Avro Avatar Mk III

[Martin H]

Thew K12 is on the Unicraft models wish list, so we may get a kit of it at some point

[sequoiaranger]

That K-12 sure had a weird camo. Looks like a giant stage curtain for an opera--both above and below. I know the Nazis had a helicopter fly around inside a stadium--did the Soviets envision the K-12 flying around inside an opera house? 

[jcf]

That K-12 sure had a weird camo. Looks like a giant stage curtain for an opera--both above and below. I know the Nazis had a helicopter fly around inside a stadium--did the Soviets envision the K-12 flying around inside an opera house? 

The Zhar Ptitsa (phoenix or firebird) feathered scheme was specially applied for the 1937 Moscow Air Day Parade flyover.

Jon

[jcf]

Grushin Sh-Tandem from 1937.



and a paper model:
http://www.hobbyfactory.com/p951/Russian-Grushin-Sh-Tandem/product_info.html

So maybe Grushin hears he's to be arrested (happened to many, if not most, Soviet designers at some point) gets out ahead of the
secret police and eventually ends up in Britain working for Avro? 

Jon

[sequoiaranger]

Hey, now yer talkin!

Stretch that a bit, put a forward-firing gun tub under it and a second crewmember in an extended cockpit, and you virtually have the Avatar Mk I. The Mk I had the "Avro Manchester" triple-fin arrangement, but when the rear-facing gun position moved from the extreme tail to a top turret, the third fin was eliminated. When I get done with the model and backstory, it will have drawings of the Mk I, II, and III. Grushin's tale **MIGHT** just work its way into the backstory!

Thanks.

[sequoiaranger]

My "sectionals" have finally been joined. I have worked on each section individually, and it's nice to see them all together. To my surprise, the fuselage is a little longer than I had first envisioned, but that's what you get for compartmentalization of the project. Anyhoo, I snapped the ball turret into its cradle (Jeez, it looks like a cow's udder!) and placed the other turret and main canopies on for the photo. The "chicken wings" stubby box spars are sticking out awaiting their mainplanes. The engine (and outer cowl ring that will be tacked back on) will come off for painting. You can see lots of putty, and lots of places that putty needs to go, too. The main wings will be a little more forward than on the original Lancaster model, so the original indentations for fitting of the wings needed to be covered up and filled in.

The Mk.III sketch shows more of what it might look like.

But the Avro Avatar is shaping up!

[Brian da Basher]

I'm beginning to see it all coming together now, Sequoiaranger! Looks very menacing with those turrets. I'm already looking forward to your next update!

Brian da Basher

[pyro-manic]

That looks great! Great for blasting landing craft in the Channel. Really interesting build, and I'm enjoying watching it come together.

[ysi_maniac]

Looks beautiful, indeed

[sequoiaranger]

Now I am envisioning a personal (or perhaps squadron) emblem for my Avatar that has an enraged cartoon cow standing up on two legs , arms akimbo, with its four-teat "udder" shooting flames and bullets! Maybe called, "Udder Destruction" or something.



EDIT:  Hey! Am I PSYCHIC or what?? I **JUST NOW** found this almost perfect base image on the internet!

I don't suppose "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy" was around then, and it's too long to put on an emblem anyway!

[Ed S]

Now I am envisioning a personal (or perhaps squadron) emblem for my Avatar that has an enraged cartoon cow standing up on two legs , arms akimbo, with its four-teat "udder" shooting flames and bullets! Maybe called, "Udder Destruction" or something.



EDIT:  Hey! Am I PSYCHIC or what?? I **JUST NOW** found this almost perfect base image on the internet!

I don't suppose "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy" was around then, and it's too long to put on an emblem anyway!

That might not fit.  But that definitely looks like a Mad Cow.

Ed

[sequoiaranger]

Wow!

In a fit of joyFUL modeling, I decided to assemble the assemblages. I am finally done with all the laborious puttywork on the fuselage, thank Goodness.  It went quickly, and the model I had long envisioned started coming together!! Up until this point, I had worked on some ten different assemblages, "confident" (??) that the end result would look somewhat like I had envisioned, and justify all the work involved.

The Avatar "gained weight" from its original Me-110-sized concept (now "Do-17" size), but was always meant to be an underpowered, dowdy, but useful aircraft. Part of the original concept stemmed from the Vickers Wellesley anyway (and has its engine and forward fuselage, heavily puttied), so has that look of a circling buzzard. With eight guns in turrets covering all angles, and four .303's fixed forward, the Avatar would not be a hapless victim to attackers like its progenitor/cousin Defiant. Part of the backstory will be a valiant dive into a kette of Ju-87's and taking out all three on one pass. It will also have a pink gas patch (meaning it indeed flew through some phosgene gas, activating the chartreuse patch to change color), and Kiwi markings, EVENTUALLY.

Oh, I forgot to put on the last landing-gear wing fairing before I took the pictures. I will have to paint a "wheel well". My "box spar" has indeed made this plane mega-sturdy, and the "plastic epoxy" I used on the spar/wing connection allowed me to adjust the dihedral/positioning while it "dried" and fix it into place when I was satisfied. There is still a lot of white-glue crack-filling and paint preparation, but except for drilling gun holes in the wing, the missing landing gear fairing, putting on an antenna and wire, and affixing the canopies, "we" are done assembling the Avro Avatar Mk III!!!

[Brian da Basher]

I really like the look of your Avro Avatar, Sequoiaranger and the addition of the ball turret is truly inspired!

Brian da Basher

[pyro-manic]

That's really rather cool. Ugly, but in a good way.

[Sisko]

It's fantastic I love it!!!!!!!!

So deliciously berserk