AVRO Manchester

And so it begins, printed out some schematic drawings to scale and did some paper cut and paste to find the best way to change the wings. 

Pencil in the proposed slicing 

Top wing cutting done and ready to glue... 

Bottom wing cutting begins... 

Manchester v Lancaster original wing and engine pod. Took front part of engine cowling off a DH Mosquito kit. Used part of the Lancaster radiator pod and stitched it further back with the 2 circle intakes that the Manchester Vulture engines require. 

Rolls Royce Vulture 24 cyl 'X' engine is 2 RR Peregrine 12 cyl engines one on top of the other, bottom one was upside down and sharing a crankshaft I suppose (which must make the oiling a nightmare, and why they were an outstanding failure!). This explains the 4 exhaust manifold on each engine pod. 

Need to do some more sanding and then scribing, but it's starting to look like a Manchester. 

The 2 circle radiator inlets, the distinctive look of a Manchester. 

First pass of the camo scheme, next to glue the wings on and do the final camo touch up and black underside. 

Might need to adjust the way my camera's light meter works so I get a better picture. 

Camo done freehand with .35 airbrush. I personally like the slightly blotchy finish and the fuzzy lines between the colours. 

Comparison in size with my 1/72 Curtiss A-12 Shrike being done in parallel with its first coat of yellow wings. 

Still playing with the 'newish' camera to get different lighting results.. 

Well its definitely black underneath 

Change the camera settings and all is revealed. All panel lines on the wings are new scribings 

The rather problematic R-R Vulture engine showing the 2 V-12's one on top of each other to make the X-24 Vulture that was supposed to make 1700 horsepower but was never reliable and was the Manchester's downfall. 

More of the Rolls-Royce X-24 Vulture, R-R eventually had to give up on the project (and so ended the Manchester, with no engine supply) and concentrated on producing its other engines like the Merlin !!  

Installed the 2 wing intakes (?), not sure what they did, but they are a pretty obvious element of the wings. 

Had to make alterations from the all clear circular Lancaster top gun turret 

My first experience with a kit supplied pre-painted canopy, I wonder if this will catch on ?? I hope so.... Though it is only useful if it matches the paint scheme that you are going with. 

Just about completed, need to do some panel wash and then the final matt/satin clear coat.  

Had to get some RAF decals to reflect the older style of markings used on the Manchester. The letters are correct but a bit smaller than reality.  

This marks the end of my custom built Manchester. Look forward to building my 1/144 Lancaster from Amodel and putting them side by side. 

The end. Might head off and do one of my first bombers from childhood - a 1/72 Halifax.