realworkingsailor

Thanks, everyone, for your continued kind remarks and likes! She's got legs! While the main landing gear struts are from the kit, the main wheels and tail wheel/wheel strut are aftermarket from Eduard/Brassin. There is no real difference between the resin and styrene tailwheel castings, but the main wheel replacements have the "Dunlop Aero" stamp on the sidewalls, whereas the kit supplied wheels don't. The main wheels themselves actually snap fit into the strut, so they can spin, but they include a flat spot to simulate the weight of the aircraft bearing on the tire. The left engine is just dry fit for the moment. I'm going to leave the remaining panel off to show off some of the parts, as if the ground crew had some work to do on the engine (probably some adjustments to the timing, as the distributor was located on the right side of the engine). I have a little touch up work yet to be done on the engine paintwork and the left engine can be glued in place. Following which I can begin working on the landing gear and bomb bay doors. Andy

Looks great Kevin! You should be proud, you’re doing an awesome job! Andy

Was the prototype one continuous bent pipe or was it joined segments? Have you considered trying Plastruct tubing? If it was a segmented pipe, they also make elbows (90 and 45) in a variety of sizes: https://www.plastruct.com/collections/tubing-amp-fittings-2/butyrate#MainContent Otherwise you could try gently heating and bending some solid styrene rod of the correct diameter. I’ve done that before by gently holding it near a hot soldering iron until it becomes malleable enough, but not too soft to melt into goo. Andy

Although I foresee more fiddly bits with the landing gear and bomb bay doors, I’m too close to finishing to let something like that hold things up! 😁 Andy

Thanks guys! Looks like the left engine cowlings have the same issue. I really shouldn’t be surprised, but knowing there’s a workable fix, I’m a little less disappointed. Of course, if I was to leave the middle cowling open to view the engine, I wouldn’t have to bother with the fix…. Until some wise guy thinks to check with a measuring tape… hmm…. Andy

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement and suggestions. I am pleased to report that we are now flying on one engine... no propellor, but we've got an engine! The insert is barely noticeable, it's located at the seam on the engine cowling at the 11 o'clock position. This seam is by design, as the engine cowlings are composed of three separate panels. A little weathering and some Dullcote and things will be just fine. Onwards! Andy

I have some thin strip, I believe 0.010”x0.060”, that should work. I don’t think I have to split the piece, the latch detail is only on one end, the other just has some raised bumps suggesting interior hinges. I’ve glued the piece with the latches together, so the gap is now on the other side compared to the photo above. All I will need to do after inserting my filler is hide the seam. I hope 🤞 Andy

Well, this is somewhat disheartening... I think someone didn't measure right, or rounded pi wrong.... Eduard... I'm looking at you! 🤨 Oh, yeah, and those engine mounting brackets.... Yeah... that's not gonna happen either, that's a level of finicky that I am ill equipped to deal with (in regards to tools, patience and sanity). I will attempt one more time on the other engine (maybe it will be easier if I change the order of operations a bit and do the brackets first before installing the fin ring. I dunno... We shall see. In the interim I have this problem now to solve as well. Time to break in to my styrene stash. Hopefully this won't fix won't end up looking too ugly...... Andy

According to the box info, this one was in the Battle of France (given the red/white/blue fin flash was located on the rudder itself, French fashion), but if it survived that one, I'm sure it was involved in the other. For lack of a better descriptor, it's a cute little kit and I'm looking forward to getting in to it. I will build it mostly out of the box, but seeing as there's parts for different versions, I may mix and match a little bit here and there. I'm thinking of taking a few liberties with the paint job, I prefer the sky green underside over the black and white, and I'm going to attempt to restore the yellow outer ring to the fuselage roundel. More on all that when the time comes! Thanks everyone for the kind comments and likes. I'm getting back underway with the engines, now that I can get the various components primed and painted. First up the right engine: After fitting the fin ring, there are various plumbing pieces on the top, which I think have some function with the supercharger, as well as the carburetor located underneath: Next up is to add all the finicky little engine mount brackets, and then the cowlings. I plan on displaying this engine with the cowlings closed, so any errors made when figuring things out will be hidden. I've already begun picking at the left engine. Out of the factory, for whatever reason, the left engine had a longer exhaust pipe than the right. Later on the right engines also received this extended exhaust pipe, and later still both engines received the hedgehog-like diffuser found on the Bristol Hercules engine (hedgehog like the animal, not the ASW mortar). Andy

Thanks, guys, for your kind comments! And thanks to everyone for the "likes"! So, a bit of good news, I few supplies showed up today, including a can of Tamiya primer, yay! I needed some wider masking tape as well, and I got a set of RAF figures to help "flesh" out my plans for displaying my Wellington. Some time in the new year I will look into getting the RAF bomber resupply set and.. I... uh... HEY! What's that in the top right background?! How did that get there?! Sigh..... ah well.... 🙄 Andy

