Canadian Train: 1/48th Airfix Anson Mk.I
- @PlaneThought41
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
You have to give Airfix credit for releasing British aircraft types that we may not otherwise see. The 1/48th Airfix Anson Mk.I, released in 2022, is one such neglected example in this scale, and Airfix did an exemplary job of their model.
Notable Kit Features:
Very nicely detailed cockpit complete with infrastructure & wing spar
Crisp surface detailing with subtle fabric covered airframe effects
Separate control surfaces (Rear ailerons & rudder are movable)
Weighted tires provided
Very detailed instructions (you are going to need to pay very close attention to these)
Optional front glass provided for two types
Optional turret or cap provided
Cartograph produced decals for 3 different aircraft
Build Inspiration:
The Avro Anson was the most produced type of aircraft in use with the RCAF in WWII. This fact was related to the BCATP run in Canada to train Allied pilots for service. I selected the in-box RCAF version, of No. 3 Training Command (No. 31 General Recon School) based out of Charlottetown P.E.I. to build, as I wanted the bright yellow of a trainer on my aircraft and it required no third-party decals to get this Canadian content.
Heads-Up Report:
Look at reference photos for your specific build as there are optional parts included in this kit (that may not apply to your aircraft)
Many injection mould tabs to be trimmed (no big deal)
Complex structures requiring a careful review of instructions as well as test fitting
Front lower panel nose join to fuselage required filler
Upper / Lower wing join did not line up at tips and ailerons
Wing trailing edge had a step that shouldn't be there
Engine panel fit was quite problematic and required gluing in stages pushing out panels while holding others in... and then some sheet styrene to cap-the-gaps, followed by filler and sanding and then re-scribing
The engine cowls are complex and require that specific parts (that look very similar) go exactly as indicated (so be careful cutting parts off sprues as you will need to know what part it is later)
Engine mounting withing cowls is very tight tolerance and you'll have to carefully align the engine within the cowling as well
Left and right engines are specific (exhausts are to the outside) * I did not glue my engines in place until post-paint to ensure easier cowl paint coverage (and unfortunately I had my engines revered)
The main tire parts are specific (so don't get them mixed up)
The glass windows form up the fuselage side support so I optioned to use the higher risk plastic cement instead of water-based glue normally used on canopies
The front windscreen required a bit of a styrene sheet shim to fill a gap between the fuselage on the port side (possibly a self-inflicted slight twist while assembling earlier components caused this - it's a complex structure)
The centre nose light did not seem to seat properly centred
The two small round windows in the nose are poor fitting
There is a LOT of glass to be taped off (I did my masking pre-installation which makes it easier) I then remembered that I had cutter-plotter mask templates that would have worked with my Silhouette cutter.) *If you have a cutter that uses file type .Studio3, I can send you the templates via email, if you are interested.
I got misled by an incorrect paint profile provided by Airfix as the Left profile has the yellow demarcation illustrated differently than the right or above view... That oversight cost me a partial repaint of upper camouflage
Kit Additions / Modifications:
I built this 1/48th Airfix Anson Mk.I Out-of-the-Box with the exception of added seatbelts cut from tape and painted (and you could add the N antenna wire)
Finishing:
The Matt Trainer Yellow was the starting point for my Avro Anson paint finish. I tinted a base of Vallejo Model Air RLM04 / 33538 to tone it down, for scale effect. I would normally use a base coat (white, light gray or light pink) on a yellow finish, however I was in session before I realized this. As it turned out, it wasn't much of an issue (My rule is always use flat paints for better coverage and topcoat with the desired sheen.) Similar to painting white, yellow coats should be laid down in very thin layers to eventually build up the colour. I did some slight variations of yellow paint tones by adding in white to the later layers. I never got into the black pre-shading as I found it easier (because it skips a paint step) to just lighten the tone of the paint colour being sprayed for the centre of the panels and darken the tone for panel lines and repair areas. If you look closely at my Anson you can see a bit of this effect, but it doesn't jump out at you. This aircraft being a trainer it didn't typically get the same lack of paint maintenance as a combat aircraft might. After a day or two drying time. the yellow areas were masked off in preparation for the upper camouflage. As it turned out, I referenced an incorrect Airfix profile for the yellow demarcation line (Pay no attention to their port side profile as they have the yellow flowing down onto the wing, which I think is incorrect.) so I ended up having had to reproduce the same camouflage tones to overspray the yellow along the wing - Nothing I couldn't handle apparently.
Not wanting to chance a yellowing of decal film in years to come, the large black underside aircraft ID numbers were painted on (using mask templates created from a Silhouette cutter). After all the paint dried, I gave the Anson a gloss coat with Pledge to prepare it for decals and washes. The kit decals worked quite nicely. I ended up using the large tail ensign decal (after I forgot to paint this area in the early stages as well). I just colour matched the rollover the top of the rudder and it worked out fine. The weathered paint effect was accentuated by panel line washes and post-paint streaking to get the weathering level desired for the subject. After all the masks were removed it was time to get to adding all those small details such as antennas and probes as well as get the gear on. This particular aircraft build was chronicled at iModeler if you want a look into more details of the build - See:
The After-Build Report:
Typically I have not been impressed with very many of Airfix's 1/48th scale aircraft, however this 1/48th Airfix Anson Mk.I offering is a great exception. It has an excellent level of detail as well as comprehensive instructions. The "crisp" subtle surface detail is the most “not your typical Airfix kit” aspect to me, so credit where credit is due. Having said that, there are a couple of areas that will definitely frustrate you. Also note this is not a kit for beginners. Due to the complexity of some shapes of the aircraft and the level of detail provided, this build takes greater than average concentration, close attention to the instructions and perseverance to get the kit you were hoping for. I am very happy with the results achieved and despite the noted challenges would build another Airfix Anson (the 1st build experience of this kit would definitely help the second time around). Definitely the best (1/48th) Anson available.
Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers