Internet Modeler : First Look : Aviation RSS News Feed

Amodel 1/144 BAC Canberra T.17

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

The BAC Canberra was an unassuming medium jet bomber that quickly garnered attention around the world. Setting many records in the early 1950s, the Canberra design became a popular airplane, setting many records and ending up in many air forces around the world. While originally a British design, the Canberra won the US bomber competition and became the B-57. Over the years, the Canberra saw operational service in several of the air forces, including British examples in the Suez Crisis, American examples in Vietnam, and Indian examples in the Indo-Pakistan wars. The Canberra flew combat operations as recently as 1995, when Peruvian Canberras took part in the Cenepa War with Ecuador. An impressive record for a design dating back to the mid-1940s.

The Canberra T.17 was a converted B.2 variant used in the Electronic Counter-Measures/Electronic Warfare role. Modifications to the nose allowed for extensive ECM equipment, and the twenty-plus aircraft were operated by 360 Squadron, a joint RAF & RN unit. The Canberra T.17 was used to train both surface-based radar and missile operators and airborne fighter and AEW units in how to handle electronic jamming. The last Canberra T.17 was retired in the mid-1990s.

The Kit

Amodel has been hitting 1/144 scale pretty hard lately, and their latest series covers an aircraft many have wanted in this scale: the BAC Canberra. Amodel has engineered their latest to get the maximum number of variants from the molds, and this is apparent in this release of the Canberra T.17. Not a common variant by any means, this variant requires just a single new sprue in addition to the common sprues. Of course, this customization means some challenges in assembly, but more on that later. Molded in Amodel's typical light gray plastic, this kit features recessed panel lines throughout. The small decal sheet provides markings for a single Canberra T.17.

Construction begins with the 'cockpit' (I'm using that term loosely here), which consists of nothing more than a seat. There is no cockpit tub at all, and it would appear that the seat is glued to the cockpit opening in the upper fuselage nose piece. This is an area that could probably benefit greatly from some additional detailing, at the least a rudimentary cockpit tub. While the canopy is small, it is also a large bubble, so quite a bit can be seen. The instructions do mention adding ten grams of weight to the nose, which is a common requirement for Canberra kits.

Assembly of the fuselage is straightforward, at least for a fuselage that consists of six pieces. The separate nose is split into upper and lower halves, as is the center section (which also incorporates the wings). Although the instructions suggest putting together the subassemblies first, then putting everything together, I would recommend gluing the upper and lower nose sections to their respective center sections, to avoid potential step problems. The rear fuselage section, split into right and left halves, is unavoidable in that regard, so I recommend test fitting often to get the best possible fit.

Finishing the model, there are the usual bits you'd expect. There are separate intake faces for the engines, and the tip tanks are split into upper and lower sections. The landing gear is sturdy, if somewhat basic. The tailplanes are solid right and left pieces, with small attachment nubs that could stand to be strengthened a bit (then again, this is 1/144, and there's not much stress on these parts).

The decal sheet provides markings for WF916, a Canberra T.17 from the 1970s. This plane is camouflaged in dark green and slate gray over camouflage gray. Most of the decals are in the form of stenciling, which is extensive on this aircraft. The squadron markings are colorful, consisting of a red bar with a yellow lightning bolt on either side of the fuselage roundel, plus the squadron emblem on the tail. As only one unit flew the Canberra T.17, there really is no point in looking for other markings. That said, you could build this up in the later hemp scheme, if pastel roundels are more your flavor. A search in your spares box should yield the necessary markings.

Conclusion

This is a great addition to any 1/144 collection, and I look forward to seeing the other Canberra/B-57 releases from Amodel. My thanks to Scale Model Kits for the review sample.