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This looks complicated. The Special Hobby 1:72 Avro Anson Mk I (late version) - And we're done. Gosh.


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Yes, I got that 'workbench' email from Airfix about their 1:48 Annie on Friday. Looks good. I like the way they have the rear cabin as styrene with transparencies just for the windows. I always struggle with large transparencies where they include fuselage as well as windows - trying to get them to look the same as the surrounding styrene once painted is a bit tricky I find.

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Mark,

 

I've just caught up with this one. SH up to their usual tricks, but you certainly appear to have the measure of the kit. An enjoyable struggle - I shall follow along with interest,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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10 hours ago, Dunny said:

you certainly appear to have the measure of the kit. An enjoyable struggle

Thanks. I like the optimism. I think I'll write "enjoyable struggle" on a piece of card and pin it to the noticeboard beside my desk. Perfect description. 

Mark

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8 hours ago, Mark Harmsworth said:

Thanks. I like the optimism. I think I'll write "enjoyable struggle" on a piece of card and pin it to the noticeboard beside my desk. Perfect description.

 

Indeed, that's a perfect description. I love Special Hobby as the subjects of their kits are often unusual or obscure, and the short run nature makes them challenging. Sure, shake and bake kits are fun, but I get a bigger sense of accomplishment and pride when I successfully complete a Special Hobby kit. I get the same feeling with resin kits. All types of kits have their place, of course, and that's part of what makes this hobby enjoyable.

 

Your work on the Anson is exemplary. I can't wait to see it completed.    :)

 

Cheers,

Bill

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A couple of quiet days but I've been pressing on with the build as well with more work on the interior. Every so often I find myself going back to the instructions and thinking 'surely they don't mean that'.

 

These then are the main parts still to go in the cabin:

MWL6Jpil.jpg

 

That's a few seats with p.e. seatbelts attached. I really really don't enjoy bending that stuff to fit. The radio equipment on the desk on the right is nicely detailed (although it looks like a black blob in the pic). And a little pull-down seat. The instrument panel I had another go at a bit later.

 

In the middle at the top is one of the two desks with a piece of the tubular framework attached. That is styrene rod as the kit resin part looked like this:

CCMUdTyl.jpg

There is some warping elsewhere but this one I had to replace as it fits in the centre of the cabin. One of the simpler jobs.

 

A couple of sessions later and I had this:

OpT9tg9l.jpg

That looks mostly alright and I was happy.

 

Those desks got me thinking about placing something on them. So I had a bit of fun:

WghNyk7l.jpg

The chap at the rear is being diligent and studying photo recon. But elsewhere we have a copy of the Daily Express (broadsheet version of course) and the pilot seems to have been reading a magazine.

 

Not sure what I'll actually have on the desks but I think it would be visible. 

 

Those came from this set which I bought to go with my Airfix Control Tower:

H4kZQ6il.jpg

Signs, noticeboards, squadron photos, maps etc on the left and newspapers, more maps and posters on the right. The detail on these is fantastic. Sankey Scenics do accessories for railway modellers mostly and did this set specifically for the Airfix Control Tower.

 

I had a lot of fun building that and this is just a great excuse to link to it. So:

 

I had another go at the instrument panel as the foot pedals were too long and would sit on the floor. That was my fault as the instructions have you attach them to the back of the panel but I chose to make a couple of holes in the bottom of the panel and stick them in there. So I persuaded them off, trimmed, re-drilled and re-attached. In doing that I had a second look at the four teeny p.e. levers which I'd managed to attach ok (much to my amazement) - two to the throttle quadrant and two to the front of the panel as per the instructions:

4yPZbfel.jpg

I had / have my doubts about the positioning of parts PUR11 - they are actually photo-etch not resin so that should be PP11 (can't fool me Special Hobby!). 

 

I reckon those are oil and/or fuel pressure gauges on the panel and, if that's right, shouldn't have a lever sticking out of them. So I pulled them off. 

 

And had this:

7tNg2pBl.jpg

My one disappointment is the the instrument dials are largely invisible as they are so faint.

 

So where does the panel go? This is the instruction:

epNcD0Zl.jpg

Somewhere underneath the forward canopy then.

 

Which, after masking and some Aircraft Grey/Green looks like this:

Juw4hSzl.jpg

A lovely smooth surface with no indication at all where it should go.

