T2B Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 /media/tinymce_upload/d8fffd9010a16f0c8c8cc3acea0be234.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/83ffdaf795ce0f1ae7a839fd12d51cd3.JPGThis was the biggest and probably the most complicated build I have undertaken for a few years and it did push my skills a little. I had been thinking about completing the Big Shackleton for a while, since it was first released but was concerned that all the extra detail inside the fuselage would be hidden once the two halves are glued together.So I decided I would try and reveal a small cross section of the interior similar to the CAD images on the box sides. So the kit was purchased from Airfix just after Christmas 2016. But before I reveal all I will deal with a few boring bits of the build first.I started with the interior, cockpit and radar compartment (the most important part of this build) which took me more than a week, doing 3 - 4 hours a day. I had also now planned the cut away section I was going to do and started on the crew for the various positions./media/tinymce_upload/36de5a66fdc09f376afda8816fb653b6.JPG Once all the interior components were completed they were cemented into the port half whilst I hacked away at the starboard half. The two halfs were then glued together with little drama although the rear floor around the crew hatch/door required a little trimming to get the fuselage to close correctly. At this stage I also fitted the nose cannon assembly, and considering so much detail is included elsewhere, there was no internal breech assembly, only the 'barrels' protuding from the nose. This was remedied with two Hasegawa .50 cal MGs from the spares box and removing the barrels before fitting to the assembly. Not 100% accurate but from what can be seen it does add some definition./media/tinymce_upload/925cc453dccf926e55a04e9b4b36fb9b.JPG Another week working at least 3 hours every night saw attention to the wings, under-carriage and engines. The main under-carriage wheel bays are full of detail./media/tinymce_upload/16fc1b3506c7bec9da64dbba366420af.JPGThats all the main assembly done together with most of the painting (done by hand brushing and using Humbrol Enamels - Yes I know I should try new methods). Another 10 days or so was spent doing all the finishing touches such as decals, panel wash (err failed) which turned out to be reasonable weathering, crew and finally a varish of Vallejo Matt. During this stage I also completed the mid-upper turret but found the bottom of it sat on the end of my radar desk so this required some last minute adjustment.I had the bomb doors fitted in the closed position as I wanted the cleaner lines plus some added strength as I had removed part of the port fuselage. I liked the torpedo's though so borrowed the idea of fitting them to a bomb trolley from another post on this forum. Two trolleys not previously assembled from my Stirling build were pulled from the deep spares box and slightly modified.Now to see what it all looks like! The cross section can be removed (the wing spars are a neat fit so don't need to be glued) when required to reveal the detail, or kept in place to prevent the ingress of household dust! /media/tinymce_upload/10b449d283db3fe07ffd3f88a40d188d.JPG For the first time I used a diorama dispaly base but sadly my shelf wasn't bigger enough for the 'cold war' offering I wanted so have used the smaller WW2 Bomber dispersal area which I think still looks pretty good. Crew were provided from a set of Modern NATO Pilots & Ground Crew (from a competitor firm so come on Airfix you need to catch up!) They might be slightly modern for a very late 1960's Shackleton but I decided they were better than the alternative 1940's offerings./media/tinymce_upload/58ca7c7c2c94fdf13041d1df066a32eb.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/4b1ebcca87181d6b1e0657362fbacb0b.JPGOne of my final touches again came from the spares box, which was to sand down some superstructure cushion pads from the RAF Air Sea Rescue Launch and once painted they were added to the sides if the interior wing spars as cushioned areas. /media/tinymce_upload/ee41bb755a6ee638b3a1c16a65183a33.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/b3c95045c7ad19c6f428dbed698f05bd.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/446043b94c130a9b98613236ade22ab7.JPGThis build took about 5 weeks averaging about 3 to 4 hours a day/night but overall was a joy to complete as it is a very good kit, and with revealing the interior pushed my skills to new levels (I think). I also spent more time and money on the extra's than usual as I wanted to try and bring the diorama to 'life'.I am pleased how it has turned out and would welcome your comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Like lots, particularly since I've got something similar in mind.Also, FWIW, there are still some WW2 built airfields in use that have the WW2 dispersals extant, so this may have happened at least occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Very clever, and a lovely finish too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bletch Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Thats a smashing build and the brushed finish looks great. I've used milliput in the past to do cushions/head rests-saves the spares box! