Jump to content

FAA Wellington in White


Heraldcoupe

Recommended Posts

I included this in the group build and intend to complete it for Telford, but I've been rather quiet on it ever since. To recap, here's a link to my original thread in the WIP area:

Early work on the Wellington

Until recently I'd done little more, but I have now started work in earnest once more. Since the last installment I've raised the weight of the cockpit sill, and shortened it with a fillet at the front. An Eduard Zoom set (actually for a Mk1 but don't tell anyone) has yielded an instrument panel, and I've made rudder pedals from plastic rod and lead foil. Though most of the cockpit is now dressed up reasonably, I'm still pondering how to make satisfactory control wheels, so off to work on other areas.

The wings were horribly thick, particularly at the tips. Now sanded down to a more acceptable level, and ready to go together once a few more undercarriage bay details are completed. The tail surfaces were just as bad if not worse. One is now completed, the other will be attacked this evening. I had intended to move the control surfaces, but apart from the rudder I have decided to leave well enough alone.

I started work on the enghines last night, which was where I fould another anomaly. The kit's exhaust collector ring appears to be a post war configuration, but I can find ni reference to it in any of my books. Basically the opening in the front of the cowling is too large, so an alternative collector ring ring will need to be arranged. The cowling may also be a bit long, hard to judge until I get the shape at the front correct.

So the pressure's on to get this to Telford. I'll get some more images to post later, with (hopefully) a little more progress,

Cheers,

Bill.

Edited by Heraldcoupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well here are the recent achievements with this kit.

The tail flying surfaces were rather thick, so I thinned them down before joining them - here's a before and after view:

DSCN5935.JPG

A the instrument panel (Eduard) put together and ready to install:

DSCN5775.JPG

....and the bomb aimer's window dressed up ready to go in.

DSCN5940.JPG

Cheers,

Bill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moving on a bit, here's the fuselage assembled, with the incorrect cockpit height and length addressed with plastic card. Construction was well advanced by the time I realised this, so it was a bit of a patch-up job:

DSCN5959.JPG

Sorry it's a bit blurred, I need a new camera.....

The wings were assembled, again with plenty of thinning at the trailing edges. The wing to fuselage joints have been the least troublesome so far, just a little cleaning to minimise gaps, and alignment looks good:

DSCN5961.JPG

DSCN5965.JPG

I wish I could say the same of the forward nacelles though:

DSCN5963.JPG

DSCN5966.JPG

Edited by Heraldcoupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Meanwhile, I had started work on the engines.

When assembled with the exhaust collector rings, the cowlings may be a little long, but reasnably well shaped. The opening seems a little large though, closer to those post-war Wellington which had a different arrangement in this area.

Here's my slightly dressed-up engine, together with the kit cowling and one form a matchbox Wellington.

DSCN5941.JPG

While the Matchbox item is clower in shape, it's pretty crude and there had to be abetter solution. I cutr a strip of plasticard, about 40 thou I'd say, and formed a hoop which fitted inside the aperture. Liquid glue was allowed to set overnight, then the plastic was trimmed and the front face of the cowling re-profiled:

DSCN5942.JPG

A coat of primer and it looks a lot better:

DSCN5944.JPG

That's pretty much where I've got to. The other cowling has now been treated the same way, I just need to make sure the profiles match, then get the rest of the engine assemblies completed.

I've just noticed how poor the propellors are, so sourcing some replacements is another consideration.

Still hoping to get this done for Telford.......

Cheers,

Bill.

Edited by Heraldcoupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Here's some more progress.

Cowlings are the modified MPM/Italeri mouldings shown earlier. The engines have been replaced with those from a Matchbox Wellington. Though these are only in half relief, they are ultimately more convincing. I didn't persevere with the exhaust pipes to the collector ring as I had originally planned.

Propellors are also Matchbox, with MPM spinners, and a backplate from plasticard.

Not shown here, I sleeved the propellor shaft and engine with brass tube, the props being a very sloppy fit otherwise.

DSCN6072.JPG

Lots of fettling to get a decent fit between the front turret and the nose. Some sculpting to get that lower nose profile right as well.

DSCN6075.JPG

I think the re-shaping of the tail has got the right effect now. The white primer shows how much thinner I should have got the trailing edges though.....

DSCN6078.JPG

Todays major effort - making the Trumpeter canopy fit the MPM fuselage! I am finally happy with the shape, now I just have to hope it polishes up OK!

I have opened up the pilot's side window, while the runners hae been added on both sides. The fuselage sides needed to be slightly recessed here, I wish I'd started doing this a bit earlier in the build.

