Avro Anson Mk.I

Airfix 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

The Avro Anson was derived from the civilian Model 652 transport aircraft. In 1936, the Anson earned the distinction of being the both the first monoplane and the first type with retractable undercarriage in RAF service. The Anson initially performed the anti-submarine and reconnaissance roles, but was relegated to navigation and gunnery training duties as the war progressed.

Perhaps its most important responsibility was as the nursery to new pilots and aircrew throughout the Commonwealth under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

The Anson in Plastic

Despite its important role in the Second World War and beyond, and a total production run in excess of 10,000 examples, the Avro Anson is a relatively neglected subject in styrene. Before now, we have only had the Classic Airframes / Special Hobby family in 1/48 scale that debuted in 2006, the 1/72 scale Airfix Mk.I kit that dates back to the early 1960s and the 2007 Special Hobby 1/72 scale Avro Anson.

The Classic Airframes / Special Hobby 1/48 scale Avro Anson is a nice kit. It is made up from a very modest 51 parts in grey styrene, 68 parts in cream coloured resin, 15 clear injection moulded parts and markings for seven aircraft.

Classic Airframes early version Anson Mk.I built by Brett Green in 2006

I built the kit in 2006 and was very pleased with the result. However, the relatively small number of plastic parts belies the complexity of the kit. Experience with multimedia is certainly required before tackling this project due to the extensive use of resin, the lack of locating pins and the big canopy parts.

Airfix continues its commitment to neglected British WWII aircraft subjects with this all-new 1/48 scale Avro Anson Mk.I.

The Airfix 1/48 scale Anson comprises 181 pieces in grey plastic, 20 parts in clear and markings for three aircraft.

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Thumbnail panels:

The plastic is darker, smoother and shinier than other recent Airfix releases, which have been a paler blue-grey shade and quite soft.

Surface textures are beautifully done with convincing stretched fabric effect on the fuselage, crisply recessed panel lines and rows of rivets, plus a selected number of raised rivets and structural features.

The wings feature impressive panting / quilting / oil-canning representing dimpled metal between ribs. The consensus is that this is close to the effect on the real aircraft. I think it looks great. The Classic Airframes kit had raised strips arranged in squares on their wings, but that was not entirely correct.

The real aircraft was manufactured with overlapping wing skin panels. These were nailed to the rib caps and tape was applied over the top. The tape had pinking – a zig-zag pattern – on both edges.

It’s up to you whether to fill the dimples and add thin pinked tape, but I will leave mine as it is. I have seen photos of the finished model and the effect is very subtle under a coat of paint.

The high level of detail in the cockpit is justified by the high visibility inside the large fuselage windows. Details include side and ceiling frames, the instrument panel with detail front and rear, two control columns, seats, navigator's table and radio gear.

The turret is well presented with nine parts in grey and clear plastic.

Alternative roof panels are offered – one with the turret and an optional part without.

The smooth roof is not used in this boxing.

The port and starboard elevators are moulded as one piece with a rod in the middle that will allow them to move after assembly. Just be sparing with application of glue to the horizontal stabilisers.

The engines are made up from eight pieces each.

The engine cowlings are split into three sections with seven separate bulges.

Alternative smooth cowlings are included in the box but not mentioned in the instructions.

The lower wing is split into centre, port and starboard sections that are glued together.

The instructions suggest that the completed lower wing assembly is glued to the fuselage before the upper wing is added. A stout wing spar will ensure accurate dihedral.

Clear parts are well moulded, thin and distortion free - very important for this glasshouse canopy and fuselage.

Airfix has included both early sloped and the later windscreen with the higher angle.

Different side window panels are included for each option too. The windscreen is moulded to part of the forward fuselage, which will make painting easier.

A clear two-part DF football and astrodome are moulded to the clear sprue but these are not required for the three marking options in this boxing.

The shape of the model looks accurate compared to published plans and contemporary photographs.

Markings

Three varied marking options are included:

• Avro Anson Mk.I, MK-V, N9732, 500 Sqn. RAF. Finished in Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces and Silver painted lower surfaces.

• Avro Anson Mk.I, PP-B, RAAF Coastal Command, finished in an experimental scheme of Earth Brown and Foliage Green upper surfaces and high demarcation white on the fuselage sides. The code letters are Light Slate Grey.

• Avro Anson Mk.I, H7, No.3 Training Command, No. 31 General Reconnaissance School, RCAF, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, 1941. Finished in Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces and Yellow lower surfaces.

Decals are glossy, printed in perfect register, and colours look good.

Airfix’s 1/48 scale Anson is an impressively detailed kit of one of the neglected workhorses of the Second World War.

In my opinion, this is one of the best 1/48 scale Airfix kits yet released.

Kit purchased by reviewer from Hannants.

Text and Images Copyright © 2021 by Brett Green
Page Created 9 November, 2022
Last updated 13 November, 2022

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