Airfix 1/72 Lancaster B.III

Oh yes, that's right folks the venerable Lancaster. Who can resist this one. Threw my last one out during a move. Something I regretted, even though I built it when I was 15. Well its BACK!! May I introduce to you the Lancaster B.III.

Box Art

Sprue's

you can follow my build here.

Finished Model
I found some historical information about the aircraft which was interesting.

Aircraft Markings
"Frederick II" flown by Wing Commander Frederick Campbell Hopcroft, Commanding Officer No 57 Squadron, Royal Air Force Scampton, Lincolnshire, England, August 1943.


Comments
The Lancaster is quite a nostalgic aircraft and I can still remember when I built my first one as a 15 year old, a long long time ago. The new Airfix tooling is magnificent and I thoroughly enjoyed this build. The only minor negative comment is the bomb bay doors were warped, but a bit of superglue held them in place quite well. Otherwise, the kit was stunning in its detail and crispness.
The cockpit was quite detailed and you can see plenty through the canopy.
The other thing to note are the top fuselage escape hatches, these really should be clear plastic not just dents in the roof, Mr Airfix!. The landing gear is excellently detailed and I put mine in the flaps down position just for added variety.

Rating:
Instructions - 3 - very easy to understand

Assembly Complexity - 3 - No complexities in this one, just a big kit.

Quality of Molding - 3 - Excellent quality, fine detail, no flash

Part Fit - 3 - Excellent part fit, only minor negative was the bomb bay doors, but I wont take marks off just for that as its easily fixable.

Overall Score 12/12

Paints Used
Fuselage - Tamiya AS-22 Dark Earth, Tamiya AS-30 Dark green 2(RAF)
Underside - Tamiya TS-6 Matt Black
Cockpit- Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit green
Wheel wells - Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit green
Wheels - Tamiya XF-85 - Rubber Black
Clear Coat - Testors Dullcote 1260