DSCN6082.JPG

The engines will be largely hidden once the front mountings and propellor are added.

DSCN6083.JPG

DSCN6084.JPG

Some more work under the nose. The interior isn't fully detailed, but what's there I've made accurate and (I think) sufficiently busy. I realised the forward window was missing rather late, by which time adding it gave me further headaches.

DSCN6092.JPG

Tonight I've added the wingtip navigation lights (still need sanding to shape) and painted the front turret, but then my camera ran out of charge.

Tomorrow I hope to get the airframe ready for painting, after which I need to:

1 - Print the serials andt codes in Dark Slate Grey. Right now I can't find an appropriate font, and my computer is refusing to install any new fonts in any case. If all else fails I'll create the codes individually in Powerpoint, but I'd rather not have to.

2 - Construct the interior for the rear turret, and paint it.

3 - Make a new tailwheel and yoke as the kit item is poor.

4 - Paint the main undercarriage and add more detail (if I get time).

Doubtless I will remember other vital stuff I haven't done along the way,

Cheers,

Bill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finally got as far as cutting out the navigation lights in the wingtips. Despite numerous visits to Hendon and Brooklands, this is a part I had never thought to photograph of either Wellington. Seems I'm not the only one as I failed to find any published detail shots of this area. Still, I ran with what looks right from wartime pictures, by the time I build the next one I'll make sure my references are up to scratch.

DSCN6094.JPG

A bit blurry I'm afraid, it looks a lot sharper in the flesh!

DSCN6095.JPG

Paintwork got a bit experimental. The aircraft initially served with Bomber command, later being transferred to the Royal Navy, when (presumably) the side windows were removed and the white paint applied. I reasoned that some bleeding through of bomber command colours to the wings was reasonable, but that the fuselage, at least the rear half, would not show any camouflage because of the new fabric. The couple of published photographs I have of NC826 seem to bear this out.

So, I knocked up a cursory mix of green and brown from artists acrylics. The paint is intentionally patchy, and over-bright by design.

DSCN6098.JPG

A coat or two of white and things soon look a lot better

DSCN6101.JPG

This is when things started going wrong. My airbrush started spitting as the white paint was behaving oddly. Cleaning the airbrush revealed some rather nasty gunge which had formed, the first time I'd seen this since starting to use artists acrylics. I can't blame the paint itself, but I think I should have used some retarder with the white, it's all experience I suppose. I'd previously used only DI waster to let down the Winsor & Newton acrylics, but this was the first time I had used the white without mixing in other colours. Ho-hum......

DSCN6102.JPG

DSCN6105.JPG

I think the finish is generally OK, at least as far as the desired patchy wings are concerned. I will have to revisit some areas to deal with the orangepeel, but the areas to be decalled aren't affected so I can press on with that.

Cheers,

Bill.

Edited by Heraldcoupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The $64,000 question is will you be bringing this to Telford?

RIght now I'm stuck without a working airbrush, and precious little time to do as much as needs doing. Frustratingly, I'm going to have to say it won't be finished, though if a miracle occurs then I will bring it with me on Saturday.

Cheers,

Bill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RIght now I'm stuck without a working airbrush, and precious little time to do as much as needs doing. Frustratingly, I'm going to have to say it won't be finished, though if a miracle occurs then I will bring it with me on Saturday.

Cheers,

Bill.

Did you ever get any fonts? I have some RAF fonts if you're interested.

Dave.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you ever get any fonts? I have some RAF fonts if you're interested.

Hi Dave,

I used Arial for the letters as it was a very close match. I drew up the numbers in Powerpoint and pasted it all together. Reslt was OK, though the initial prints were far too blue.

I'd be very interested if you have something better, though the fonts used seem unlike any other RAF fonts I've been able to find.

Here's what I did:

l8f.jpg

Royal%20Navy.jpg

I'll get back to this one next week, I decided to spend yesterday afternoon completing my other Group Build entry, so at least I have something to take to Telford!

Cheers,

Bill.

Edited by Heraldcoupe
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

I`ve found this build via your link on a Wellington query elsewhere and I`m glad that I have as you are doing a great job. As a Fleet Air Arm buff and a Wellington enthusiast to boot I`ve fancied doing this very same Wimpy for some time now along with another naval one in standard bomber colours so I`ll be following with interest, great job so far,

Cheers

Tony

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are a cruel man. What has HeraldCoupe ever done to you that you wish to revisit the nightmare of his MPM Wellington upon him?

PS. My Italeri/MPM Wellington B.X is stalled as well. Not sure where it is: isn't it wonderful how the brain manages to shut out traumatic memories?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...