Airvell 1/72 Avro Mancaster B.I/B.III

[Old Wombat]

Yes, I did spell that right!


I'm currently in the process of chopping up a Revell Lancaster B.I/B.III & a pair of Airfix Typhoon IBs to end up with a slightly smaller version of the Lancaster* powered by two Napier Sabres.

Photos when I've finished the primary, pre-build destruction/construction.

Power output:
Merlin XX = 1,250 hp each ( x 4 = 5,000 hp total)
Sabre II/V      = 2,200/2,600 hp each ( x 2 = 4,400/5,200 hp total)

[ Note: The Sabre V is a developed Sabre II ]



[*: Not really a Manchester, but close enough for me.]

[Old Wombat]

Here are the first photo's;

Outside fuselage & tops of wings;


Inside fuselage & undersides of wings;


Just to show that it does all go together;

(Wings are being held in place by a length of styrene rod for the pic.)


I'm still working on the first nacelle (it may take a while).


PS: The metallic thing is a 14cm ruler.

[Buzzbomb]

Oh yeah !!

Really interested to see how this evolves

[GTX_Admin]

Well the Napier Sabre was considered an alternative engine alongside the Centaurus for the Manchester so ...

[Robomog]

Ooooh this one looks interesting ..........

Mog
>^-.-^<

[The Big Gimper]

A Man-ificent idea Guy!

It is a most Sa-perb concept.

[Old Wombat]

Thank you, gents!

The engine nacelles are proving to be a bit more problematic but I'm getting there!


I was tossing up between Mancaster & Lanchester when I started this build but it's been swirling around in my head, & I've had the kits for it for several years, as the "Mancaster", so that's what it is.

I'm changing the designation to B.I/B.III because the B.I will be powered by the Sabre II, while the B.III will be powered by the Sabre V, with B.I's being converted to B.III standard as their engines wore out (if they wore out). Like the RR & Packard Merlins there's no real external difference between the Sabre II & Sabre V, the extra 400hp was achieved by improving the airflow through the engine & tweaking the design of the supercharger.

Like the Lancaster, the B.II is (Greg beat me to the punch on this) a Centaurus radial powered variant.


Again: Thank you for taking the time to look & comment!

[finsrin]

Appreciate you getting us in at the start with photos.   Great concept.   

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Bill!


No worries, mate!

[robunos]

Ooh! me likey dis . . .      (even though I'm no great fan of the Sabre engine . . .)
If you wanted a 'Real Name', the Avro Ancaster would be valid . . . 
Co-incidentally, I'm been doing something along similar lines, for a GB over on Mainly Military Modelling. I'll make a Post about it on here later.


cheers,
Robin.

[apophenia]

Excellent concept. And, as Greg said, a whif with plenty of RW street-cred 

... If you wanted a 'Real Name', the Avro Ancaster would be valid ...

Nice Robin! I like this name 

[finsrin]

Excellent concept. And, as Greg said, a whif with plenty of RW street-cred 

... If you wanted a 'Real Name', the Avro Ancaster would be valid ...

Nice Robin! I like this name 

Yes 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, guys!

If you really want a real name I'd throw Lanchester back into the mix.



PS: Of course, Mancaster is an olde variation on Manchester, anyway.

[Old Wombat]

Nacelles are beginning to come together, shape-wise:





A couple of placement test photo's:





Still a lot of work to go. I'm going to try to get a few (other) sub-assemblies together, then throw some primer at it to see where I need to do any more PSR.

[Buzzbomb]

They look nicely done.
At first glance, the look is almost the same as a Merlin.
Four bladed Prop ?
 

[Old Wombat]

They look nicely done.
At first glance, the look is almost the same as a Merlin.
Four bladed Prop ?

Thank you!

Yes, that's part of the fun.

Yup, from the Typhoons but with modified Lancaster spinners.

[Dr. YoKai]

 Well, I'd stump for the original triple fin configuration, but that's just me.    As someone who has done a fair amount of epoxy putty fairing, the symmetry of the fillets on the nacelles is really good! This is going to be a great looking bird!

