John Aero Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Here's my explanation of the conundrum. When Percival's released the new four seat Vega Gull to the press in January 1936, the Gipsy Six engine was fitted with a Fairey Reed metal propeller instead of the proposed DH Hamilton type or the French Ratier controllable pitch propeller. (I have been told that DH's were having problems with the spinner installation on their prop). So as measured the overall length was 25' 4" (9" longer than the Gull). As a consequence some Veg's and the early Proctors were delivered with no spinners and these aircraft were measured at 25' 10" and this is the figure which has been published as the length of the Proctor in about all but the Repair manual. When the Spinner is fitted to the Vega the OA length becomes 26' 2". So where does the extra 2" come from. It's the rudder mounted Navigation light. The normal light fit for the time was a light above the cabin and one below the centre section but the RAF required a tail navigation light and this makes up the length to 26' 4". The alternative prop fitted to such as Beryl Markhams "West with the Night" trans Atlantic Vega, was the Ratier VP prop (for which I have no reliable dimensions) and there are at least two variants fitted to Vegas. So there you have some of the background research. If you use this info please credit me because you will find it nowhere else. John Oh then there are the tail wheel types... we'll leave it there for now. 6 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Many thanks, John for your work! I am sure that thanks to her we will be able to make the right model. And a little further work on the model ... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 There are 6 sheets to these drawings. John 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonM Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 5 hours ago, Sabrejet said: 1/48 Proctor would suit me just fine. Then a Dominie/Rapide maybe? I’d second a Dominie/ Rapide in 1:48, especially as I flew in one from Duxford on my 40th birthday. Someone has an Aeroclub version on evil bay for £249 - I think I can resist that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Progress... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magua87 Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Excellent. I need a Gull. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 Absolutely fantastic. I'll probably be up for two in 1/48, one of them a Vega to be done as the utterly gorgeous retro-restored Proctor I of Guy Clapshaw: 95718954-5EEC-483D-BC4B-C1A6F9A5E9D8_zpstgp81p5y by Zac Yates, on Flickr 80164CD6-509D-4541-A8A8-150A0673F5A2_zpsrdr0wxjn by Zac Yates, on Flickr 2952803B-D15D-446C-9A74-CB8FCF292737_zpsrj2at0rp by Zac Yates, on Flickr Oops how did that selfie get there?! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tail-Dragon Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 I apologise, but someone had to suggest it! Proc-tuka ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 No I'm not drawing this one A converted Proctor for the B of b film. Apparently had very dangerous characteristics. The NZ Proctor has a Gull type windscreen, not a Vega Gull type. No panel in the centre. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 What a waste those Protukas were! Many thanks for all your hard work on this John, it looks like it's going to be excellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 39 minutes ago, Vulcanicity said: What a waste those Protukas were! I tend to agree with you there, but it's kind of a shame that one didn't get preserved as a bit of a curio. What was their fate? I assume they were scrapped. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 I think they just quietly "disappeared" after the filming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 More progress... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 At the moment there is a mix of Vega and Proctor characteristics on the render Early Proctors and all pre-war Vega's did not have the ram cooling intake. The wing folding flap leading edge should not have a wavy edge as this is the top of the rear spar and should show a straight line with no sag. "E", I'll email you. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Continuation of work. Corrected wing 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 More progress... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcanicity Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Great stuff, good to see John's comments taken on board so quickly and the CADs altered. I wish more manufacturers would do this! Very much looking forward to this one, and just imagining the Vega and the Valom Albatross on the shelf - my two favourite 1930s civil aircraft! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Holden Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Very good. Nice to see an intelligent approach to the window areas.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Work In Progress Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 It makes me wish I had a full size one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 To be continued... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Beautiful work, looking forward to having a couple in 48th. On a different note - lots of people were excited with the Wapiti announcement, is work still ongoing with that project?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 10 minutes ago, mackem01 said: On a different note - lots of people were excited with the Wapiti announcement, is work still ongoing with that project?? Wapiti will definitely be done a little later. We are waiting for John to finish his beautiful drawings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 That's excellent news. Thankyou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 I'm a bit puzzled by the stubby prop spinner it's totally the wrong shape. The Fairey Reed prop ( which isn't shown on the renders) uses a pointed but smaller diameter spinner than the DH constant speed prop and the cowl front behind it has a corresponding smaller circular area behind the spinner. Both cowls and spinners are shown on my drawings Page 3 on L7272. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 For general information, the Westland drawings are nearing completion, I was working on them again today. The Wapiti has been the hardest to sort out, the Wallace less so. I've done all these projects by starting, not on the external shape, but by building it up on the frames, structures and spars and I worked by reverse engineering the Wallace to the Wapiti from what drawings and surviving structures I could access and a heartfelt thank you to some very helpful people. Sometimes a thorny problem like the aileron structural details were solved by looking in a stillage bin full of rusted junk and suddenly seeing a spar and aileron brackets staring you in the face, serendipity. Have patience. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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