Avro Anson Mk I (Airfix 1/48)

In 1933 the Avro 652, a planned high-speed, long-range mail carrying charter aircraft was under development when the British Air Ministry issued a specification for a twin-engine general reconnaissance and multi-role aircraft for both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The Avro design was entered into the official evaluation program and after a few modifications, was rewarded with an initial order for 174 aircraft. When it entered RAF service in March 1936 it became the first monoplane type to enter squadron service and was also the first RAF aircraft to feature a retractable undercarriage.

The fast pace of aircraft development during the late 1930s meant that by the beginning of the Second World War the Anson was basically obsolete as a fighting machine and the type was quickly withdrawn to a secondary training role, a task for which it was particularly well suited. Many thousands of aircrew destined for service with Bomber Command were trained on the Anson as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme in the UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa.

The Anson that is the subject of this model was built in 1943 before being shipped out to South Africa for service in various Air Schools. In October 1945 it was based at 42 Air School in Port Elizabeth. On the night of 11th October 1945, it departed from Port Elizabeth on a navigational training flight but got lost during the return journey. Running low on fuel, the pilot, Flt Lt W E Morgan (my wife's father), crash-landed in the surf alongside a sandy beach. All four crew members were able to wade ashore, but the aircraft was damaged beyond recovery. One of the engines currently resides in the SAAF museum in Port Elizabeth.

The story above is my reason for building this particular kit and finishing it in the scheme depicted. The combination of a detailed interior and extensive glazing meant that the use of an Eduard interior and mask kit was almost mandatory. A significant proportion of the overall construction time was spent on the interior before it was partially covered by the fuselage halves. Although not mentioned in the instructions, there are additional parts on the sprues to finish the Anson with and without a gun turret, with the earlier or later canopy glass and with standard or smooth engine cowlings, so it is possible to build a number of variants.

With the possible exception of the engine nacelles, the overall fit of the kit was superb. a special mention must be made of the excellent rendition of the fabric covered surface of the wings and fuselage. This is particularly noticeable in the silver finish used on the upper surfaces.

On the subject of finishes, AK paints were used throughout with some light washes and pastel chalks for weathering. Fine EZ Line was used for the rigging. The custom decals were supplied by Zane Jacobs of MAVDecals.

An extremely enjoyable build!

9 additional images. Click to enlarge.