Avro Lancaster 102" Dambuster

She's looking lovely Ralph, what a graceful looking aircraft the Lancaster is.





ooh yer grass needs a cut btw ☺

I haven't got time to cut the grass, too busy working on the Lanc!! :lol: :lol: Anyway i'm doing my bit for conservation, its a natural wild garden for the local wildlife. [badass]

I hope you left a small ground-level gap in the fencing, so the small creatures can get in and out!

Looking good Ralph !
If you ever want to make a really cheap super fine epoxy filler try unscented bog standard talcum powder, I use it all the time on boat repairs.
Works out at about a pound per kilo. I get mine from the firm I buy my glass fibre from.

Thanks Crash. I'll give it a go. Looks like you have a lot of patience to rub that boat down. I get fed up with something small like the Lanc!!

Set up the gear door hinges and tried out the gear door mechanism. It kinda worked but very fiddly. So not a long term reliable solution. Going to scrap it and use the oleos to open the doors against a spring which is pulling them closed.

A bit more done on the Lanc.

Did away with the door crank system and research other methods. Decided to 'KISS' and went for a sprung piece of piano wire that is attached to the door and gets pulled by the oleo when it retracts. One wire on each door. The doors are sprung open so the wire has to overcome the spring tension. A bit of a balancing act. Still got to sort that bit out.



With the door closed and the wheel stowed there is only just enough room. I might have to gently skim the door where the tyre is close. Alternatively get a smaller wheel or trim this one! Not sure how to trim the rubber. Heard of various ways, one being to put the wheel in the freezer and turn it on a lathe when it is frozen. More research required I think.



Did a few other things like hinged all the control surfaces on the wing, a bit more filling and sanding. Slowly getting there.

nice work Ralph! I wouldn't freeze your tyres, your liable to damage the rubber, think I would mount them on a dummy axle and run them on a belt sander, by applying a little brake ( finger on rim) you'll soon shave the rubber.

Be wary! If the tyres are solid, (and heavy!) you can wear them away a little
BUT
if semi-pneumatic, you will weaken and possibly rupture the side-wall!

Must be a lanc thing Ralph i had the same thing on my TN Lancaster, they are still not perfect but you are not going tp see them when its flying
And i was fed up with building it anyway, hope to sell it asap

Feather where the doors meet the cowls with balsa to bring the level up to the lip of the doors?
Have you considered using a mini servo for the door open/closing Ralph, I know it means push rods and linkages, more power drain on the batteries etc but would that be an option?

Still playing with the doors, a bit more carbon to stiffen up the nacelles. I shall stick with the pull wire to close the doors and springs to open. The belcrank and push rod system is too complex to set up right. If its not set up right then the servo stalls or the doors don't fully close.

Spent the last 3 weeks sanding, filling, sanding filler (repeat 20 times). Put some primer filler on, sand, fill, sand fill, paint, sand, fill and so on. Totally fed up rubbing this thing down. Had a paint reaction with some new filler i used yesterday which required stripping all the paint off on the port inboard wing top, refilling, sealing then paint. Took all day yesterday to sort that out. Anyway, today gave it another rub down today and did a trial assembly with it in primer and yes I know the grass still needs cutting.:lol: :lol:



Then the fun bit adding the panel lines. Used 1/64th chart tape and a 3 view drawing to give measurements. Looks ok



Then a coat of primer to get the effect. I shall leave the paint to harden now for at least 48 hours then rub down the primer on the tape, peel the tape off and ready for top coat.

I can only find one word, stunning !

Shes looking very good Ralph, now with the panel lines done you have to do the 200,000 rivets
Now that is a mind numbing job
Still you have to cut the grass first

Can't do both rivets and cut grass! The grass wins!!! So no rivets then!

boooooo