New Avro Anson preparing for flight Exclusive

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

In this second blog posting for the week, we return to one of the most popular subjects covered throughout the seven year history of Workbench, and that is a new tooling project update. Marking the latest and final development update for this particular new tooling design, we are pleased to be bringing you a series of exclusive images featuring a fully built advanced sample kit from our new 1/48th scale Avro Anson Mk.I and it won't surprise you to learn that they look truly magnificent. Finished in the lead scheme of three decal options included with the first release from this tooling, we will also be including a quick reprise of why the Anson will make for such a popular addition to the Airfix range and how in this larger scale, the kit will really show off the rugged nature of this hugely important aircraft type.

If that were not enough, we also have a new set of images which feature some of the final production sample component frames from this spectacular new tooling, to highlight the fact that this much anticipated new kit is now scheduled for release later this month. We know that many of our readers will be looking forward to building this beautiful new kit over the next few months, so we hope this final project update will serve as inspiration for all those looking forward to a little Anson time.  

Please don't forget that we also have an overview of the latest impending addition to the Vintage Classics range this weekend and the welcome reintroduction of the Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star in 1/72nd scale, complete with its iconic Roy Cross artwork - just head for our main blog hub to access this and all previous blog posts.

The Avro Anson - An unsung aviation hero

This latest development update marks the impending release of our new 1/48th scale Avro Anson Mk.I, one of the most eagerly anticipated new models of recent times.

As we have followed the various development stages of our new 1/48th scale Airfix Avro Anson Mk.I kit since it was announced at the beginning of the year, we have not only seen why this beautiful new model will make for an impressive addition to the Airfix range, but also why the venerable 'Faithful Annie' is very much deserving of more aviation recognition than it usually receives. The 1930s was a time of great change throughout the world of aviation and would not only witness the introduction of the fastest and most capable biplane fighters ever produced, but would also see a new breed of fast, modern monoplane designs which captivated the world with their stunning good looks and technical innovation. Many of these monoplane aircraft would initially be developed and introduced as civilian aviation designs, but as they were faster than most contemporary fighter aircraft of the day, it didn't take long before the military were attracted by their potential.

One of the famous British aircraft designs of this period which started out as a civilian aviation project, the Avro Type 652 would actually only be produced in very small numbers in the role for which it was originally intended, but in its adapted military guise, would be produced in their thousands, becoming one of the most important British and Commonwealth aircraft types of the 20th century. Initially designed as a fast, relatively long-range mail-carrying charter aircraft to fulfil a rather demanding Imperial Airways requirement, the Avro 652 was powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah radial engines which gave it a cruising speed approaching 170mph, in addition to an impressive range of 700 miles. With the new aircraft incorporating a host of advanced design features, Avro's small airliner appeared to be exactly what Imperial Airways were looking for.

Designed by Avro's Roy Chadwick, who would go on to design the Manchester, Lancaster and oversee the development of the Vulcan, the new aircraft incorporated a welded steel tube frame fuselage construction, onto which wooden formers and a doped fabric skin could be applied. This method of construction endowed the aircraft with great strength and impressive cabin space, something which would later prove essential when the aircraft embarked on its military career in the years to come. It would also incorporate a relatively recent innovation - retractable undercarriage. This was operated by a clever gearing system and manual pump handle arrangement in the cockpit, but did require quite a lot of work - it took around 140 cycles of the pump handle to raise the main undercarriage legs into their semi-recessed position within each engine nacelle.

The first flight of the Type 652 took place at Avro's Woodford aerodrome site on 7th January 1935, with the aircraft possessing excellent handling characteristics and generally proving to be a resounding success. The delivery of the two completed aircraft to Imperial Airways at Croydon proved to be a little more problematic, as one of the aircraft actually landed with its main undercarriage wheels still retracted, due to aircrew error. Thankfully, due to the design of the undercarriage and the fact that quite a significant section of the wheels remained outside the nacelle following retraction, the mistake was not as bad as it could have been - aside from bent propeller tips and the red faces of the crew, the aircraft would quickly be returned to airworthy condition.

A military future for the Avro 652

The build images we are exclusively showing here all show an Anson model which has been finished in the lead scheme decals of three options included with this kit, the scheme which inspired the magnificent box artwork produced in support of this newly tooled model.

