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Westland Wessex HC2 Fly 1/32nd


HL-10

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A "problem" with this kit, among others! is that the air intake grill is not supplied.

All you get is a resin cast of the FOD cover.

I have been trying to form some types of mesh to produce the grill and the only one that will hold a shape is Halford's aluminium car repair mesh:

 

IMG_1234.jpg

 

IMG_1235.jpg

 

I know the mesh is over scale, but I don't think it is too much over.

For the frame work I plan to use scrap etch frame and metal foil.

 

Thanks for looking,

Angelo :)

 

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Angelo, I am sorry but it looks way over size to me, have you thought about using the latest whizzkid stuff for meshes I've seen advocated here?

 

Teabags especially some of the more refined branding have a mesh surface which would form up nicely over the intake hump

 

I have also made up decals of the black holes in the mesh instead of trying to get on scale meshes

 

Its always a difficult one

 

 

The real mesh on the Wessex is only a bit different to the mesh you are using in real life

 

My 1/72 scale Wessexes have acetate covers painted to represent the mesh, the darkness down the hole looks about right to me if not a little smudgy

 

bill

 

SAR_Wessex_SAR_kit22_012.jpg

Edited by perdu
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It's a really difficult thing to get right, I actually do like your approach.  It as you say appears a bit over scale at the moment, but painted will probably look about right.

Worth noting that the actual mesh runs fore to aft and side to side.

 

I wonder if an old (or even worth buying a new one) metal sieve, cut to shape will work?

I'm surprised, given the scale, that the kit doesn't included a a piece of mesh.

 

 

Edit,

this Lynx mesh tutorial is handy,

 

Edited by 71chally
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Angelo,whilst acknowledging your comment about knowing it's overscale,I think that going down that route will spoil the overall look of what is turning into a fine model.

In the attached photo you will see that the frame consists of 3 vertical and 1 horizontal bars. Note that they are round and inside the mesh. The thickness of your mesh would hide them.

The outer oval shaped frame is flat and is on the outside of the mesh.

I made this in 1/72 many moons ago and I built the inner frames from wire and glued a square of nylon cut from a pair of my wife's tights over the top. I made the external flat oval from from a soft drinks can and glued it on top. All this was done flat (tube metal frame,nylon grill and flat metal frame like a sandwich.) When all was dry I trimmed off the excess nylon and bent the frame into the two way curve.

Unfortunately that model has long gone and I cheated with the one I have by not using the grille.

Given the large scale here I think that you need to spend a bit of time on the grille as it is so obvious.

172-37.jpg

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I have been able to source a finer mesh, thanks to the kindness of a member here, so I will not be using the one I've made.

 

The Halford's stuff was good because it is so pliable and easy to shape.

But it is too heavy and looks wrong.

 

Thanks for all the advice, comments and photos.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

 

😀 Angelo

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As I so often say, I agree with him

 

I don't understand why Fly didn't do this very prominent feature properly, it is awfully unprofessional not to supply this hugely important part given that is is needed for the RAF and RN versions of the Wessex

 

I'm glad you have a better mesh in mind now, I have seen various etch meshes somewhere on the web which would have been superior to that one

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While waiting for the mesh for the intake to arrive, I got on with some other jobs.

First was applying the etched covers to the tail's cooling vents:

 

IMG_1236.jpg

 

IMG_1237.jpg

 

They went on with no dramas at all.

The ones that were curved were first annealed over a lighter and conformed to the curves perfectly.

 

Next was some wiring and plumbing.

The winch and undercarriage needed power lines, brake lines added and there were a number of drains(?) to be added.

This was done using various gauges of florist's wire and fisherman's lead wire.

 

IMG_1238.jpg

 

Thanks for looking, as always.

Angelo  :)

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4 hours ago, HL-10 said:

 

IMG_1238.jpg

 

Pete - didn't you question the trans deck door and the hatch position earlier ?   You were right!   It looks like Fly have copied Italeri's mistake and put the hatch in the wrong position.

 

Is it just me but doesn't the oleo and the swing arm look just a bit on the thin side ?

