Category: Build Diary

Apologies to all for missing the date for the Build diary by not one, but two weeks.  Amazingly all of the delays were due to the first step which will be covered in this entry.  To try and make up lost time, this build diary and the next diary will both cover twice as much work as usual.

Last time we covered the mounting of the first two engines, the creation of the second rudder, elevator and vertical stabiliser and the rehanging of the door.

For this diary we will cover our plans for the actual display of the model, the cutting of fuselage panels, the creation of the second inboard and outboard flaps, the second aileron, and the mounting of the last two engines.

During the two week hiatus in Build diary entries the archive team got together and discussed what would happen to the model once it has been finished.

Whilst we do not yet have anywhere to actually display the model, it was decided that a diorama of the aircraft being repaired on a dispersal would allow us to display the model to its best advantage, whilst providing a reason to make portions of the interior visible through removed panels (if anyone reading this has any of their own ideas that they think might be better please comment and we’ll definitely consider them).

We haven’t yet reached a decision on which aircraft this model will be displayed as, if anyone has any ideas or preferences, please let us know in the comments (photo documentation would be a bonus).

Part of the result of this decision was the realisation that the door in the tail of the model would need to be open and the ladder in place to allow the crew to board, so they were both removed from their places in the tail section of the model and the door was rehung in an open position.

The first piece of work to actually move this model towards completion was cutting around 140 aluminium panels out of metal sheets.  Of these 72 are for the bomb-bay doors alone(!).

This was achieved by securing a sheet of templates to the top of the aluminium sheet.

And then using a sharp knife to first cut out the template,

And then the panel, this was achieved by repeated scoring the metal with the knife (sometimes more than a dozen times for a single cut) until the sheet had been cut through.

This whole task involving five sheets of metal took almost two weeks to complete by itself and consumed nine knife blades.  These pictures are of the cut out panels (minus the bomb-bay doors) laid out as the will be in the finished model.

These were then all put aside until they will actually be used.

With that done it was time to move on to the parts for the model itself.

As ever, with these diaries, the first thing to be done was to cut out the parts for any structural components, in this case an aileron and inboard flap.

Which were then assembled.

Before stringers were added (also seen here is the outboard flap to replace the one I built backwards last time.

These parts were then sanded down and put aside until they could be finished.

Next came the task of marking out the rivet marks across all of the panels for this diary, using the frame as a guide.

With that done, we moved on to assembling the engine mounts (this picture is from the last build diary as I forgot to take a picture at this stage).

With this done the next task was to paint all of the pieces.

Having done that, the flaps could be installed in the trailing edge sections.

The smaller parts for the cockpit could be put together.

And the Pilot’s chair could be finished off by adding the side and foot plates, legs and seat control.

It was also at this stage that the four document holders were glued into the cockpit, next to the pilot’s position.

Followed by the flight engineer’s seat and the chairs for the Wireless operator and navigator.

Next, two control rods were glued into both the aft bomb-bay section and the cockpit section of the fuselage.

Before we finally moved on to adding the panels to the wings and ailerons.

Once they had been built the ailerons then had panel lines scribed into their surface with a sharp knife (unlike the rest of the wing the ailerons were often fabric covered).

And the last panels to be attached were the two sides of the cockpit.

Then we moved on to adding the wiring harnesses to the inboard engine mounts.

Before mounting them on the wing main-spar section of fuselage (at this stage we also glued the two inboard fuel tanks into their bays).

And finally mounted the two engines onto the frames.

Then we finished off the framework for the second outboard engine nacelle.

The final stage of construction for this build diary involved taking these parts.

Which were used to bridge the gap between the tail section and the mid upper gun section of the aft fuselage, whilst also filling in the area near the tail wheel.

A red wire was also run from the horizontal stabiliser’s spar forwards, and was run as far forward as the rear spar of the wing.

With the two aft-most sections joined it was possible to add the other three main sections of the fuselage, joining them together so that the stringers lined up.

And finally adding the two inboard trailing edge sections to finish off the main structure.

Leading to it being possible to stand the model on its own three legs at long last.

Bringing us to this diaries’ conclusion.

Next week we will be starting to fill in the bomb-aimer’s position, adding more details to the wings, cladding more of the fuselage and attaching the wings to the model.

Two weeks ago we added a wing-tip to the new starboard wing of the model, added the skin to the leading edge of the other wing and added a door into the rear fuselage.

Over the last two weeks we’ve been working on two of the engine mounts, the tail wheel, the fourth engine, and the second vertical stabiliser, rudder and elevator.

As always here are all of the parts for the diary’s work laid out together.

The first task that was attacked was the assembly of the major parts of the two outboard engine mounts and their nacelles.

These were then set aside until they could be painted.

Next the tailwheel and the two outboard engine oil tanks were assembled (I hadn’t noticed at this point that the hubs of the tail wheel should be black).

