1/72 Matchbox Lancaster... with Extras

[Ikon]

So, I'm also building a 1/48 S6B for the Floatplane GB on Britmodeller (which I will not finish in time as I am awaiting paint and I am super slow on builds.) That one is on hold until the paint arrives, or until some time soon after, so I am going back to what I was doing for the Matchbox GB, and that is the 1/72 Lancaster - with extras...

 

Obligatory box-shot! I got this for $10 bucks while at a model show.

 

So I don't mind splurging on extras!

 

I have PE for the gear wells, IP and belts, resin for the tiny scoops to either side of the nacelles as well as 72 scale P-40 exhausts which are a close match, and aftermarket decals to spritz her up.

 

She'll end up being 'Fanlight Fanny,' cause I like the word 'fanny...'

 

I've been jumping around a bit as I went along, and I started off my cutting off the flaps.

 

Petty easy cause the separation lines are pretty wide and deep already.

 

They were then split and sanded down to scale smoothness. You can also see that I glued the noses on before the fuselage halves go together, as I was doing internal details for that area.

 

The join lines between the nose and sides was pretty bad. No simple glue-n-go with this.

 

Then I traced the openings for the flaps onto the upper wing just to mark out the area.

 

I then took regular scotch tape and drew on it to locate where the scratch-built ribs are going to go.

 

Then I grabbed some L-stock styrene, which lucky for me is just the exact height to reach between the inner wing surfaces! Lucky!

 

That was then glued and held in place while it dried. There is a bend in the wing, so I needed to slice the horizontal side to keep the styrene from buckling.

 

Good fit nearly all the way across!

 

The ends will need to be boxed in, but that's for later.

 

Wings, glued, taped and pinched!

 

I moved on from there to the fuselage. Since I'm adding so many extras, I figured I should make a first ever attempt at scribing panel lines. I'm keeping it simple, just using the raised lines from the kit (although those will be added too just to help the headaches reach their peak.)

 

First of course is using the raised lines to scribe, just using a pin in a vice and a steady hand.

 

The raised lines were then sanded off.

 

Then I learned that the crew door in the tail is in the wrong place, as in too far forward, so I set about moving that.

Scotch tape again!

 

After scribing that, it was back to the terrible join between the nose and the sides. I found superglue (CA) is a great and fast filler, so a lot was used here. That was then sanded smooth, along with some of those new panel lines...

 

During a test fit of the wings and the fuselage, I found a bit of flex that I did not want to bite me in my fanny later on. So I broke into my metal stash and found two rods of close diameters. The larger one is going to be fit through the fuselage, though it won't be glued in place to let there be some 'play' in the fit. The thinner rod will be cut and glued to the wings, which will then slip into the fuselage rod. Hopefully, that will give the added strength needed later one.

 

With that set aside, I turned to the interior, cleaning it out and building new.

 

The interior is built up mostly from blank styrene and a few kit parts.

 

The bulkhead between the bomber's position in the nose and the bomb bay was traced out against the curve of the belly.

 

A bit of simple detail.

 

 

The white 'boxes' will be the bases for the PE panels.

 

I then moved onto the IP. I used the kit part, just turned around rather than sanding it smooth, and glued on the PE instruments. These were self-adhesive, but that became a pain, especially as the PE started to gather 'fuz' that then needed to be cleaned off.

 

A test fit.

 

Then a first coat of paint as a pre-shade.

 

I through some pedals together. I could have done better, I see now and used thinner stock, but it is what it is.

 

And I modified the seat. The kit seat bares little resemblance to the real thing, other than it also being a seat. I used a hand saw to cut through the plastic between the armrests and the seat, then cut them back. I also cut down the sides on the top and rounded the top. The Tamiya tape is in place as a 'cushion,' and I pressed some lines in to represent pleating in the cushions.

 

Then it was back to the IP and further PE added to it. The tiny levers were a pain for my meathooks, so I just used thin wire instead.

 

 

After that I decided to do the jump seat that goes on the starboard side. It's collapsible, and I made the seat and backrest in the stowed position. They are little squares of stryene, with tape for fabric and on little wire rods for the mounting arms.

 

Finally, it was the yoke's turn. The kits is a yoke...

 

So I snipped off the top and made the yoke out of two diameters of wire, carefully glued together.

 

Then it was time to weather the inside.

 

Pilot's seat in place and PE belts added.

 

I think I got the height of the seat right.

 

After that, the 'glass' was put in, and the halves glued up.

 

Also took a quick moment to drop the elevators. Not done yet.

 

I went to the bomb bay after that. The kit comes with two sets of doors, two full sides and another with four pieces. The two long pieces that one would think would be a better fit turned out to be far worse. It wasn't until later that I realizes they are for a different bomb load. Since I am going for a 'generic' bomber I used the four pieced version, which unfortunately was not a great fit either. Test fitting showed a ledge running along the sides with a gap down the middle.