 

 

HL-10 ... this isn't a knock at you work at all - you are doing a great job. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, 71chally said:

Am I going nuts, I can't see the transmission cover or service platform issue?

 

Look at where the winch is located, then look directly behind it and you will see that the hinged platform that opens over the winch is offset from the winch - so it wouldn't work

 

I had the same problem with the Italeri kit so had to re-position the door so I could have the hatch open.  You can see where I filled it in this photo

 

S5003229.JPG

 

and this is how it's supposed to work...

 

PC310011.JPG

Edited by hendie
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I see what you mean now.

Looking at pictures there are six strips (or three over the whole panel) and both manufacturers have stopped short of the last one.  The front and height alignment looks pretty good on the Fly kit at least.

37005533451_9f14526cd5_b.jpgWessex HC.2 XV721 H by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

 

Cracking bit of work there Hendie!

Edited by 71chally
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It shouldn't be too difficult to carefully engrave an extra strip on there, as James says the positioning is close enough if you work that extra strip in

 

On my HAS3 I have added that opening panel with a couple of layers of thin tape under the paint

 

Looks as if I may get away with it, missing it or misplacing it wasn't an option after watching Hendie's work of art happen

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A quick bit of work on the main rota.

As the join between the blades and the hub are just simple butt joints, I have drilled the blades and inserted pins to fit into holes drilled in the hub:

 

IMG_1248.jpg

 

IMG_1249.jpg

 

That's all for now :)

 

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Thanks Hendie, not just me then.

And yes, the oleo's do look a bit thin.

 

HL-10, the parts on the rotor head that are red,

they are the droop stops and just the rounded bits

on the lower end should be orange on their outer sides.

The head itself needs to be a dark grey.

 

Post 88, that pic of the two tone green Wessex',

there isn't a FOD cover on the pitot! OMG!

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21 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Thanks Hendie, not just me then.

And yes, the oleo's do look a bit thin.

 

I took a closer look at the kit last night for the first time in many months. By 'close' I mean looking at the contents inside the bags because I know if I open them now I am going to lose something

 

There are a few areas right off the bat that I think are ripe for improvement.

Oleo's are too thin and the center section is the wrong shape.

Winch/trans deck door in wrong position

Fuel fill point doors are not very good, and not set far enough back.

The main rotor head is really very poor.

I didn't spot a SACRU or SACRU mounting brackets

The troop seat photo etch is way oversized

The shape of the MR gearbox is way too scrawny. (though miles ahead of anything italeri would ever achieve.

 

I'm not meaning to vent on Fly's kit - it is the best one out there so far, and neither am I in any way trying to negate the quality of @HL-10's work.  I'm just listing a few things that I can see that could be better with a little bit of work.

I also spotted lots of broken resin bits in the poly bags - I can foresee lots of scratching in my version at some point in the future.  At least I have a bunch of ideas, perhaps even some aftermarket if I can get to it before everyone else in the world has built theirs

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To b 100% honest, I am no expert on the Wessex, but I do love the machine!

Saw a number close up (not in museums!) on a multitude of occasions and have had Royal Marines fast rope out of them over my head a couple of times.

I have built a few of Italeri's kits, and I have their 48th scale one in the stash.

I know Fly's kit isn't perfect, but it is a large scale Wessex, and I am having a lot of fun building it.

It will not be a perfect representation of the machine, but it will be a 32nd scale Wessex sitting on my shelf, next to my 32nd scale RAF Phantom! :)

I am very grateful to all of you who know the thing inside and out for all you observations advice and support.

Many thanks,

Angelo.

 

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The mesh has arrived! :)

A very BIG thank you to DMC for sending me the stuff.

It appears to be woven steel wire, like you find in a sieve.

 

To form it I first made a Milliput former by pressing it into the resin grill cover:

 

IMG_1243.jpg

 

Once that was done and set, the mesh was heated up to anneal it and make it pliable so it could be shaped over the former.

Once shaped, It was trimmed into shape:

 

IMG_1242.jpg

 

Next is to make the frame work.

 

Thanks for looking.

Angelo :)

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