AVRO Lancaster B.III – Airfix 1/72nd
I’ve tried to improved the simple surface detail by adding some missing panel lines and rivets. I’ve replaced the plastic wheels with the resin set from Eduard and I’ve used AK real colour lacquer RAF Dark Green and RAF Dark Earth as well as some AMMO washes, filters and oils to give a little of colour variation and weathering.
I hope you guys like it and any comments are welcome.
Mickey the Moocher QR-M EE176 of A Flight, No. 61 Squadron. Stationed at Skellingthorpe
One of less than a dozen to have survived over one hundred bombing missions in active WW2.
9 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Anthony Conway said on November 14, 2020
Hey Jorge, you did a fine job your build looks great. 👍
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
thank you Anthony!
Stan Traas said on November 14, 2020
OK, some might say a bit quilt-ey. But, super colours, (p**s off, spell check) fine finish, perfectly shiny glass and excellent decals. I would only say that maybe top colours might’ve been blended/softened a little more… but all in all, a really lovely model! (Especially in blind old man scale) 😉
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi Stan, thank for your commet. You may be right. I kept wondering if I shoud’ve give an extra thin layer of paint to uniform a bit more. Although in many of my reference photos I always see a lot of patchy decoloration on the panels. I was also trying to achieve some sort of stressed skin effect with the paint, lighter at the center darker at the edges on the wing surface and the opposite in the black areas of the fuselage…
cheers
Tom Cleaver said on November 14, 2020
I dunno Jorge, you could of fooled me that it’s an excellent model. I have the kit and you’ve been “inspirational” here with this. Great result here.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Thank you Tom, I hope you get to enjoy your built. My expierence was not that good. I found this kit to be very mediocre in fit, detail, plastic quality, instruction booklet etc. I’m simply NOT a fan of airfix and I’ll never be…
jorge
Pedro L. Rocha said on November 14, 2020
Can’t really add up anything that hasn’t been said by all other above, but this Lancaster is a real gem. All looks well balanced and perfectly executed. Nice to see that the RAF brown/green from AK real colors looks right
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi Pedro, thanks for your comments!. Yeah AK Real Colours laqcuer line has become my favourite paint lately. They are fantastic!
cheers
Jorge
John vd Biggelaar said on November 14, 2020
Fantastic build, Jorge.
Especially since you realised this quality finish on a 1/72 scale.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Thanks John!…yeah, it’s a 72nd kit but it is massive for my standards!
Tom Bebout said on November 14, 2020
Nicely done Jorge, she looks great and a pilot in the cockpit too.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi Tom, thank you!. Glad you catch the pilot! it is barey visible… 🙂
Anže Zorko said on November 14, 2020
Very nice, I like the finish.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Thank you Anže! 👍
Stephen W Towle said on November 14, 2020
I think painting 4 engine bombers is one of the hardest things to do with regards to getting all of the visual references together. Meaning the paint values, color intensities or fading getting all of that to be in sink and not toy like is hard to do. Kits can be made to look like painted plastic when most of us are after creating that illusion of this is what ” Mickey the Moocher” looked like back in the day. Which can create a visual interest and story of the a/c and its crew. As a modeler you want folks to stop and take the time to “look”.
In short, Jorge your build works. My only niggle and a very small one at that is that the header photo would have included your photo of ” Mikey” as the lead. To set the hook. Other than that minor niggle. . . your build is impressive and is a good reference for all who want to build this kit.
I’ve been following some of the Youtube shorts on the restoration of the Lancaster “Just Jane” back to flying status and this article and build ties in with the series well.
Two thumbs up Jorge. Looking forward to seeing more of your articles and builds.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi Stephen. Thank you very much for your comment. I really appreciate what you’ve said!. I always trying to tell a story through the painting and weathering process. I spend a lot of time and effort doing that and I actually enjoy that process a lot!. I do not like (and I don’t understand) when people don’t weather their kits and leave them pristine and shiny. Yes, is their right to do what they please, but in my opinion they look like toys, specially in these 4 engine big sizes kits (as you’ve mentioned) Aren’t we building war machines?? War is dirty and rough. Showing stains, damage, sun burned surfaces etc tells the story and to me they are a must. (and so much fun to do too!)
regarding Just Jane…I also look at it for reference and it’s amazing they are restoring her to fly again.
cheers mate!
jorge
Spiros Pendedekas said on November 14, 2020
Jorge, your Lancaster is really superb!
You’ve put a lot of quality work there and it shows!
Well done!
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi my friend! thank you very much. Yeah there was a lot of effort (and pain)
cheers
jorge
Bernard Bedeur said on November 14, 2020
Very nice. Looks as good or better than the Corgi all metal models !
I was lucky to have seen a Lancaster and spit fly repeatedly over my hometown. Together with a JU-52!
I lived parallel to the approach of oostende airport and saw So many different planes practice land. Such great memories .The propeller planes were the very best. The sound of their engines was music to my ears. A lot quieter and less smoky that the Jetliners of that time.
Lancs ruled the air And glad to have witnessed it !
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi Bernard, that is a cool story, You were lucky! I have never seen a Lancaster in the flesh…
cheers
jorge
Robert Royes said on November 14, 2020
Nicely done, great work on this massive aircraft.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Thank you Robert. Glad you like it. Yes it’s very big! it was a bit awkward to build, been more used to smaller fighters in 1/72nd.
cheers
jorge
Stellan Schroeder Englund said on November 14, 2020
Great looking Lancaster! Love the busy surface and the splendid tonal variation and contrast you managed to pull off. The red and yellow codes are just the icing on this perfect cake.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Thank you Stellan!, yeah it was a lot of fun doing that colour variation. To me is way more interesting to look than a flat even finish…
cheers
jorge
Mark Kannemeyer said on November 14, 2020
Very nice work Jorge. I really like it.
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Hi Marc, thank you! 👍
cheers
jorge
dale travis said on November 14, 2020
Great looking Lanc
jorge rivas krause said on November 14, 2020
Thank you dale!. happy you like it 👍
cheers
jorge
George Williams said on November 16, 2020
I remember getting the original Airfix 1/72 kit as a Christmas present, more years ago than I care to think about, but it must have been in the late 1950s. I slapped it together pretty quick over the holiday period, probably didn’t even paint it, but loved the moving gun turrets, and played with them until they eventually broke, oh well, great memories. It certainly didn’t look anything like your fantastic model which is a real masterpiece. Definitely liked.
jorge rivas krause said on November 16, 2020
Hi George, I’m happy you liked the model and that I’ve triggered that beautiful memories… cheers
Jorge
Greg Kittinger said on November 16, 2020
That’s a fine-looking Lanc! Nicely done.
jorge rivas krause said on November 16, 2020
Thank you Greg !