With construction work already underway on the two new aircraft for Imperial Airways, Britain's Air Ministry issued a requirement for a new general purpose/reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Air Force and invited Britain’s aviation companies to submit their designs. After studying these specifications in detail, Chadwick was convinced that his new Avro airliner design was close to meeting these requirements and set about building their Type 652A, the military derivative of Avro's existing mail plane design. This project would take on even greater significance for the company following the Air Ministry's decision to re-classify their requirement as an ‘urgent’ project, which required the Avro team to devote even greater resource to producing the new aircraft. 

Powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V1 engines, the militarization of the existing design brought the additional weight associated with the installation of military equipment, which included armament, in the form of a large manually operated dorsal turret with single Lewis gun and a fixed forward firing Vickers machine gun in the nose, to be operated by the pilot. The aircraft would also be given the ability to carry a modest bomb load, something which may increase its operational effectiveness, but at the same time would place further strain on engine performance.

Making its maiden flight from Avro's Woodford factory airfield site on 24th March 1935, the aircraft would later be flown to Gosport and the Coast Defence Development Unit, where it operated in a series of suitability trials with its competition rival, the de Havilland DH89M Dominie, the military derivative of the Dragon Rapide biplane. Emerging victorious from these trials, the Avro 652A triumphantly returned to its home airfield at Woodford to be followed almost immediately by an official Air Ministry order for 174 new aircraft. With its intended use as a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, it was decided to give Avro’s new fighting twin the name Anson, after George Anson, a former Admiral of the fleet and First Lord of the Admiralty, something which was actually the cause some consternation amongst RAF officials, who would go on to be the largest operator of the type.

Production Avro Ansons would differ from the prototype aircraft as a result of some flight control concerns discovered during testing and required a re-design of the tailplane, horizontal stabilizers and rudder, modifications which did away with the original balance horn. The first production aircraft also featured a modified fuselage window arrangement, replacing the original twin window layout with an impressive new fully glazed section which ran along the entire front section of the fuselage, revealing the aircraft’s structural framework and earning the aircraft one of its many nicknames, that of the 'Flying Greenhouse'. 

Entering Royal Air Force service with No.48 Squadron at Manston on 6th March 1936, the Avro Anson represented quite an advance in capability for the force, whilst at the same time presenting them with their first multi-engined monoplane design to see front-line service. It was also the first RAF aircraft to feature a retractable main undercarriage, making this quite an important British aviation type in a great many ways.

This next series of images start with another view of the built production sample model, followed by a new selection of frame component images, just to give readers a better indication of what we should all be inspecting in person by the end of the month.

Following its entry into service, the Anson would immediately attract interest from several overseas air arms, who could all see various operational applications this impressive new British aircraft could perform, with general serviceability and reliability being high on their checklist of desirable features. Keen to cash in on these attractive sales opportunities, Avro actually diverted some existing RAF orders to satisfy this overseas interest, with full production forcing the company to open new manufacturing facilities in the North West of England. In Royal Air Force service, the Anson Mk.I was equipped with a fixed forward firing .303 machine gun operated by the pilot and a single Lewis gun mounted in the manually traversable, fully glazed dorsal turret. It could also be equipped with a modest bomb load, something which was required by submarine hunting aircraft operated by Coastal Command and whilst there were no reports of an Anson sinking a U-Boat, their presence would keep these feared ocean hunters submerged.

The Avro Anson Mk.I would be the most numerous variant of the aircraft eventually produced, with some 6,688 aircraft being constructed at the main Woodford factory and at a new facility at Yeadon, near Leeds.

With impressive aviation credentials such as these, it's no wonder the Avro Anson has been a popular subject with modellers over the years and speaking on behalf of the Airfix team, we are absolutely delighted with how our new 1/48th scale model kit has turned out and how it is a beautifully accurate scale tribute to this magnificent aircraft. Workbench regulars will probably have been following our various development updates from the project through to this point and will no doubt be excited to receive this final update, particularly as it brings with it confirmation that this stunning new kit is nearing its release date.

The built sample images we are exclusively showing here feature a model produced using production frames from the new tooling and is the latest modelling masterpiece created from the hand of our senior product designer Paramjit Sembhi. Clearly showing how the venerable old Anson could look really rather aggressive when wearing her military plumage, the model has been finished in the lead scheme of the three very different decal options included with this initial release. As this scheme marks a particularly noteworthy engagement in the operational history of the Anson, it's worth taking another look at these details now, particularly as they will undoubtedly inspire many an Anson build in the very near future.

Scheme Option A - Avro 652A Anson Mk.l N9732, crewed by Pilot Officer Philip Peters, Sergeant D. Spencer and Leading Aircraftsman Pepper, No.500 (County of Kent) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, RAF Detling, Kent. This aircraft shot down two Bf 109Es from l/JG.20 over the English Channel on 1st June 1940.

