Which Lancaster To Buy, 1/48 Tamiya Or 1/32 HK

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hi all, please help me decide based on what information I can give you.

I love the thought of the 1/32 scale and I don’t mind the price, the problem for me is I have read this model is very heavy on the interior detail which I don’t care about as much. Once the fuselage is closed up you can’t see it anyway. Just me.

I want to have another go at the 1/48th by Tamiya but I hated the uncharacteristic fit problems with the engine nacelles. Is this still a problem wtih the Tamiya kit? I’m leaning towards the Dambuster version regardless of which I go with. I’m not the most skilled guy on here and I hate filling and sanding as I feel model companies should make their models to fit properly. Thanks for any advice.

2

Tamiya reworked the kit when it was last issued so be sure to get the newest issue. I built an early issue and used the Belcher Bits nacelle update which worked well. The Lancaster is big enough in 1/48, I can’t see doing models that big in 1/32 if you want to keep them for display. If you just like to build and don’t care about keeping them afterward I suppose 1/32 would be more fun.

3

The 1/32 comes with clear fuselage if you want to go full hog on the interior. Have a club member that got one, and it will be a monster when done, so space may be a consideration.

There was a build thread here awhile back on one

4

Man up; buy both and decide.

Otherwise wait for others to tell you what to do?

I only say this because most of of us would’nt consider this a concern.

Bill

5

To date there are two 1/32 Lancaster kits. the first release had a clear fuselage as well as the normal release.

The second is the Mk 1 special Dambuster.

Both kits have a complete interior and if you go with the first release you have a choice of clear interior side etc or not.

Once the two Hellcat builds are done I will be starting the Lancaster with a clear side as it will be on display on the HK stand at Scale Model World this November (if everything is OK). The Extras I want to use are here and I just need to get the insignia and camo masks for painting. I have other builds too, but I can’t discuss those as yet, but those builds too will be photographed for a build log at a later date.

The Dambuster build, featured on here was a super build and I enjoyed it very much. I had no issues and it certainly caught attention at Scale Model World last year on HKM’s stand.

I can’t comment on the Tamiya one, but I can say that HKM’s is a cracking build and you should spend lots of time thinking about display options and also don’t rush in. There are plenty of detail upgrades out there and you should consider them and spend time with the manual first. The engines are basic and lend themselves for plenty of wiring additions the fuselage interior is more or less complete and that is where you will spend lots of time.

I would spend time sorting out the painting. the huge decals will be a pain so please look at my Dambuster build.

James

6

How much display space do you have? For me, that’s a prime factor. I don’t have room to display a 1/32 scale four-engined bomber, no matter how much I liked the subject and kit.

7

Yeah but how cool would a 1/32 4 engine bomber look [H]. Maybe on the dining room table [:P]

8

Well, you get three options with Tamiya: Regular, Grand Slam, or Dambuster.

Only the two HK versions.

Will be a lot more AM available for the Tamiya kit, which may (I’m not remembering off the top of my head) tires, l/g, some nacelle stuf and the like–external bits, and not just internal bits.

Mind, under that greenhouse canopy, there’s a lot to see in there (unless you put a tarp over the top of it).

There’s a build of the 1/32 HK kit around somewhere, naturally, I can’t find it right now.

9

I would add that though the Tamiya kit has been updated, for the most part it is still from molds done a long time ago so it does take more effort than the current Tamiya kits. But I love my finished Tamiya Lancaster.

10

^^^ Not helpful - and don’t speak for most of us, asshat

11

Here’s a link to my build of the Dambuster version of the Lancaster. It is HKM’s 1/32 and apart from changes to the bomb bay and the mid-upper turret it is exactly the same so you can get the idea of the size etc.

Now, before you click on the link, a couple of things to be aware of. The wings are detachable. this is so you can safely store/transport this huge beast (same for the 1/32 B-17 kits).

I did much research into the colours both inside and outside. This included visiting Just Jane and the BBMF Lancaster in Lincolnshire as well as MAP painting instructions. as this beast is large I went with Vallejo Chipset accurate paints rather than scale correct paints from AK etc as well as MRP paints for the insignia. These are chipset accurate too but don’t be fooled. The correct blue is BS 105 Oxford Blue.

MAP Night Black (cockpit, exterior etc.) is not a true black and Vallejo NATO Black is 99% close to the original than anything else. it is a proper matt paint. the 1% descrepancy noticed by colour matching computer is not noticable to our eyes!

HK and myself thought carefully about this kit and the boss wanted it as close as they could get within a reasonable price point (unless you live in the UK and have to suffer Pocketbonds money grabbing price hikes). This is the reason why the MG barrels are seperate so you can easily replace them with metal barrels (Master Models have an excellent set.) HK also looked at the build and while in keeping with detail also wanted it to be a build that even a beginner could produce a great looking build just out of the box too. But as we understand just putting the plastic together is the easy part, bringing it to life with paint and detail is the hardest.

We also toyed with stressed skin too but the cost of the moulds and the CAD for this would have nearly doubled the street price when factored in and so would affect sales as this would put the kit(s) out of most builders pockets. The aim was to give a reasonably accurate kit of an iconic bomber which would be within reach of most modellers pockets (Christmas, birthday, chucking change into a jar etc).

Yes. the engines are bare bones. The thinking was not only end cost but also that some AM producers would provide update or replacement sets or that the more experienced builder could add whatever they could or wanted to busy up the area. Unfortunatly this seemed not to happed, although Eduards Brassin Mosquito Engines may fit I don’t think anyone has tried that yet.

HGW decided that rather than release their Lancaster seatbelt set for HK’s kit, they would wait for Wingnut’s offering to be released. Plenty of red faces and lost sales there then!

Eduard has stepped up with an excellent set of PE including seatbelts and if you look around Icon air has some large ordnance and trollies available. There’s lots of decal sets available as well as camouflage masking sets and insignia paint masks etc. HK’s Lancaster kits are very well supported in the AM world.

Yes, I was in on this kit and provided blueprints, maintainance manuals etc.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/182164.aspx

This photo was taken at our friends Italian Restaurant one Saturday lunchtime. It was a test showing (with permission) prior to Scale Model World while Myself and my dad had lunch. It was well recieved (and the table wasn’t needed) by diners with many qestions and our friend was totally gobsmacked by the size and detail. I had to repeatedly stab him with a fork to stop him picking it up!

Judging by your Lancaster builds you are going to enjoy this one. It doesn’t matter which fuselage sides you use, you know what is in there and it is correct. that’s what matters!