Category: Build Diary

Welcome back to week 14 of this build diary, last week we covered the fitting out of the Navigator’s position, the creation of the first of the vertical stabilisers, and the installation of some of the hydraulics in the aft fuselage.

This week we will be covering the first part of the ammunition feed system, building the second horizontal stabiliser and adding some skin to the underside of the port wing.

As ever we start by examining this week’s parts.

The first step was to temporarily attach the skin panels to the wing and then to each other to hold them in place for the next step.

Then the panels were attacked with a rivet maker and a ruler to give the proper pattern.

These two panels were then put aside to be primed and painted (on the inside).

We next moved on to building the horizontal stabiliser.  First the sheets of parts were laid out.

Before removing all of the components from them.

After that it was a simple matter of assembling the pieces.

And adding stringers.

Before this assembly was also set aside to be painted.

Similarly, the third ammunition box was assembled from its parts.

Before also being set aside to be painted.

Following priming and painting, we returned briefly to the wing panels to install the two lights in the underside of the wing.

First, a bulb shaped piece of plastic was placed inside each of the bowls, before the whole thing was closed off with a piece of clear plastic.  Finally, these assemblies were glued to the inside of the wing panelling.  At the same time two short lengths of stringer were removed to allow the lights to fit into the wing.

Then the panels were attached to the wing.

Similarly, we also painted and finished off the second ammunition box.

And painted the ammunition trays.

Before putting together the more complex section of the feed. A Lancaster’s stainless steel ammunition tracks and ammunition boxes held 2,500 rounds of 0.303 inch ammunition for each of the rear turret’s four Browning machine guns.

And then glued all of the parts into the fuselage.

Bringing us to the end of this week’s work.

Next week we’ll be building the other wing and finishing off the ammunition feeds.

Last week we installed some doors into the aft-most section of the fuselage, and removed the side of the mid-upper turret’s section to install some “hydraulics.”

This week we worked on the cockpit, a bit more of the hydraulics and the vertical stabiliser.

The parts for this week were:

The first task was to build the vertical stabiliser and its rudder, beginning with removing all of the pieces from their frets.

These came together relatively swiftly, the most time consuming part was sanding them into shape.

As before, at this point I couldn’t resist a dry run of the assembly.

I then put these parts aside for painting.

Next I put together the two small assemblies which could be assembled prior to painting, the second of the ammunition containers and a control panel.

I also added rivet marks to the frame to go on the back of the pilot’s chair.

Before setting everything aside to be primed and painted.

Looking ahead in the instructions at this point I decided that, much like last week, I would have to remove the side of the cockpit section in order to make my work as straight forwards as possible.

I also thought that it would be easiest to fit the Navigator’s instruments (these would have been done in early August otherwise) before closing the section back up, so I passed the relevant pieces to my father to assemble.

I then placed the instruments into the Navigator’s position.

I now painted all of the parts set aside prior to this point.

Before completing the assembly of the second ammunition container and gluing it to the first.

And then gluing them into place above the aft-end of the bomb-bay.

Next, I attached the frame to the back of the pilot’s chair.

Before adding an oxygen bottle.

Then I trimmed down and inserted the silver rod into the vertical stabiliser.

And glued the fire extinguisher into the cut-out section of fuselage.

I then first glued the front piece of the electrical panel to the piece of paper showing the dials.

Before trimming the paper and gluing the assembly to the body of the panel.

This was set aside to be added to the model later in this diary.

Next I coiled a small piece of wire and added it to the panel assembled near the beginning of this build diary.

This panel, and the hydraulic reservoir were then added to the hydraulics added last week.

Before I added a pair of hand rails to the same section.

Finally, I returned to the cockpit, first adding the two small box shaped pieces to the cut-out section, and adding wires from them to the engineer’s instruments.

Before threading a series of wires into the frame and connecting them to the terminals of the panel, which was itself glued to the frame.

I then put the cockpit back together, threading the wires through the rest of the frame, and gluing the cut-out section back into place (putting in new stringers to replace the once which had broken when the section was cut out).

This task brought this week’s task to its close.

Next week we’ll be adding skin to the underside of the port wing, building the other side of the horizontal stabiliser and adding the first of the ammunition feeds to the model.

Last week there was a very long build diary covering all of the work I had to carry out to catch up to where I should have been.

This week we focused on some of the interior of the model.  But as always first we begin with a picture of this week’s parts.

The first thing which I did was glue the metal parts together into subassemblies.  Including the six small metal panels which went onto the elevator.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photographs of the elevator this week, but these are the other metal subassemblies.

Next, I added rivet marks to the piece of “skin” which was to go on the underside of the starboard wing trailing edge.

Having done this I put all of the metal parts aside to be primed and painted later.

Then, I began putting together the flap corresponding to the same trailing edge as the skin.

First, I removed all of the pieces from the fret.

Then I put it all together.

And put it aside to be painted.

Next was building the stand for the hydraulic pumps which would be added to the model later.

I then modified the starboard wing trailing edge with two metal strips and two of the pieces from the fret with the flap to form a small triangular cut-out at the rear-inboard edge.

As you can see in the photo above I also masked off the assembly for painting.

Next came the most difficult part of this week’s construction.  The installation of the hydraulics required working in extremely tight confines.

So the decision was taken to remove the side of the section in question.

This made it somewhat easier to access the interior of the model.

I then put this section aside until I had finished painting the various subassemblies.

