Friday, February 19

Preview - All the same detail but smaller price & scale? HK Models 48th scale Lancaster B MKI kit on the way...

HK Models have released what has long been anticipated in 48th scale - their Lancaster B MK.I kit with all of the features of it's larger companion, but at a smaller space footprint and lesser cost. See what we know about the kit so far in our preview...

All the same detail but at a smaller price & scale?

 Lancaster B MK.I
From: HK Models 
1/48th scale 
Kit No# 01F005
Completely new moulds
Approximately 360 parts 
Photo-etch parts included
Completed size: 648 (total width) x 443 (total length) mm
Cartograf decals included for two marking choices
Poster of the boxart is included
Release date: Middle of March 2021
Expected Price:¥ 11,000 ($105 USD/ 75GBP/ 86 Euro)
Product Link on the HLJ Website

All the same detail but smaller price & scale? That kind of sums up this release from Hong Kong Models to us. The large-scale 1/32nd scale kit of their Lancaster B Mk.I & B Mk.II have both sold very well and have great surface and interior detail. However 48th scale modellers have had only the Tamiya kit up until now as the pinnacle of Lancasters in 48th. Now they will have another option.
Hong Kong Models promise us an easier build of this kit which is interesting. From what we can see from the CAD drawings the details look just as goo don this smaller scale kit, so it will be interesting to see if they have made any adjustments in the build process of this model. 
Features like posable flying surfaces and a fully exposed bomb bay with the "cookie" large bomb being the centrepiece is on feature here.
The full cockpit that you would expect under the page perspex birdcage canopy is on show here. All of the visible (and not visible) compartments of the Lancaster are on show on this kit.
The full length of the fuselage is shown as clear here, with the detail we were talking about exposed. The kit may well come with a clear fuselage side as an option int he future - but not in the initial version...
The "office" is on full show here, all of the same details we have become accustomed to in an HK Lancaster look to be present as they are on the 32nd scale kit.
There are two choices of markings in this box, "Z-NY" & "PO-S" are both well-known airframes.
Lancaster B Mk.I R5868/ PO-S "S for Sugar".
Lancaster B I R5868 "S-Sugar" is the oldest surviving Lancaster. It was delivered to the RAF in June 1942 and flew for the remainder of the war. It originally as "Q-Queenie" with No. 83 Squadron RAF from RAF Scampton. 
Adorned with the famous dig at Goering, "No Plane WIll Ever Fly Over the Reich Territory" tagline. "S-Sugar" flew with No. 463 and No. 467 RAAF Squadrons from RAF Waddington. This aircraft was the first RAF heavy bomber to complete 100 operations (going on to fly 137 sorties). It is now on display at the RAF Museum.
Avro Lancaster R5868 ‘S for Sugar’ completed her 100th operational sortie in early May 1944 and on her return to RAF Waddington, found almost the entire station and British Pathe News there to greet them. During the previous night, the crew had just fought off ten concerted attacks by Ju88 nightfighters, which seemed determined not to allow this famous aircraft to have her moment of glory, but in the euphoria of the moment, this detail seemed to be of little interest. ‘S for Sugar’ would end the war with an impressive 137 operational sorties to her name, with her final ops being repatriation flights for Allied prisoners of war in May 1945. It is fitting that this historic aircraft now serves as a treasured centrepiece display item at the RAF Museum, Hendon and is reason alone to visit this exceptional museum.

Lancaster B Mk.I W4118/ YN-Y "Admiral Prune II" no 106 squadron RAF 
W4118, of 106 Squadron's W4118 aircraft was named "Admiral Prune" although its ident letter was Z. It is believed that the name was the idea of Guy Gibson who flew the aircraft on a number of occasions. The white bomb symbol generally indicated a daylight raid. Because the Squadron often dropped sea mines (known as 'Gardening') and at the time naval officers were attached to the unit, it took a nautical stance with several of the aircraft displaying "Admiral" prefixed nicknames. "Admiral Prune" flew 640 hours before being lost on the Turin raid on 4/5/February 1943.
In late 1942 through much of 1943 No. 106 Squadron named their Lancasters with 'Admiral' names. In the photo below, members of No. 106 Squadron RAF gather in front of Avro Lancaster B Mark I, ED593 'ZN-Y' "Admiral Prune II", the aircraft flown by the Commanding Officer of the Squadron, Wing Commander G P Gibson (standing 14th from the left), to mark the completion of his tour of operations at Syerston, Nottinghamshire.
Two decal sheets are provided with this kit - printed by Cartograf, there is one of the line-markings and national insignias...
The other decal sheet contains the individual nose art of each aircraft, and the serial numbers of these kites...
This kit will be available in Mid-March. You can see more about this kit and the others in HK Model's range on their website.