Jump to content

1/32 - Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I/III by Border Model (ex-Wingnut Wings) - released


Homebee

Recommended Posts

The huge parcel has arrived!! 
 

I selected DPD in favour of Parcelforce as both were free. I didn’t bother with requesting a Saturday delivery as that costs £10 odd and Monday is fine. I had an email from DPD saying it would be delivered some time after 11am on Monday so that was fine.

 

I was just about to have breakfast and was reading my emails and one was from DPD - the parcel was delivered. What kind of rubbish was that - it’s not due today? But I clicked on the link and there was a photo of a large box and my front door. So I galloped down the hall and it was true!! What can you say - superb service by DPD and excellent communication. Would Parcelforce have done the same? Maybe.

 

So I’ve had a look and it is fine. I can see a very fine ‘cold front’ across one of the roof canopy panels but to be honest it could be a mark ‘in service’ of the airframe and it’s not worth making a fuss over. You can see where the mould has not had a final polish in the area of the forward ‘quarter lights’ but again, I wonder how optically clear they are on a real Lanc. Overall I’m very impressed- and relieved! When I have time I want to dig the instructions out - to photocopy so that I can put them back into the box and then read at my leasure!! What a day!!

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used DPD from Hannants too. I have had the same thing , ordered on a friday and the parcel has come on a saturday.  It is a great kit , i started mine last night. The brass barrels are nice too , shame theres no cooling jackets for them!    The preorder price from Hannants made it all the better!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, gunpowder17 said:

I used DPD from Hannants too. I have had the same thing , ordered on a friday and the parcel has come on a saturday.  It is a great kit , i started mine last night. The brass barrels are nice too , shame theres no cooling jackets for them!    The preorder price from Hannants made it all the better!

Totally agree Andrew, I haven’t got further than the transparencies though. I’d be interested to know what ‘extra bits’ are included though. Hopefully someone will work out what extras there are. The clear sprues obviously include extra tail turrets but I don’t know what else is lurking on the grey sprues! Maybe we have to wait for the Mark Postlethwaite book on how to build it? I imagine Wingnut will have designed in all sort of extras for later war versions? But do Border show this on the instructions? I doubt it as they have already shown that they don’t really understand the kit!

Great to have it though after a 4 year wait from when I saw it first at SMW!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Simon Cornes said:

But I clicked on the link and there was a photo of a large box and my front door. So I galloped down the hall and it was true!!


 

Simon

clearly Borders Models should be required to carry a health warning on the box and advertising

No galloping at our age please

:hobbyhorse:
Likely to end badly with a hip replacement you know. I find that a fast stroll is risky enough these days.  :D

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grief, I can’t argue with you John!! I must admit that the unexpected arrival rather mucked up my Saturday morning but I have recovered now. 
It will be interesting to see an analysis of the parts included though - I’m sure someone will be beavering away at it now but I know that Wingnut normally include a lot of extras that are not required for that particular boxing or are alternative parts depending on the airframe being modelled. We are used to so much support from Wingnut instructions explaining everything clearly and I somehow doubt it will be replicated by Border - maybe I will be happily proved wrong!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, JohnT said:


 

Simon

clearly Borders Models should be required to carry a health warning on the box and advertising

No galloping at our age please

:hobbyhorse:
Likely to end badly with a hip replacement you know. I find that a fast stroll is risky enough these days.  :D

or a slow crawl 😣

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, MattH912 said:

Looking to get this kit, is this a limited time time run model or a permanent release?

I believe it is a limited run. Well see.....not sure how many they made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Simon Cornes said:

Would Parcelforce have done the same? Maybe.

I chose Parcelforce and the answer is no. Ordered Thursday, arriving Monday 😩

 

Enjoy!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right, I've had a proper look at mine now and I've found a crack!

 

Before opening the outer carton I photographed it because it looked a bit 'pressurised' and there were a couple of small punctures. When I opened the carton there were no punctures in the box top but there were 3 creases in one long edge so another photo. taken When I got the lid off, the sprues were stacked higher than the inner cardboard box base. Not a problem when in the outer carton because that's taller than the kit box but not a good idea to put anything on top of the kit box if you discard the carton because it would inevitably put pressure on the contents.

 

Next I got the sprues out. I noticed 'cold fronts' to quite a few parts on the sprue with the H2S dome. Not a big deal though really. But when I had a really good look at the other clear sprue I saw a crack, maybe 3-4mm long on the top of the canopy moulding at the corner of the escape hatch opening so that 'crush evidence' did mean that there was some damage. I've emailed Hannants with photos so, all being well, a replacement canopy - or even whole sprue - might turn up soon. 

 

So, for those who haven't had a really good look at their kits,

 

1) hold the clear sprues up in a good light source with a piece of something dark behind to see if you can see anything.

2) I'm glad I photographed the kit from the outer carton inwards so that I can demonstrate to Hannants what I found.

3) No point in getting up tight, these things happen but it shows that the guys at Albion may be suffering from canopy fatigue after looking at lots of clear sprues by now so their inspection is no guarantee that your clear sprues will be perfect.

