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*1/72 Vickers Wellesley Mk 1: FINISHED


Stebos

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Had been going to join in with a Skyservant, but following a quick ebay trawl this week I bagged something much cooler that arrived in the post yesterday:

wellbox.jpg

Looks like a decent kit with just a small patch of mold damage to the upper wing that will need very careful sanding repair.

The sprues:

wellsprue.jpg

The only outstanding issue is due to a mistake from the seller I have no decals at all. Plans are afoot to fix that, but if they don't come through I can source the roundels & serials easy enough. I might need to do some stenciling however, for the larger letter/numbers.

The wing walk markings and special stencil marks are dependant on the kit decals though.

Edited by Deon
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Had been going to join in with a Skyservant, but following a quick ebay trawl this week I bagged something much cooler that arrived in the post yesterday:

wellbox.jpg

Looks like a decent kit with just a small patch of mold damage to the upper wing that will need very careful sanding repair.

The sprues:

wellsprue.jpg

The only outstanding issue is due to a mistake from the seller I have no decals at all. Plans are afoot to fix that, but if they don't come through I can source the roundels & serials easy enough. I might need to do some stenciling however, for the larger letter/numbers.

The wing walk markings and special stencil marks are dependant on the kit decals though.

I do have a wellesley set aside as a prize for the gb, If you like i can send you one of the two schemes :)

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Had been going to join in with a Skyservant, but following a quick ebay trawl this week I bagged something much cooler

Agreed, have had an odd fascination with the Wellesley since childhood (about the time I found out what 'geodetic' meant). Possibly because it was easy to make out of lego :)

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I do have a wellesley set aside as a prize for the gb, If you like i can send you one of the two schemes :)

That's very kind of you Deon, will have to decline though as it's really the 'common to all' markings that will be tricky to replace. Can't really take those out without scuppering the kit for another.

Some basic progress made today, just prepping the interior up. I decided not to add the crew as the canopies are pretty thick and distorting.

well%201.jpg

Test fitting the front fuselage plug shows it fits well, with just a seam to be filled. No dreaded step to feather in.

well%202.jpg

The engine block got its initial gunmetal coat, it's nicely detailed considering the age of the kit, with washes and detail picked out it should look the part considering how exposed it will be.

well%203.jpg

That's it for now, other than filling seams I'm not forseeing too many difficulties on this one.

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Sorry, this: http://www.sirbarneswallis.com/Geodetics.htm

Dad got a copy of Michael Turner's "Aircraft of the RAF" when I was about 6, I asked why that plane was covered in diamonds, and thus I got explained :).

Ta :) I know the term geodesic (good ole Bucky Fuller) - so I now know that geodetics is the application of geodesic geometry.

Who said modelling was just a bunch of sad old gits stoned out of their tinies on paint and glue fumes ;)

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Hi folks, some good progress has been made.

Decals are sorted, the seller found them and thankfully them seem good with no yellowing. Perhaps a little transparent but we'll see.

Lots of filling and sink holes in this kit, fit is pretty poor in the major seams.

The bomb paniers:

well%204.jpg

Things as they stand:

well%205.jpg

well%206.jpg

well%207.jpg

Canopy to go on, then it's off to the paintshop.

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Your Wellesley is coming along nicely.......!!

Cheers,

ggc

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Thankees, a lot more progress done, final stretch ahead!

Priming told a bit of a sorry tale with my filling and sanding - made a bit of a pigs ear of it (I usually do but this was worse than normal) but needs must and I carried on with the deadline looming...

well%208.jpg

Underside in black & masked and some doodling on top to try to vary the end finish if possible.

The main canopy fit was an absolute pig, I'm a bit surprised it came out ok in the end.

Nothing was mentioned of colour to the wheel wells so I'm going with that lurid interior green (or the paint I used which was close enough for me to be happy with it). Same goes for the legs - green (though I've seen a build with silver, I'm following Matchbox's suggestion).

well%209.jpg

Engine came out nicely, the cowling looks like it will be tricky to fit on.

well%2010.jpg

Top coat of earth on:

well%2011.jpg

and masked for the green:

well%2012.jpg

which I'm not entirely happy with, it looks too dark to me - but was the suggested match. I'm no expert!

well%2013.jpg

Some paint issues left, not enough coverage on the leading edge green. On every build I ever do I underspray a section despite careful checking, one of these days I'll learn...

Should be finished on time, provided I'm well enough.

Klear coat & detail parts in the morning, decals in the afternoon, touching up, flat coat & weathering in the evening. Sorted!

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Made it in the end, thanks chaps.

It was looking like distaster when the suspiciously 'as new' looking decals had a horrifying milky white backing on placement... turned out the solution was to lay them out upside down on a sheet of plasticard and rub off the icky glue like stuff with a cotton bud. After that they were nice and clear.

I've never been so glad of a too thick decal sheet it let me handle them roughly like that. Opacity could have been better but I can't really complain.

No real weathering applied, not even a panel wash, it seemed to be happier without one.

A great kit all round, had fun with this one. Love these quirky subjects, would be perfect for a Special Hobby update to come.

Bring back Matchbox!

:partytime:

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great build of a fascinating aircraft & Matchbox'es finest hour with the Heyford & stranraer. Superb finish

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