Airfix Wimpy for 2018

[Britman]

On Friday, June 23, 2017 at 3:47 PM, fightersweep said:

Great choice by Airfix. If we all buy enough Wellingtons, we will see a new Stirling, Halifax and Hampden....I can feel it in my creaking bones!

 

 

Just be careful they don't sneek up when your not looking with ....a Manchester!

[fightersweep]

....I don't think my heart or wallet could take the strain!

[JWM]

On 10.07.2017 at 3:50 PM, Andre B said:

Oh, the "bullet shaped" long winged Mk.VI wasn't the most good looking aircraft I've seen. But for sure not without interest...

I think modern sources are not telling about longer wings in Mk VI. On photo wing looks regular

12 hours ago, woody37 said:

There’s a Warwick being worked on currently by Alley Cat, looks very good 

Woody37, any more info on this possible, please? When, how and why so expencive?...  

 

 

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

[Phil Gollin]

.

 

What we need are these two variants ;

 

 

and

 

 

.

[JWM]

The mine sweeper temptates me too - it will be easy to convert!

Cheers

J-W

 

[Dave Fleming]

I'd like an early mk I conversion, pre-turrets

[Meatbox8]

7 hours ago, Phil Gollin said:

.

 

What we need are these two variants ;

 

 

and

 

 

.

That helicopter's never going to get off the ground.

[Heraldcoupe]

41 minutes ago, Dave Fleming said:

I'd like an early mk I conversion, pre-turrets

Same here, then I could model the 75 sqn aircraft that came down near my family home in the first week of WW2.

I still have bits of it around the house just asking to be built into a display base,

 

Cheers,

Bill.

[gavingav1]

Hmmm... the mine detector ring, could you steal the parts that came with the italeri ju-52 minesweeper .

[woody37]

12 hours ago, JWM said:

 

 

Woody37, any more info on this possible, please? When, how and why so expencive?...  

 

 

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

It’s a full resin kit. They had what is done so far on display at Driffield recently and it looks superb. I’m not sure on the price but would be rude to invest in one.

 

[Homebee]

- ref. A08019 - Vickers Wellington Mk.IC - release expected in may 2018

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2018/vickers-wellington-mk-ic-1-72.html

 

V.P.

 

[Vulcanicity]

The Wellington is featured in this week's Workbench - with test shots and a pre-release build.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/exclusive-workbench-wimpy-update

 

Looks excellent to me - look at all that interior detail, plus wheels the correct width and fabric doesn't look like a starved cow. Does anyone want a Trumpeter Wimpy...?

[occa]

You just beat me to it by a second or two

 

Here are some pics instead:

 

 

 

 

 

Exclusive Workbench Wimpy Update

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/exclusive-workbench-wimpy-update

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Looks stunning, deffo on the wants list! I wonder if they will be stingy and not put any bombs in the box (compelling you to buy the Bomber Command Resupply Set like the Lanc II) ?

 

Also the only thing that looks worrying from the CAD render is the triangular insert for the inevitable B.111 or X... might be a pain to fill round and sand  over that fabric detail for the Ic or vice versa the side windows for the later marks....?

 

TT

[Homebee]

On display at the Nuremberg Toy Fair

Source: http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2018/Bilder_AT/Bilder_AT_1.htm

 

 

 

      V.P. Edited October 20, 2020 by Homebee

[occa]

 

 

 

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2018/Bilder_AT/Bilder_AT_1.htm

 

 

 

[Homebee]

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/loch-ness-leviathan-and-bovington-show-report

 

Quote

The Lady in the Lake

Profile artwork showing Vickers Wellington Mk.IA N2980 'R for Robert' of RAF No.20 Operational Training Unit, New Year's Eve 1940

As we head into this Centenary year of the Royal Air Force, there will undoubtedly be much talk about the best, the most influential and the most famous aircraft to wear the roundel of the RAF over the past one hundred years and whilst there will clearly be numerous types suggested by enthusiasts, surely the most popular will have served during the Second World War. As this six year conflict saw British aviation develop from the classic biplanes of the 1930s to the cutting edge fighters of the early jet age, many of these aircraft not only proved to be successful designs, but also proved themselves in the flames of war. Unquestionably, the superlative Spitfire will appear high on any such list, but if this can claim to be Britain's most influential fighter at the start of WWII, then the direct bomber equivalent at this time was certainly the Vickers Wellington, Britain's most effective means of striking back. With that being the case, the impending release of our newly tooled 1/72nd scale version of the Wellington (A08019) has attracted plenty of modeller attention and renewed interest in this often overlooked bomber and we thought it would be a good idea to bring you full details of the first of two iconic decal options which will be included with this stunning new kit.

