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_007.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g392/Bri2k/Luka/Luka_008.jpg)
I had a lot of fun putting this together and I hope you enjoyed it and the story of the Earl of Thirth and Brownmore Terrace.
Brian da Basher
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;D That is a really cool looking model by the way
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That went together very well. Looks like it was designed that way from the start. Great model Brian!
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Very nice, Brian! I bet that would look good as a carrier plane, too!
Cheers,
Logan
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Nice Brian! It looks like a cousin of the PLZ.23 Karas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL.23_Kara%C5%9B) (which also has spats!)
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;) :D ;D :-* AWESOME