Canberra T17

[Jabba]

For this GB I will be hopefully making a Canberra T7. I will be using the Micro-Mir kit, but with the markings coming from Modeldecal Sht No 85 as I prefer the Green/Grey scheme to the Hemp one.

 

 

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Love these versions of the Canberra, the box top markings are my favorites. 

[Brad]

Excellent, another Canberra. Welcome.

[theplasticsurgeon]

Excellent choice.  A combination of kit and decals that I used last year.

Challenging and ultimately rewarding was my conclusion - here's my Ready for Inspection

[Edge]

Hope you don't mind me following along? I have a couple of these and hope to pick up any tips.

 

Edge

 

[Jabba]

Thank you for all your comments and welcome all those who wish to follow this journey. I have started by first cutting off the fuselage parts mainly to see how they fit. I have also started on the cockpit and as there are no positive fit points I have been fitting the parts one at a time and then seeing how they fit to the relevant Fwd fuselage part to see how they fit and then adjust. There are some etch parts to fit in here, but I am not sure how much will be seen after the fuselage is put together so I may leave this out and just paint the cockpit as it is. I have also taken off one of the wing halves so that I can also start on the wheel bays. I am also thinking of getting a resin seat especially for the pilot position as the kit ones are really not that good.

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I have got a bit more done on this one. The cockpit area has been painted up. I did in the end add the etch stuff as it maybe seen through the bubble canopy. I have also added the Fwd fuselage to their respective rear portions. All the wheel bays have ben built up. I did at the start follow the kit instructions when building the main bays, but when parts did not match up I went my own way and made then up with the ribbing on the upper part of the bay. I may have misread where the parts are on the diagram, but they are built up and do fit into their respective wing. Talking of the wings I have been scraping down the rear edge of the lower parts so that they fit into a ledge that is on the upper part. A little has to be also taken of the upper part, but not as much. I have not fitted the pilots control column as yet as I am trying to figure out how to remove the yoke part which is in the last picture. I am thinking that some wire may do. I have also bought a set of ejection seats plus some wing tip fuel tanks which are winging their way to me. I will be fitting the cockpit to the fuselage in the not too distant future.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I have got the cockpit area and the nose U/C fitted. I have also fitted a few small bits of plasti card as there are no location spigots. I had to take a few bits of plastic off the pilots instrument panel and some of the surrounding area so that the fwd part of the fuselage would fit together better. Now I have got to fit some weight in and around the cockpit. Not shown is the filing down that I have done to the wings so that the trailing edges now fit a lot better.

 

 

[Adam Poultney]

Looking good so far, I'll be interested to see how this builds up. My collection is lacking a Canberra in this scale.

[Jabba]

A bit more of an update. The fuselage halves have been glued together. The bulbous nose is crammed with weight and if it is still a tail sitter after I have added the wings and other appendages, there is a part that has not been fitted under the nose where I can add more or in the rear of the cockpit area that will not be seen when the canopy part is fitted. The wings, intakes, exhausts and tail planes have also been glued together, but I am not sure how the wings and tail planes will be fitted on. I will have to have a good look at these areas.

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

On 20/04/2021 at 08:33, theplasticsurgeon said:

Excellent choice.  A combination of kit and decals that I used last year.

Challenging and ultimately rewarding was my conclusion - here's my Ready for Inspection

Do you have a build thread for this, as I am having as pot of bother with the engine intakes as they do not want to fit at the moment.

[theplasticsurgeon]

8 hours ago, Jabba said:

Do you have a build thread for this, as I am having as pot of bother with the engine intakes as they do not want to fit at the moment.

No, it wasn't eligable for a GB at the time.

Just this pseudo-review of my thoughts, embedded in the RFI thread:

 

Built with ModeDecal set 72-085 for 1970s Green Grey camo for 360 Sqdn RAF.

Since 1977, when I was allowed to go inside a T17, on Air Cadet camp at RAF Wyton, I've wanted to build this version of Canberra.
I've build several other 1/72 Canberras, but the means to construct a T17 has eluded me - until now.
Thus I've eagerly anticipate getting my hands onto this kit, and the ModelDecal set - since MikroMir announced their Canberras in 2018.

So what about MikroMir, this is my first build of one of their kits - I didn't really know what to expect.  
I took some notes on the instructions as I went along.
The kit consists of superbly formed plastic parts, some etched detail - clearly also intended for other variants, decals - for the later hemp Canberra, and a painting mask.  Something I'd never seen before being a single glass piece for the upper fuselage, from where the ECM nose starts - right back level with the back of the nose gear bay.