 

And the right way up:

AnSsa9Kl.jpg

 

And that's as far as I've got.

 

Next some trial and lots of error trying to get that panel in the right place. Which, on reflection, I may leave until I've got the fuselage halves together so that I can see what's going to be in the way (positive thinking there).

 

Back soon

all the best

Mark

 

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Yes Mark (some fine modelling there by the way!), as with most aspects of the CA/SH kits, it's all a bit vague in places, but this is where my IP went:

 

bBBLGF.jpg

 

Hope this helps give an approximate position for you!

Max

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5 hours ago, Mark Harmsworth said:

Those desks got me thinking about placing something on them. So I had a bit of fun:

WghNyk7l.jpg

The chap at the rear is being diligent and studying photo recon. But elsewhere we have a copy of the Daily Express (broadsheet version of course) and the pilot seems to have been reading a magazine.

 

I think the reading material in my build was a couple of pub crawl maps...

 

3 hours ago, galgos said:

Yes Mark (some fine modelling there by the way!), as with most aspects of the CA/SH kits, it's all a bit vague in places, but this is where my IP went:

 

That's what I did as well. Sometimes the Special Hobby instructions add a new meaning to "vague." They're getting better though.

 

Cheers,

Bill

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Thanks guys. I'd come to the same conclusion about the positioning of the ip. The best place for it is sitting on the floor in front of the pilot's seat rather than attempting to attach it to the inside of the forward canopy as SH suggest. 

 

Of course there is also a 'however'.

 

First a rough positioning with it just balancing in place:

TAwgkxql.jpg

The panel has built up well and looks good.

 

Sideways on there is a problem though - it is a couple of millimetres too tall and will interfere with the canopy:

Y1BFGKOl.jpg

 

Some minor surgery required - which will probably result in me breaking off those teeny throttle levers. Again.

 

Onwards

Mark

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Minor surgery on the instrument panel to make it shorter and that was ok.

 

Just a few more jobs to get the fuselage buttoned up. First fit the rear-most windows - from the inside. I tend to do that with a couple of drops of ca glue to fix in place and then fill any gaps with pva (white) glue.

 

But of course it couldn't be that simple could it. I'd masked and painted the windows with aircraft grey/green first. Window no. 1 went in fine with that method and window no.2 . . . . . I'd masked one side and painted the other. Oh bother - for that was my reaction. First time I've ever done that. So, remove mask, clean paint off with thinner, drop into a little Kleer, wait overnight, mask and fit. Deal with the interior colour later.

 

Now I'm really ready to join up the fuselage. Which was a bit strange - as after all that really delicate work with resin I now did this:

MSV34pxl.jpg

It's a good feeling using a few clamps.

 

The next morning, remove the clamps (hoping it doesn't spring apart) and it looks ok:

nDaNgyxl.jpg

 

The main task before I put the canopies on is to attach the roof tubular framing. I had a concern about the warping on that as it was definitely not straight:

vdBitfvl.jpg

The furthest part is not lying flat on the mat. Plus a small amount of tidying up to do as it is very rough at the moment.

 

But I needn't have worried about the warping because:

JkM0j1al.jpg

It is far too wide. That's not fixable - or at least not within my skill set. That's another 'oh bother' from me.

 

Time to move on to something else and see if my brain comes up with a solution in the meantime.

 

So I had a quick look at the wings, which leads on to thinking about the undercarriage.

 

Instructions:

7WFwjiAl.jpg

The main legs and wheel halves are styrene (with all that resin in the kit why are the main wheels styrene?) and the monster support strut is resin (PUR6). It looks like the Anson was designed to have really tough landings.

 

Those resin parts are misleading and I think it would be easy to remove too much thinking it was part of the casting block.

This is they:

filWqCml.jpg

After checking references I've decided to remove the purple coloured area. Looking carefully there is some fine detail just above it. That will probably show up with painting.

 

But of course the key question is how the gear legs are attached to the plane. 

 

Well, Special Hobby has provided some assistance. No, really.

I was moderately pleased to find:

mFVZLZDl.jpg

On the left part 4 is in the nacelle ready for part 25 - like on the right. To ensure that the legs are straight, and account for the wing's dihedral, part 25 has a groove in the back to attach to part 4 at an angle, Clever. The groove isn't wide enough to take part 4 of course but that's easy to deal with. Then the legs are attached to that little shelf on part 25. I think I'll be looking to strengthen that join - if I can do that satisfactorily I may well install the legs so she can stand up for painting.

