1:48 Avro Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster SPACE

Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster, a SPACE set from Eduard, 1:48

This is an accessory for the interior, not a kit. The SPACE line uses three-dimensionally printed decals that have relief as well as color, so the instrument panel and the panels read three-dimensionally without the individual instruments being painted by hand. The set is applied as a decal and is worked out for 1:48 scale.

The real subject

The Avro Lancaster was the main British heavy bomber of the Second World War, and the B Mk.III form differed from the basic version in having American Packard Merlin engines. The byname Dambuster refers to the attack on the German dams in the Ruhr in May 1943, carried out by the newly formed No. 617 Squadron. The machines for this operation went through extensive modification: the doors disappeared from the bomb bay so that Barnes Wallis's cylindrical weapon, spun up before release, would fit under the fuselage, the upper gun turret was removed as well and lighting was added, by which the crew held an exact height above the water. The flight took place at night, at extremely low altitude and with heavy losses, yet two dams were breached. The cabin of the Lancaster is spacious and well visible, so detailed work on the interior pays off on a model.

Recommended procedure

• Finish and paint the interior, lift the features with tweezers and fix them with PVA glue.
• Go over the areas under the print with a gloss varnish.
• Work panel by panel, so that the individual motifs do not overlap while wet.
• Do not use decal softener or setting solution; the chemicals would damage the printed feature.
• Bring the finished interior together with a matte varnish and add highlights on the glass of the instruments.

Who the set is for

For builders of British heavy bombers who want the glazed nose and the pilot's compartment fully fitted out and do not want to paint the instruments by hand.