Home
1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster MkIII
1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster MkI/III
“I believe that the Lancaster was the greater single factor in the winning the war”
Air chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris
HISTORY
The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley-Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within RAF Bomber Command. The "Lanc" or "Lankie," as it was affectionately known became the most famous and most successful of the Second World War night bombers, "delivering 608,612 tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties."Although the Lancaster was primarily a night bomber, it excelled in many other roles including daylight precision bombing, and gained worldwide renown as the "Dam Buster" used in the 1943 Operation Chastise raids on Germany's Ruhr Valley dams.
(source: www.en.wikipedia.org)
MY STORY
Avro Lancaster B.III 300th squadron BH-F / ME470
Crew: Schlichtinger, Kozak, Hanczakowski, Was, Szułkowski, Kuzniecow, Schmidt
-300th Polish Squadron HISTORY-
The personnel of the 300 Squadron consisted of Polish airmen who arrived to England from France in early 1940. It’s training commenced in groups: pilots at Redhill (some 40 miles S of London), while navigators and gunners, first at Eastchurch, then at Hucknall near Nottingham. And that’s where the history of the first Polish squadron on British soil starts.
The order (WAR/B.C.127) dated 14th March 1940 had just been issued at RAF Hucknall, which confirmed the establishment of a Polish training unit as part of No. 18 Operational Training Unit at Bramcote, in No. 6 Bomber Group. Its task was to give conversion training to crews for the Polish bomber squadrons that were being formed.
The first to be formed was No. 300 ("Masovian") Bomber Squadron on 1st July 1940. It was on that date that the Polish Air Force flag was first hoisted in Great Britain. The Squadron had 10 flying crews with 180 maintenance and other personnel. It was equipped with Faiery "Battle" light bombers of the crew of three. The code letters BH were designated to the unit. Its first commander, advised by W/Cdr K. P. Lewis, RAF, was W/Cdr W. Makowski, C.O. of the Polish Training Centre at Hucknall. F/Lt S. Cwynar commanded Flight "A" and F/Lt M. Pronaszko Flight "B". The squadron’s technical officer was F/Lt S. Budzinski. English technical and advisory staff were temporarily attached to the squadron until the Poles became fully conversant with RAF systems and procedures….
(read more at: http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla/300/300_history.html)
DOCUMENTATION
Modelling a Lancaster is not an easy case. You must take care a lot of things and study your subject VERY carefully before start modelling. A first approach leads to common results. All lancs were the same!
NO.
Each Lancaster is different to others. You should search for your documentation, if you want to build a correct model.
• The main specification you have to search are:
• Time of Action
• Manufacturer
• Fuselage type (Manchester’s conversion, production series etc)
• Field of action (night or not missions) Rebecca or not
• H2S radar existence (that means you have to make some add-ons for Navigators instruments)
• Engines (RR Merlin, Hercules, Packard Merlin)
• Nose Blister (narrow or Bubbled)
• Propellers (De Havilland type, or Nash/Kelvinator)
• Tyres type (Bulged or Smooth)
• Exhausts (type)
My bird –according to my research- was a B.III, late type fuselage (without windows), Packard Merlin powered, Nash/Kelvinator blades, Bulged tyres, H2S radar
Tamiya Kit has a very serious mistake on fuselage… Unfortunately, neither of judges at Telford saw it to Winnings Lancs models! (You will see what I mean later during my procedure)
SECTION -A-
PART-01- FUSELAGE/COCKPIT AREA
I will start from the Cockpit.
PILOT’S SEAT
I own FlightPath’s detailing set. According to my stuff, FP improves only the side edges of the seat. Not a complete and accurate work. You have to make more improvements for a better result.
Eduard improves Pilot’s seat, much better, BUT everything else around Pilots seat are completely wrong and inaccurate,
I decided to make a handmade seat, by using copper, evergreen, aluminium materials.
6 hours spent for making it.
Some modification will take place later during final assembly.
That all for now, to be continued…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is how Eduard improves Pilots seat and Cockpit area. Good work on seat, but everything else are out of accuracy. ΝΟΤ USED and Not Recommended.
My next step concerns, the fuselage frontier floor. I separate it from kit ones, and I built a new one from aluminum sheet, placed on a base of hard aluminum 2mm, to earn weight and stability.