Production of early Wellington bombers at the Weybridge (Brooklands) factory

Vickers Wellington Mk.IA N2980 was one of the many aircraft built at Brooklands (Weybridge) during WWII, making its first flight on 16th November 1939 in the hands of famous Vickers Chief Test Pilot Joseph 'Mutt' Summers (who also undertook the first flight of the Spitfire - Supermarine Type 300). With Britain now at war with Germany and attempting to discourage their forces from advancing further into Europe, the aircraft was immediately flown to RAF Mildenhall, where it joined the other Wellingtons of No.149 Squadron and was allocated the code letters OJ-'R for Robert' and it would not be long before it was deployed on its first operational sortie. Seeing plenty of service during the early months of the war, N2980 was one of the fortunate aircraft to survive the disastrous 'Battle of the Heligoland Bight', where a force of 22 unescorted Wellingtons attacked German shipping in broad daylight, with Luftwaffe fighters destroying half of the British bombers, instantly bringing to an end unescorted daylight bombing raids of this scale.

Wellington N2980 would go on to be a veteran of around 20 operational sorties with No.149 and No.37 Squadrons, amassing some 330 flying hours which, bearing in mind the terrible attrition rates being suffered by Bomber Command at this stage of the war, must have led crews to believe that 'R for Robert' was something of a lucky aircraft. After a posting away from front line operations, she went on to serve with No.20 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lossiemouth, where she was engaged in the vital task of training the many navigators needed to replace continuing Bomber Command losses as well as the force's growing strength in numbers. The sheer number of qualified navigators required by the RAF dictated that these training flights were almost as demanding as operational flying, with sorties undertaken in all but the most extreme of weather conditions, in an attempt to keep up the ever increasing requirement for trained airmen. This certainly proved to be the case on New Year's Eve 1940, when the Scottish weather proved to be more effective an enemy to Wellington N2980 'R for Robert' than either the Luftwaffe or German flak had proved to be.

A Wellington crew in the moments prior to undertaking their latest sortie

In the late afternoon of 31st December 1940, Vickers Wellington Mk.IA N2980 took off from RAF Lossiemouth on its latest navigational training exercise, with six trainee navigators joining the aircraft's flight crew of three. During the course of the flight, the weather conditions worsened significantly and whilst flying along the Great Glen at an altitude of approximately 8,000ft, the aircraft was caught in a severe snowstorm, with the crew having no visibility of the terrain below. If this situation were not challenging enough for the crew, the starboard engine began to run erratically and soon cut out completely, causing the Wellington to begin losing height at an alarming rate and leaving pilot Squadron Leader Marwood-Elton with no other option than to attempt an emergency landing. Ordering the trainee navigators and his wireless operator/air gunner to bail out from the stricken machine, he and his co-pilot wrestled the Wellington through the snowstorm, searching for a place to bring the aircraft down, in the full knowledge that they were flying over a heavily forested, mountainous region. Not wanting to simply abandon the aircraft and risk the possibility of civilian casualties on the ground, the pair frantically searched for a suitable landing site through the blizzard, eventually spotting a large, dark shape below they assumed to be water. Thankfully, they now had their landing area, however they would only have one chance at effecting a successful ditching of their mighty Wellington.

The aircraft came to rest on the icy dark waters of Loch Ness and as the two airmen clambered onto the wing of the stricken Wellington, taking to their inflatable dinghy and rowing for the shore, they could not have known that they were only metres away from a nearby major road. Once ashore, they were quickly picked up by a passing lorry and driven to Inverness, where they were in time to join in with the town's New Year's celebrations. Although the trainee navigators all parachuted safely, the incident was to have a tragic ending when the crew learned that their gunner had lost his life, seemingly as his parachute had been caught on the wing or tail of the aircraft and failed to open correctly. Having safely brought her two pilots back to earth, Vickers Wellington N2980 'R for Robert' sank quietly beneath the waters of Loch Ness, becoming another secret of this famous stretch of water.

