Classic Airframes' 1/48 scale
Avro Anson Mk.I

by John Valo
 

  

Classic Airframes' 1/48 scale Anson Mk.I is available online from Squadron.com
 

For a detailed examination of the kit contents, see Brett Green's in-box review here on HyperScale. You may also view John's SAAF Anson by following this link.

At long last, one of my all-time favorite aircraft has been released in 1/48 scale by Classic Airframes. The Anson Mk.I is the latest from the CA stable, and it is a beautiful effort.

In typical CA style, the kit features injection-molded major parts, with an exquisite resin interior and a small photoetch fret incorporating an instrument panel, seatbelts and miscellaneous small exterior details.

The kit is very well engineered and executed, especially the greenhouse parts (two pieces) incorporating all the windows and upper fuselage. Yes, it takes a while to mask, but the parts are crystal clear and very thin.
Their fit to the assembled fuselage is excellent.

I took somewhat of a 'shotgun' approach to assembly, assembling the wings and nacelles as units, then assembling the very convincing fuselage interior cage while other stuff was drying. The interior is very well done, and the photoetch belts and panel really add a lot to the model, as everything is visible. The interior fits well into the fuselage, with only a touch of filler necessary to blend in the turret fairing.

A nice option is a part is provided to make a turretless Anson if you should desire.

Wing root fit is exquisite. I glued the completed wings to the assembled fuselage making sure the upper roots were as flawless as possible. A slight squeeze to the bottom roots was all it took to achieve a good fit.

I elected to mask and paint the clear upper fuselage parts before assembly, and mercifully upon unmasking, I was relieved to have not left any fingerprints on the inside! The stabilizer fit is also excellent.

The only potential head-scratchers were the wheel wells, as I went back and forth fitting the roof and bulkhead in various positions, then comparing the gear leg position to photos. As shown in my photo, all you need to do is install the wheelwell roofs (parts A5/A6) to fit the well, then trim and attach the bulkheads A14/A15 to the front edge of the roofs. I did need to sand them back a bit in diameter, but once fitted, no problems. Be sure to dry-fit the gear legs in position; I needed to slightly widen the wheelwell openings where the struts protrude.

Clear parts also include a number of options: two different noses, an astrodome, navigation lights, wing-mounted landing lights and a number of small circular windows which fit into flashed-over holes in the fuselage halves. Ansons had many variations of these, so the provision of the extra parts is welcome.

An interesting and enlightening feature of the kit is the provision for extended ailerons. I had no idea this was a feature of very early Ansons, but it's nice to be provided.

The engines are nicely detailed. The bulged cowlings need to be carefully test-fitted when cleaning up the resin engines. If you carefully sand only enough off the tops of the cylinder heads, the cowlings will slip on and align perfectly.

I finished my Anson with Polly Scale acrylics.

The usual Microscale-printed decals performed perfectly. I had some concerns with applying the decals, as when I was building the kit, the atmosphere was at about 120% humidity! No problems at all.

This is a great kit that really fills a long overdue gap in the collection.

Highly recommended!
 

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2006 by John Valo
Page Created 25 July, 2006
Last Updated 01 August, 2006

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