Revell 1/72 Avro Lancaster

Revell 1/72 Avro Lancaster (New Tool - 2007)

The Build - Very few issues with this kit. I'd recommend it.
I took a few millimetres off the bottom of the mid-turret clear part as it seemed a bit high. I took a razor saw to the top wings to bend them up for a more acute dihedral as I thought it was too low. Other than that all the fittings were spot on making it an easy kit to build.

Clear Parts - The clear parts were painted by hand and then neatened by gently pushing the dry paint away from the windows with a cocktail stick. I dipped them in a 'Klear' alternative floor polish after they were painted to seal them. It's an effective way to paint the canopies and no need for use of masking. I used a Sharpie pen on the contact areas of all canopies to eradicate the internal prism effect. The main canopy was glued to the airframe with a PVA based canopy glue and Quick Setting Tamiya Extra Thin where I could.

Painting - I mix my own paints throughout. I always use Vallejo German Panzer Grey Primer instead of black which is what you see here on the underside. After the primer I pre-shaded with a mottled white and then a red/brown and blue/black around the panels, then over all the underside with the Panzer Grey. The top was pre-shaded with a mottled white and then the two camo colours over the top. I hand painted a brown oil paint glaze over the entirety of the upper green and brown to tie the camo colours together. I used the same wash by hand to add interest to a panel here and there on the top surfaces.
The tyre dirt is a light brown which I add via a brush by spinning the wheels on a cocktail stick on a Dremel drill and also using a damp cloth. I used a flat matt varnish at the end.
The exhaust staining was done with powders I ground down from art pastels. I experimented with it half way through the build and then wet clothed it off and then did it proper at the end. I sealed the exhaust stains with a couple dust coats of hairspray as the white always seems to vanish if it is saturated with a varnish. Sometimes the white has to be redone a couple times before it is nicely visible. I used a white/grey wash to the panel lines for the underside and a brown/black wash for the top panel lines.

Scratch Building - The only scratch building I did was to open all four engine vents slightly by siding them with styrene card and all the guns were replaced by wire. The guns in the kit have no details on the barrels. I also used copper wire for the propeller driveshafts as I do with all my kits for durability. I also ignored all the peripheral radar, pito, activators, ballasts etc. I may do at a later date.

Alternates - I used the large bomb aimers bubble (there are two options) and the smaller of the two canopy viewer bubble options at the rear of the canopy. The larger paddle props where employed too.

I didn't take any photos before I stuck the fuselage halves together so sorry for that.

Conclusion - Really cheap, easy and fun kit to build with really good results. I hadn't built a Lanc since the Airfix 1/72 Lanc in the 70's. This was a test kit really for a later build of a HK 1/48 Lanc. I wanted to test the overall colours especially the weathered underside black.

Music - Beethoven 5th Symphony - 2nd movement
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