As Britain was forced into war once more, just 21 years after enduring the war to end all wars, the Royal Air Force was in a feverish period of expansion, with some of the most numerous examples in service at that time being designs introduced during the mid 1930s, aircraft which had now been overtaken by the latest aircraft types. Despite some of these aircraft now bordering on obsolescence, they would have to play a full and significant role in the early months of fighting, as it was essential that Britain remained in the war, when the rest of Europe was succumbing to the horrors of Blitzkrieg.

One of the outdated aircraft types sent to face the all-conquering modern Luftwaffe, the Avro Anson may have been a cutting edge design when it originally entered RAF service, however, there is nothing like war to stimulate a surge in the pace of technical innovation and this innovation had now largely overtaken the Anson. Although it could defend itself, the Anson was slow, relatively poorly armed and was not blessed with great range, however, it was by no means a sitting duck and in the hands of a competent pilot, could even prove a match for the Luftwaffe's premier fighter aircraft.

At around 08.30 hrs on 1st June 1940, Pilot Officer Philip 'Pete' Peters took off from Detling airfield as the lead aircraft of three RAF No.500 'County of Kent' RAuxAF Avro Ansons, setting a course for France. The flight was sent to provide air cover for the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force who were stranded on the beaches at Dunkirk and as this miracle of the Second World War unfolded beneath them, another minor miracle was taking place in the skies above. 

More Anson modelling delights, as we take a further look at what we can all start to get a little excited about - she really is a beauty.

At approximately 10.40 hrs, the formation came under attack from several Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters near Ostend and immediately descended to extremely low altitude in an attempt to evade the onslaught. P/O Peters could see that the other two Ansons appeared to have taken the brunt of the first attack and he therefore ordered them both back to Detling, whilst at the same time ordering his own crew to use the two additional 0.303 in machine guns the aircraft was carrying. The Ansons of No.500 Sqn were modified to carry two additional machine guns which could fire out of the side cabin windows on either side of the aircraft's fuselage, installed in specially fabricated mountings which were produced by an engineering company in nearby Maidstone, a company which refused to take payment for this work.

Whilst increasing the already considerable weight of the Anson still further, this modification allowed both the wireless operator and the navigator to fire at any enemy aircraft attacking their Anson, although it has to be said that this light armament would only be effective at relatively short range. 

The most impressive aspect of this engagement was how P/O Peters managed to skilfully manoeuvre his aircraft to allow all four of its guns to be brought to bear as the Messerschmitts attacked, with the enemy aircraft struggling to target the slow moving Anson, constantly overshooting their target and therefore coming within the firing line of the fixed forward firing Vickers machine gun in the nose of the aircraft. Incredibly, during this engagement, the crew of Anson N9732 managed to shoot down two of the attacking Messerschmitts, with a further two sustaining combat damage and having to limp back to their base. All three of the Ansons managed to make it back to Detling. 

The engagement lasted around ten minutes in total and in a further display of courage and airmanship, once the enemy fighters had been shot down or driven off, Peters and the crew of N9732 continued with their assigned patrol, before returning to RAF Detling, where they landed at 12.37. On inspecting their aircraft back at base, they could only find four bullet holes in their Anson, yet another indication of the skill displayed by Pilot Officer Philip Peters during that dramatic sortie.

For this exceptional feat of airmanship, P/O Peters was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, whilst two other members of his crew were recognised with Distinguished Flying Medals.

This beautiful new model is sure to become a firm favourite with modellers following its initial release later this month - It's nearly Anson time!

We feel sure that many Workbench readers will really be looking forward to getting their hands on the new Avro Anson kit and as this is the final update in the model's development, we are delighted to confirm that it should be available by the end of the month. As you all start to complete your model builds, please do consider sending us pictures of them, particularly if you elect to finish your model in one of the two other schemes included with this first release, so we can share them with the wider Airfix blog and social media family. For now though, we hope you have enjoyed seeing these exclusive build images and that you are looking forward to receiving your model.

That’s all we have for this second blog update of the week, but please do check out our other Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star related blog, which can be accessed via our main Workbench hub. We will be back as usual next Friday with more Airfix project updates for your enjoyment, but in the meantime, if you would like to drop us a line regarding anything Workbench or Airfix related, we would be delighted to hear from you. As always, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com contact e-mail address for all correspondence.
 
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