Avro Lancaster Bomber by JKC27 - Border Model - 1/32

[JKC27]

This model is being built, not by me, but as a group build by the scale model club I belong too, which is part of the Canadian Aviation Museum here in Windsor, Ontario.

 

The museum is also restoring a Lancaster bomber that was on display at a city park here, and it should be complete in time for the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force in 2024.

 

The kit we are doing is a 1/32 scale kit from Border Model, but we will be modifying it to coincide with the real plane at the hanger.  One of our members knows someone who is donating their basement space for us to work on it, as well as members taking certain parts home to work on them at their convenience as well.

 

I will be posting updates with pictures as the build progresses, as well as any information that may be interesting in regards to the build.

 

Here is a short new article talking about the actual plane....

Lancaster bomber restoration nearing completion in Windsor, Ont.

 

I will do my best to answer any questions anyone may have.

 

First set of pics to follow soon!

[Egilman]

I'm here... wouldn't miss it...

[JeffT]

I've started building this kit recently. I think it's great so far.

[rookie]

interesting about the Lancaster being restored to flying condition in Windsor.

I had not heard that.  I remember going with my Dad to see the Lancaster initial flight in Hamilton ON many years ago.

They expected a few hundred people and got something like 15,000

we parked far away and walked to the airport

 

Awesome to see it take off and hear the Merlin engines as it flew over several passes.

 

[realworkingsailor]

I had the opportunity, on one occasion to be in Toronto harbour, just prior to the CNE air show. For whatever reason, they landed the Lanc at Toronto island airport. It’s one thing to hear a Lanc pass by at a distance, it’s quite another to have it roaring by directly over your head!

 

Andy

[KBo]

I agree Andy. The Lancaster of the Battle of Britain Flight passed close over me when I was on the South Downs. Flanked by two Spitfires.  Unforgettable. 

[Jim Lad]

As a sideline to this: my late father-in-law was the met. officer on a Lancaster squadron airfield in Scotland during the war.  To the day he died he was ashamed that he hadn't done 'his bit'.  He said, "I used to send those boys off every night knowing that some of them wouldn't come back, while I just sat at the airfield."  As far as he was concerned, the fact that the R.A.F. had grabbed him as a met. officer the moment he joined up because he had been working for the Bureau of Meteorology and the fact that the airfield was regularly attacked by German forces didn't seem to count. In his eyes, he hadn't done 'his bit' because he didn't fly with the raids. Of course, the fact that the met officer wasn't allowed to fly and the fact that he wasn't allowed to transfer to air crew also didn't count - at least to him.

 

John

[JKC27]

The following pics show the first two buld meetings as well as the first cutting of the parts off the sprue.  Getting organized and laying everything out.  We have ordered extra PE parts and decals that will make this buld the only of its kind.

 

The first thing I noticed when we opened the kit at the one club meeting aside from the size of the box was the detail on same of the parts like the wings and fuselage. You can see the details of all the ribs, etc. under the skin....amazing.

 

This will be painted to represent the one at the museum.

 

[Canute]

Well organized build and so neat to match it to the one being rebuilt.

 

I got to hear a Lanc, Spitfire and Hurricane at a Battle of Britain Air Show at RAF Leuchars back in 96. They made several "stately" passes over the crowd; the engine sounds were super. The crews came over to our KC-135 for beers after they landed. Somebody asked why the sedate passes and I think the Spit pilot said they didn't want to be known as the guy who pranged on of these rarities.

[yvesvidal]

What a project !!! First the kit is massive and complex. It is a great idea to have multiple people build the kit and to distribute the workload of assembling such a beast.

 

However, I think it is going to make things more complicated overall (in the long run) and will require regular meetings and close management of the various subtasks.

 

This is a very exciting project and combined with the restoration of the real thing, it will provide plenty of motivation and energy for the various participants.

 

Yves

[JKC27]

4 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

What a project !!! First the kit is massive and complex. It is a great idea to have multiple people build the kit and to distribute the workload of assembling such a beast.

 

However, I think it is going to make things more complicated overall (in the long run) and will require regular meetings and close management of the various subtasks.

 

This is a very exciting project and combined with the restoration of the real thing, it will provide plenty of motivation and energy for the various participants.

 

Yves

This is exactly what is happening.  It will be impressive once complete!

[amateur]

Have you seen Tom Grigats version of this kit on Youtube (Toms modelling in Motion). You can do fantastic things with this kit….

 

Jdn

[JKC27]

This plane is called "Bad Penny".  This Lancaster was ABC equipped (Airborne Cigar radio jamming).

 

Here is a snippet from our club newsletter:

 

While transmissions from A.B.C. (Airborne Cigar radio jamming) equipped Lancasters like the Bad Penny protected the rest of the planes in the bomber stream, it simultaneously made 101 Squadron’s Lancasters highly vulnerable to attack. A German night fighter could home in on an A.B.C. transmission and track it back to its source. The enemy could also visually identify A.B.C. equipped Lancasters. Their three, very distinctive seven foot tall transmission masts made them easily recognizable, and after realizing their significance, Luffwaffe pilots began targeting these 101 bombers first. 

Flying a mission in an A.B.C. equipped Lancaster quickly became one of the most dangerous things an airman could do.

 

Flying a mission in an A.B.C. equipped Lancaster quickly became one of the most dangerous things an airman could do. Squadron’s tactical significance to prosecuting Bomber Command’s air-war, was one of the reasons why 101’s Lancasters would be some of the first bombers fitted with duck .50 caliber machine guns in their rear turrets’ this upgrade would replace the standard four 303 caliber machine guns in most Lancasters at the time.  The kit came with brass barrels to replace the poorly detailed plastic barrels of the model’s eight 303s. Unfortunately these brass barrels came incomplete, without their cooling jackets. To remedy this, the Scale Model Club purchased new, highly detailed 303 and .50 caliber barrels for the build.

 

Work has now begun on the Bad Penny model’s three Fraser Nash turrets. One of our builders is working on the bomber’s mid-upper turret. It was an FN50 with two 303 machine guns.

Up front, the bomber’s nose turret was an FN5A, and was also equipped with two 303 machine guns. The rear turret the kit came with is an FN120, with four 303 machine guns. This turret will be modified and converted into an FN82, which was equipped with two .50 caliber machine guns.

 

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[JKC27]

 

Here are the latest pics from the group build.  I was unable to attend the last club meeting, but was able to have one of the members send me these so I can post them here.

 

There are just miscellaneous parts that are all being worked on individually by the club members, as well as some of the masks that are being used.  The last pic, as well as 3rd last, really show how big this model is going to be. 

Edited April 21, 2023 by JKC27

[PvG Aussie]

Great to see this amazing effort by your team. 

I have just completed the same Border Model Lancaster and also included the masks you show above. I added a 7 man crew, lights and sounds of engines.

I'm curious to see if you decide to paint the wings before or after you attach them to the fusilage. The colours are also difficult to match up. The engines require a few decisions. Do you build the full engines or the dummies? I built the full engines and used nano magnets to be able to remove and replace the cowlings on engines 2&3. It looks good and shows off the work put into the Merlin 20 engines. I weathered everything as the plane I copied had completed 90 operations over Europe.

I had an absolute ball building the Lancaster (approx 600 hours in total). I am more than happy to help as you will come across some 'fun bits'.

Cheers,

Peter vG

[PvG Aussie]

How is the progress going on the Avro Lanc?