Matchbox - Handley Page Halifax

[Clashcityrocker]

Sorry to read about your wife Eric. All the best to you moving forwards. Enjoy the build.

Nigel

[Eric Mc]

I hope I still have all the bits.

The box has been in my stash since 1983 and still carries its original "new" price - £4.65.

[Eric Mc]

Fuselage together now. Lots of filler required - chiefly because Matchbox provided alternative noses and as a result the fuselage is cut just forward of the cockpit to allow for the nose choice. As a result, the fit isn't that great.

However, now that the fuselage is together, it's beginning to look like a Halifax.

[Lone Modeller]

Sorry to read of your loss - I hope that time is working for you and that things are improving.

I agree that the Halifax is rather underrated - as you write it was more versatile than the Lancaster. I see that the trademark Matchbox trenches are prominent on the nose.

[general rocket]

Sincerest sympathy on your good lady.

[Eric Mc]

The trenches are pretty obvious, aren't they. Hopefully, they'll disappear under primer and paint.

I want to do one of the early production versions - which had many problems. The kit includes a set of decals for MP-L/L9530 from the first production batch. It was a No.76 Squadron machine and was flown by Pilot Officer Christopher Cheshire who was the brother of Leonard Cheshire, who also flew with Bomber Command (famously 617 Squadron).
L9530 was lost on a raid to Berlin in June August 1941. Cheshire survived and became a POW.

[iggie]

Looks good so far Eric

[beany]

Looks good Eric - makes me want to get mine out and finish it. Must have been languishing in the stash part started for 25 years or more.

[Eric Mc]

I thought a five year gap was bad enough.

[Eric Mc]

Some images of the Halifax at Hendon -

[Eric Mc]

Lack of progress at the moment due to work pressure. Will try and get back to it once my March deadlines are out of the way.

[Olten]

Eric, glad to welcome you! I'm following your Halifax build. I hope the model turns out beautiful. Please accept my condolences on the death of your wife Be strong!

[Eric Mc]

Thank you.

I hope to get back to my workbench this week.

I recently purchased the excellent Wingleader book on the early Halifaxes and it has amazingly clear and detailed photos. The picture quality in the Wingleader books is excellent.
They will be bringing out a second book on the later Halifax versions.

[Eric Mc]

After a bit of a gap because of other commitments, I made it back to my workbench last night and spent most of the evening working on the engine nacelles. Because Matchbox allowed you to build two quite distinct variants of the Halifax, they supplied various permutations on the engine nacelles, such as different exhausts and different air intakes.

Some cleaning up and filler will be required.

[Lone Modeller]

Good to see you back at this. I am certain that it is going to be a stunner when completed.