Hi all, My manager at work has just dropped a huge box in my lap its the airfix dam busters 60th anniversary set he loves aircraft but cant build models so he has given the set to me.Now armour is my usual thing but this looks like a nice set.I have a couple of questions are they anygood, can the Lanc have some a.m. added without breaking the bank,and is the Tornado as scary as it looks (all those Decals) thanks for any help.

There's lots of a/m for the Lancaster - and yes, you can spend a fortune.
Search your favorite online store ...
Eduard has a superset for the Dambuster (interior, exterior, etc) which runs about $48 US. Aires, Czechmaster, Flightpath, and White Ensign all have aftermarket stuff, amongst others.

Otherwise if you are only looking for simple cockpit upgrades, you can get a lot cheaper ... It really depends on how much you want to put into it photo-etch wise ... You get the same useless stuff for aircraft that you do for armor ...

I have an Airfix Lanc, and a Hasegawa also, plus various aftermarket, and one day I'm going to empty them all into a big tub, shake vigorously, and out will come the world's most accurate and detailed Lancaster model ....

Hopefully someone with more Lanc knowledge and fewer fanciful dreams will chime in ...

John

Hi John,check out your local library or ebay to get hold of the long oop
PSL publications book 'Classic aircraft and how to model them- Avro Lancaster.This book was produced with the Airfix kit in mind and before AM stuff was available(aaah,the good old days,no e/b!) and shows how to improve the basic kit with the addition of plasticard.Another,more recent book is produced by SAM pubs-Modellers datafile on the Lanc.Also over the years various modelling magazines have featured build articles on the Lanc and Tornado from Airfix.If you belong to a club or have friends who are more aviation orientated than you,they may be able to help.
HTH......Dave.

With regard to the Tornado i have built the airfix tornado (it is in the December Model of Month competition on Aeroscale) although it is not the same mark i think you will have quite a few fit problem with the kit. An etched detail set for the cockpit would be an idea and possibly resin seats. I would recommend glueing the wings into place rather than using the swing wing mechanism. The decals although there are quite a few, there is no real issues with them. I decaled mine over several days because it started to get abit mind numbing. Hope this gives some insight into the kit for you

Hi all many thanks for the info,the tornado Im not to worried about because I will build it for me,but I will give the Lanc back to my mate beause he drools at the mere thought of one on his shelf.I will try to keep you informed of the build and proberbly ask you all a thousand stupid questions.

Hi John
I,ve only just come over to this side of "Big A" (as I'm usually on the armour side) and noticed your topic on the Dam Buster Lancaster.
Have you managed to start it yet
Last year I built the Revell 1/72 Dam Buster Lanc and thought I'd share a few pic's



Had to include Nigger (Guy Gibson's Dog)

Hope you complete it for your mate.

Steve C (Jnr)
(p.s. more pics of Lanc in my gallery)

Hi John:

Here is some info that can help:

http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Reviews/raf/lanc-dambuster.htm

http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Inbox/k-m/lancaster-i.htm

Cool picture where do u get dam buster planes?

Here's a site on 617 Sqn. and 'Upkeep' - code name for the bouncing bomb (technically, with the hydrostatic fuse, it was a mine.)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/julie.bell102/chastise_index.html
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/julie.bell102/upkeep.html

A couple of great pics with the Dambusters in action:



Guy Gibson´s Lanc