Thanks, everyone for the continued "likes"! Just another small update to show that progress is still being made. The nose and tail turrets have been built and installed. Depending on how I weather the plane, I may yet need to add another coat of Dullcote when all is said and done, so I have not yet fixed them permanently, and I may leave it that way. They fit quite snugly into place (they're not going to randomly drop out), and, although they're not designed to rotate freely, I'd rather maintain a little flexibility. When I painted the clear parts I made a conscious decision to avoid using primer (despite the fact that I had run out, I never planned to in the first place). To a degree the opposite inside of the "glass" is visible, so instead I used a silver/aluminium base layer, followed by a black top coat. This allows the inside to appear "metal" rather than primer grey, as well through incidental handling, the silver on the various rivet heads and sharp areas became visible as the black was slightly worn off, giving it a bit of a weathered look in places. I've seen a few prototype photos where the black paint appears to have been fairly well worn off (chipped or otherwise blasted off), so a little silver highlighting is not uncalled for. I followed the same approach for the cockpit canopy (although with a brown top layer), to the same effect. I will hold off on that installation as well, until the last moment. Andy

I think lettering/decalling has got to be one of my favourite parts of any build. The moment a model is given an identity it gains a story and a reflection of history. I feel the same way whether it be a piece of model railway rolling stock, or a ship, or an airplane. Today, that part of my build has been accomplished, and for the first time, my Wellington model (although still incomplete), actually IS something. The Airfix supplied decals are of fairly good quality. The decal film was a little thicker than what I'm used to with some model railway suppliers, but since the surfaces are reasonably flat (and the decals reasonably large), it wasn't an issue to get the lettering to sit down nicely. That being said, a gloss coating is absolutely necessary to achieve good results. I like that Airfix included a number of technical stencils to go along with the main lettering, as tedious as it is to apply them. I don't remember these stencils being included in the Airfix kits I made many many years ago, so I'm glad they've made that improvement. Once the decals have had a chance to completely dry (and I've conducted a thorough close inspection for bubbles), I'll go ahead and seal everything up with a shot of Dullcote. I'm still working on getting some more primer, the main issue I've run into is shipping fees. I got most of the paint for this model from Sunward Hobbies in Toronto (they have pretty good service, and I'd recommend them), the problem is that their free shipping starts at orders of $60. Seems a little ridiculous to pay the price of a can of primer to ship a single can of primer. So how to make up the $60? Well, I've been looking at making a little diorama for this plane, since I'd noticed Airfix also makes an RAF bomber resupply set. Unfortunately someone bought the set that Sunward had in stock the day I ran out of primer. It seems I have no choice but to wait until they restock, hopefully that won't take too long... In the mean time, there's a couple of small jobs I can do, such as the gun turrets. But I have to wait to finish the engines, bomb bay, bomb bay doors, landing gear (including the aftermarket wheels) and landing gear doors. Oh, and some bombs too.... Andy

Thanks Kevin! No worries, glad to have you join in! Andy

Hi Kevin, things are on hold for the moment. As you’ve noticed, I’m currently busy on my Wellington bomber project. I’m hoping to wrap that one up by around Christmas, and then I expect to get back to making progress here. (If I don’t get sidetracked with something else🤪). Andy

Looks great Kevin! Those gantries really turned out nice. I wonder if you might get a good effect by lighting your crosses indirectly. Say for example making them out of acrylic and gluing a red LED externally at the base, or behind, and letting the internal refraction do the work. It’s just a thought, I’m sure you’ll figure it out and it will be as spectacular as the rest of your build so far. Andy

Well, I ran into a small snag today. Nothing that can’t be surmounted, and it doesn’t require any steps backwards (deconstruction etc.). No broken or lost pieces, or anything like that. As I said, just a teeny tiny snag…. I was getting back to working on the engines, and I went to prime the cowling parts, got part way through and the can sputtered….spat….wheezed… aaaand that was it. The last gasps of propellant slowly sissled out of the nozzle. Dang it! Outta primer…. Nuts (or something to that effect). A frantic search of the usual hiding spots turned up nothing. The dregs of the can didn’t really coat the parts well, and I decided to clean that off with a few dabs of lacquer thinner, so I ended up right back where I started. I guess I’ll have to get on with decaling…. Thanks again everyone for the kind comments and likes. Your encouragement is most appreciated. Andy

You’re talking to an old hand when it comes to decals😉😁 I have some Testors Glosscote and Dulcote on hand for just such an eventuality (as well as Microsol setting solutions). And as for weathering I do have these: I have all kinds of things hidden in my stash… 😁😁 Andy

Thanks everyone, although I had hopes of a more philosophical discussion regarding stripes, I still appreciate all the kind remarks!😁 Well, nerves wracked, or otherwise, the masking tape came off this afternoon. Big sigh of relief, it worked: Very little touch up to do, and most of that is on the engine nacelle forward ends (and those parts are only yet held on by poster putty, so easy to fix). I'm very happy with the way it turned out, hopefully the experts will agree. The sacrificial canopy and window masks will stay on for a while yet, at least until after the decals are applied and sealed. I can't express how relieved I am, and I can't believe how close I am to finishing. Still a bit of work to do on the engines, and other small details, but I think this is now the single largest task behind me. Whew! Andy PS Hopefully We get some brighter weather soon, it's rather dull and gloomy right now, not good for photography.