Deciding I'd rather deal with the middle gap, I glued them on, using styrene as bracing since I'm going to be sanded them eventually. Best give them a little support for when that happens.

 

The 'gap.'

 

And styrene filling it up.

 

Here it is all sanded, and with a bit of sprue speared through the side to add more stability to the fuselage. It's set there to help hide it in the wing root.

 

So polished it's glossy!

 

With that done, it was back to the wings, but not the flaps, not yet. It's the wingtip lights. And since I have an Airfix Lancaster which (I think!) has better detail, I decided to use it to transfer the shapes.

 

Call out the tape once more!

 

Then transferred, using the main panel lines on the wing to locate them, and cut out.

 

I then returned to the Airfix wings for the added panel lines absent from the Match wings.

 

I'm sure they're not 'exact' but they look good!

 

After that, the clear parts got a bath in Future.

 

I also decided to cut out the opening for the astrodome. And of course while drilling, I split the fuselage half way down... No pics, fortunately...

 

Here's a test fit of the turret shroud. Also not the best fit, but will do. The dark square on the back is black marker that was used to check the lines of the new crew door.

 

Then I decided to do the two lights that go under the wing, and should have been done before the wing halves were glued together... Not having done it then, I measured the width of some clear sprue and then drilled a couple right size holes. Should have used a clear rod though, as the sprue is not perfectly round. Oh well.

 

Each 'lens' was sanded smooth and painted silver on the inside end, and I also kept them long as I'd rather they butted against the top of the wing, rather then have them fall in, and be lost only to rattle on forever.

 

Looks good from a distance.

 

Now wing tip lights. I'm using plexi here, as it is thick enough to fill the void and it does not fog from superglue (CA).

 

sanding... sanding... sanding...

 

And done!

 

Or almost. Need to get those deeper scratches out.

 

The turret shroud was then added, and blended in with Mr Dissolved Putty. I should have done it like I normally do, as in add and swipe off until the layers build up to where I want them. Instead, I gooped it on and decided to sand it off, which took a lot longer than I wanted (and added a slight curve into the plastic as I sanded and sanded and sanded...)

 

With that finished, it was back to the flap bays, and boxing them in.

 

And onto the nacelles. For the inner nacelles, I've cut off the rear parts that go with the flaps and then sanded off all the details, scribing in panel lines as I went.

 

I'll have to redo some of those lines, then it was onto the faces. Of course, the faces hardly look like they are supposed to, so I had to cut into them and reshape them.

 

It took a bit to get all four looking as close as possible.

 

Now with the kit, you have to set the props in when the halves go together and I never like that, so I'm doing it so I can add them later. I'm leaving off Part 48. As instructed, Part 49 will be glued directly to the nacelle, so the prop can be slipped on and then off. Makes it a lot easier, cleaning up seams and when painting.

 

The prop shaft will be 'fattened' up with some superglue (CA) to keep them from slipping out during maneuvers.

 

 

And that's where I am right now on this one. Next is to make some details for the inside of the cowls.

 

More updates to follow!

 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Ikon

[JackMan]

Unreal!  I bow to your scratchbuilding skills, sir!  

 

A question:  How did you do those 3 inner 'bulbs' on the wing tip lights? Esp, the rounded 'dome' shape at the tip of each bulb?   Thank you.

Edited January 13, 2018 by JackMan

[southwestforests]

This is quite a project. And, honestly, I kinda like those Matchbox kits. Liked the style of their 1/72 figures, some of the WW2 tank and truck figures were quite nice.

[Major Walt]

I love this! You’ve done some very intricate styrene work there. This is going to be a stunner when finished 

[Ikon]

Thank you very much all! Hope to really get (re)started on Fanny on my day off Monday.

 

16 hours ago, JackMan said:

Unreal!  I bow to your scratchbuilding skills, sir!  

 

A question:  How did you do those 3 inner 'bulbs' on the wing tip lights? Esp, the rounded 'dome' shape at the tip of each bulb?   Thank you.

 

Actually pretty simple. When you have the plastic or plexi shaped to fit the wing, just drill a small hole into the plastic, then dip some paint in. Boom, bulb!

[Ikon]

I painted up the radiators, took a pic, and then gave them dark wash...

 

The PE parts are too wide of the nacelles, so I got out the dremel and grouted out some more room.

 

And then punched through with one of them. Doh!! No worries though. A little stretched sprue and glue, then a shave and it will be all well again.

[Thommo]

Oh goodie, a Matchbox kit, my favourite.  Great start on all the extra detailing.

 

I made this one OOB with my nephew over a week on Xmas hols once:

 

 

 

[Ikon]

4 hours ago, Thommo said:

Oh goodie, a Matchbox kit, my favourite.  Great start on all the extra detailing.

 

I made this one OOB with my nephew over a week on Xmas hols once:

 

Thank you, and that is a great looking Lanc!