Amodel 1/144
Canberra T.17

Background

The Canberra was developed out of a requirement for a jet-powered medium bomber released by the UK air ministry in 1944. English Electric beat out several other manufacturers with their clean design. Intended as a follow-on to the de Havilland Mosquito, the Canberra would adapt the same defensive capability - no defensive armament installed as the aircraft would outrun the opposition.

Like many versatile airframes, the Canberra was adapted for a variety of missions beyond its original bombing mission. One such variant was the T.17 which was fitted with a wide range of electronic warfare systems to provide air and air defense crews with experience in operating in an jamming environment including passive (chaff) and active (jammers) countermeasures. The T.17 was updated periodically with updated equipment to keep the system relevant to the threats facing UK forces.

The Kit

Amodel has released another nice 1/144 scale rendition of the English Electric Canberra. This is a new-tool kit which is the latest installment in the series with a new nose section to replicate the distinctive profile of this electronic warrior.

Molded in light gray styrene, this kit is presented on four parts trees plus one additional set of clear parts. This kit is rated as a basic skill level though there will some parts clean-up and dry-fitting required to get a clean build. While there doesn't appear to be any significant design problems, there are loads of small parts that will require care and experience to assemble without undue frustration.

Assembly of the kit begins in the cockpit. The flight deck consists of a simple seat positioned in the top of the nose half as you won't be seeing any details inside the fuselage with the bubble canopy and nose transparency. The instructions indicate that 10 grams of ballast weight in the nose will be required to keep the aircraft off its tail.

Markings

Markings are provided for one example:

• Canberra T.17, WF916, RAF 70th Anniversary Markings

In addition to the distinctive aircraft markings and national insignia, the decals also provide a selection of aircraft maintenance stenciling as well.

Conclusion

This is a nice little kit that will build into a unique subject with a little patience and skill. Check out the low retail price from HobbyTerra.com! If you've purchased Amodel kits in the past, you know that some of the US importers place a hefty mark-up on the price. HobbyTerra.com has excellent service to North America and abroad and they offer these same kits at far more reasonable prices. Give them a try!

This kit is definitely recommended!

My sincere thanks to HobbyTerra.com for this review sample!