1:48 Avro Lancaster B.I/III

No. 9 Squadron and a Polish crew

The markings aim at two four engine Avro bombers. The first is the Lancaster ED666 with the code WS-G and the nickname Goofy, which served with No. 9 Squadron in June 1943, that is in the period of the heaviest night raids on the Ruhr. The second is a Lancaster B.I with the number LL804 and the code BH-F of No. 300 Squadron, a unit made up of Polish airmen and stationed at Faldingworth in 1944. Its nose was decorated with art of a lady sitting in a champagne glass.

The most capable British night bomber

The Lancaster came about through a rebuild of the unsuccessful twin engine Manchester and became the backbone of the attacks of Bomber Command. Four Merlin V12 engines, a long bomb bay with no bulkheads and a decent ceiling made it the machine that alone could carry the heaviest British bombs. The B.III version differed from the B.I mainly in engines of American licensed manufacture, so a builder can choose according to which kit is on the bench.

Soaking and settling

Lukewarm water does better service than hot; in it the film releases gradually and does not roll up. Leave a motif on the paper until it starts to move, lay it against the model together with the backing and only then draw the backing away with a brush. Soak the excess water off with a cloth from the center to the edges.

The night sky over Germany

Unlike the American one, British bomber aviation flew in the dark and in a loose stream where the crews could not see one another. The code letters were therefore not meant for mutual recognition in the air but for order on the ground. Crews provided the nicknames and nose art themselves, and with Polish units a motif from home was often added to them. A model built from markings like that recalls one particular crew, not just a production example off the line.