 

I'm encouraged by that. At this point I think I know what I'm doing with the undercarriage. That'll come back to bite me I'm sure.

 

Now I just wait for my brain to tell me what I'm doing with the roof framework.

 

Back soon.

Mark

 

 

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Mark, a couple of shots that will help you understand the structure of the support arms of the undercarriage, and you're quite right, it is easy to chop too  much off, I nearly did with my first Anson build!!

That's  fabric covering over a metal arm, simple really and nicely streamlined. 

 

FD4rp8.jpg


LeMJ0n.jpg

 

And I'd advise you not to worry overly about that pesky "diamond" upper framework, it really doesn't show once all's painted up.  I think I made a token copy out of stretched sprue for bracing purposes only.

Max

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Thanks Max. Those pictures are very helpful and Special Hobby seems to have done a decent job on that support arm from that first image.

 

I was surprised by how much that upper framework is wrong. I was expecting some slight warping and a bit of tidying up to do. I'll be putting something in there but I may well take your approach

thanks again

Mark

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A slight pause as my little room got too warm to work comfortably for a couple of days.

 

Progress has being made though.

 

First I dealt with the fuselage roof between the main cabin and the turret. That had so far resisted my attempts for a good join. So I did this:

p2da40Gl.jpg

Which worked perfectly. Except in straightening the roof I had changed the shape of the window opening on the far side. And the window fell out. Of course the window no longer matched the shape of the opening. Some fiddling and fettling later I had it back in place secured with a couple of drops of ca glue on the inside.

 

That's been the way on this build. One task done unexpectedly creates another.

 

The passing of a couple of days had also given me time to sort out how to deal with the ill-fitting resin roof framework. I had a go with some styrene rod and got to this:

1lOiIkEl.jpg

It won't pass a close inspection but after I've attached the canopy it won't get one (!!). A view through the fuselage windows will look fine I think.

 

After some paint:

teCzzhjl.jpg

 

Next, getting to the wings. The attachment points for the undercarriage are in:

LDIRMOll.jpg

This also shows the quite huge pour stubs (is that what they are?) inside the wings. After some careful test fitting most of them are harmless (maybe that's 'mostly harmless' - silly hitchhikers' guide reference there). Although I did have to carve off the outer ones as they were definitely in the way.

 

Then some clamps.

jsrNlrIl.jpg

The fit is pretty good with only a modest amount of seam clean-up required.

 

I like to play safe with the leading edge and so used Mr Surfacer 1200 to make a clean join.

xJr05wTl.jpg

Next some careful sanding and polishing.

 

I removed the undercarriage supports from their resin casting blocks. These should look good with some paint.

XzabETcl.jpg

 

The main wheels are two piece items in styrene. I do think Special Hobby could have done these in resin - which is probably why I have a picture of them Wheels aren't that interesting are they?

l9s6WUPl.jpg

No locating tabs of course so you have to be careful to get the two halves lined up. More sanding and polishing needed.

 

I removed the engine cylinders from the casting blocks. There are four sets of four which means there are two spare. And that was useful as after painting one of them went zinging across the desk. It hit something but no idea what. Never mind - fifteen was plenty.

 

Painting:

OvFt29il.jpg

 

And built:

SRXFw7ql.jpg

There's a nice piece of p.e. on the front of each engine block. Looking at that photo now one of the cylinders on the left hand engine isn't located properly and needs a good shove.

 

Getting close to attaching the fuselage to the wings. Not quite sure whether to attach the canopies before or after that. I've decided to build and install the turret after main painting - lots of resin and transparency to deal with there.

 

That's all for now.

 

Back soon.

Mark

 

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14 minutes ago, woody37 said:

Coming along nicely, it's wetting my appetite for the new 1/48 one when it comes

And it looks VERY good from the shots that I've seen Woody!

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  • Mark Harmsworth changed the title to This looks complicated. The Special Hobby 1:72 Avro Anson Mk I (late version)

This stage has been slower than I anticipated. Lots of sanding and polishing of seams.