So this now begs the existential question: Were RAF aircraft brown with green stripes or green with brown stripes? Something to ponder over. All masked up and ready for the black. (Sitting in my improvised, cut-down, Triscuit crackers box paint stand 😁) Andy

Hello everyone, thanks for all the likes! A small-ish update for today, first paint has been applied. Always a bit nerve wracking (Have I forgotten anything? Is this masking enough? Hopefully this works🤞). Anyway, worries aside, it was time: This feels like a mail order modeller's worst nightmare... "What can Brown do for you?" A little bit more curing, and it will be time to mask up for the green camo pattern, and bring to an end this horrible UPS ad... Andy

You can get away with a little bit more when brush painting, but, yeah, you’re apt to get better results if you use a properly compatible thinner. Andy

I had never heard or read that, I had to do a little digging. Although it’s not clearly stated, I suspect it’s possibly due to people leaving their airbrushes (or parts) soaking in Windex for a couple of days or more. I’ve sprayed enough straight Windex when cleaning and I’ve not noticed any loss of chrome on my airbrush. Andy

Hi Popeye! I was feeling very liked this morning, now I know why 😁 Glad to have you aboard, and that you’re enjoying learning about how the other half did things. Thanks for the kind words, hopefully I can live up to all expectations! Andy

I am far from being an expert, and it's been a few years, but I do have some experience airbrushing with acrylic. I agree that acrylics are not the easiest to spray, you have to really know your equipment, and what adjustments can be made to achieve a desired result (different sized needles, air pressures, those sorts of things). I can begin to make suggestions as every airbrush is different in construction and adjustment, so it's something that each person should become familiar with on their own. Not to go on a rant or anything, but I've seen what I consider to be misleading information/advice floating around MSW regarding acrylics and thinners. I've seen people swear up and down that acrylics can be thinned down with water with no problems. This is not a good approach for airbrushing. Most hobby acrylics that I've painted with use some form of glycol ethers or isobutanol as their solvents. These are types of alcohol that evaporate readily in air (which is why hobby acrylics cure quickly), and because alcohol and water do mix, after a fashion, it's given rise to the myth that acrylics are "water based". Thinning acrylics down to a consistency suitable for airbrushing using water will break down the paint matrix. Acrylic binders do not dissolve in water (otherwise you could clean up dried acrylic paint with it), and by diluting the alcohol, the curing process begins (which leads to gummed up airbrushes). The trick with airbrushing is to use a compatible thinner that will forestall this curing process as long as possible. I've used thinners made specifically for the paint I was using, or, for a cheaper alternative, window cleaner, such as Windex. I've never had any issues with the blue tint of Windex affecting the paint colour, even white. I think it's safe to say, with a properly adjusted airbrush and correctly thinned paint, airbrushing with acrylics can be relatively hassle free. For what its worth, I painted the tuscan red on this brass model railway car with acrylics (thinned with Windex) using a Grex GenisisXT airbrush (the primer was rattle can Tamiya): Andy

In between messing with the motors, I've been also slowly getting things ready for painting. Installing the numerous windows has been fairly straight forward. As I discussed way back at the beginning, I will leave these clear so there's at least some view of the interior. Although the window is not glued in yet, the bomb aimer's window had a little extra PE framing to be added. I've seen a few up-close images of this area on the prototype and the framing is quite prominent. I'm surprised that Airfix didn't include that detail, but I guess for simplicity it was omitted. I do intend to model the aircraft as it may have appeared on the ground, bomb bay, crew entry and cockpit windows open. I was worried how I was going to be able to effectively mask all these areas. Thankfully there are many options on how to finish the plane, and plenty of extra parts. I figure with a little bit of poster putty I can secure some of these parts in their proper openings, temporarily, to make masking off these areas easier. The landing gear doors fit rather snugly, so there's no need there. The crew hatch just needed a little modification of the mounting tabs and it slotted in nicely. Only the bomb bay is rather loose. One of the areas requiring careful though was how to paint aircraft while showing the cockpit windows open (side window slid back). Following the convention of installing the windows, masking and then painting, I would have been left with a large, unsightly grey square where the window would sit (the recess just behind the canopy in the above photo). For whatever reason, beyond the two option of windows open or closed, Airfix provided a third canopy, probably for a different variant model. Anyway, this will be a sacrificial canopy to safely cover the cockpit. I've also made up some styrene plugs to cover mounting holes to be later occupied by details I'm worried will be too fragile, or at risk of getting snagged while masking/painting (spray paint will exploit any weakness in masking are droplets could end up anywhere inside). Things are quickly coming together, and I was just taking stock of what parts were left on the styrene sprues. (Not many!) Andy