Sunderland

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

I am building the Airfix 1/72 scale Sunderland.The gunners are moulded to the guns but I dont want to use the gunners so need to scratch build the gun mounts.Does anyone know where I can get a decent pic as a reference ?

2

I am not 100% certain, but didn’t they use a version of the M1919 Browning Machine Gun.

If you google .303 Browing, there quite a few photos that might help.

3

Waist mounts;

Turrets;

The retractable front turret was a Nash & Thompson FN11, later an FN5.

The rear turret was a FN13;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxbrownie3/6473683709/

Dorsal was FN7.

The FN5 & 7 were used in other aircraft, so a bit of Googling on them may help.

A couple of good general reference sites if you don’t know about them already, the second one having loads of detail pics from walkarounds;

http://www.castlearchdale.net/id13.html

http://www.seawings.co.uk/

4

Depends on what mark you are building?

If the straight Mk III then it had a single Vickers Gas Operated (VGO).303 in the bow

turret and x4 .303 Brownings in the tail turre, and x 2 in the upper turret.

Check out this link, it has drawings of the FN 7 (upper turret) and FN 11 bow turret with

VGO and tail turret FN 4* (see bottom of page three for this*)

forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php

If you are building a Mk IIIa (has the ASV Mk III bulges under wings) then front turret

has x 2 .303 brownings (different turret shape also)

Hope that helps

Alan

5

Thos e photos (including one of mine) is for Mk V Sunderland, Mk III Sunderland did not have

beam gun postions

Regards

Alan

6

Thanks all for such a great response.Think I am sorted on the guns - one more thing I think some of the portholes are to big - any tips on how to make them smaller without a huge effort.

7

Hi Kaz

The portholes on the Airfix Sunderland are all the size of the opening portholes, which are

37.5cm (around 5mm in 1/72). The transparencies are only 30.5cm (around 4,2mm in 1/72).

Not all port holes open. in fact only some of those lower ones forward of the bombay open.

I have a Sunderland build that has been ongoing, but you are welcome to use my tips in it

for the portholes and show you which ones do open.

www.britmodeller.com/…/index.php

Alternatively you could cut out transparencies to fit the portholes and simply mask

the non opening ones and paint around them??

If you have any questions, by all means ask away

Regards

Alan