ADVANCED BUILD
CANBERRA T.17AADVANCED BUILD
CANBERRA T.17A94 Airfi x Model WorldCLEVER CONVERSION
AlleyCat Models’ all-resin 1/48 T.17/17a set came in a well-presented box and comprised
25 finely cast items (including a replacement canopy) and decals for three airframes.
Its most striking component was the new nose cone, which captured the
variant’s distinctive bulged appearance accurately and came as a single-
piece item. Similarly, the clear resin canopy section was cast integrally
with a section of the upper fuselage that also incorporated the glazing
over the navigator/electronic warfare operators’ compartment. The
instructions were somewhat sparse and covered just the installation
of the nose and canopy sections; the location of aerials/antenna and other detail
parts was comparatively vague, so references will be vital, along with test fitting
to ensure they are placed correctly. The markings options were:- T.17, WH902, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton
- T.17A, WD955, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton, 1994
- T.17, WH665, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton
be seen fully when enclosed in
the cockpit, they were certainly
worth the investment.
Painting was achieved in
varying stages and Ultimate
Modelling Products UMP027
Ultimate Primer Grey (www.
umpretail.com) provided an
excellent base layer, after which
the cockpit was airbrushed
with Vallejo 71.057 Black (www.
creativemodels.co.uk). This was
followed with 71.251 NATO Black
to add a degree of contrast.
Reference photos revealed
the interior wiring was an off-
white tone, so it was painted
with 71.119 White Grey, before
everything was sealed via
sprayed 70.510 Gloss Varnish.
Airscale’s AS48 Early Allied Jets
decals (www.airscale.co.uk)
were added to the pilot’s and
navigator’s instrument panels,
but required the assistance of
Microscale’s Micro Sol (www.
microscale.com) to adhere
properly. Further detail was
added with 71.003 Red, while
wear and tear were created
via dry-brushing with 77.702
Duraluminium. Everything
was then sealed with 70.520
Matt Varnish.Pavla’s ejection seats were
treated similarly, with a mix of
71.141 IDF Sand Grey and 71.074
Radome for the sheepskin seat
covers, which was stippled
onto the relevant areas. The
yellow of the life raft canister
is always difficult to paint, due
to the challenges in obtaining
the correct depth of tone; my
preferred method is to use 72.713
Pink as a base layer, over which
is applied 71.078 Yellow. Theback padding was then painted
Grey Green 71.055, with the
upper harnesses treated with
71.074 Radome and the lower
restraints in Hataka’s HTK-A284
FS 35250 UN Blue (www.hataka-
hobby.com). All three seats then
received a worn appearance,
courtesy of dry-brushing with
77.702 Duraluminium; depth
effects were created via a 76.517
Dark Grey wash, before the seats
were sealed with matt varnish.AlleyCat Models’ all-resin 1/48 T.17/17a set came in a well-presented box and comprised
25 finely cast items (including a replacement canopy) and decals for three airframes.
Its most striking component was the new nose cone, which captured the
variant’s distinctive bulged appearance accurately and came as a single-
piece item. Similarly, the clear resin canopy section was cast integrally
with a section of the upper fuselage that also incorporated the glazing
over the navigator/electronic warfare operators’ compartment. The
instructions were somewhat sparse and covered just the installation
of the nose and canopy sections; the location of aerials/antenna and other detail
parts was comparatively vague, so references will be vital, along with test fitting
to ensure they are placed correctly. The markings options were:- T.17, WH902, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton
- T.17A, WD955, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton, 1994
- T.17, WH665, 360 Squadron, RAF Wyton
be seen fully when enclosed in
the cockpit, they were certainly
worth the investment.
Painting was achieved in
varying stages and Ultimate
Modelling Products UMP027
Ultimate Primer Grey (www.
umpretail.com) provided an
excellent base layer, after which
the cockpit was airbrushed
with Vallejo 71.057 Black (www.
creativemodels.co.uk). This was
followed with 71.251 NATO Black
to add a degree of contrast.
Reference photos revealed
the interior wiring was an off-
white tone, so it was painted
with 71.119 White Grey, before
everything was sealed via
sprayed 70.510 Gloss Varnish.
Airscale’s AS48 Early Allied Jets
decals (www.airscale.co.uk)
were added to the pilot’s and
navigator’s instrument panels,
but required the assistance of
Microscale’s Micro Sol (www.
microscale.com) to adhere
properly. Further detail was
added with 71.003 Red, while
wear and tear were created
via dry-brushing with 77.702
Duraluminium. Everything
was then sealed with 70.520
Matt Varnish.Pavla’s ejection seats were
treated similarly, with a mix of
71.141 IDF Sand Grey and 71.074
Radome for the sheepskin seat
covers, which was stippled
onto the relevant areas. The
yellow of the life raft canister
is always difficult to paint, due
to the challenges in obtaining
the correct depth of tone; my
preferred method is to use 72.713
Pink as a base layer, over which
is applied 71.078 Yellow. Theback padding was then painted
Grey Green 71.055, with the
upper harnesses treated with
71.074 Radome and the lower
restraints in Hataka’s HTK-A284
FS 35250 UN Blue (www.hataka-
hobby.com). All three seats then
received a worn appearance,
courtesy of dry-brushing with
77.702 Duraluminium; depth
effects were created via a 76.517
Dark Grey wash, before the seats
were sealed with matt varnish. Patience was required when cutting through the thick styrene
on the fuselage halves, although this could be achieved with
a knife, rather than a razor saw, as it was quite soft.