Old Man Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 (edited) I started off this vintage Airfix kit without a particular example in mind. I was hoping for a service example with Night undersides and the late windscreen (and there are some), but I couldn't resist this odd duck: A lingering Mk.I, with blister cowling and turret still, in service late enough for India White roundels, and in aluminum dope like the originals in the late thirties. In the Warpaint number on the type, the picture is captioned as belonging to 1331 Communications Unit, at Digri. I like to find something out about an aeroplane I make a model of, and Britmodeller is a great place to ask. I posted a query, and the boffins have spoken. We may perhaps add to 'don't trust a profile without a photograph' injunction not to trust the photograph's caption. A good many guys, Graham Boak, Tonyot, Geoffrey Sinclair, Sgifford among them, straightened the matter out for me in short order. There was no 1331 Communications Flight. There was a Check and Communication Flight from late 1943, at Mauripur, which became 1331 Conversion Unit a year later, after which it became a Heavy Transport Conversion Unit, at Risalpur. This was disbanded early in 1946. EG645 was delivered around Christmas, 1942, and shipped to India in 1943, arriving in May. It was struck off charge in spring of 1946. Aluminum dope finish was instituted for Ansons in the SEAC during 1945, so this photograph was definitely taken late in the machine's service. In light of all this, I suspect that in fact the photograph shows the machine in the early stages of its being put out to pasture. It does not seem to have radio or direction-finding equipment. That's one helluva boxtop, that I remember well from youth. I expect that being an early pressing helped with fit. I blanked off the wing-roots inside, and the gun trough outside, otherwise this is just as it came in the box, with ribs sanded flat. Finish is Tamiya rattle-can Bright Silver, with some upper surface matte coats. The 'India White' is a home mix, painted over centers that were, in the homemade roundels, too pale, and in the old Altmark flashes too, too turquoise. Edited April 15, 2022 by Old Man 49 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 This looks lovely, great work on this vintage kit. I like your base too. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunny Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Lovely work on this vintage kit, and a great scheme to boot! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinChipmunkfan Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Nice to see the old kit modelled again. It's turned out nicely. 🙂 Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invidia Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Looks fantastic, scrubbed up well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Lovely!! Great work on that old kit! Miguel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattheCat Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 So you didn't wait for Airfix's forthcoming 1/48 kit. Looking at the pics, it indeed wan't meaningful to do so. A very, very nice rendition. I like it in its bare clothing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Smashing work on a primitive kit, and a great choice of colour scheme. You have made it into a cracker. If you had managed to grab an even earlier boxing (or possibly bagging) you could have saved yourself having to sand the wings down. The ribbing was added to the mould in around 1962 - sacrilege! Regards, Adrian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Lovely old Annie, lovely old kit. Nice work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Nice! Good to see you still posting here OM although this is not the era I'm used to seeing from your bench! What's next? Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Lovely build on the ancient Airfix ! Wulfman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 7 hours ago, AdrianMF said: Smashing work on a primitive kit, and a great choice of colour scheme. You have made it into a cracker. If you had managed to grab an even earlier boxing (or possibly bagging) you could have saved yourself having to sand the wings down. The ribbing was added to the mould in around 1962 - sacrilege! Regards, Adrian Absolutely agree, one of the daftest things Airfix ever did ! Wulfman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Scrubs up well for a vintage kit! Cheers John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted April 17, 2022 Author Share Posted April 17, 2022 On 4/16/2022 at 3:50 AM, AdrianMF said: Smashing work on a primitive kit, and a great choice of colour scheme. You have made it into a cracker. If you had managed to grab an even earlier boxing (or possibly bagging) you could have saved yourself having to sand the wings down. The ribbing was added to the mould in around 1962 - sacrilege! Regards, Adrian Thanks, Adrian. I knew they butchered the wings on their Hart when they made a Demon out of it, but not that they'd done anything to their Anson. I gather the Anson was skinned with plywood, over which fabric was doped. there were tapes over the seams, but no more. In a large scale, an understated something similar to a Wellington might be appropriate for the wings, but would certainly be overscale in any scale, if attempted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted April 17, 2022 Author Share Posted April 17, 2022 23 hours ago, Maginot said: Lovely old Annie, lovely old kit. Nice work. Thanks! Always nice to see the good soldier quaffing a brew.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted April 17, 2022 Author Share Posted April 17, 2022 19 hours ago, Brandy said: Nice! Good to see you still posting here OM although this is not the era I'm used to seeing from your bench! What's next? Ian We had some things happen in the family it would be definitely TMI to post up here, that put me off feed for a while. I've had some mobility issues with my right shoulder, that made rigging a pain, literally, as well. I'm getting more used to what I can and can't do, and hope to give it a try again one of these days. I'm just about finished with a Frog Blenheim I, and starting on an old Pavla/Octopus Skua currently. Hope all is well over on the old WWI models site. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted April 17, 2022 Author Share Posted April 17, 2022 On 4/16/2022 at 2:38 AM, PattheCat said: So you didn't wait for Airfix's forthcoming 1/48 kit. Looking at the pics, it indeed wan't meaningful to do so. A very, very nice rendition. I like it in its bare clothing. Glad you like it, Pat. I hope they do a new-tool 1/72 of the type. I work in the Gentleman's scale, 1/48 stuff is not for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattheCat Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 3 hours ago, Old Man said: Glad you like it, Pat. I hope they do a new-tool 1/72 of the type. I work in the Gentleman's scale, 1/48 stuff is not for me. Most (80%) of my builds are 1/48 but I also do like 1/72. I find 1/72 kits from Eduard, Arma Hobby etc. superb but too many tiny parts for my liking. But give me an Airfix 1/72 kit and I'm 100 % happy. In fact after seeing reviews of their new Tempest Mk. 5 I'm considering buying at least one (or more after selling part of my Eduard 1/48 ones). Here is the built kit in the Gentleman's scale I'm most proud of: airfix-172-hurricane-mk-i-belgium-may-1940 Friendly regards. Pat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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