Scale Model Shop

**BarryW** · 05 December 2024, 12:41

I have been plugging on with the outer wings. No fit issues though some filler was used here and there.

as previously mentioned am building her with closed panels and therefore leaving out the engines for which engine blanks are provided.

I put together all four engine blanks and the inner ones fitted to the wing perfectly.

However, on the outer wings I found the lower location tabs not fitting. Below you can see the inner wing with its perfect fit.

Note: I have been driven up the wall on my phone trying to insert photos into place where I want them. For some reason it keeps putting the photos at the top or, if I manage to get one where I want, I cannot move down to do some text under it. I have tried it all sort of ways but have now given up. The photos are therefore added all together without the associated text. Anyone else prefer the old forum software, certainly do, far better than this one. New isn’t always better.

anyway…

I also show a picture of how clearly the pins and location tabs don’t line up. Another how it looks at an odd angle and finally with the pins cut off looking just right (panel test dit confirms this is right).

My conclusion is that this is an instructions problem and if this kit was produced by Wingnut Wings they would have covered this in the instructions.

Attached Files

**Jim R** · 05 December 2024, 15:45

Certainly one or two issues Barry. Nothing you can't sort out fairly easily but they're there none the less and shouldn't be.

**BarryW** · 12 December 2024, 12:13

Well I now have come to a grinding halt and I have no idea about how to move forward.

The outer wing sections simply don’t fit to the inner wing and it’s as if they are not meant to.

I have tried a dry fit but there are substantial moulded in strengthening beams right in the way where the wing spars are mean to fit. I certainly did not see this coming!!! I cannot get in to cut those beams away either without forcing apart the wings
giving rise to all sorts of issues. I have checked and double checked to see if I missed something in the build, in the instructions, but no I have not. It’s like two different models. It is not just something a bit of sanding can resolve either and it’s not just one place.

it is difficult to see in the photo but you need all the space for the spar, plus some more and also have two vertically moulded in spars , on the inside, that block the way….

i need to think about this before making a rash decision. This is really puzzling.

**BarryW** · 12 December 2024, 14:25

Further to the above.

The caliper is set to the amount of plastic that would need to be removed from the wing spar to get a fit. This is a full quarter of an inch, with the spar a full inch wide. That’s a lot. Even then it might not work as taking off so much of it would affect the structural integrity of the wing join. Remember these outer wing sections are
meant to be removable. There might be ways to restore the integrity of the spar though r

I am not sure I want to undertake that as it would be a bit hit and miss, take a lot of time and may not really work very well.

I don’t know how much time I have (hopefully years!) and even then how much of that time I will be able to model. Is it worth taking time to sort this, something won’t enjoy doing. Or should I just say to hell with it, dump the model and move to another in my stash. I need to think this through.

**Jack L** · 12 December 2024, 14:39

That's not great. Any other build blogs online that encounter the same issue?

**BarryW** · 12 December 2024, 14:48

It looks as if parts O22 and O10 should have been left off. I might be able to reach inside the wing with knife and long nosed plyers to hack that piece apart. It might wreck the wing of course.

**BarryW** · 12 December 2024, 14:50

Originally posted by Jack L

That's not great. Any other build blogs online that encounter the same issue?

I found one the comment was simply that it took a lot of work to fit the inner and outer wings. No photos or any real information.

**Jack L** · 12 December 2024, 14:52

Just had a watch of a youtube build, and although the guy doesn't mention it at all, he has definitely cut out the wing spar.

**BarryW** · 12 December 2024, 17:29

Originally posted by Jack L

Just had a watch of a youtube build, and although the guy doesn't mention it at all, he has definitely cut out the wing spar.

That’s not the problem area. It is the inner wing to outer wing. My inner wings fit the fuselage quite well.

