This is one of my first attempts at a more substantial conversion. The Swedish Air Force operated a dedicated signals intelligence version of the Canberra, known as the Tp 52 — the "Tp" standing for Transport, a deliberate piece of misdirection to obscure the aircraft's true role. Among other tasks it replaced the legendary DC-3 in the SIGINT mission, and was equipped with a distinctively shaped nose housing the ELINT/SIGINT collection equipment. That nose is available as an aftermarket resin replacement part, and fitting it to the standard kit fuselage is what this build is all about.

A hard-won piece of advice for anyone considering a similar project: if your conversion requires significant filling and sanding, do not chose a model in bare metal finish. Silver paint is utterly unforgiving and will highlight every flaw you thought you'd dealt with. The kit itself is from the era before Airfix raised their game, and the fit reflected that — let's just say it kept me busy.