 

That's enough excitement for one day - Good night!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Corky said:

I believe it is a limited run. Well see.....not sure how many they made.

500 worldwide I believe with no chance of a further production run.

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, avro683 said:

500 worldwide I believe with no chance of a further production run.

Geeze a Willi Wonka golden ticket 🎫 lol 😝 

 

Why is there no further production. Tooling worn out? Or too much much work for the return? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I just ordered mine from the Big H. No big surprise there, me ordering the kit that is. It was inevitable, it was fate, it was Kismet... Now I'll have it to compare it with the HKM kit which I've already ordered. Wow, that's a lot of money for a couple of plastic kits. I guess I'll just have to sell another kidney now. Lucky thing we have three. We do have three, don't we?

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited by Learstang
  • Like 1
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A huge Thank You to Border Models for having the faith to release this kit!

 

Mine arrived safely yesterday 🥰❤️

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, avro683 said:

500 worldwide I believe with no chance of a further production run.

I know that a UK importer has had 400, so i suspect that figure is higher somehow. :hmmm:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Mike said:

I know that a UK importer has had 400, so i suspect that figure is higher somehow. :hmmm:

I’ve seen between 1,500 and 2,000 quoted. That would have been a typical Wingnut run once upon a time. In theory Wingnut moulds we’re made to a very high quality so they should last a long time but maybe those more technically aware of injection moulding could look at the size of the parts sprues and the side of the components and work out how long a mould might last. Way beyond my pay grade!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think Border Models know how many kits they can get out of the tooling. My understanding is that the tools they have are NOT the final production tools and are probably made out of aluminium, not steel. 

According to a video on the Airfix website the big Spitfire IX will have gone through three sets of development tooling before the final production tooling is made. 

Normally development tools are not run to death, hence my comment "nobody knows": if the moulding cycle is done sympathetically then possible 1000 plus...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, that would make sense Peter. The whole Border rationale has been to get it on the market as fast as possible to sell enough to cover their expenditure and then be in profit. 
im reading the instructions- wouldn’t it have been nice if they’d got a fluent English speaker to write the history on the front page?!! I’m still trying to understand how the brass gun barrels are supposed to fit ? I’ve only got as far as the nose assembly so a fair way to go and a lot of sense to be made but I’m thinking ‘Master barrels’ already!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, Simon Cornes said:

Ah, that would make sense Peter. The whole Border rationale has been to get it on the market as fast as possible to sell enough to cover their expenditure and then be in profit. 
im reading the instructions- wouldn’t it have been nice if they’d got a fluent English speaker to write the history on the front page?!! I’m still trying to understand how the brass gun barrels are supposed to fit ? I’ve only got as far as the nose assembly so a fair way to go and a lot of sense to be made but I’m thinking ‘Master barrels’ already!!

I have a set of Master Barrels on back order. In 1/32 they will make a massive difference to the finished model. There are also the Profimodel ones but at almost £14 more I don’t think they are worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mike said:

I know that a UK importer has had 400, so i suspect that figure is higher somehow. :hmmm:

Thanks, Mike, I have to admit that 500 did seem low at the time, despite the price point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, avro683 said:

I have a set of Master Barrels on back order. In 1/32 they will make a massive difference to the finished model. There are also the Profimodel ones but at almost £14 more I don’t think they are worth it.

The only issue is the ventilation type. Early Lancs had the oval holes but later ones had the round ones. The Master set seem to be oval but I’m thinking about an H2S equipped Lanc so maybe I need round - just to be awkward!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Simon Cornes said:

The only issue is the ventilation type. Early Lancs had the oval holes but later ones had the round ones. The Master set seem to be oval but I’m thinking about an H2S equipped Lanc so maybe I need round - just to be awkward!!

Hadn’t thought of that, a spanner could be thrown the works, there. Thanks for that, Simon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No problem, it’s one of those things I might have picked up from the Lanc MDF years ago when I was thinking of doing a 1/72 collection! 
To be honest I need to get back up to speed on the Lanc generally to work out what bits of electronic gizmos I need! 
Any money says the Profimodeller set is also oval ventilating holes!!

I wonder if that’s why Wingnut had separate barrels and jackets so that they could do an ‘early’ set and a ‘late’ set? As they stand they’re good for neither use nor ornament if there is no jacket of any kind included!! I suspect it’s another trick Border have missed! I think I’ll have a look at their website to see what they say.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just checked. The original Border details on their site show the guns with oval jackets. The Profimodeller ones are also oval. They also do a set of .50 cals for the Martin mid upper turret - not to be confused!! So the search for ‘late’ 303 jackets continues! This is where you need an Ali McLean! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Simon Cornes said:

Just checked. The original Border details on their site show the guns with oval jackets. The Profimodeller ones are also oval. They also do a set of .50 cals for the Martin mid upper turret - not to be confused!! So the search for ‘late’ 303 jackets continues! This is where you need an Ali McLean! 

Excellent, thank you. I’m planning on modelling W4118 which, I believe (and hope) was fitted with early, oval, holed jackets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...