Hi Carl (@clipper): My design skills are very primitive, partly due to the free, very simple software that I am using. You can design complex stuff using Tinkercad, but it is really difficult. Getting a more comprehensive software and learning to design more detailed stuff is on the list to do in the new year. The learning curve for the advanced software is fairly steep. The 3D printer is much simpler to learn to use. My birthday is coming up in February, so we both have something to look forward to.

One of the other challenges I face with this particular project is how to reproduce the 20 pound fragmentation bombs carried under the wings by the RAF Mohawks operating out of Burma.

I only have one photo of the bombs on the wing and it's not real clear. But in the photo, you can make out a few details. For example, you can see that they have the characteristic circular RAF bomb fins, although they are abbreviated in length. You can also make out what looks like a fairly blunt nose.

I've looked high and low for aftermarket versions of these but no luck. It's possible there are 3D printed versions available, but I do not have a 3D printer yet and won't have for some time. I have already resolved that I will need to scratch build these, by making a single example, and then making resin copies.

This morning, I was watching a review of the Airfix 1/72 Handley Page Hampden and noticed that the kit includes bombs which looked similar to what I could make out in the photo. I happen to have one of these kits , so I took out one of the bombs to see if it might be usable.

IN my research, I came across a document containing details of most of the RAF bombs used in WWII. The closest I could find to the ones in the photo is the one in drawing in this picture. I also found a color photograph of what appears to be the same bomb as the drawing.

So here are a few observations. First off, the bombs under the wings in the Mohawk picture have a shorter length circular bomb fin. The angle of the back part of the bomb on the wing also looks somewhat sharper than the photo of the bomb or the drawing. However, the interesting part is that the bomb photo and drawing are very similar to the Hampden kit bomb. Since the kit is 1/72 scale, the bomb is correspondingly smaller than it would be in 1/48 scale (the scale of my Mohawk). I laid these out in the photos for comparison.

You'll notice however, that the bomb part laying on the wing is far too long for the area of the wing it is supposed to be attached to. The Mohawk photo shows this relationship well enough.

So the first thing I am wondering, is how can I determine the approximate diameter of the bomb from the Mohawk photo. I've tried comparing it to other items in the photo, with the prop spinner looking bigger and the landing gear leg looking to be smaller. Assuming it is somewhere in between, then this bomb part might still be too big in diameter. But if it is not, then it might be possible to shorten the kit part at the circular fin, the nose, and a section from the middle.

Any thoughts from anyone else on this?

Those Hampden bombs look very promising, my friend @clipper. To determine the diameter, I agree, you should compare it with diameters of adjacent bits.

I started on the wing conversion today as well. I started by cutting one of the wheel wells from the resin casting I made and then thinning the backside down until the circular opening became open all the way through. I will be adding more details in this area later.

Then I squared up the sides of the resin plug and started comparing it to the kit wing. On the kit wing, there is a raised doubler panel that is right next to the opening for the wheel. In order to avoid damaging this kit detail, I needed to shave down the left side of the resin plug almost to the point of breaking into the circular opening. That was probably the trickiest bit.

Then using the plug again, I outlined the shape of the plug on the wing, using centerlines as a guide. This shape was then cut from the wing using a razor saw. Once removed, I smoothed the cut edges and then tweaked the opening until the plug fit where I wanted it. I needed to make sure the leading edge of the plug matched up to the leading edge of the kit wing.

Here it is taped into position. What still needs to be done now is to thin the backside of the plug some more, in the forward section to deepen the forward rectangular area and to remove enough of the resin to allow the upper wing piece to fit. One thing to notice here is that the Hawk 75 fixed gear wing does not have the characteristic bumps that the retractable wing has on the leading edge by the gear well. Once I get the upper wing to fit, I will need to clean up the cast bump and add a bit on the top surface where it was not duplicated in the casting process.

So far, going well.

Great surgery , Carl @clipper

Would love to see the conversion of a Stuka with skis, Carl @clipper
Still a challenge but with current possibilities definitely possible.

I am amazed at how well that came out, Carl (@clipper). By the time you get done you won't know that the kit didn't come this way. Conversions are like potato chips, once you do one, it leads to another, and another...

Hi Carl (@clipper): I have built several models lately that took a lot longer than I anticipated. They all start out fun, but at some point I just want to get it done. I have a bunch of the old original Airfix kits on the shelf that are on my "someday" list. I remember back in the 70s and 80s reading British model magazines where someone would take an old Airfix and bring it up to contest standards. By the time they were done, there wouldn't be anything left of the original kit except the left wheel and the drop tanks. Just kidding, but I often wondered if I could make that commitment in time and effort to get the result. As I move past being old and move into really old, I seem to take the time required to achieve the result into account a lot more than I used to. Having said that, one of the old Airfix kits is getting perilously close to my workbench.