[finsrin]

Can see it coming that those with mediocre British bomber knowledge take this as the real deal.

[GTX_Admin]

Off to a good start

[Old Wombat]

Thank you, gentlemen!

Well, I'd stump for the original triple fin configuration, but that's just me.   

Whilst I have never liked that look, so we ain't goin' there.

[Old Wombat]

Just a quick update to let you know that things are still happening here but rather slowly - just some PSR happening on the nacelles, at the moment (the fuselage was almost perfect).

Once that's finished I'll have to look at restoring some of the detail lost to the "S" in PSR on both the nacelles & the fuselage.

Was looking at installing a full crew* & displaying it in flying mode but the 1/72 figures I have are all so differently scaled as to make the whole thing look ridiculous, so she'll be grounded but with the bomb bay doors inexplicably open.


[*: Full crew will be 6; pilot, navigator/RO, flight engineer, bomb aimer (bombardier), nose gunner & tail gunner.]

[finsrin]

PSR is fact of life like death & taxes only PSR is way better.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks for the reminder, Bill! Ain't it just!

Haven't had much chance to do anything for the last couple of days but, this evening, I'm going to hunker down & get stuck into it!

[Old Wombat]

Laid down some colours for the inside of the fuselage this evening.

Custom mix interior green (all Tamiya colours: Deep Green [XF-26], Sky [XF-21] & Sky Grey [XF-19] in a 5:4:4 ratio, which isn't quite as green as the real thing but close enough for me) & NATO Black [XF-69].

Nacelles & wings have had their final PSR session & will get a final primer coat tomorrow, then I'll have to do the re-scribing of the lost panel lines (my least favourite thing), which often ends in remedial PS sessions to fix f___-ups.


Oh, well. Onwards & upwards!

[Jeffry Fontaine]

@Guy - you missed your true calling as a metal banger/body and fender [un-]bender technician.  Great job on the blending of the engine cowlings with the original Lancaster nacelles. 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Jeff!

They've had a few more PSR rounds to remove a few lumps & bumps & get them "just right" but, as said, they're ready for re-scribing, now.

[Old Wombat]

OK, back on track!

Fuselage is ready to be glued together.

Here are the update photo's showing the fuselage as it is now, putting it together will have to wait for tomorrow later today (after work);

Overview;

I had to scrape off the paint & some of the plastic to get the windows in the long sections to sit through the holes sufficiently to look almost right (I may still have to bulk them out with ClearFix once construction & painting are done).

Starboard & port forward interior sides;



Pilot's, Flight Engineer's & Navigator/Radio Operator's crew area;






The decal on the pilot's instrument panels slipped without me noticing but, even if I had, like all the others, it had been liberally soaked in MicroSol to get it to lay down over the moulded lumps & bumps on the panel (I should have sanded them off & affixed the decals to the flat surfaces).
So many little faults! Luckily they'll (mostly) be hidden inside the fuselage when I close her up.

Anyway, I'm off to bed, now.

Thanks for looking!

[Buzzbomb]

Guy, for what will be finally visible, that is pretty spiffy

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, BT!

Fuselage is together & being held that way by rubber bands & tape for a while.

[Old Wombat]

Wings & tail planes glued on & drying.

Noticed that the starboard vertical tail isn't quite ... Vertical, that is. Will have to fix that.

May (also) have jumped the gun on this bit because I haven't, actually, done the re-scribing on the wing tips, yet, and I have to do some (relatively) minor PSR on the fuselage join.

[Old Wombat]

Oh, by the way, I realised that the vertical tail was as close to perfectly aligned to the horizontal tail plane as I was able to achieve, it was just that the starboard horizontal tail plane had drooped a couple of mm out of alignment.

All fixed now!

Now, I'm just fixing a couple of minor "slippages" in the bomb bay before I move onto the next stage - which I haven't decided on, yet. Decisions! Decisions!

[Old Wombat]

Cleaned up the fuselage seam lines last night (a product more of my ham-fistedness than any fault of the kit's).