No part numbers on the sprues.  Oh no -  rely upon the instruction sprue map,  very tedious to work with.
Some unused parts for other versions of Canberra.  Fuselage split at the bulkhead at rear of crew compartment.
My dislike of etch is recorded on the instructions, but was used on the pilot's seat - where it's very visible.
I'm unconvinced that the undercarriage bays assembled exactly according to the instructions.
I'd rather not have to saw off the very rear end of the fuselage - without very clear cutting guidance.
That bulkhead fuselage split itsn't well explained in diagram form, thus difficult to achieve properly.
That huge transparent cockpit part to fettle into the rest of the fuselage.
The wings are a simple butt-fit onto the fuselage - no location assistance, and definitely not the strongest of joints.
Vague fitment of engine intakes and exhausts to the wings with the attendant filling,  it's a miracle this kit made it into a single piece!

The undernose bump is a separate part, leaving a hole into which I planned to install the nose ballast.  Which could be completed after fitting the undercarriage.  Well that was the plan.
Undercarriage, I had to redrill the holes in the wheels to make them fit the axles properly.
Small squares of lead, with superglue - what could possibly go wrong.  Well this model would need a LOT of ballast.
And I succeded in getting some of it into that huge canopy.  Fortunately I was able to remeove it again  BUT
I had to admit defeat in the Battle of the Ballast - and fit a prop at the rear of the bomb-bay.  This being within the wing area, thus concealed from photos.
The Stage 21 of instructions, for fitting undercarriage has a printing omission.   NO part numbers mentioned  -  and I hardly noticed!

And so to the painting.  I was wanting the Green/Grey camo - hence the ModelDecal set.  This is well documented, and I scale copied the side views for airbrush masks.    
Rather small diagram of the planform scheme.   This is most similar to the RAAF B.20 option of the 1970s Airfix kit (which I've built) so scale-copied that for airbrush masks.
Airbrushed Humbrol 166 underside, 164 upper then 163 camo pattern.

And decals - what of those.  Well they omit the roundels.  Fortunately I had superb leftovers from an Airfix PR9 and used those.
My ModelDecals went down well over the grey, but silvered horribly over the green.   Loads of Klear used in fixing that.
A lot of the stencils ejection triangles, fuelling points from those Airfix leftovers.
The only bits of MikroMir decals that I used were the yellow walkways,  I just didn't trust those of ModelDecal by then.

Edited 2 days later, I've used the mask from the kit to complete the direct-vision panel in the canopy - and it worked beautifully!  Soft vinyl laser cut, offering a perfect fit, and no leaking or bleeding.

Final touch, that wire aerial from the port nose to the tail, very prominent on the real aircraft.  Nylon fishing line on the model, touched with a black loaded paintbrush, to make it more visible.

Re-reading this it must sound incredibly negative.  Which gives me an incredible feeling of triumph to have succeeded against such adversity.
Would I recommend this kit - Yes, but only to very experienced modellers.
 
Oh - and this kit provides a transparent nose piece, that might be compatible to replace its equivalent on that 1970s Airfix Canberra kit.

[Jabba]

1 hour ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Vague fitment of engine intakes and exhausts to the wings with the attendant filling,  it's a miracle this kit made it into a single piece!

The undernose bump is a separate part, leaving a hole into which I planned to install the nose ballast.  Which could be completed after fitting the undercarriage.  Well that was the plan.

Would I recommend this kit - Yes, but only to very experienced modellers.
 

Thanks for the info. Do you remember how you fitted the engine air intakes? I originally fitted the intake parts together as per the instructions, but when I tried to fit them to their respective wing there was no way the they would fit properly. So I then split the intake parts and glued the lower segment to the wing, which at the moment is a good fit. I will look at trying to fit the upper parts tonight or fettle them so that they do. I too have left the lower ECM bump to see if I can fit any more weight into the nose when I come to see if I have already fitted enough. Well as you say that is the plan.

[theplasticsurgeon]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:30 PM, Jabba said:

Thanks for the info. Do you remember how you fitted the engine air intakes? I originally fitted the intake parts together as per the instructions, but when I tried to fit them to their respective wing there was no way the they would fit properly. So I then split the intake parts and glued the lower segment to the wing, which at the moment is a good fit. I will look at trying to fit the upper parts tonight or fettle them so that they do. I too have left the lower ECM bump to see if I can fit any more weight into the nose when I come to see if I have already fitted enough. Well as you say that is the plan.