And then put some of the pieces together even further (Hydraulic pumps, doors, and rails and a parachute).

I next decided to place the doors into the rearmost fuselage.  The main problem was, how to hold them in place long enough to get both doors in?  I settled on creating a jig out of five cocktail sticks and an elastic band which can be seen here.

This provided a temporary ledge I could place the doors onto as the glue dried.

Then I installed an oxygen bottle and the four hand rails into the aft-most portion of the fuselage.

And a ladder into the area just above the door.

Making this section nearly complete (except for the turret, skin, a light and the two ammunition feeds).

I now installed the skin onto the wing trailing edge.

And finally moved onto installing the hydraulics for which I had removed the side of a section of fuselage.

And I placed the parachute behind the pilot’s position in the cockpit.

This brings us to the end of this week’s work.  I have left the side off of the model as there are several more additions to make to the hydraulics in that section before it’ll be complete.

Next week we’ll be adding the port-side vertical stabiliser and rudder, and adding an electrical panel and its attendant wiring to the cockpit.

I am sorry that there has been such a long gap since the last entry.  I had some scheduled leave and I also made a fairly colossal error in the early stages of week 11s build.  To try and make up for the hiatus, I’ve worked hard to catch up to where we should be at this stage.

As a reminder, this is where we were at the end of diary 10;

Having put in the flare chute, the jack, a couple of parachutes and a life raft.

This time we had these three sets of pieces;

First: the skin for the top-side of the port wing, another cover for a fuel tank, the parts to make a flap, and some internal details including the Elsan toilet, first aid kit and a parachute.

Second: the parts for the port-side horizontal stabiliser (tail plane), and the attached elevator, the air vent to go behind the wing leading edge on the port side, and internal details including a pair of fire axes, equipment pouches, and a compass.

Finally: the parts to make the port aileron, the skin for the elevator, flap and port wing trailing edge, and an ammunition box and tool box for the interior.

Clearly, a lot to do.

First, I started by taking the parts for the flap,

And assembled them using the jig provided (seen here partially removed).

Next I did the same with the frame for the port fuel tank cover.

Before adding stringers to both of the pieces.

Then I began on the most troublesome part of this build, preparing the three panels for the top of the wing.  This is where troubles arose that led to a significant delay for this build diary, as I had to start again.

First, I used masking tape to position the three sheets in the correct places and secured them to one another.

Then I used the locations of the frames and stringers to mark out where rivet lines should be.

Before applying the rivet lines.

I then set these pieces aside until I could paint them.

Next, I attached the strips of metal with holes in to the proper places on both the wing and the flap.

Before attaching the hinges.

Then I inserted the metal details into the wing leading edge assembled in the previous diary.

And proceeded to assemble the metal and resin parts which needed gluing together.

Next, I began work on the tail-plane, removing the parts from the fret.

Before assembling them.

Then doing the same with the parts for the elevator.

I couldn’t resist putting the tail-plane/elevator assembly together for a dry-fit at this stage.

Then, I built the elevator.

Before adding stringers to the tail-plane, elevator, and aileron.

Next, I assembled the ammunition case and set it aside to be painted.

Skinned the flap,

And the elevator.

Before, finally painting every component.

Then, I placed the strip of bullets into the ammunition box before setting it aside for the immediate future.

Before assembling the “internal decorations”

And adding them to the interior of the model (the screwdriver is unfortunately not visible in the fifth picture).

Following that, I added the air-duct and wiring to the interior of the port-side wing leading edge.  This time I got a better result due to braiding the metal thread first to straighten it.

Finally, I moved on to adding the skin to the wing and trailing-edge

Bringing us to the conclusion of this week’s build diary (the build is now more than half-way through the instructions).

Next week we’ll be adding the door to the rear turret amongst other internal details.

Last week we added the first piece of skin to the model.

This week, we began as ever by taking out all of the parts.

The first thing to be done is to take these parts:

And assemble them into the frame for the starboard side fuel tank cover.

Then I stuck together a few other pieces to finish all of the wooden assemblies for this week.

Next, I added rivet marks to the metal pieces (with the exception of the skin for the tank cover.

Following a great deal of filing to curve off two of the wooden blocks, I added rivet marks to one of them (very faint in this picture):

Before adding any metal components that were necessary.

I then set these pieces aside for painting and moved on to assembling the flare chute.

Following this was making some wiring, I had to strip the end of a wire, and tease apart the end as shown here.

Next, I added the stringers to the hatch cover:

Before using it as a template to mark out rivet lines on the skin to cover it (I forgot to take a photo here), and attaching the two smaller pieces to the frame between the fuselage and the inboard starboard engine.

Following this, I primed and painted all of the pieces which needed to be black.

And then all of the pieces which needed to be green.

Before adding colour where necessary.

Then, I added the wire I began preparing earlier.

I next moved on to placing the jack into the fuselage.

Followed by the divider.

Then I glued the flare chute into the aft most piece of fuselage, and attached the small panel to the frame above it, connecting pieces of wire to make it appear to be wired up.

And then added a flare.

Following that, I painted the two parachutes and the life raft with a mixture of paints.

Before placing the parachutes into their respective boxes.

The completed the assembly to the point where I could install the two metal plates, one of the parachutes, and two of the wooden assemblies into the bomb aimer’s position.

And the life raft and other parachute went in different parts of the fuselage.

Concluding the work for this week.

Next week we’ll be working on the port wing, including adding part of the skin to it.