Tonight I'm re-scribing panel lines on the engine nacelles &, as expected, I have some stuff-ups to fix (one day I'll learn how to keep my scribing tool on the straight-&-narrow ... Maybe. )

[Frank3k]

Good work so far! What's the yellow dot where the pilot's headrest goes?

Is that the Revell Lancaster from the 80's? Looks a lot better than I remember it.

[Old Wombat]

Good work so far! What's the yellow dot where the pilot's headrest goes?

Is that the Revell Lancaster from the 80's? Looks a lot better than I remember it.

Don't have a clue why there's a yellow dot there, Frank, but it's there on the real thing, looks like the perfect marker for a fighter to aim at to take out the pilot, to me.

Front:


& back:



And, yes, it's the Revell Lancaster. Only a little bit of flash, no fit issues (yet, although I think there may be some fairly minor ones with the nacelles) but the locating tabs are a little small &, with glue applied, they allowed a bit of slippage when I put the fuselage together.

However, all-in-all, I'm rather impressed with this kit. I hope my two Airfix Lanc's are just as good (or better).

[Frank3k]

I had the same thought! How thoughtful to make the pilot's head such an easy target!

This must be the newer version of the Revell kit  I don't remember my kit very fondly. Bad fit, beyond my abilities at the time or both.

[apophenia]

Good work so far! What's the yellow dot where the pilot's headrest goes?  ...

Don't have a clue why there's a yellow dot there, Frank, but it's there on the real thing ...

That yellow disc painted on the seat backs just indicated armour plating. You'd think that a discrete stencil would suffice to warn erks not to risk their toes by dropping armour on them. So, I'm not sure why a 10-inch circle was required ...

Still, don't want LAC Bloggins expecting to unbolt an 'aluminium' panel only to find he's just landed 75 lbs of armour plate on his Bromleys 

[raafif]

I think that yellow circle is painted in a chemical that changes colour when exposed to GAS.  Hurricanes had a similar panel on the port wing during the early days of the war.

[Old Wombat]

Re-scribing continues slowly.

This means: When I've had enough I walk away to do something else until I feel ready to have another go at it.

Saves further big(gish) stuff-ups.


By the way, I've noticed that I may have been Matchbox's "Phantom Trench Digger" in a previous incarnation.

[Dr. YoKai]

The interior alone is a thing of beauty. Interesting bit of info about the big yellow polka dot, too.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Doc!

It was, wasn't it.

[apophenia]

I think that yellow circle is painted in a chemical that changes colour when exposed to GAS.  Hurricanes had a similar panel on the port wing during the early days of the war.

raafif: Circular gas patches - on the few Lancs that had them - were exterior (on either side of the noses).

We now return you to scheduled Mancaster programming 

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Airfix years ago flat told me they'd never 'tool' the Manchester, unbelieveable knowing it was the essential evolutionary ancestor of the Lancaster & Lincoln. I can't believe they'd forego doing so considering as I believe there's still modeling interest in marketing at least a 1/72 scale model of it. If that doesn't work out economically for Airfix then consider tooling a conversion kit for their current 1/72nd Lancaster one.

[The Big Gimper]

Once upon a time there was a 1/72 Conversion kit from Blackbird Models.



https://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk/avro-manchester-conversion-72-1538-p.asp

Not sure if Glenn Ashley will be re-issuing it.

But agree a full kit would be nice to have.

[raafif]

Airfix years ago flat told me they'd never 'tool' the Manchester, unbelieveable knowing it was the essential evolutionary ancestor of the Lancaster & Lincoln. I can't believe they'd forego doing so considering as I believe there's still modeling interest in marketing at least a 1/72 scale model of it. If that doesn't work out economically for Airfix then consider tooling a conversion kit for their current 1/72nd Lancaster one.

Can't believe that Airfix won't do the Lincoln - RAF, RAAF etc saw combat !  Would be nice to have the whole set .... 1/72nd for me but ... maybe in 32nd scale for some ?

