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

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 RAF Anson by following this link.

Before Classic Airframes came along, I honestly don't think I built more than one model of any given kit release. Well, that's obviously changed...

Here is Round Two of the CA Anson in prewar South African Air Force markings.

As mentioned in my previous article, this is a very well-engineered and executed kit. When building the second Anson, I did make note of a few more points that can make the build even easier.

The cockpit side wall back surfaces should be sanded as thin as possible without losing the 'roundness' of the tubular upper structure. Be sure to dry fit the parts to the fuselage halves, as the clear upper fuselage/canopy parts are just a touch narrower than the joined fuselage halves. A bit of sanding on the outside of the fuselage halves at the mating lines will give a nice fit between the clear parts and the fuselage parts. This also applies to the turret fairing. A bit of care as assembly proceeds pays dividends later
- especially with a silver finish.

I found that scraping the insides of the wing trailing edges also improves the already excellent wing root fit. Once again, dry-fitting and tweaking pays off.

I masked the windows using frisket, then sprayed the interior color on the outside of the clear parts before assembly.

I finished the Anson with White Ensign ColourCoats Aluminum (actually 'Alluminio' from their line of Italian colors). Before applying the finish coat, I sprayed the antire aircraft with a light, smooth coat of Future and let it dry rock-hard. This makes for a smoother base for the metallic finish. The SAAF decals went on beautifully, with excellent color density.

Once again, this is a highly recommended release, and long overdue in 1/48 scale.

Thanks to Classic Airframes for continuing to cater to modelers with more esoteric interests!

 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images: 

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2006 by John Valo
Page Created 02 August, 2006
Last Updated 01 August, 2006

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