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1/48 Airfix Canberra B(I)6


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I know I should really finish one of the five models currently on my workbench, but I felt compelled to start another one...! 😄

 

This will be a very straightforward build, almost completely OOB with only minor improvements to the kit offering. Talking of which, I know there are various inaccuracies with this kit, but I'm just planning a simple build - no rivet counting on this one! There are some very talented modellers on this website who have already done wonderful things with the various Airfix Canberra kits - I cannot compete with that degree of commitment so I'm just having some fun with this one!

To start, here's the box:

 

box.jpg

 

A £14.99 bargain from Modelzone, many years ago!

 

This is the scheme I will build, a 213 Squadron B(I)6, based at Bruggen in 1969:

 

scheme.jpg

 

From other threads, I know this model can be a tail-sitter. The instructions recommend 100g of nose ballast! That seems excessive (I really hope I don't regret saying that) and I have settled on about 75g of rolled up lead on top of the bomb bay, held in place with silicon:

 

can1.jpg

 

The cockpit interior was painted dark grey. I think once it's closed up it will look pretty black. I have also picked out the details on the axe, just in case it can be seen:

 

axe.jpg

 

Work on the cockpit was basic - I suspect the rear two seats will be almost impossible to see once the fuselage is closed up. Here's the current progress:

 

pit1.jpg

 

Ejection seat handles were roughly fashioned from a paper clip. Here's the other side, which will be more visible through the open cockpit door:

 

pit2.jpg

 

I applied some dry-brushed aluminium to this side, as it might just be seen through the door! This was then glued into position:

 

pit.jpg

 

I intend to close the fuselage up tonight and start the wings.👍

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hey Matt

 

lookin good mate, sometimes you need something new just to get the juices flowing, I know that I suffer with burn out every now and again, especially when your devoting a lot of time and effort to other builds (love the 747 btw)

 

have fun buddy coz that’s what it’s all about.

 

stay safe

 

Iain

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Well if it’s anything like the PR.9 then I would say all 100g nose weight is needed.  Maybe even more!  Let’s just say the nose weight is heavier than the kit nose wheel can a silky take.  Nice work so far & looking forward to seeing it progress

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On 06/01/2021 at 19:36, (ex)Sgtrafman said:

lookin good mate, sometimes you need something new just to get the juices flowing, I know that I suffer with burn out every now and again, especially when your devoting a lot of time and effort to other builds (love the 747 btw)

Thanks Iain. The 747 is on currently hold, awaiting replacement decals. I fancied a quicker build this time!

 

On 06/01/2021 at 19:36, (ex)Sgtrafman said:

have fun buddy coz that’s what it’s all about.

Too true! Sometimes I just want a simple project - this model will tick that box very nicely and hopefully look quite acceptable without any mods.

 

21 hours ago, bar side said:

Well if it’s anything like the PR.9 then I would say all 100g nose weight is needed.  Maybe even more!

It appears to be nose heavy at the moment, even with all the tail feathers taped loosely in place - time will tell! If I'm wrong, a tail support post is helpfully supplied in the kit - I guess potential tail sitting was a problem in real life too...?

 

The wings are now started. The undercarriage bays were sprayed with Alclad duraluminium, given a dirty wash and glued into place:

 

wells.jpg

 

I will tidy up the sprue attachment points later - I find it easier to do this once major components are built, as it helps me to get the contours correct.

 

The nose gear bay also had the same treatment:

 

ngb.jpg

 

As you can see, the fuselage is now fastened together. It was actually one of the best fitting fuselages I've ever worked on - I think a quick sanding session will eliminate the joint line. Here's the nose section, seen from above:

 

nose2.jpg

 

And the tail:

 

tail.jpg

 

This is the only area that will need some filler, as there is a slight gap between the two halves of the tail cone...

 

Attaching the bomb bay doors is next, which will be done gradually, one door at a time, to get a good fit. I have beefed up the bomb bay with some scrap sprue, to help support the wing joints:

 

bbay.jpg

 

Rapid progress at the moment!

 

 

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Nice start Matt

 

As said above it’s always good to start something new to stop burn out and there’s always the Kuta gb for unfinished kits. 

 

It looks like you got that kit for a very good price. 

 

Will follow along with interest. 