Following the smaller parts, the emphasis moved on to the larger assemblies.

First, removing the parts from their frets.

Before assembling them into their various structures.

And adding the stringers and sanding them into shape, it was at this point that I noticed that the outboard trailing edge flap had been built the wrong way around.  To date the replacement parts have not arrived, hopefully they will by next week.

Next, I rivet marked the “skin” of the elevator.

Before removing a section of the frame of the tail section to allow the tail wheel to be installed.  At the same time I returned to the door which was installed last week and modified the position of the latch-hold and the shape of the surrounding door-frame to allow the door to open.  Unfortunately the shape of the hinges seem to prevent the door from opening smoothly.

At this stage it was possible to paint everything in green and black (with a little silver).

Before beginning the final assembly by installing the tail wheel.

Followed by assembling engine four.

With these two assemblies complete, our attention turned to the engine mounts, first drilling holes into the bulkheads, and into the skin of the underside of the port wing.

Then, the electrical boards were added to the two bulkheads, along with the frame for the engine nacelle.

Before priming and painting the area within and around the nacelle.

And adding the oil tank and the last bits of the nacelle framework.

The rear end of the nacelle done, we next added the beginning of a wiring harness to the engine mounts.

Before attaching them to the bulkhead, and installing the engines.

With the big jobs done, we finished off by adding the arched piece to the head of the cockpit, and two frame formers to the mid-upper turret mount.

Attached the only outboard flap to the relevant wing (the missing skin panel behind the flap was replaced after installation).

The skin and some small details were added to the elevator.

More skin was added to the wing main-spar section.

And a small, silver cable was added to the interior of the starboard vertical stabiliser.

Bringing us to the conclusion of this build diary.

Next week we will be adding the other two engine mounts to the wing main spar, adding many of the remaining cockpit instruments and adding the remaining skin panels to the two wings.

Last week we installed the second set of undercarriage into the wing mid-section.

This week we worked on building the door to go in the rear fuselage, finishing off the starboard wing, and adding some skin panels to the port wing.

We started (as ever) by laying out the parts for this week.

The first thing to work on was the wing-tip, so the parts were extracted from the fret, and smoothed off.

Before using some of them to extend the frame on the wingtip to hold the two plate-like pieces.

Then the two wing-tip sheets were attached to the frame and to each other with a set of clamps to hold them at the right curvature until the glue had dried.

Whilst the glue was drying we started on the door.  Taking the outer skin panel and the fret with the door frame.

Cutting the pieces out of the fret.

And using the door’s skin as a template for assembling them.

Once both the door-frame and the wing had dried we then added stringers to provide a surface to work with, and added filler around the edges of the wing-tip to seal any gaps.

As the filler was setting we added the engine mount to the wing.

Once the filler had completely set the wingtip was sanded into a smooth curve.

Before being set aside to be painted.

Next, we took the other wing and used masking tape to position the new skin panels in the right places, applying marks where rivets needed to be imitated.

And then did exactly that before setting all of the pieces aside to be painted (on the inside at least).

It was at this point that we painted everything in either green or black.

Before we began to assemble the door.  First, the frame was glued to the outer panel.

Before adding the casing around the door handle (having first filed it down so that it actually fit).

And finally adding the other plate, the door-handle and latch-bar (which had to be glued to each other but not the door), and the two hinges.

This assembly was fitted into place along with a latch-hold into the aft fuselage.  Unfortunately, the door-frame in the fuselage angles inwards, precluding the door from actually opening, but this could be solved with some modification.

Next, the outer and intermediate fuel tanks assembled a few weeks ago were glued into the starboard wing.  Completing this assembly for now.

Finally, the five pieces of “skin” were attached to the port wing, and filler applied along the edges.

Leading us to this week’s conclusion.

Next week I will be on holiday, so the week after I will post two weeks work, including the last engine, starting on the engine mountings, the second elevator, vertical stabiliser and rudder, and a few other smaller pieces of the build.

Again, I have to apologise to everyone for a (slightly) late build diary.  I’ll explain why this instalment was late so soon after the previous one later, but suffice to say it involved a set of small but essential parts being missing.  Without further ado let’s continue with the build diary.

Last week we finished off the ammunition feeds, built a wing, and added some hydraulics to the mid-upper turret section of fuselage.

This week we spent the entire time adding the port undercarriage to the model.  These were the parts to be involved in the process.

The first thing to do was to take the forward and aft bulkheads of the undercarriage bay and mark them up for rivet marking (including a gap for a frame to be attached).

These lines were then followed with a pin-wheel.

And the bulkheads, along with many of the other pieces were set aside to be covered with primer and then painted black.

Following this the forwards arms were painted green, and the unnecessary paint and primer was removed by sanding it off.  We also assembled the wheel at the same time.

At this point some of the small, valve style objects were added to the cabling around the port-side airduct to match the starboard side.

And then others were added to the interior of the undercarriage bay along with the two bulkheads.