Computer rendered 3d image of the impressive new 1/72nd scale Airfix Wellington Mk.IA tooling

In 1976, a team of American scientists were searching Loch Ness for evidence of the fabled Loch Ness monster, when the cutting edge sonar equipment they were using picked up a large object in the depths of the Loch.  Obviously excited by their discovery and potential evidence of their prehistoric prey, they immediately launched further investigations, which brought the disappointing (for them) confirmation that they had actually found a different leviathan of the deep, the wreck of a large aeroplane. Initially, the team thought they were looking at a Catalina flying boat and they passed their discovery on to the relevant authorities. Some months later, a naval diving team were sent to survey the wreck and correctly identified it as a Wellington Bomber and with this information to hand, a quick search of official RAF records soon revealed the aircraft to be N2980 'R for Robert'. Once news of the discovery began to circulate and pictures of the submerged wreck were shown in newspapers and aviation magazines, ambitious plans for a salvage operation to raise the Wellington from its watery resting place began to take shape. It would take almost ten years for a serious salvage attempt to be made not least due to the fact that this huge aircraft was submerged under 70 metres of Scottish Loch and the geodetic construction of the Wellington employed the use of many wood and fabric components, which potentially could have suffered severe deterioration whilst submerged, if not during the ditching itself. This could have a significant impact on raising the aircraft without it simply disintegrating during the lifting process.

Full scheme details for Wellington Mk.IA N2980 'R for Robert', which include options to finish your model as the 1940 Loch Ness ditching aircraft, or the markings used on the restored aircraft at Brooklands

In an extremely high profile and well publicised salvage operation, this magnificent 'Lady of the Loch' was gently raised from the bottom of Loch Ness in September 1985 and despite having survived a ditched landing spending almost 45 years submerged under water, she appeared to be in remarkably good condition. Amazingly, when the salvage team connected a battery to the electrical system, the Wellington's tail lights still worked and it was discovered that many of the crew's personal effects were still in the fuselage, just where they had left them on that fateful New Year's Eve flight in 1940. The aircraft was transported by road to the Brooklands Museum just a few days later, where assessments were made regarding the viability of effecting a preservation and restoration programme for this now famous Wellington, which had returned to the site of her original construction in 1939. N2980 is a significant aeroplane in her own right, being one of only TWO complete Wellington airframes surviving in the world and the only example to have seen operational service as a bomber during the Second World War. Since arriving at Brooklands, the aircraft has benefited from some significant restorative and preservation work with sections of the intricate geodetic construction of the Wellington intentionally left exposed - also, as a mark of respect to the airman who sadly lost his life during the ditching incident in 1940, the propellers have been left exactly as they were when the aircraft settled on the bed of Loch Ness.

Vickers Wellington Mk.IA N2980 'R for Robert' is such a significant historic aircraft, possessing genuine combat provenance and a fascinating story, that this scheme option will prove extremely difficult for modellers to resist once our magnificent new 1/72nd scale Wellington kit is released later in the year. The fact that the aircraft can also be viewed at the Brooklands Museum only adds to the appeal of this option and we are looking forward to featuring plenty of built examples of this magnificent loch Ness Wellington in our Customer Images section.

 

V.P.

[gunpowder17]

Thats beautiful. Airfix are putting out some gorgeous 1/72 Bombers lately

[Rabbit Leader]

I quite like the way that Airfix are paying tribute to this particular Loch Ness retrieved airframe. Initially my first thoughts was that we should have received decal choices for another operational Squadron, however after reading this weeks ‘Workbench’ - I get it, so well done.

 

What honesty surprises and confuses me however is how do those talented museum staff restore such a fabulous and technically detailed airframe to precise specifications then get both the colours and roundel dimensions horribly wrong!!

 

Airfix acknowledge this by providing two sets of styles which is kind of embarrassing in my opinion. Is this airfame still being restored? If so, can the Brooklands Museum please take action? 

 

It would also be nice for Airfix to provide bent props for this ‘Museum’ option as I believe they’ve already made the desicion to leave these as found. 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

[bhouse]

At least they didn't use the Workbench article to describe the Wellington as 'enigmatic'.

[IanC]

Is this the first Airfix kit to feature an Elsan?

[TEXANTOMCAT]

2 hours ago, IanC said:

Is this the first Airfix kit to feature an Elsan?

That’s just taking the p*** 😀

[Dave Fleming]

3 hours ago, IanC said:

Is this the first Airfix kit to feature an Elsan?

 

I think the Shackleton had one

[Procopius]

On 6/25/2017 at 5:57 PM, PhantomBigStu said:

Hang on, how it's a series 8, when the he111 is a 6/7. 

The Wellington is slightly larger than an He111.

[Chris Jephcott]

2 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

I think the Shackleton had one

 

The Whitley has one too.