 

James

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21 hours ago, franky boy said:

Nice start Matt

Thanks James. I wasn't expecting too much from this kit, hence planning to make it a quick, basic build. However, despite it's poor reputation for accuracy it's actually a very pleasant build - the fit so far has been excellent and the general shape is pretty accurate.

 

I attached one bomb bay door initially, gluing first one end, then the other, then the long side:

 

one.jpg

 

Once that was rigid I attached the second door, following the same procedure to get it aligned:

 

both.jpg

 

The engines are for my 1/72 BOAC 707 build - a kit which needs much more fettling than this one! They were primed this afternoon, along with the Canberra bits edging in at the top of the picture.

 

My final job today was gluing the remaining transparencies into place - another job which was surprisingly straightforward:

 

trans.jpg

 

I'm building this one without any armament (except the rocket pod on the belly), so only a few more sub-assemblies to construct.

 

 

 

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Despite my earlier enthusiasm for the great fit of the various parts, I have inevitably found something now that doesn't fit so well! The exhaust attachments will need a little fettling:

 

exh.jpg

 

I also need to rectify a couple of own-goals, caused by my clumsy modelling. On the canopy some Tamiya extra thin ran under the tape on the right hand side and I have also scratched the nose window at the top:

 

scit.jpg

 

A session with polishing clothes should fix that!

 

 

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The polishing clothes worked a treat, so I can now get the transparencies masked before priming the fuselage.

 

In the meantime, I have turned my attention to the exhausts. After some judicious filing I have slotted them into place and applied extra thin around the joint:

 

ex2.jpg

 

The nacelle diameter is different at the point where the exhausts attach to the main body of the wing, so some filling and blending awaits - deep joy! 😆

 

There is also a mismatch with the trailing edges, as the inboard section is drooping slightly. These will be clamped into a straight line (forcing alignment with the exhaust inserts) then glued into place.

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oooh I missed this. Looking good. I would have put more weight in that nose. I’ve never built one of these but I did the Academy Catalina. Oooh boy that needed a house brick up front.😩😳🙀

But as you said you have a prop so all good. The internals look grand. Deffo look into getting some gators grip for your clear bits. Best thing I ever did. 

 

I’ll  tag along if I may.

 

Johnny

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On 20/01/2021 at 18:37, exdraken said:

Great build!

Thank you! It's all very basic but I'm enjoying it immensely - its just what I needed! :smile:

 

On 21/01/2021 at 23:58, The Spadgent said:

oooh I missed this. Looking good. I would have put more weight in that nose. I’ve ever built one of these but I did the Academy Catalina. Oooh boy that needed a house brick up front.😩😳🙀

But as you said you have a prop so all good. The internals look grand. Deffo look into getting some gators grip for your clear bits. Best thing I ever did. 

 

I’ll  tag along if I may.

Cheers Johnny. I *think* there's enough nose weight, but it's definitely less than recommended - it's heavy enough as it is! The tail prop is there if needed...

I've struggled getting any gator's grip, so have used plain old poly cement. It seems to have worked OK without fogging - the cockpit area is well ventilated as the door is not attached yet. Welcome along!

 

On 22/01/2021 at 01:25, Gary Medland said:

Watching builds like this progress helps me to understand what an amateur I am! 🤣😂 

Nice build sir, keep it up. 😉 👍🏻 

Thanks Gary, you're too kind.👍

 

My skill level has come on enormously over the past year, with plenty of tips from the many great builders on this forum. There's nothing particularly difficult about what I do - certainly compared with what some people achieve!

 

IMHO, it's a combination of three things.

 

Firstly, you have to want to produce a better model. The time I spend filling and sanding nowadays is much more than it used to be - but it pays off handsomely. Talking of which, the second issue is time. Be prepared to put in some effort and you will see a huge difference - don't rush things. The third consideration is practice. I have learnt several new modelling skills over the past few months simply by reading other threads and attempting the techniques that other builders have used - many of which have been new to me. It doesn't always work first time, but its fun to try and very satisfying when it does come off!