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidJC Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Great build, really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rael Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Amazing work, the wooden table-top effect worked incredibly well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorman Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Lovely model. The removable panel is very ingenious. I didn't notice it in your first photo and had to go back to look again.I especially like the finish - colour me green! You see ....I usually build ships but I recently started building old Hercules that I had started some 35 years ago but never finshed. I realised that up to now I had never built any aircraft larger than a Wellington. The Herk is telling me that perhaps I should stick to ships....... I found it very difficult to get a presentable finish on the wide expanse of wings and fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Symmons Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Hi T2BNow thar's a superb build and and a great write-up, loved reading it. Those photos brought back memories of my flight in the mark 2 when i was in the ATC. A camp up in Kinross we were offered an all night traning flight Wish we had some of your cushions with us then ( 1963?) that wing spar is really uncomfortable. Can't remember much about the interior it was too dark, but it wasn't as luxuriours as yours. Back then it was a six or seven hour vibro massarge on our rear ends.Your interior looks much more inviting. Again great build. and looking forwards to seeing more.Remember we do this for fun John the Pom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Hi,Thank you all for your wonderful comments, its certainly 'High Praise' indeed as I have seen the build posts that some of you have submitted. And if anyone wants more details about any aspect of the build I would be glad to help with follow-up posts - cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Deleted duplicate post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted March 22, 2017 Author Share Posted March 22, 2017 @paws4thot - You said you had something similar in mind, are you going to share it with us?@john the Pom - Whilst preparing for the build I did some 'google' research and it stated early version interiors were predominantly black and very dark, and this was found to be demoralising for crews on long 12 hour sorties so later MR2's had light grey interior fuselage walls/bulkheads and cream panelling for the radar desks, so Airfix's painting guide was very accurate. Images I located showed the wing spars completely covered in dark brown leather cushioning but Airfix's mould of the spars was very flat and solid so I decided to paint them in the metal cockpit green finish and add the occasional cushion as added extras.From your description it would seem you were in an early version, but recalling your vibro-massage in a Shackleton reminded me of an 8 hour flight I took when in the SAS (Saturdays & Sundays/TA) from Edinburgh to Gibraltar in a C130 Hercules back in 1990, with only red nylon nets for seating, or lying on the cargo deck. I think the return 2 weeks later was even worse because by then we knew what to expect !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 @T2B - I don't own a digital camera, or presently own 10_000 rivets in loose formation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Symmons Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hi T2B.Yes it was a very early version actually a training aircraft in the mid 60's.I always thought the turbo props were vibration free. You live and learn.Remember we do this for fun John the Pom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Hi all,Just an update on my Shackleton since I last posted. I have had my diorama base framed so it looks 'more professional' and have added an RAF Police Land Rover with 2 RAF Police figures to the scene to add more life. I did a separate short post on the Landie earlier this week when I'd finished it.My Shackleton will be on display at TELFORD this weekend and will be on the Coastal Command SIG table run by Guisborough IPMS if anyone is there and would like a closer look as I'm not sure my photo's are that good.Unfortunately I'll not be there so I have lent it out (fingers/toes everything is crossed). Now for a couple of additional photo's in case like me you can't get to Telford for the show!/media/tinymce_upload/0780fed5e8823e3f09f43b11e0090081.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/648949744aca5a34cc74a74d9e450b2c.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/bedf4fe338e6deb13fe009bef7004fae.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/ff6766fb1eb034fc03d10a0268cbe337.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/39b50b5027ee23fe293aab845cbd0183.JPGI'll have to try and remember to take my photo's at a slightly greater distance as for some reason I keep getting the error message says my photo is too large so when I edit and crop the photo I loose some of the detail around the sides. Oh well I hope you can still see enough and like my additions ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 "Photo too large" almost certainly refers to an image size like, say, 800x600 pixels and/or the related file size which will be in kilobytes or megabytes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackman Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 Thank you for posting this. What an amazing job of the interior!I have just started making the MR.2 kit, which will be a Shackleton based in Majunga (where my father spent at least one posting in 1969). I am referring to Issue 24 of Aviation Classics magazine (devoted to the Shackleton), as it has many photos of the interior of an MR and AEW version of the Shack.Comparing the interior of the MR and AEW versions, it appears that, even though the kit is