**HAWKERHUNTER** · 12 December 2024, 20:57

Not quite sure if this will help Barry but if you need to remove some inner wing plastic you could try using a hot soldering iron and just melt it out of the way. That way you wont have to apply too much pressure to the wing. A good dollop of epoxy should take out any slack you have in the fit but it will mean the wings are a permanent fixture

**Jim R** · 12 December 2024, 21:07

Oh dear Barry, you don't need this. There is no obvious solution that guarantees a decent result so whatever you do is a risk. Maybe put it to one side and build something else. I wonder if this issue has been flagged up to Border Models by any other modellers?

**BarryW** · 12 December 2024, 22:20

[QUOTE=Jim R;n1243195]Oh dear Barry, you don't need this. There is no obvious solution that guarantees a decent result so whatever you do is a risk. Maybe put it to one side and build something else. I wonder if this issue has been flagged up to Border Models by any other modellers?[/]

Something I noticed is that some early video builds seem to have disappeared. Nigel’s Modelling Bench for instance, had a lot of Border Lanc videos and around when he would be at this stage they stopped. Doing a search on his YouTube Channel reveals none of these videos at all, he has taken them all down. I cannot help wonder if he hit this stage, found the problem and quietly dropped the build and removed all trace of it.

I will decide what to do tomorrow. If I put the build to one side I will never restart it so I might as well bin it.

**BarryW** · 13 December 2024, 07:41

Well I have had contact with someone who managed to finish this kit and all he said was a ‘lot of sanding’. Well that’s a lot of plastic that needs to be removed, my least favourite activity. Some removal with a razor saw would be necessary…. Well, it’s doable. However, when I bought this kit I was counting on being able to have the outer wings removable as with the wings on I cannot accommodate it. That would mean having a perfectly snug and firm fit. Removal of so much material would reduce structural integrity, of that I have no doubt. These spars are not solid plastic either, which in a way would make sanding easier but also weakens the wing. I think it would work if the wing were to be cemented firmly in place but that cannot happen.

Instead I tried to hack away the offending part inside the wing as well as I can. It was not difficult to do but it left material behind inside that I could not reach. That said I was able, with difficulty, to get the wing into place. It was difficult and in the end the result was far from the perfect fit needed in this prominent position. I suspect that the material I could not reach caused the wing to be out of position giving me those difficulties. Normally some cement, filler and sanding would have resolved the issue, but that’s out of the question for a removable wing. I did try various things to improve the fit of the outer wing without luck. Remember to work it would mean having a perfect fit and being able to slide on with ease, neither of which is happening.

incidentally, competing a model of this size with the wings cemented into place is impractical while in a wheelchair. My experience from the B24, which could be displayed on my shelves thanks to the tricycle undercarriage, tells me that.

My reluctant decision is therefore to abandon the build.

So if anyone here has this kit I would recommend the following.
1/ Plan ahead for this stage. Make sure that you can accommodate this kit with wings in place, just in case.
2/ Leave out the offending parts which means having the model built with flaps up.
3/ By doing that you might find that you get a better outer/inner wing fit than I ended up with so they might me removable.
4/ If you want a large scale Lancaster, ignore the hype and get the HKM instead. It’s cheaper after all…..

Finally I have to say that this kit has been let down by Border Models and, make no mistake, I will never buy one of their own kits partly because 1/35 is the wrong scale for aircraft, but I am aware that even on their own models the instructions are crap. This model was clearly not finished being developed by Wingnut Wings and I am quite sure that the final result, if left to them, would not have the wing issue and would have excellent instructions so the issues I had would not have been a problem.

This is very much a case of what it might have been and it’s sad that it was brought to market before it was fit for sale.

**Jim R** · 13 December 2024, 08:40

The right decision. You have considered your options, tried to sort it and it has not worked. Move on, sadly s**t happens. I look forward to your next build.

**boatman** · 13 December 2024, 09:53

WOW Barry for the money that cost an not fit id be sending border models an email to complain as my two kit the tomcat an the hornet were bad fits but i dint pay that kind of money on them but they got built thank goodness they should give you a refund on that lank an to see it binned is sad as i was lookin forward to seein this built must put you off modeling i should think hope you get a new model that will fit
chrisb

Scale Model Shop

The Border Models 1/32 Lancaster BI/III

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