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Avro Anson Mk1 +++ FINISHED +++


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My first contribution is going to be an Anson. Later boxing with 3 sets of transfers, I'll be doing the early version as a Coastal Command aircraft based at St Eval. First launched in 1962, when many Annie's were still flying. I remember making one when at school and recall that the undercarriage is retractable as well as having spinning props and a movable turret.

 

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Sprue shot. Mouldings look OK a kit that's nigh on 60 years old. The transparencies, particularly the cabin windows are a bit thick. 

 

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A check of the parts reveals the turret is missing, so that's a challenge even thought I was planning OOB. I've got an AZmodels Oxford that I've built without a turret so there should be something to work with there. I don't know if the turrets are the same. But it may be needs must. Any advice would be greatly welcomed. 

Edited by 825
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Hi 825.  I have a spare turret (well, the clear part anyway - maybe the rest as well).  PM me with your address and I'll happily post it to you.

Cheers

Cliff

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Some paint on. 

 

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Mouldings not too bad, a little bit of flash and some mould ejection marks. Most of the latter won't be seen so I won't fill them unless necessary. There will be a little bit of sanding needed here and there.

 

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Not bad in all for something that first saw the light in 1962. 

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Nice start - it's amazing how many of these old kits - like yours from 1962 - still look the business. 

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I've never seen the airfix logo stamped on a kit before.

 

looks kinda cool 😁

 

Unlike some revell ones (recentish!) which has the copyright on the OUTSIDE of the plastic...🤔

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1 hour ago, Mjwomack said:

Steady about not too bad for 1962, that's when I first saw the light of day and I like to think that I don't look too bad either😀

I take it that's not you in that Avatar then!! 

Only kidding Mj... Believe me, I look nothing like the suave and dapper Robert Shaw that I use to display my "Rabbit Leader" moniker, but one can close his or her eyes and dream up the craziest of things! 

 

Cheers.. Dave (made in Australia - circa 1970). 

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Oh I can see the problem, you're looking at the background which is Union of South Africa (built 1937, to be permanently retired April 2019) which is even older than any Airfix moulding - imagine such a thing!!

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11 hours ago, Mjwomack said:

Steady about not too bad for 1962, that's when I first saw the light of day and I like to think that I don't look too bad either😀

 

As my grandmother used to say 'Many a fine tune played on an old fiddle'.

 

Not that you are old. You can't be as your younger than me. 

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Can anybody help with the underside colour for the camouflaged version? Airfix suggest Sky but the aircraft is from mid 1940. Would the underside still be Aluminium dope?  

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4 minutes ago, 825 said:

Can anybody help with the underside colour for the camouflaged version? Airfix suggest Sky but the aircraft is from mid 1940. Would the underside still be Aluminium dope?  

The reference inside my head says that Aluminium is correct 825. I've just been called to dinner so will check some proper references later. 

Cheers.. Dave 

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3 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

The reference inside my head says that Aluminium is correct 825. I've just been called to dinner so will check some proper references later. 

Cheers.. Dave 

Thanks Dave. Going out for a wander in the sun, so there's no rush. Enjoy your dinner. 

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OK 825, the first reference I checked was the Anson 'Aircraft in Detail' article that was featured in Scale Aircraft Modelling, December 1987. There's a profile of a camouflaged 206 Squadron machine from 1939. This has DE / DG uppers and Aluminium lower sides. The article itself states that when camouflaged was introduced post Munich crisis, the undersides were either painted Black or Light Grey? If you do a quick google search for the "Special Hobby' Anson you will see various images of instructions sheets which also state Aluminium for 1940 undersides. I'm pretty sure this would be the way to go unless you can find further photographs on-line.  Determining a worn Silver finish verses Grey paint in B&W photos is not an easy exercise. 

 

It's not much, however I hope it helps. 

