Classic Airframes 1/48 Avro Anson

[Dave W]

My kit arrived from Hannants yesterday (yes, you read that correctly - post delivery on a SUNDAY!!) Looks like a very interesting and challenging kit with the resin etc. Will be eagerly looking forward to watching your continued progress!

Make sure you fit those bulkheads in right or you will end up with the same problem as me.

 

[flyjoe180]

Hi Dave, good progress on the Anson so far. I posted a link in the reference section for pics of the restored NZ Anson. They may be of use for you?

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/aircraft/17461-avro-anson.html#post146938

 

[Dave W]

Thanks Joe.I found those pics online when i started the build.Very useful.As i said to Boldman,be careful when you fit the undercarriage bay parts.Ive since managed to remove the bulkheads without damaging them.

 

[Dave W]

Sorry Joe.Saw the tittle and thought you were building the same kit.

 

[Dave W]

Managed to get a bit more done in my freezing cold shed tonight.My Daughters moving in with her boyfriend soon.So I will be moving my modelling table into her room.Looking forward to it!.Glad she's staying in Southend though.Anyway,I sanded the fuselage joins down.Im pleased with the result on the top where I used a little Mr Surfacer,finishing off with a sanding sponge.But on the lower surface join I used Vallejo putty which I'm not happy with.I found it quite hard to sand and in some places it didn't stick very well to the plastic.So I've gone over it with my trusty Squadron Green filler.It also had more resin fun sticking parts for the gunners turret to the plastic turret fairing.Still got to glue what looks like a bicycle seat to it.

 

[treyzx10r]

Coming along nicely Dave! They need to sell that green squadron putty in bigger tubes for us !

 

[Dave W]

I've managed to sort out the fuselage underside join.Then I fitted the gun turret fairing.This isn't a very good fit and probably isn't helped by my having to fit a plastic card shim in the fuselage join just in front of it.So a bit of filler is going to be needed.

I've also glued the wings on.These are a butt join to the fuselage with no locating tabs.So they are a bit tricky to get right.They don't appear to have any dihedral when viewed from above.But as you can see from head on they are angled up a bit.Both wings are the same so I guess they must be right.

Last thing I did this evening is fit the right horizontal stabiliser.

 

[Vaughan]

All's looking good Dave. There would have been some dihedral but how much I don't know. Looks like you've got it even and in scale with the aircraft.

Vaughan

 

[Dave W]

Thanks Vaughan,but when I looked at it this morning it just didn't look right.Got a day off today so performed a bit of surgery on the wings.The left wing came off easily without causing any damage.But the right wing was stuck fast.So I cut along the underside join with a razor saw.Ive put some thin plastic card in the gap and I'm happy with the dihedral now.When the glues dried I will fill and sand the join.Then I will have to rescribe the lost detail.

I can't find any decent head on views of the Anson.All Ive got is a small drawing in 'Aircraft of the Royal Air Force' by Owen Thetford.So I'm having to go by that.

 

[stona]

The dihedral was very small,I've seen a figure of 2 degrees. It wasn't "cranked" but started at the wing root.

Drawing from an old Flight magazine.

Steve

 

[Dave W]

Thanks Steve.Im happy with it now.It looks more like your drawing.The wings looked flat before.

 

[yak face]

Coming on great now dave, good work on the wings, cheers tony

 

[mossiepilot]

Well done with the wings Dave. It can be really annoying when you get something fitted and realise you've not got it right and have to redo it.

Tony.

 

[Dave W]

I've finally managed to adjust the wing dihedral to what I think it should be like.One of the horizontal stabilisers needed adjusting as well.Going to leave it overnight for the joins to set now.Next job is to mask all those canopy frames.

 

[yak face]

"Next job is to mask all those canopy frames." Ooh , my least favourite part of a build and this ones got hundreds of separate panes too !!! Best of luck dave (but rather you than me!!!LOL!!) cheers tony

 

[Dave W]

Thanks Tony.Im going to do the masking in the warm in front of the telly this evening.Shouldnt be too bad.One day I will try some Eduard masks on a kit.Probably the Tamiya 1/48 Lancaster in my stash.

 

[yak face]

If youre in front of the telly dave , theres a cracking prog on the yesterday channel right now - 'Spitfire women' all about the WAAF , brilliant stuff! cheers tony

 

[stona]

One day I will try some Eduard masks on a kit.Probably the Tamiya 1/48 Lancaster in my stash.

I used them on my Lancaster and they represented money very well spent! the main canopy etc would be easy enough to do with a large dollop of patience but some of the turret masking would be very difficult.

Good job on those wing BTW,it's really looking good now.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Dave W]

I've added a few more details to the cockpit and also fitted the rear windows. The window openings needed enlarging slightly so the windows would fit.I dipped all the clear parts in Klear at the start of the build so was able to glue them with super glue without fogging them.The instrument panel was fitted next.I had a bit of trouble working out how it all went together as the instructions are a bit vague.Then i found the throttle console touched the floor and made the panel sit too high.So that and the rudder pedals had to come off.I repositioned the pedals and glued the panel into the cockpit.The canopy fits over it nicely now.Just got to reattach the throttle console and compass.

The next problem I need to solve is the fact that the canopy isn't as wide as the fuselage opening.Going to have to glue it along one edge first,then stretch it slightly so the other side fits right.

This is the trickiest build Ive done since a vacform I made a couple of years ago.But it's a lot of fun.

 

[treyzx10r]

Coming along great Dave ,you're tackling the challenges nicely! Good luck with that canopy! Cheers Trey