Avro Manchester, Lancaster, Lancastrian, Lincoln, Shackleton

[NARSES2]

A few years ago at the UK Nats there was a six engined anti-sub Lancaster in either the white  Costal Cmd scheme or dazzel camo (can't remember) and a photo of said beast made one of the mags ( MIS if memory serves) anyone else remember it - Rad ?

As for me I'd go for a four engined griffon job, with the engines as pushers.and pressurisation for high altitude work. Now that would look good in Tiger Force markings

Chris  

[Radish]

The 6-engined Lancaster was built by Ken wheeler.....a very talented chappie who built amongst other things a floatplane Wellington (also in white/dark green splinter), an incredible SB-52 Seaplane Superfortress, and his last model, a scratch-built 1/72nd Saro Princess, which was ENORMOUS. I helped him with this (but only in supplying some plans and a couple of Union Jack decals.) It was amazing.
He's since given up modelling.....just like that.

As for the Lancaster....whichever kit you use, and like Wooksta I'll "go" with the Airfix one (not that I've such a gripe against Hasegawa who do LOVELY Starfighters!!!).

Anyway....Lancasters (I've NEVER built one...EVER)

Fire Bomber is a natural....bulged bomb bay a necessity

USAAF 8th AF....Olive Drab/Neutral Grey, very weathered, very bright Unit Markings, and of course, nose art! Sexy nose art!!

USAAF in the Pacific.....olive drab/neutral grey with white identity bands like on the B-25 Mitchells, Indian tail art and a solid nose for anti-ship strafing.

RCAF COIN aircraft in Malaya, in very well worn and bleached Ocean Grey and Dark Green, with PR Blue undersurfaces. Solis nose, wing-tip tanks and many underwing pylons carrying everything bar the kitchen sink.

Maritime Reconnaisance varients, with extra radar provision, wing-tip tanks, deleted upper gunner, but nose and tail guns.
In use with Japan, post-war(obviously!), in dark sea grey with white tops.
RAF....all white with Medium sea grey uppers.
USAF....silver with yellow areas outlined black.
Swiss Navy (for patrolling Lake Geneva)...silver with grey uppers.
Scottish Union AF for patrolling Orkneys, outlying islands, Scottish fisheries and oil fields. Dark Blue with silver underrsurfaces and orange dayglo high visibility areas.

South Korean AF/Navy....natural metal or silver.

And let's remember the KG200 ones, with RLM 70/71 uppers, black undersurfaces, stencil black markings, and the upper surfaces with either rough whitewash or alternatively, a delicate !scribble" of RLM 76.

Let's rock        

[Lazlo Woodbine]

A Russian one would look nice, with some slogans painted on.  They could have got them the same way they got the Hurricanes.  A bomber unit goes to help the Russians and leaves them the Lancasters.  Cue lots of modifications.


   

[Radish]

A soviet one could be a torpedo bomber....two mounted under the fuselage and one under each wing.
Hey....some great possibilities.  

[Spellbinder99]

But Wooksta, I would use the Hasegawa just to see the horrified look on a "real" modellers face when I told him.

Regardless, who used to do the Lancastrian conversion for the Lanc that had the faired over nose and tail and the cargo pannier? That would take you 90% of the way to Firebomber conversion. A couple of podded Vipers under the wings and you are away.

Cheers

Tony

[NARSES2]

Regardless, who used to do the Lancastrian conversion for the Lanc that had the faired over nose and tail and the cargo pannier? That would take you 90% of the way to Firebomber conversion. A couple of podded Vipers under the wings and you are away.

Cheers

Tony

Magna Spellbinder - see attached, and it's still available

Chris

Lancastrian

[Geoff_B]

A Russian one would look nice, with some slogans painted on.  They could have got them the same way they got the Hurricanes.  A bomber unit goes to help the Russians and leaves them the Lancasters.  Cue lots of modifications.

Soviet Lancasters

Hi Gary

Check out Ken Duffys bit on Soviet Lancasters

Cheers

G B)  

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Hmmmm let me see....

Lancaster ASR Version: with aforementioned radar, lose all except the tail turret whilst simultaneously transplanting one of those air-dropped lifeboat thingies from the Academy B-17 ASR. Wingtip fuel tanks would be nice and/or auxiliary jet engines for the Mk2 version !

Paint any combination of bright colours that you like and wait for your friends to go "Ooooohh and Aahhhhh !"

Fire Bomber: Yep it's a given, turbo props or RR Griffons would be nice and all the aforementioned Lanacstrian bits. No turrets, maybe some sort of observation blister each side of the fuselage.

Gotta be Canadian in Bright Yellow with flourescent red bits and those really neat red/white lightning zaps along the side.

My two penn'arth....

I H-G

[NARSES2]

A Russian one would look nice, with some slogans painted on.  They could have got them the same way they got the Hurricanes.  A bomber unit goes to help the Russians and leaves them the Lancasters.  Cue lots of modifications.

Soviet Lancasters

Hi Gary

Check out Ken Duffys bit on Soviet Lancasters

Cheers

G B)

Well I'll be ****** I knew about the Tirpitz raids but not about the Soviets operating Lancasters left behind. I'll have a look in "North American Air Arsenal" as that's got a section on types the Soviets aquired other than via official lend lease

Chris

[lancer]

Certainly interesting to see that the Soviets used Lancs for a while.  Now, how about a Soviet frontal aviation heavy bomber squadron?  Standard soviet bomber coulors and red stars all over??

Also I like the idea of a long range maritime patroller version, with the bomb bay it could carry a huge amoung of weapons.  Put turbo props on in place of the Merlins, upgrade the avionics and electrics and you could keep her going into say the mid 80's?  Early Nimrod scheme; Hemp over grey?? wing pylons for additiona stores sidewinders for self defence; Anti submarine torpedoes with depth cheges in the bomb bay; Sonor bouys?. This could get interesting...

[Amphion]

Firebomber, as discussed a few weeks back. Maybe with underwing podded booster jets and a frigging big retardant tank in the ex-bombbay.

Cheers

Tony

In Swedish service the Lanc was used for jet engine testing. The engine was housed in the converted bomb bay.

[Radish]

Imagine the auto-gyro version.....clipped wings, or perhaps with upturned outer-wing panels, and a huge rotor above the fuselage, helped by an engine hidden in a housing similar to a submarine conning tower.

Could it be done??
What could it be used as? Who cares anyway!!
Imagine it in a full RAF bombing scheme, or perhaps French?

Why not ski undercarriage? Post-war Finland, or RAF bombing squadrom based in Antartica  

[Daryl J.]

Extend the wing tips significantly
Paddle blade props

Appropriate VeryHigh Altitude paint scheme



--OR--


Alternate paint scheme:

Br. Slate Grey
Extra Dark Sea Grey
over either Sky or White for a Coastal Command aircraft


Neat ideas from you guys!

Daryl J.

[Spellbinder99]

Will the contra-props from a Shack fit on the front of the Lanc nacelles? Or would I be better off taking the whole nacelle and grafting it onto the Lanc wing?

There were a few of the Revell re-issue Frog Shacks in a model shop at home last time.

Just saying, is all....

Cheers

Tony

[Geoff_B]

Hmmn you could see if the Lincoln conversion fits the new Hasegawa Lanc. That might go down a treat. I suppose if Academy had done it then we might wellhave seen numeroous Lancaster versions including a Lincoln...

Cheers

G B)