No. I'm just looking at the instructions.  No disparaging reminders scribed there either - apart from my Battle of the Ballast.

Very careful to match up the ports and hatches with the diagram, to get them the right way up.

 

I think my intoxication with the success of completion, erased the nightmare of the construction from my memory.

[Jabba]

@theplasticsurgeonI have looked through a few reviews that I could find and all they say is fitted the intakes and exhaust, no mention of a struggle. I think like yourself they forgot about the badder things of the kit and were just happy to get it finished. Anyhow, I split the intakes and fitted the lower halves to their respective wing. I then glues the upper parts at the front edge, clamped and left over night. I then applied super glue to the rear part, again clamped and left over night. One side is better than the other and the lower parts are much better. I think that the next time I build one of these ( I have a couple of the S and M kits which are similar) i will put the upper and lower parts to their respective wings and see what happens. Now to the exhausts.

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I finally got the intakes and exhausts fitted to the wings. These were filled and sanded down along with the tailplanes. I have managed to fit one of the wings and have trial fitted the other wing which needs a bit of fettling to get that one to fit. I have also done a trial fit on the clear panel and had to do a bit of shaving to the internal frame and instrument panel. I did notice when I fitted this that I could see through to the rear crew area which I thought that I should not be able to. I am going to temporarily fit one of the ejection seats to the pilots position, then fit the clear panel to see if I have got things fitted correctly internally.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

The other wing has now been added and plasti card used as filler at the moment. I have fitted temporarily as a trial for the fitment of the clear panel. It is sitting more upright than it is meant to so will be adjusted for the fitting. I have also removed the end of the fuselage so that some electronical gizmo can be fitted. Next after that is the tailplanes and see if I need to add more weight. At the moment all is well.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I have added the tailplanes and a few other bits. I have also been filling and sanding down these areas plus the wings. Having determined that it is not a tail sitter I have painted up and fitted the ejection seats. Not that brilliant but it will do for me. I also managed to make up the control column, but that requires painting at the moment. I will still add a little more weight, then fit the clear top hatch panel affair and see what happens. Still a few more bits and bobs to fit especially under the fuselage and then hopefully some paint.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

Now have the clear top hatch fitted. It was tacked in the corners with superglue and when that was dry normal glue was then used on the rest. No matter how much prep was done to get this to fit well, one side is actually better than the other. Filler now applied and will start rubbing down this tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

[Brad]

Bummer about that fit.

[Jabba]

I think that the badness of the fit may have been overdone by the amount of filler that I applied. Anyhow I have sanded this all down now and unfortunately I did manage to catch some of the bubble window. Luckily I do have a micro mesh kit which should hopefully blend this out. But the bad news is that I did not cover up the square hole in the fuselage and with this dust has got into the cockpit and shows on the canopy, so I do not know how I will be able to get this out. The tape now covers this after I saw what had happened. I think that I should have applied some Krystal Klear before the sanding, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I have also fitted the bumps to the under fuselage, so when I have sorted out the canopy I will hopefully be applying paint.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

I have managed to get rid of the scratches on the canopy, but not the dust from the inside unless anyone know a way. I have also fitted the  last parts to the lower fuselage. Before I fitted the big lump under the radome I did manage to squeeze in a bit more weight, which also had another benefit in that it raised the part so that it seated itself correctly. I will fit the masks that come with the kit tonight and then hopefully start on with the paint.

 

 

 

[TonyOD]

The dust is unfortunate. I managed to get quite a lot of dust inside my Pe-8 during the mammoth filling and sanding sessions, fortunately the tail of the fuselage was still open so I stuck it in the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner and managed to suck the dust out, most of it anyway. Noted to self to seal any and all potential entry points to fuselages before sanding in future. 

 

Taking shape nicely though! 

[Jabba]

7 hours ago, TonyOD said:

The dust is unfortunate. I managed to get quite a lot of dust inside my Pe-8 during the mammoth filling and sanding sessions, fortunately the tail of the fuselage was still open so I stuck it in the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner and managed to suck the dust out, most of it anyway. Noted to self to seal any and all potential entry points to fuselages before sanding in future. 

 

 

That is what I was thinking to, but I am not sure if I will disturb anything else that is fitted it there. I moved the model about last night when applying the mask (which do not fit properly) and a big chunk of dust/rubbish appeared in the canopy. Luckily it did not stick and I was able to make it disappear.

[TonyOD]

17 minutes ago, Jabba said:

I am not sure if I will disturb anything else that is fitted it there.

 

I think I lost the co-pilot's control stick to the vacuum cleaner...