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Showing results for tags 'Airfix Walrus'.
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Hi Folks, Something I have been working on over this past year. After reading 'A Midhurst Flying Field' by local author Tania Pons I was inspired to build Walrus MkII, W3085. She lived at RNAS Cowdray Park just outside of Midhurst in West Sussex. The airfield was used as a storage facility for many FAA types including Albacore, Swordfish, Walrus. Other aircraft including Proctors, Sharks, and Ansons came through here too. John Moffat of Bismarck fame operated out of here and flew many an Air Cadet around the local airfield in Swordfish or Proctors. Over this coming year I am building some of these types to be displayed at our local museum So the kit is the Airfix with Eduard belts and exterior set, resin wheels and Ez-line/Bobs buckles for the rigging. Painted with Hataka top surfaces and Lifecolor RAAF sky blue undersides. She has an engine in sky. This was discussed in another thread: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235043918-some-colour-questions-of-walrus-w3085/ Inside the aircraft I used some wooden decals for the Nav table. On top of them sits a chart of the Sakishima Gunto and 'Flight Deck' magazine Jan 1945 edition for a little light reading for the crew. https://flic.kr/p/2cUHFFu Here she is on the IWM site with the BPF: Note the RAAF roundels which have been converted to a quasi-BPF roundel. I opted for this on the fuselage but a more standard BPF roundel on the top wing. So W3085 has an interesting history. She was built as a MkII and so has a wooden hull (all rivets sanded off) and flew with the RAAF after leaving Midhurst. Whilst in Australia, W3085 had the water rudder fitted which MkII's did not normally have from the factory. She went on to join the BPF in 1945 and was flown by a RAAF Flt. Lt named Bruce Ada who carried out operations from HMS Victorious. An extract from his logbook can be found here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/supermarine-walrus-w3085-darby-hms-victorious-t22562.html An article from the BBC on his story can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/54/a6132854.shtml Sadly W3085 was destroyed by Naval gunfire after suffering an engine failure and left to a watery grave. Many thanks to those who contributed to this being built especially @iang and @Magpie22 who provided me with the servicing documents from Darby's time in Australia. Cheers Nick