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Once upon a time there was a 1/72 Conversion kit from Blackbird Models. Not sure if Glenn Ashley will be re-issuing it. But agree a full kit would be nice to have.

Also the Planet Models 1/72 Manchester Mk.1 PLT127 (2004) &  Mk.1a P130 (2010) resins, twice had both the former, one latter kits to build, gave them away - twice  

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Airfix years ago flat told me they'd never 'tool' the Manchester, unbelieveable knowing it was the essential evolutionary ancestor of the Lancaster & Lincoln. I can't believe they'd forego doing so considering as I believe there's still modeling interest in marketing at least a 1/72 scale model of it. If that doesn't work out economically for Airfix then consider tooling a conversion kit for their current 1/72nd Lancaster one.

Can't believe that Airfix won't do the Lincoln - RAF, RAAF etc saw combat !  Would be nice to have the whole set .... 1/72nd for me but ... maybe in 32nd scale for some ?

...Not only that they were VERY RUDE telling me that Italeri wasn't that better doing business with, once asked them via e-mail to quote cost on getting replacement kit parts, buggers wanted near much as the kit was worth Airfix Of America 59-58 years ago was incredible sending whatever replacement parts I'd wanted FOR FREE, that's how much Airfix UK then prized the US "toy" market to get around insane tariffs on imported toys from Europe Congress passed in 1950s, not so much Japan! Japanese toy makers, including scale model ones, got sweetheart trade deals till c.1962 when Universal Powermaster Corporation (UPC) was created to import Marusan et.al. scale models, largely lifted c,1968-70 partially because the Post WWII Boy Baby Boom had peaked & scale modeling had become a discriminating hobby thanks in part to International Plastic Modelers' Society et.al. scale hobbiest organizations. In 1969 I'd "quit the hobby" but returned to it in 1978 then again in 2004 both times lucky enough to build the kits I'd wanted though XXX-times more expensive

[FAAMAN]

Awesome job as always compadre, keep up the excellence 
Funny, though, a Sabre powered Lancaster stripped down for speed would be interesting too 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, bro! Much appreciated!

[Old Wombat]

Just spent a decent 90 minutes spraying a whole bunch of parts & bits Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black (standing in for British Interior Black) before I start putting them together (bomb bay, wheel wells, gun turrets, etc.).

There will need to be some work done with various metallics before I get to the construction phase but the black is a good start ... & I feel like I'm making progress. (Which is always a good thing! )

[Old Wombat]

Well, I've managed to spray 3 different types of silver onto various small undercarriage & engine intake bits, now I need to fix up some of the black bits.

[Old Wombat]

And tonight I've managed to mask the silver bits, so I can re-spray the black bits of the landing gear, & I'm going to use a different black, to give a bit of variation to the blacks in the wheel wells.

Speaking of the wheel wells, I've also built them & fitted the nacelles. There's going to be more PSR here than I was hoping for but, hopefully, not too much, plus some re-spraying of the NATO Black on the inside of the wheel wells.

Things seem to be going moderately well, touch wood ... LOTS of wood!

[Old Wombat]

A lot less PSR than expected!

Just sprayed some black into the wheel wells & around the Putty-Sand area & there is only a little "r" to finish it off, & that is really only a touch more "s".

After that I need to get the turrets in, & the cockpit glazing on, so I can start the camo. This is a problem as it would be easier to paint the plane without the turrets. However, if I do that, there are parts that need to be fitted after the turrets are in to secure them in place & these, I'm sure, will need a certain amount of PSR to get to fit properly.

Plus all that masking!

Plus the turrets need a bucket-load of work to get them ready to fit because, of course, I'm modifying them, aren't I.

[Buzzbomb]

This is a problem as it would be easier to paint the plane without the turrets. However, if I do that, there are parts that need to be fitted after the turrets are in to secure them in place

Araldite 

Must agree it is easier to paint with the turrets off, been down that road (perhaps not with this exact kit ) and modified the turrets to slip in after all the painting and just white glued in place.
Unless really want the turrets to turn to enhance your Vroom, Vroom flying around the room experience 

Looking forward to seeing this

[raafif]

I paint a small area around the turrets with the appropiate colour while the fuselage is open, install the turrets when closing, then mask the glass & do the full cammo.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

Mostly shopping & gardening today, so I'll see what I can come up with tonight, or over the next couple of nights.