This allowed some of the “hydraulics” to be installed before the undercarriage legs which simplified the process somewhat.

The forward pivots were also added to the frame at this stage.  As you can see the wing leading edge frames were removed to give a bit more space to work in.

Next, a set of “bolt heads” small circular pieces of metal were added to the parts of the undercarriage legs.

Before a few extra details were added to the main support structure for the wheel.

Then, finally, we could begin assembling the undercarriage, starting with the two legs which slot into the aft-bulkhead.

Which we then installed.

Before finishing off the “hydraulic” cabling.

As we then moved on to add the rest of the under carriage legs it was discovered that four screws and their attendant nuts were not included in the parts which had been provided.  This lead to a two day delay whilst another bag of parts was obtained.

With the screws now available the undercarriage could be finished off by adding the shock absorber struts, which in the real aircraft would be filled with oil and air to the pressure of 1000 pounds per square inch (here we just get a couple of small springs).

And connecting the upper legs to them.

Finally, the shock absorber struts could be swung into place and connected to the two forwards pivot points.

With the main structure of the under carriage now in place, the frame parts and engine mount could be reinstalled.

Before the springs were put into the legs and the wheel installed.

Giving the wing centre section two wheels.

Bringing us to this week’s conclusion.

Next week we will be finishing off the structure of the starboard wing, and adding the leading and trailing edge skin to the other wing.

Sorry to all for last week’s unexpected hiatus, a combination of factors meant that I was unable to complete the week’s build in a timely manner.  To make up there is an extra-long build diary this week.

Last time we built the second horizontal stabiliser and added the first of the ammunition feeds to the rear turret.

This time we will be finishing off the ammunition feeds, building the starboard wing and adding a plethora of other details.

The parts for this build diary are shown here:

The first thing to be assembled was the wing, beginning by laying out the pieces.

And then assembling the frame work.

And then adding the stringers.

The wing was then set aside to be finished off in the future.

Next came building the two fuel tank covers and the “step” for the last of the hydraulic pumps to go in the aft fuselage.

These are the parts.

Which were removed from the frets.

(I forgot to photograph the others)

And then assembled.

Before the two fuel tank covers had their stringers installed.

(Again I forgot to take a photograph of the other cover)

These were then set aside to be painted later.

We then took the parts for the last ammunition box.

And assembled them.

Before also putting the box aside to be painted.

We then moved on to assembling the hydraulic pump, and the three small tanks which will be attached to the outside of the undercarriage bay.

Once this was done the three tanks were attached to a pair of small frames to space them properly.

Next came assembly of the wing-tip and intermediate fuel tanks, pictured here is the wing-tip tank (with the two pieces of metal which will act as its straps), which in reality can hold up to 114 gallons of fuel each.  Here it is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand.

The two tanks were then set aside until the rest of the parts were ready.

Continuing the theme of assembling parts, it was at this stage that the second ammunition feed was assembled.

With all of the assembly possible for now complete, we next moved on to the pieces of skin metal.

Two for the fuselage between the wings, and two to cover the starboard side of the centre section of the wings.

These were then rivet marked.

And set aside for painting.

Finally, for the pre-painting phase of construction the small details for the fuel tanks, hand rail, and engine electrical board were placed on pieces of masking tape to hold them in place.

We also used a sharp knife to remove the port-side engine bulkhead from the wing centre section.  Removing these two pieces allows much freer access when installing the undercarriage, and the oil tank.

At this stage all of the parts were painted allowing the final stages of work for this week to begin.

First the last of the ammunition containers was finished off by gluing the “ammunition” into the open top.

And then gluing the box to the other ammunition box finished last week.

Before gluing both into the fuselage.

Next, the two sections of skin for the centre fuselage were glued to the frame behind the wing root.  The other two pieces of skin prepared and painted for this build diary won’t be attached for a while.

Then the hydraulics and brackets for the ammunition feeds were attached to the detached portion of the fuselage.

This piece of fuselage was then reattached.

Whilst that was drying attention moved to finishing off the two fuel tanks and the second engine oil tank.

The two fuel tanks prepared earlier in this diary were then test fitted along with their covers in the starboard wing.

With the parts painted it was possible to assemble the third engine.

And install the left and right linings for the port undercarriage bay.

Followed by putting the array of three tanks onto the exterior of the under carriage bay and running three bits of wire to replicate piping.

Then we installed the pieces of the starboard ammunition feed and the two rudder and elevator control rods into the aft-most section of fuselage.

Before doing the same with the mid upper turret section of the fuselage.

And finishing off by attaching the oil tank, engine control board and wires to the engine bulkhead removed earlier.

Bringing everything to a close for another build diary.

Next week we’ll be adding the port-side undercarriage.

Please comment if you have any suggestions or issues, one of the big questions for the future of this project is, which aircraft should we finish this model as?  If you have any suggestions we would be grateful.