Unfortunately, the bomb bay area exists exactly underneath floor field and it would be very difficult to work on the bomb-bay area having all these small cockpit items over it!!!
My next build were the Pilot's pedals. According to Lancaster manual drawings, i tried to achieve a good result working on an item of 6mm Height!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next step concerns the completion of the first part of Cokpit by building and placing all the components of pilot levers, navigator and radio operator tables and seats, parking brake, separators, etc.
Here I should say the following ... Eduard and Tamiya, give fixed seats on the floor but its not accurate. The navigator’s seat stands in the "air" with a rotating arm to have flexibility in both traffic movements across the area. According to photo below you can see that my build is functional!
As for the seat of the ... Radio operator things are different... there were not a seat like navigators one as Tamiya and Eduard believe... In fact the radio operator’s seat was a recumbent seat placed onto the separation wall of the first aid rooms, rest (he is among the beams assist wings).
All that remains rest of this area are navigation / radio operator’s devices, radar H2S etc. ..
Next follows the build of instrument panel made by aluminium foil. The whole part of pilot console, levers etc will be sawn later, all together.
Thats all for today....
At this point I wish to start my next step, by correcting one of the big mistakes on Tamiya's kit. The radio-operator's window is placed in wrong place. 6mm forward...!!!
Pictures bellow, show the movement done to backward...(You check your radio-operator's table before)
-----------------------------------------
Before going further to fuselage interior build, I decided to work on Bomb-bay's compartment. It is a matter of convenience for me, according to my plans for fuselage.
So..I put away everything, and I began working on this section, from the beginning.
Here I have to recommend Eduard's set (#48565 bomb rack). Excellent. It will solve the big problem of making 12 racks!!!
I made the new floor, by copying Kit's one with plastic sheet. The interior constructor, was made by evergreen, aluminum, copper. Many wires and Hydraulic devices added.
My problem now is the pylons (bomb racks) 12 pieces, 12 copies!!!
I had to find an easy way to build them, without spending to much time for them...The better way for this was the result pictured below. 20 minutes for each one...
I will continue by making the rest 11 pieces...
CU SOON...
1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster MkI/III
“I believe that the Lancaster was the greater single factor in the winning the war”
Air chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris
HISTORY
The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley-Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within RAF Bomber Command. The "Lanc" or "Lankie," as it was affectionately known became the most famous and most successful of the Second World War night bombers, "delivering 608,612 tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties."Although the Lancaster was primarily a night bomber, it excelled in many other roles including daylight precision bombing, and gained worldwide renown as the "Dam Buster" used in the 1943 Operation Chastise raids on Germany's Ruhr Valley dams.
(source: www.en.wikipedia.org)
MY STORY
Avro Lancaster B.III 300th squadron BH-F / ME470
Crew: Schlichtinger, Kozak, Hanczakowski, Was, Szułkowski, Kuzniecow, Schmidt
-300th Polish Squadron HISTORY-
The personnel of the 300 Squadron consisted of Polish airmen who arrived to England from France in early 1940. It’s training commenced in groups: pilots at Redhill (some 40 miles S of London), while navigators and gunners, first at Eastchurch, then at Hucknall near Nottingham. And that’s where the history of the first Polish squadron on British soil starts.
The order (WAR/B.C.127) dated 14th March 1940 had just been issued at RAF Hucknall, which confirmed the establishment of a Polish training unit as part of No. 18 Operational Training Unit at Bramcote, in No. 6 Bomber Group. Its task was to give conversion training to crews for the Polish bomber squadrons that were being formed.
The first to be formed was No. 300 ("Masovian") Bomber Squadron on 1st July 1940. It was on that date that the Polish Air Force flag was first hoisted in Great Britain. The Squadron had 10 flying crews with 180 maintenance and other personnel. It was equipped with Faiery "Battle" light bombers of the crew of three. The code letters BH were designated to the unit. Its first commander, advised by W/Cdr K. P. Lewis, RAF, was W/Cdr W. Makowski, C.O. of the Polish Training Centre at Hucknall. F/Lt S. Cwynar commanded Flight "A" and F/Lt M. Pronaszko Flight "B". The squadron’s technical officer was F/Lt S. Budzinski. English technical and advisory staff were temporarily attached to the squadron until the Poles became fully conversant with RAF systems and procedures….
