Can anyone identify this aircraft and a suitable kit?

[ajmm]

My Great Uncle was in the RAF and later a test pilot for RAE. He was closely involved in developing the ejector seat at one point but he died young when the Danish aircraft he was testing disintegrated. He introduced my Grandfather and Grandmother at a dance when he and my Grandfather were stationed at RAF Cranwell, so he was a pretty important part of why I’m here. He was called Angus and I was named after him. 

 

I don't have his log books or any photos of him other than this one. I wonder if anyone can help identify the aircraft? It looks to me like an Anson but the nose is curious. On the back of the photo is scrawled what looks like Angus at Takoradi, 1946. Takoradi is in Ghana, which would explain the outstanding pair of shorts on display. 

 

 

 

I’d like to build a kit of whatever it is (my Grandfather was in the RAF and I’ve been building his aircraft but it’s easier because I have his logbooks). 

 

Many thanks!

 

Angus

 

 

 

 

 

[cngaero]

I would agree, it almost certainly looks like an Anson. 

With regards to available kits, assuming that you are talking about 1/72 scale, there is the old Airfix offering, but for a more up-to-date kit, there are a couple of variants, both early and late, offered by Special Hobby. For the later version, the C19, Aeroclub did a lovely mixed media kit, sadly no longer readily available but we'll worth hunting out. 

[Work In Progress]

It's an Anson variant but the bad news is it's an aeroplane with only a superficial resemblance to the Anson I depicted by the Airfix kit.

 

Anson variants are a bit of a minefield One of the unusual characteristics of the type is that late ones have practically nothing in common with early ones - they have different fuselages, wings, tails and in many cases engines. That one has constant-speed props and given that it is knocking about West Africa early post-war is likely a metal-wing high-roof variant.

[ajmm]

Brilliant. Thank you both. I will look out a Special Hobby kit and I’ll also try and find out what he was doing there. Training I imagine. But he was a fighter pilot. 

[Work In Progress]

He probably wasn't flying it. It's likely that's the transport which took him there. 

The Special Hobby kit is also a mark I, so only of passing resemblance to a post-war transport Anson. What you really want, if you can find one, is a Welsh Models one in 1/144 

 

 

 

or an Aeroclub one in 1/72. Long OOP but you might pick one up form a second-hand dealer or eBay if you make it a saved search and wait for notifications. Some details on the Aeroclub kit here:

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2019 by Work In Progress

[bootneck]

I received a reply from Densil at WM last month and he said he hoped to re-release the 1:144 Anson later this year.

 

Mike

[canberra kid]

This looks like the same nose?

John

[tempestfan]

... and the same American Engines. The carb air intake should be distinctive.

[Work In Progress]

3 hours ago, tempestfan said:

... and the same American Engines. The carb air intake should be distinctive.

Well, no. The intake is indeed distinctive, but the other way. Both of those aeroplanes have British engines, different versions of the Armstrong Siddley Cheetah. Just later, more powerful and differently-cowled Cheetahs from the ones you get on a I.  And with constant-speed props rather than the fixed pitch ones of the I.

 

The P&W R-985 powered Ansons don't have an intake like that under the cowling. 

 

Here's a Cheetah-powered XIX

 

Here's a P&W powered Anson V

 

[Junchan]

I've looked through Air Britain's The Anson File to find the Anson stationed at Takoradi in 1946. I found that the 10 Anson C. 12s, serialed PH673-679 and 691 were used by the West Africa Communications Squadron from August 1946 to November 1947. It is most probable that your great uncle's Anson was one of them.

 

I could find only one C.12 photo of PH serial range.

 

Hope this will be of some help.

 

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

Edited June 17, 2019 by Junchan

[malpaso]

May I just point out your uncle wrote that it was an Anson?  The first caption on the back of the photo says "Self and Annie", a different handwriting to the one identifying Angus, which I guess was written by the family later.

Cheers 

Will

[ajmm]

So it is! I was unable to read that and quite forgot the Ansons nickname was Annie or I could have worked it out. Still would have needed help with the type and a suitable kit, for which an enormous thank you to everyone who took the time to reply and even post photographs. This is a wonderful resource and truly the internet at its best. Thank you. 

[stevehnz]

Back when, late 1960s, early 70s, Alan W Hall in the old Airfix magazine did an Anson C.19 (I think) conversion with a high fuselage modded out of balsa wood, doped & talced, & from memory, Frog Oxford engines. He also helpfully pointed out you could then use the Anson's domed engine nacelles with the Oxford to build an Envoy. Such was modelling 50 years ago.

Steve.

[Paul J]

7 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Back when, late 1960s, early 70s, Alan W Hall in the old Airfix magazine did an Anson C.19 (I think) conversion with a high fuselage modded out of balsa wood, doped & talced, & from memory, Frog Oxford engines. He also helpfully pointed out you could then use the Anson's domed engine nacelles with the Oxford to build an Envoy. Such was modelling 50 years ago.

Steve.

I remember that article well. Still have the original magazines.  I tried the talc/ dope mix and found it to work quite well on Balsa wood. I did a solid nose Boston that way back then.  Re the Anson I have both the Welsh 1/144 one and an Aeroclub one..... both built and in my collection.

[bootneck]

The 1:144 version is still on my bucket list.  Could you post images of your two Ansons here please?  Just for my personal gratification!

 

Mike

[Paul J]

Sure Mike but won't be until later this week.  Need to rummage through all my boxes of built models in one of my sheds.

 

[bootneck]

Thanks Paul,  looking forward to it/them

 

Mike

[ajmm]

Me too!

[tempestfan]

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 2:14 AM, Work In Progress said:

Well, no. The intake is indeed distinctive, but the other way. Both of those aeroplanes have British engines, different versions of the Armstrong Siddley Cheetah. Just later, more powerful and differently-cowled Cheetahs from the ones you get on a I.  And with constant-speed props rather than the fixed pitch ones of the I.

 

 

I guess this was a case of either turning on the Brains before posting, or doing what Junchan did and looking up the Anson file (or the old Almark booklet by Alan Hall)... 😫  I'll probably shhot another self-goal now, but the engine on that Anson should have an updraught carb, while most US engines (that I can think of anyway) had downdraught, with top mounted intakes. Blame it on the nighttime and that prop that Looks so Beechy in seducing me to write rubbish.