Since my last post I have worked a bit more on blending the exhausts - but they still need more attention... I have also started to work on the nose and am filling the gaps:

 

con.jpg

 

Once I have finishing prepping I will get the fuselage primed.👍

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 26/01/2021 at 21:19, The Spadgent said:

Looking good . I would have masked up before filler but I’m sure you have it in hand. I do love this aeroplane. 👏👏

Thank you! @Gary Medland - this is the great thing about BM. Loads of friendly tips to help you build better models!

I took Johnny's advice and masked up the transparencies:

 

rough.jpg

 

I also put some tape over the cockpit entrance to stop primer getting in... The primer certainly helps to show where more sanding is needed!😆

 

I will try to get some more done on this over the weekend. Life has been a bit busy for the past few weeks...!

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  • 4 weeks later...

It’s a great start! As others have said about nose weight, too much is never enough. I actually used a couple of pebbles behind the cockpit bulkhead in the T17 I made from this kit. 
 

 

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1 hour ago, Back in the Saddle said:

 

 

nise.jpg

 

I can see more filler will be needed around the main canopy! I might have to reduce those panel lines down a bit too...:hmmm:

On my B(I)8 I've filled in most of the panel lines as the Canberras I've been able to get close to, WE113 (now gone), WE139, WE168 (now gone) and WF922 all had very smooth skins.  You can see slight dishing around the rivet heads but everything seems to have been filled and sanded flush.

One other mod I made to mine was to replicate the rear fuselage doubler plates using 5 thou plasticard.  Only having the late Mike Keep's Warpaint drawings from Aviation News I had to scale them up to 1/48th by hand so mine may be a bit "approximate" (one day I'll learn how to post images from my phone and iPad on here!).  I think the doubles were introduced from the Mk. 6 onwards and those on the PR. 9 are a different shape.   They're on both centre and rear fuselage sections and extend as far forward as the main spar above and below the wing.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 15/03/2021 at 16:00, Lord Riot said:

It’s a great start! As others have said about nose weight, too much is never enough. I actually used a couple of pebbles behind the cockpit bulkhead in the T17 I made from this kit. 

Thank you! I think there's enough weight up front...🤞

 

Just a small updated - I have sprayed some aluminium today:

 

al.jpg

 

I can now build up the nacelle fronts and work on completing the wings.👍

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Looking good! I had though of perhaps getting a 1:48 Canberra myself but 1:48 feels a bit daunting and the detail ain't great it would seem, you are doing a good job of it though!

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On 25/03/2021 at 14:58, KingTiger435 said:

Looking good! I had though of perhaps getting a 1:48 Canberra myself but 1:48 feels a bit daunting and the detail ain't great it would seem, you are doing a good job of it though!

Thank you! This should build into quite a respectable model OOB. However, if you want to see what some people can do with an Airfix Canberra kit, you need to see some of the other builds on this website. @Massimo is doing a great job with his PR9 build here and @Martian is working his magic on a couple of others here. Far more impressive than my humble offerings!

 

4 hours ago, Tornado 01 said:

Still looking in from time to time

Likewise! I have many models on the go at the moment, so and dabbling with all of them as and when I can. It's a gradual process!

 

As planned, I have build the front of the engine nacelles and glued them into place. Their fit was far better than the exhausts, which are still smothered in filler...!

 

nac.jpg

 

I then built up the undercarriage struts, ready for painting:

 

us.jpg

 

A sanding session is next!

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  • 3 weeks later...

This build has been a bit quiet recently, due to lack of time, but I have made a little progress. The fuselage has been filled, ready for sanding:

 

fill.jpg

 

It may need another filling session - I'll see how it looks once I've sanded it back.

 

I also have most of the other components ready for priming:

 

bits.jpg

 

Subject to weather, I hope to get some more work done later in the week!

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The story of my weekend (so far) has been filling, priming and sanding!

The fuselage is now looking reasonable, but I felt the transparencies could be blended in better:

 

yell.jpg

 

I'm hoping a final sanding session and prime tomorrow will see this job done.

 

The wings however need much more work, especially around the exhaust sections...

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Work on the transparencies has continued and I think I'm on top of that job now. I just need to re-mask them before a final blast of primer, as the sandpaper has worn the protective cover away...

 

Work on the wings is ongoing. I sanded out the worst of the blemishes and they are also ready for primer:

 

wngs.jpg

 

I can see a couple of areas that need work, but it's slowly getting better!

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