My Halifax is finished…

Thanks for the tips.
I suppose I should have thought of Mek Pak, Slaters who make it are only about 10 miles away from here. No local model shops that keep though, of course. 🙁

Any recommended brands, either tube or preferably liquid?

my Greg uses some thing called mek pak, he swears that this is the best to use (but it stinks awful 🙁 )

Thanks for comments there DH fan. Personally I use the ordinary Humbrol liquid and tube glue (tube albeit on mainly large structural parts) The Halifax needed the tube stuff for strength most of the time.I’m also getting lazy as I now use super glue a fair bit too. But be careful as you only get one chance with that. I also have access to a product (via work) called Dicloromethane which is very similar to MEK (but stronger) MEK though is available from most good model shops under the Plastic weld label. Hope thats of some help.

My skills don’t come close either. It’s seeing models like that that make me painfully aware of my limitations.

As a related aside, since they re-formulated plastic cement to stop the young and stupid from rotting their brains by sniffing it, it doesn’t seem to work very well.

Any recommended brands, either tube or preferably liquid?

stunning models there guys, far beynd my skills. is the the ID models halifax like the Lancaster and B17 that they did?. i spoke to Doug Feeney of ID some years back and he told me that they are just the basic airframe for expert modelers to do their stuff with. as i said, stunning work there.
thanks for sharing.
Greg

still looking for a large scale Sea Fury

The Hobbycraft Sea Fury (1/48) isn’t expensive, new, flashy or fancy, but it’s a nice simple reasonably accurate kit. After market accessories can make it great.

1/24 would be lovely…

Keithjs, your model looks fantastic. You’re so right about the engine nacelles – they’ve got to look just right, even down to the way they sit tilted slightly higher than horizontal, with relation to the mainplane (to my eyes, anyway).

Like bograt, I’m just starting again after a 20 year break. So far though, collecting more than building – still looking for a large scale Sea Fury (come on, Airfix!)

Once again, a great model.

For one so modest, I applaud your efforts Keith – superb! As an IPMS modeller and exhibitor at Telford, I can appreciate the work that you’ve put into this – love it! 😉

Keith,

Great job, however how about a real bomber the Short Stirling. 😉

32nd scale ! 😮 Where are you going to put it ?!

Probably next to the 1:1 cockpit I hope. But I think the latter is finished sooner considering the six years I spent on the interior of the model alone (but that was one and off, more off than on)

Cheers

Cees

Firstly many thanks to you all for your kind comments about my Halifax. Glad you liked it.
Tony C you asked about the build, It was interesting to say the least but not beyond the means of anyone with average skills. It is actually the longest time (by far) that I have taken to complete a model at nearly 4 months on and off but I did have some other projects on the go too during glue and filler drying periods.
I didn’t go to any great lengths on the interior, one because its not very accurate and two because you cant see a great deal anyway. I replaced the cowlings, engines and props too and these came from the Tamiya Beaufighter. I got these from Hobbylink in Japan so as not to have to waste two kits. In my opinion these are much better and indeed rounder than the kit ones.
I also modified the canopy to more closely represent the way it is, namely deepening the port side by the pilot. Its not perfect but I think looks closer.

One major problem I did have was that when everything was assembled there was a definate bow on the port outer wing assy. After a failed attempt to straighten it I ended up cutting it off at the inner engine nacelle and borrowing another wing from a friends kit. The only problem now is that despite writing and emailing both FM and the importers (Hannants)to ask about purchasing a replacement for him neither of them have bothered to answer!! Good customer relations, I think not! Its not as though I wanted it for nothing either. Ho Hum…
As you can see I also squared off the wingtips as the rounded ones in the kit are not approriate for Friday 13th. No mention is made in the instructions about it either, (if you can call them that).I also re engraved all the panel lines and completely smoothed out all the rough texture of the plastic. The paint finish is Hannants Xtracrylix and other than the nose art decal new roundels and squadron codes were used as the kit ones are too bright.
So there we are thats basically it.
I don’t envy you either HP57 thats one hell of a project you’ve got there and I wish you every success with it.

Here are some pics of my 1:32 scale Hally III (ID Model)

Cheers

Cees

Again, nice but I never knew there was a 1/32 kit so assume it must be a vacform?

If it is, you are a far braver man than I, vacforms and my knifes just don’t seem to go together well 🙂

Tony

32nd scale ! 😮 Where are you going to put it ?!

Here are some pics of my 1:32 scale Hally III (ID Model)

Cheers

Cees

Well done Keith – after a twenty year hiatus (painful :p ) I have got back into the hobby, but as yet unable to do anything other than to buy up loads of kits in case it’s another twenty before any of them get built…..have you seen the thread on ‘Hyper Scale’ about the 1/48 scratch-built Halifax?

The man must be certifiable….. 😮

Nice….

I’ve been considering buying this kit but held off due to the various adverse comments I’ve read about the fit, how was the build?

Tony

Wow Keithjs,

What a beauty. I agree the FM Halifax is certainly buildable, and your model proves what results can be achieved. I have two + one ID models 1:32 vacform which I have to finish somewhere between the 1:1 Halifax cockpit project and some recoveries need to be organised as well. Can’t we have a 36 hour day or 8 day week?

Cheers

Cees

Not perfect…. Outstanding !
Cheers,
Olivier

Respect ! That’s a lovely job mate, the colours look very scale and the weathering is nice and subtle . . .I had completely forgotten about that thread.

Andy.

Seconded,a wonderfull piece of work. 🙂