Lancfan's 'Just Jane' build ***FINISHED***

[lancfan]

My build for this GB will be a model of Just Jane using the NT Airfix Dambuster Lancaster kit in standard aircraft guise, the Dams Raid parts and trolley will be saved to be built later to display alongside another similar kit built in Chastise configuration.



The decals will be from this eagerly awaited sheet from kits-world, the decals themselves are beautiful but the placement instructions are dire and unless you live close to your chosen subject from this sheet I would suggest that Google Images is your best friend here.


David.

[despondman]

Haven't seen these decals before, obviously new, what a nice set, Just Jane, Vera and Thumper. Would love to build all three of these - maybe one day.

[lancfan]

Would love to build all three of these

That's the plan despondman (but not in this GB).
The decals are here- http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KW72120;


David.

[Stuart]

Nice Choice David!

[iggie]

Mmmmm that's a nice set of decals!

[lancfan]

The bench has been tidied up ready for the start.
Image lost.

David.

[Stuart]

looks good David (it must be lovely to have a proper benc), what do you use the lighter fluid for?

[lancfan]

For general degreasing and for flushing out my airbrush after use Stuart.

David.

[lancfan]

Before starting the build I needed to check over the refs for this aeroplane, being a mark VII it does not have the small windows along the fuselage but it did have extra observation windows near the tail which have now been blanked off but their outlines will still need representing. My first step was to glue in the kit windows to blank off the holes, these were then filled from the outside having first masked the surrounding ares to protect the surface detail. When the windows were sanded smooth the observation windows were then engraved into the rear fuselage, the starboard window in the entry door was openable and therefore needs the deflector which is still fitted to NX611, this was made from a small strip of plastic card. finally the effected areas were sprayed over in light grey to check for errors.





David.

[lancfan]

With the window conversion done I looked at the interior, the one thing that stood out as being missing from the cockpit area was the yellow handrail so this was added from stretched sprue but before this could be done I had to cut back the rear of the turret mounting shelf as it was in the way. This is the handrail after the interior had been painted.


NX611 does not have a real mid-upper turret, just a turret glazing with dummy guns so to hide the kit interior I extended the walkway with a piece of plastic card to represent the floor when viewed through the turret glazing.


The painted interior.


David.

[PaulBradley]

Nice start, David! That "Story of a Lanc" is interesting - any chance of an interior view, please?

[lancfan]

Working on that now and have found a problem compared to pictures of the full size, pictures shortly.

David.

[Dazzled]

Looks good David. If anyone was going to get the interior colours correct I'd have put money on it being you

Lots of people paint the cockpit green

[lancfan]

Lots of people paint the cockpit green

That is odd really because the change to black came very early and apart from the Manchesters which would have been green inside most of the Lancaster cockpits would be black.
David.

[lancfan]

When trying to match the kit cockpit to that of the full size I found that Airfix had wrongly positioned the IP, instead of it being under the canopy 9"-12" behind the windscreen it has been kitted roughly the same distance in front of the windscreen inside the fuselage. Another fault which effects my build is that the IP and engineers panel are moulded flat with the instruments supplied in decal form only- in the wrong colours for my subject machine, fortunately I have suitable spares and can do something about this. This is the copied Das Clay flight eng. panel in place.


The next step is to build up the cockpit with a similar DAS Clay IP fitted in the correct position. To help this along I fitted the spar carry throughs to the floor/bomb bay roof, a lot of fuss was made of the tightness of the carry throughs and now having a kit to build and seeing the problem at first hand I think this was made into a mountain out of a mole hill- it took less than ten seconds and a flat file to correct this, yes it is a fault that Airfix should have avoided and it must be attended to but it is not a problem for anyone here. The assembly has been dry fitted into the fuselage for the glue to dry with the parts in the correct position.


David.