On the Workbench - Avro Shackleton AEW + Beaufighter TF 10

Just a quick update while waiting for the filler to cure. I finally started the Revell Shackleton AEW last weekend - since the thing has been sat in the stash for a few years. (I bought the thing when it first came out). It makes a nice sideways change from the usual favourite of Lancasters.

This pic shows how the Shackleton is quite a different beast from it's Lancaster cousin - a fair bit bigger in wingspan and length. The main drawback I foresee is the considerable number of aerials, antennae, radio arrays and all the other bits just waiting to be pinged off to the carpet monster.

The plan is to paint it in sub-assemblies - the fuselage, the wings + tail (dry-fitted without glue at the moment) and engine pods. The whole lot is Extra Dark Sea Grey so masking is limited to the clear parts - ironically the paintwork will take less time than the Lancaster.

Lurking in the background is a finished Airfix Beaufighter TF 10 - an excellent kit in every respect aside from needing five hands to put the engine nacelles together. It turned out well in the end (after some muttering and cussing). Below is a pic of it just prior to having it's props and main gear fitted - the offending engine pods offering no evidence of the pitched battle to assemble them!

On the Workbench - Jan 2018 - Lancasters

It seems to be the case that Avro Lancasters are my most in-demand build. No sooner than I put one together - it gets snapped up and I then (of course) need to build another one. Unlike some models (triplanes.... shudders) I don't mind this one bit - most modern Lancaster kits are nice to build.

First up is this Airfix example in Tiger Force colours. Any future Lancs in this livery will be done using automotive rattle cans for the white bits if nothing else - because airbrushing white primer was an absolute pig to get right. I now remember why I don't do it! This has since sold at the end of last year.

Next up was a tandem build - that is, putting together two similar kits at the same time.

Building a gaggle of single-engine types like Folland Gnats, Spitfires, etc. is one thing - but assembling, painting and finishing a pair of Lancaster simultaneously?

You can indeed build 2 big models together with some organisation and planning. The painting of both was completed in one go, as was the decaling, final assembly and finishing touches. Only a few specific modifications were needed for the Dambuster; mainly the deleted upper turret and unique bomb cradle underneath.

One is a Mk III and the other is a Mk I (Special) - both Revell 1/72 scale. The finished Special is immediately below - the Mk III was pictured lying in bits on the side while the decal solution dried off.

One of the advantages of building the Revell tooling is that the wings can be built up as their own sub-assembly - then attached at quite a late stage in the build. It makes masking/painting so much easier.

Next up - perhaps the ultimate relative of the Lancaster - the Avro Shackleton.