Canberra T.17 & T.17a
Conversions and Decals

for Airfix

Alley Cat, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Mick Evans

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Alley Cat has released a nice line of resin sets to convert kits to display esoteric research and experimental models of the aircraft variant.  This review covers the second of three conversions for the Canberra based on the basic Airfix 1/48 scale kit. 

The resin parts are crisply cast and beautifully detailed and no air bubbles are apparent in the castings. 

The clear resin canopies are excellent, crystal clear and no apparent air bubbles and most of all no shrinkage or warping as I have seen in other clear resin parts from other manufacturers.

Canberra T.17 and T.17a Conversion AC 48015C

The Canberra T.17 was a specialised Electronic Counter Measures/Electronic Warfare variant converted from the standard Canberra B.2 bomber.  A total of 22 of these aircraft were produced specifically to be operated by a joint Royal Air Force/Navy unit, No 360 Sqn.  The bomb bay and the newly designed nose housed additional ECM/ECW equipment requiring many extra ducts and vents to be added to the bomb bay doors and lower wing surfaces.

This set includes a new canopy cast in clear resin. This replaces the entire area covering the navigator’s position and the windscreen is cast with one clear vision port. 

Two large resin wing mounted fuel tanks made under license from Belcher Bits are provided along with a new nose, nose cable ducts, bomb bay and wing vents, and new blade antennas. 

You may not need to add any nose ballast to keep the nose wheel on the ground as the conversion nose is a fairly weighty piece of resin. 

Some kit surgery will be required to install the canopy and nose.

Markings are provided for four different aircraft as follows:

• WH902 of No 360 Sqn finished in BS4800:18B21 Barley Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:627 Light Aircraft Grey lower surfaces.

• WD955 of 380 Sqn in 1994 finished in BS2660 4-049 Hemp upper surfaces and BS381C:627 Light Aircraft Grey lower surfaces.  The fin is painted red with a yellow lightning bolt.

• WH665 of 360 Sqn finished in BS381C:641 Dark Green and BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:627 Light Aircraft Grey lower surfaces.

• WJ603 of 360 Sqn in 1973 finished in BS381C:641 Dark Green and BS381C:638 Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and BS381C:627 Light Aircraft Grey lower surfaces.

Thanks to A2Zee Models for the review sample

Alley Cat and FAA Models' accessories are available from A2Zee Models  website

Review Text Copyright © 2010 by Mick Evans
Images Copyright © 2010 by Brett Green
Page Created 10 March, 2010
Last updated 10 March, 2010

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