Adrian Hills

Has anyone had the guts to tackle the prototype for the Vickers Wellington? The aircraft which flew serialled K4049 had a very different fuselage than the production airframe. The fin is different too - I seem to remember it came from a Supermarine Stranraer - but I stand to be corrected. If someone did do it, it may have been carved from wood. These days perhaps someone with a 3D printer could get near the shape. Just thought I'd throw this one out there and see what comes up

Hi Chris, Thanks for your input. My source for the ventral fin was WWW.rwrwalker.ca: Prototype and only Mk. III. Delivered to Test and Development Establishment at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario on 8 August 1940, taken on RCAF strength that day. First flight on Edo floats 28 August 1940. Ventral fin added after initial tests. This is a single source reference which is why I presented it as 'a taken as read', purposefully to stimulate debate and see if I could get any closer to actual facts. I agree with you that the upper colours are probably Dark green and Dark earth. Cheers Adrian

I am looking into doing Bolingbroke 717 on floats. It will be 1/72scale using Airfix MkIV Blenheim and probably Matchbox Twin Otter floats. I have the modern Warpaint on the Blenheim as well as the excellent Putnam book. There are various pictures online of this airframe, however; Are there any images of this airframe fitted with the ventral fin ? Were the upper coulours Dark Earth/ Dark Green or Dark Seagrey/ Dark Slate Grey? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Since 1997 I have tried to find details of a Wellington that was delivered to Odiham in early December 1940. According to a file in the National Archive, AVIA 13/1263 this activity occured and television reconnaissance equipment was fitted. Unlike earlier related activities no aircraft serial number is noted. A 'Secret Cypher Message' in the file has the right personalities and departments that were previously used for succesful trials with an Avro Anson. This information is recorded in my 2002 Doctoral thesis at the University of Stratchclyde entitled "An early history of British military television with special reference to John Logie Baird". It is now time I took my investigations on early television reconnaissance further with the eventual hope of publishing a book on the topic. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you to Troy for putting this up for me and amongst others Chris Thomas for his extensive knowledgeable reply. I got my initial information from Andy Saunders and Pat Burgess' 'Bombers over Sussex 1943-45'. In it is mention that PC 138 Cuthbert Meads attended both of Flying Officer Green's forced landings. Jenny, my friend, remembers being lifted up to look in the cockpit where sat her brother, John Dutson (Later to be a cycling time trial legend in Sussex). As Mr Thomas has said the kit I have chosen is a bit basic. The 1950s 1/96 scale Eagle Typhoon kit not only lacks an air intake on the front but a hole where the cockpit should be. I'm sure with my good friends Mr saw and Mr Dremel I will be able to make neccesary modifications. After all these wonderful old kits sit in collections for people to look at whereas I think they need to be built. Thanks guys. I hope to post the mini diorama when done.

A very interesting and unusual scheme. And well executed :-)

Still no joy on identifying which DC2. Following Mike's suggestion I have tried the Croydon Airport society again.

An interesting aside to this thread is HP 53 L7271. Page 361 0f the Putnam book clearly shows a lot flatter bottom to this airframe in relation to Hampdens/Herefords. To be quite frank it also looks wider than the other aircraft. L7271 was originally mooted as a prototype for the Swedish who required a torpedo bomber so investigation here might bear fruit. :-)

The large window by the cockpit on the starboard side is for a conversion done for Alan Cobham's 'In Flight Refuelling'. There are some very good pictures on the net of at least two of his Harrows and information in books such as 'In Cobham's Company' by Colin Cruddas. G-AFRH will be the subject of my Valom Harrow kit which I picked up today !!

Cheers Woody37. As I will be working in 1/96 scale I will build a Milliput former and then pull mould two halves on a convenient split line. That method has worked well for a rear turret for a MkI Sunderland and even looked OK when I did a 1/48 Lysander fitted with a rear turret - that was fun!

Well chaps you certainly have done well. Thank you to brewjerry for a photograph. I didn't think I'd get one. The article on Dimitri Alekseev is also very interesting, thanks. All I need now is one or two close-ups of the actual turret. My intention is to represent a Hampden in Russian service rather than worry if a panel line is 1/2 a millimetre out of place. After all if one was worried about such things a 1/96 Frog kit would not be a good starting point !

Exactly which colour green was the Heinkel 274 when completed/rebuilt by the French. I have the Antares kit and the excellent French book 'Heinkel 274 et Junkers 488' Airprofiles no6 but can find no precise reference to the colour green used. I tend to use Gunze Sangyo paint bit will use whatever comes closest.

I am currently looking for references and images on a Handley Page Hampden in Russian service fitted with a UTK-1 turret. The closest I can get is Wings Palette which quotes an Aviation World image of an aircraft of 3rd AE, 9th GvMTAP, VVS of Northern Fleet. My intention is to modify my Frog 1/96ish Hampden to go with the similar scale Frog Lanc which I did with a new nose to depict Russian service. Any help would be much appreciated.

Wow was just looking for a picture for exhaust stains on my Casa 211, based on a matchbox He 111 with Airfix Lanc engines. Have gone with a 10psi haze of Gunze flat black. It has already had some attention from umber and black pastels. Looks ok to me. I also very lightly haze over decals which are a bit too shiny with Flat Black. It works well on dunkelgrun and schwarzgrun. Now all I need is a rear view of the target tug tail wiring !

You don't know until you've tried ! The only way of getting something bigger than the F resin 1/144 scale model.