1/72 Airfix Avro Lancaster Mk. III

[vandee]

I failed miserably on my last Airfix attempt so I decided to try something a bit more interesting that I have built. This is the new mold 1/72 Airfix Avro Lancaster Mk. III. I will be using the kit decals for S for Sugar, No. 467 Squadron , RAAF, Waddington, Lincolnshire, England, July 1944. Here is the kit and my start.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Snautzer01]

Will follow.

 

[vandee]

I did a bit of painting on the interior. I just received in the post a tin of Humbrol 78 and 33. I have a pretty good start on the interior. I still need to paint the black on the fuselage sides inside and finish the tables and chairs in the interior.

 

[Wurger]

 

[vandee]

Interior inserted into left fuselage half.

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far!

 

[vandee]

The evil twin brother? I also have a 1/72 Revell Avro Lancaster WIP. Should be an interesting comparison.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice one. Looks like your having fun.

 

[vandee]

I WAS having fun until I closed the right and left fuselage halves. What a MISERABLE time I had getting everything to close up. I had to pull it apart 2 times to sand a few errant fits of the bulkheads but after pushing and pulling and taping then gluing it finally went together. It was a decent build until I put the halves together. I did find a few of my errors as not chekning that all the bulkheads were perfectly seated. I think maybe it is a tad over engineered for my likings but on with the build. Live and learn.

 

[Wurger]

Looking good though.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I like the taping and glad you managed to sort the fit.

 

[vandee]

The tape is off, I puttied up some seams and have the ribs in for the main landing gear wells.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far!

 

[vandee]

Question, can you build the wings seperate, paint them and add them later like the Revell kit? Or do you have to add them to the fuselage then paint them as the conventional model kits. I just noticed it in the Airfix instructions. I really like the way Revell does it, more like the REAL way they assembled planes in WWII factories. Just IMHO.

 

[Airframes]

Looks like you can - just slot them onto the spars.

 

[vandee]

OK...did you or anyone actually do it? Want to make sure before I ruin a good build....LOL.

 

[Airframes]

Just looked again, and as the wheel bay walls are already fitted, you won't be able to slot the wings on.
Tape one of the wings together and, if it looks like it will slot over the depth of the spars, then if you can remove the wheel bay walls, it may be possible, that's if the walls can be fitted later.
If not, then it shouldn't be too bad painting with the wings in place, just a little awkward in places. I've managed it with similar span, and larger, in even 1/48th scale, and I'm restricted with severe arthritis.