[Robomog]

This is a problem as it would be easier to paint the plane without the turrets. However, if I do that, there are parts that need to be fitted after the turrets are in to secure them in place

Araldite 

Must agree it is easier to paint with the turrets off, been down that road (perhaps not with this exact kit ) and modified the turrets to slip in after all the painting and just white glued in place.
Unless really want the turrets to turn to enhance your Vroom, Vroom flying around the room experience 

Looking forward to seeing this

I did a similar thing to Buzzbomb when I did a Tiger Force Lancaster,  basically sand off the locating ring on the turret so that it would slip in after painting. From memory there was still enough whacker to allow the turrets to turn and stay in, but i glued mine in fore and aft.

Looking forward to the finished article.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Old Wombat]

Some progress pic's to show that things are happening, if somewhat slowly:







The prop's are the Tempest prop's fitted with modified Lancaster bosses.

The guns at the back are 20mm Hispano Mk.II cannon from the Tempest kits, modified to fit into the Lanc turrets, with brass barrel ends for a 1/72 Hurricane IIc/IV, which used the same guns (I still have to make 2 more).


Cheers!


Guy

[GTX_Admin]

Looking good

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Greg!

[The Big Gimper]

Awesome re-assembly of bit and bobs from many sources Guy!

[apophenia]

Yes, looking good. And your turrets are most intriguing 

[Frank3k]

That front view is amazing! I know it's too late to change it, but it reminds me of a solid nose B-25 with .50 cals and a cannon.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, gents!

And your turrets are most intriguing 

Turrets are just the standard F.N.5A nose turret & early version F.N.20 rear turret (the Revell kit, unlike the Airfix kit, doesn't have the F.N.82 rear turret option) hacked up to fit the 20mm cannons.

I know it's too late to change it, but it reminds me of a solid nose B-25 with .50 cals and a cannon.

If you saw them side-by-side you would realise how weird that would look, she's easily twice the size of a B-25.

[finsrin]

Smooth integration of Tempest engines and the rest.   Four blade props add excitement.   Better interior finish than I can do. 
In primer looks kinda German.

[Old Wombat]

Thank you, Bill! Much appreciated!

[FAAMAN]

Just caught up with progress Wombat, superb as always, lookin' good 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, mate!

Just bought SMS's Lancaster paint set today, so camo painting shouldn't be too far away.

Lots of godawful masking between now & then, though.

[Buzzbomb]

Really is almost there.

Coming along swimmingly well, the subtle engine changes really work well

[Old Wombat]

 

[Old Wombat]

Right, cockpit glasshouse masking is done!

And so are my eyes!

Think I'll give them a bit of a rest, now, & come back to it in a while to do the other pre-painting bits.

[Old Wombat]

You know those little bits you find just before (or just after) you're about to make a major step towards finishing the model?

Well, I've just found a few!

Hopefully won't take long to fix but annoying, none the less.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

You know those little bits you find just before (or just after) you're about to make a major step towards finishing the model?

Well, I've just found a few!

Hopefully won't take long to fix but annoying, none the less.

Glad to see I am not the only one that suffers from this phenomena.  For me it seems that when the Carpet Monster has grown tired of hoarding the missing parts.  The missing part is then ejected from the carpet to some place that had been thoroughly searched previously to then be discovered again.  Then comes the fun part of trying to remember where you put the box that is the home to that same missing part so you can return it to the kit and pick up where you left off on that work in progress. 

[Old Wombat]

I wish the Vinyl Monster was as generous!

[Old Wombat]

Been doing a bit of pre-camo painting & tomorrow should be the Big Day (well, Evening) when the camo is, finally, started!

[Dr. YoKai]

Looking forward to the paint! Up arming the turrets is always a good idea.

[Buzzbomb]

Be worth the effort and the wait.