Avro Lancaster B.Mk.III

The next of my Somerset show purchases on the bench was the 1980’s Airfix release of the Avro Lancaster B.Mk.III. This was the version fitted with the US built Packard Merlin 28 engines, the only difference between the Mk.I & Mk.III. The Mk.II was different again, but more on that later.

I purchased this 40 year old Airfix Lancaster kit at an excellent price due to the box being opened and thus the risk of it missing parts and with the absence of any instructions. Its age showed through its raised rivets and lack of any interior detail. I pondered on rectifying this by buying up a few after sales bits and pieces and it was while awaiting delivery that I kicked off that ill fated AZ Model Spitfire HF Mk VI build.

The next challenge was the decals. I wanted to use those which came with this kit of M for Mother, the Lancaster completing the highest number of WW2 missions. I had great success in reviving these original decals with extreme UV light treatment that the then heatwave was providing. This removed most of the yellowing but on application they were as thick old boots so a liberal coating of softener was called for. The reaction to this was, however, quite extreme; it was as if they were in tune with Dorian Gray and the fluid revealed their long live’s picture .. all wrinkled!

I therefore, had to fall back on a set of Xtradecal aftermarket decals which I had the good fortune to obtain from the same seller at the show. I obviously had an inkling something like this would happen. I, therefore, finished the build in the interesting look of Avro Lancaster B.Mk.III LM583, PO-T of 467 (Australian) Squadron, piloted by Flying Officer David John Sandell, which took off on 29 August 1944 from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire to bomb Konigsberg and was lost without trace, believed to have been one of the 15 of a force of 189 RAF bombers shot down by nightfighters during the raid.

The interesting feature of this aircraft is its white painted tail fin which indicated it as a G-H Leader's aircraft, i.e. an aircraft carrying blind-bombing H2S radar, which would lead the rest of the Squadron to the correct aiming point. Each squadron of No.5 Group, Bomber Command, had its own distinctive G-H tail markings, that of 467 Squadron being a blue cross on a white background.

There is much debate on line as to the accuracy of this Xtradecal sheet X72195 as to whether PO-T should actually be PO-O, as referenced in an number of other sources, and how this could be an easy typo with O and P being next to each other on the keyboard. Also the decal sheet contains black crosses for the tail rather than the correct blue ones, perhaps as historical photos are black and white? Interesting ….

Back to the scale model. I decided, for a change, not to complete this kit wheels down, but rather to mount it airborne, as if flying at hedge hopping height atop an old Airfix stand sprayed black, blending with its night camouflage black underside … I can almost hear those 4 Merlins! 

The after sales bits’n pieces of wheels, guns and interior I plan to use on a Mk.II I just had to buy in the recent Airfix Club sale .. it will be interesting to compare and contrast this build with the the much newer kit.