supposed to be the MR version, the interior has been modelled on that of the AEW, which is a bit disappointing. It would have been nice to know I was building the interior of the MR version! Perhaps a new interior can be produced for future versions of the MR.2 kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Thomas Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 Thanks to Shackman for resurrecting this post.I had not seen it 18 months ago so could not comment. For what it’s worth [longhand!], I was very impressed with the result and the execution of the thought to view the interior. Very well done. Sorry my compliments are so late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Thanks for that Shackman; the resolution of those of us who haven't bought plastic yet is as easy as buying the AEW2 kit rather than the MR2 one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Thanks Dominic for your comments. And YES thanks Shackman for your comments, and resurrecting this post of my Shackleton. With so my other good builds posted it had slipped down the pages and from view lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackman Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 A few points on the interior instructions. The instructions show the rear starboard observer's seat facing forward - it should be facing aft, so the crew member can see out of the window. Also, they show the seats facing in the positions they would be in during flight. For take-off and landing, they should all face either forward or aft. So, unless you are on board during a flight, you would always see them facing foward or aft. However, because of the shape of the location points for the seats, they can only be positioned one way, so the bottom of the seats would need to be filed flat to place them in the correct positions. Lastly, there is a maps decal shown to be placed on what is the AEO's desk. It should be placed one position along on the navigator's desk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackman Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 I'm progressing slowly with my build and have noticed something else that appears to be wrong in the interior. In section 18 of the instructions, it shows that a ditching exit decal should be placed over the port rear observers window. Looking at photos of the inside of real aircraft, the ditching exit is that shown in section 44 being fitted with clear part K9. I'm thinking of cutting the decal in two and putting the two halves on the ceiling of the fuselage below part K9. There was another ditching exit above and behind the co-pilot's seat. I presume a ditching exit enables crew members to get onto the top of the fuselage - and remaining relatively dry. Exiting the observer's window would immediately lead to an unwelcome swim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackman Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 An update on my progress with the MR.2 interior. I mentioned the ditching exit in the rear observers' compartment. Looking at photos of the interior in Mk 2s, it appears the exit has a solid metal cover and is painted a light cream colour with the words 'DITCHING' on the aft side and 'EXIT' on the forward side. Of course you then wonder why this exit is a clear piece in the kit. I've tried to find close-up pictures of the top of the fuselage, but without success. Pictures of the aircraft from above have usually been taken from another aircraft, so they're not exactly close-ups, but it looks as if the hatch door is the same colour as the top of the fuselage (white or grey) on Mk 2s. Anyway, I've decided to paint the inside of the clear piece, K9, Satin 71 Oak (as I already had that colour) and the topside white. I'll cut up the DITCHING EXIT decal and put the words separately, each end of the piece.Also, most pictures of the inside of Mk 2s and 3s show the main colour in the crew cabin as a cream colour (the same as the ditching exit hatch), but I've already painted the main cabin interior the Matt 74 as shown on the instructions, so mine is going to look much more yellowy than I'd like. I've been comforted by finding one picture of the Gatwick Air Museum's Shackleton (presumably taken before renovation), that shows the main cabin colour as something similar to Matt 74. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Of course you then wonder why this exit is a clear piece in the kit.Does it have a window in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Thomas Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Further to the point about the interior fit, there is an interesting video on YouTube with a gentlemen giving a guided tour of the inside of WR977, which appears to be an MR3. Now, assuming ‘MR’ interiors would be broadly similar, this would be an interesting reference for anyone contemplating a change to the kit’s AEW interior. There are a range of colours, depending on the section of the fuselage, and there’s even an old air conditioning unit by a window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 I did a little research before I started my MR.2 build and was quite satisfied that the colour call-outs from Airfix were pretty accurate compared with the images I found./media/tinymce_upload/35fde739f19c0caf73d55a165854ccf3.jpg /media/tinymce_upload/3670f74a568ecf5ba6cb70e4649177ea.JPGGiven the limitations of injection moulding I think the kit seems pretty accurate, though I'm no Shackleton expert! /media/tinymce_upload/104c5a7be58cb911bb69dc8943882175.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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