Chuck's Avro Manchester Mk.Ia in 1/72 scale. *Finished*

[Chuck Finley]

And now for something totally different;

A kitbash using the fuselage, tail, and landing gear from the Hasegawa Lancaster combined with the wings, engines, and upper turret from the Planet Models Avro Manchester. The completed kit will model a Avro Manchester Mk.Ia (R5833), assigned to No.83 Squadron at RAF Scampton in April 1942.









The main reason for using the Hasegawa parts is that I can't get vacuum forms canopies finished correctly and since the Lancaster is a Manchester Ia with a added section and two Rolls Royce Merlins added to each wing, why not do the immediate predecessor to the Lancaster?

[Stuart]

Great idea Chuck - looking forward to seeing it!

[Dazzled]

Sounds like a great idea and a challenge. Brave of you to sacrifice two kits for this

[K5083]

I think the bashing is a good idea. Not cheap, but the best way to make the best kit out of these limited run kits. This subject is a dream for most of us, but for most of us it always remains just a dream. Looking forward to watching you live the dream, man!

August

[Chuck Finley]

Masked the canopies, Finished initial interior painting and added some photoetch.

[Chuck Finley]

Worked on fuselage and wings this morning and tested fitting the wings.

[Chuck Finley]

And here I stand at 10:08pm this night.

[lancfan]

Absolutely brilliant Chuck.

David.

[iggie]

Great work, the canopy masking looks especially neat

[Stevehnz]

I'm liking the look of this Chuck, it's going to be a stunna I reckon. One wee point & I'm not sure if you knew & weren't bothered or not but the photo etch on the right side of the cockpit is the flight engineers panel for a Lancaster, with 4 sets of everything whereas a Manchester would have had a panel with only 2, likewise the throttle/mixture levers to the right of the control column below the main instrument panet would only have 2 of each, not sure if you were intending to show this too. Hope this hasn't put the fox among the hens.
Steve.

[Stuart]

Nice work Chuck - and quick too!

[Nigel Foster]

That looks really good Chuck, It certainly moves me to do something with my vacform conversion kit and an old Airfix Lancaster that is sitting in the stash. Not that it will be anything like yours from a standard point of view.

[Dazzled]

Absolutely terrific. More please

[LarryH57]

Looking forward to the completed model!

[DazDaMan]

Cracking stuff! Not often you ever see a Manchester get built!