Cheers.. Dave  

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16 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

OK 825, the first reference I checked was the Anson 'Aircraft in Detail' article that was featured in Scale Aircraft Modelling, December 1987. There's a profile of a camouflaged 206 Squadron machine from 1939. This has DE / DG uppers and Aluminium lower sides. The article itself states that when camouflaged was introduced post Munich crisis, the undersides were either painted Black or Light Grey? If you do a quick google search for the "Special Hobby' Anson you will see various images of instructions sheets which also state Aluminium for 1940 undersides. I'm pretty sure this would be the way to go unless you can find further photographs on-line.  Determining a worn Silver finish verses Grey paint in B&W photos is not an easy exercise. 

 

It's not much, however I hope it helps. 

Cheers.. Dave  

 

Thanks Dave, I think Aluminium it will be. 

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Interior parts all painted and asssembled. It's a little sparse but I will live with it.  I decided to include the crew in good old Airfix tradition. I know Airfix would have you paint the life vests yellow but I believe early war and pre-war vests were a beige colour. The moulding is not bad for a kit that's nearly 60 years old. Mind you o probably got it 20 years ago. 

 

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I've also trimmed the wings and started to paint them pre assembly a set this should give a nice crisp demarcation on the leading edge. Dry fittting suggests that the join is pretty good. 

Edited by 825
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Some paint on. 

 

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The transparencies dipped dipped in Kleer. Thanks to CliffB for the replacement turret transparency. There's some moulding flaws and I'm not 100% sure how to deal with them. 

 

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These nacelles will need a bit a bit of work done. These are the only parts that have serious moulding flaws. 

 

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The rearmost diagonal on the cockpit framing is actually part of the interior so I masked it off on the inside and applied a nice little run of interior green. One looks good. The other I had a serious senior moment. I duly masked the inside of the transparency and then slapped on some paint on the outside. And only spotted it after removing the masking. Doh...  

 

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Cue scrapping the paint off and then polishing it up again. It will need another dip in Kleer , which will hopefully restore the clarity or me t report it all over again. This time on the inside..

 

Better news remember thos engine nacelles with all the flash/mould lines. Don't the look better? Not perfect but certainly better. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Following this, with some nostalgia.... built many of them in my youth (when 1962 was  a living memory)

 

One word of advice:  you may find, when you bring the fuselages together, that the top of one side (the port side, as far as I recall) is not aligned with the other side, and is higher.  This is a very difficult problem to fix, because  of the need to keep the side transparencies aligned.  So if you have access to the Falcon RAF set that includes the Anson, it is worth getting, as it replaces the entire roof, and thereby solves the problem.

 

Philip

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16 hours ago, Prenton said:

Following this, with some nostalgia.... built many of them in my youth (when 1962 was  a living memory)

 

One word of advice:  you may find, when you bring the fuselages together, that the top of one side (the port side, as far as I recall) is not aligned with the other side, and is higher.  This is a very difficult problem to fix, because  of the need to keep the side transparencies aligned.  So if you have access to the Falcon RAF set that includes the Anson, it is worth getting, as it replaces the entire roof, and thereby solves the problem.

 

Philip

Thanks Philip, I'll keep an eye out for this. I don't think I have the Falcon RAF set, I've got the FAA one somewhere in the stash. Mind you I'm a bit useless with vac formed canopies at the best of times, so I'll wait and see how it fits together once I've got the interior and transparencies fitted. It'll be a week or so still as I'm currently on holiday. But as the Anson is one I won't to finish when I get back home I'll definitely keep it in mind.

 

Thanks again

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I don't have a vac form canopy in the stash so it's on with Airfix gives me.  Side windows masked, and boy oh boy, was this time consuming. They've been stuck in, using Tamiya Extra Thin wicked into the joint between the transparencies and the fuselage for some strength. I just hope I haven't fogged or smeared them at all. 

 

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Cockpit interior and crew added. Now leave well alone to dry before glueing together tomorrow. I'm not 100% sure how to deal with the turret. The framing is extensive in real life but very faint on the transparency and I'm not sure it's accurate. I don't mind masking straight lines but really hate complex curves. I think I can close up with the turret base and add the gym and transparency afterwards. Once I've worked out how to mask/paint it. 

 

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