 

First of all I attached the transparencies to the fuselage:

8M6EDZLl.jpg

Those transparencies are slightly wider than the fuselage (at least how I built it) but the main challenge was that they wouldn't fit length-wise. A session of gentle sanding whilst trying not to get too much dust in the fuselage. Tricky. A couple of drops of ca to attach them and the gaps sealed with white glue. 

 

I felt I could then start the messy work of cleaning up the seams with the canopy protecting the interior. So Mr Surfacer 500 (which is what you can see) and more gentle sanding and polishing.

 

The fuselage cleaned up nicely. Time to introduce the fuselage to the wings. Unfortunately they weren't that keen to get too close so I had several sessions of sanding to get an approximate fit. 

 

Eventually I had this:

nwqsiazl.jpg

Not too bad from the top but lower down things were not so bright.

 

The right hand side:

PJa8OkQl.jpg

That wing root has a noticeable step to deal with.

 

But on the left:

1SkVoNil.jpg

A large gap and a similar wing root problem.

 

Some may have noticed the missing forward canopy. All that 'gentle' sanding to enable the fuselage to be joined to the wings caused the fuselage to flex and the canopy popped off. That'll be tidied up and re-attached before I start on the next round of more MrSurfacer 500 and plenty of sanding/polishing. So far the interior is remarkably dust free.

 

From that photo it's possible to see the good fit in some key areas like the nose and the nacelles. It's easy to lose sight of that when working on those seams - the photos are a good reminder that the end result may be worth the effort.

 

Onwards

back soon

Mark

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That's unlucky Mark, I don't recall problems remotely like that on my two Ansons which admittedly were 1/48 scale Classic Airframes kits but pretty much the same in principle.  I did have these exact problems though on the Special Hobby Airspeed Oxford!!  Hmmmm! 🙄

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Nice fix on the upper framework. Nothing is outside your skillset if you try it! None of us were born modellers, it's trial and error, practice, and finding a method that works for you.

 

Ian 

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18 hours ago, galgos said:

That's unlucky Mark, I don't recall problems remotely like that on my two Ansons which admittedly were 1/48 scale Classic Airframes kits but pretty much the same in principle.  I did have these exact problems though on the Special Hobby Airspeed Oxford!!  Hmmmm! 

I was trying to be careful with the sanding on the wings to fuselage join but I went slightly too far on the left hand side. The fuselage is more flexible than I'm used to with all that open space. I was conscious that I couldn't rely on the transparencies to give more structural integrity (managed to get a star trek reference in there). In this scale it is a challenge to find parts of the fuselage that can be gripped firmly without damage to a window.

 

But I'm slowly making progress. Lots of Mr Surfacer applied this morning and the canopies are now back in place - but not yet sealed. I like to give ca glue a while for the fumes to dissipate before I do that - just in case of fogging.

 

So, seal the canopies with white glue, allow to dry, and then start another round of sanding and polishing. Wing roots are one of my least favourite areas to deal with. Too easy to get that wrong and make a very visible mistake.

 

Mark

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19 hours ago, Brandy said:

Nice fix on the upper framework. Nothing is outside your skillset if you try it! None of us were born modellers, it's trial and error, practice, and finding a method that works for you.

Thanks. Yes, in the end I was happy with the way the framework turned out. There's some nice detail in there which I hope will be a little bit visible through the windows.

Mark

 

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Wow, that really shows the variation in short run kits. I didn't have any gaps or steps in the wing roots when I built mine. I guess I got lucky for once!

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. I know you'll whip this into shape!

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13 hours ago, Navy Bird said:

Wow, that really shows the variation in short run kits. I didn't have any gaps or steps in the wing roots when I built mine. I guess I got lucky for once!

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. I know you'll whip this into shape!

Yes, but we love 'em don't we? Having said that my next build will definitely be mainstream - I need some of that pleasure you get from a well-engineered kit!

 

And thanks - the plane on my desk is beginning to show signs of looking like an Annie.

Mark

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6 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Nice work on a difficult (but rewarding) kit. Nearly paint time?

Thanks. Yes nearly at that stage. A session or two on the wing roots then the horizontal tail (drilling and brass rod needed there), pop the engines and cowls on and we're ready for primer. Although maybe another coat of aircraft grey/green on the transparencies first - they're showing signs of having been fiddled with.

Mark

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