(read more at: http://www.geocities.com/skrzydla/300/300_history.html)
DOCUMENTATION
Modelling a Lancaster is not an easy case. You must take care a lot of things and study your subject VERY carefully before start modelling. A first approach leads to common results. All lancs were the same!
NO.
Each Lancaster is different to others. You should search for your documentation, if you want to build a correct model.
• The main specification you have to search are:
• Time of Action
• Manufacturer
• Fuselage type (Manchester’s conversion, production series etc)
• Field of action (night or not missions) Rebecca or not
• H2S radar existence (that means you have to make some add-ons for Navigators instruments)
• Engines (RR Merlin, Hercules, Packard Merlin)
• Nose Blister (narrow or Bubbled)
• Propellers (De Havilland type, or Nash/Kelvinator)
• Tyres type (Bulged or Smooth)
• Exhausts (type)
My bird –according to my research- was a B.III, late type fuselage (without windows), Packard Merlin powered, Nash/Kelvinator blades, Bulged tyres, H2S radar
Tamiya Kit has a very serious mistake on fuselage… Unfortunately, neither of judges at Telford saw it to Winnings Lancs models! (You will see what I mean later during my procedure)
SECTION -A-
PART-01- FUSELAGE/COCKPIT AREA
I will start from the Cockpit.
PILOT’S SEAT
I own FlightPath’s detailing set. According to my stuff, FP improves only the side edges of the seat. Not a complete and accurate work. You have to make more improvements for a better result.
Eduard improves Pilot’s seat, much better, BUT everything else around Pilots seat are completely wrong and inaccurate,
I decided to make a handmade seat, by using copper, evergreen, aluminium materials.
6 hours spent for making it.
Some modification will take place later during final assembly.
That all for now, to be continued…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is how Eduard improves Pilots seat and Cockpit area. Good work on seat, but everything else are out of accuracy. ΝΟΤ USED and Not Recommended.
My next step concerns, the fuselage frontier floor. I separate it from kit ones, and I built a new one from aluminum sheet, placed on a base of hard aluminum 2mm, to earn weight and stability.
Unfortunately, the bomb bay area exists exactly underneath floor field and it would be very difficult to work on the bomb-bay area having all these small cockpit items over it!!!
My next build were the Pilot's pedals. According to Lancaster manual drawings, i tried to achieve a good result working on an item of 6mm Height!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next step concerns the completion of the first part of Cokpit by building and placing all the components of pilot levers, navigator and radio operator tables and seats, parking brake, separators, etc.
Here I should say the following ... Eduard and Tamiya, give fixed seats on the floor but its not accurate. The navigator’s seat stands in the "air" with a rotating arm to have flexibility in both traffic movements across the area. According to photo below you can see that my build is functional!
As for the seat of the ... Radio operator things are different... there were not a seat like navigators one as Tamiya and Eduard believe... In fact the radio operator’s seat was a recumbent seat placed onto the separation wall of the first aid rooms, rest (he is among the beams assist wings).
All that remains rest of this area are navigation / radio operator’s devices, radar H2S etc. ..
Next follows the build of instrument panel made by aluminium foil. The whole part of pilot console, levers etc will be sawn later, all together.
Thats all for today....
At this point I wish to start my next step, by correcting one of the big mistakes on Tamiya's kit. The radio-operator's window is placed in wrong place. 6mm forward...!!!
Pictures bellow, show the movement done to backward...(You check your radio-operator's table before)
-----------------------------------------
Before going further to fuselage interior build, I decided to work on Bomb-bay's compartment. It is a matter of convenience for me, according to my plans for fuselage.
So..I put away everything, and I began working on this section, from the beginning.
Here I have to recommend Eduard's set (#48565 bomb rack). Excellent. It will solve the big problem of making 12 racks!!!
I made the new floor, by copying Kit's one with plastic sheet. The interior constructor, was made by evergreen, aluminum, copper. Many wires and Hydraulic devices added.
My problem now is the pylons (bomb racks) 12 pieces, 12 copies!!!
I had to find an easy way to build them, without spending to much time for them...The better way for this was the result pictured below. 20 minutes for each one...
I will continue by making the rest 11 pieces...
CU SOON...
Last edited by Alex Kontiveis on Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
') That;s something like a block of flats!!! Endless!!! 
