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Vickers Paralyser


stevehed

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Thanks for having me and here's the aircraft that "diligent" research has uncovered. Due to those unimagitive pen pushers at the War Office the type was denied the glorious service record it would have achieved. It met the Admiralty requirement for a "bloody paralyser" of an aircraft to bomb Germany with at least 6 x 112lb bombs and a speed no less than 75mph. Little more is known owing to the lack of records which may have been lost during the subsequent upheavals caused by bombing raids during the next war.

Development was slow, mainly due to the lack of engines of sufficient power at the time, but both Vickers and Handley Page appreciated the need for a twin engined layout. Vickers though went further and added a third engine. Powered by three 160hp Beardmores the Paralyser matched the HP 0/100 with it's new 250hp Rolls Royce Eagles. When Vickers acquired Eagles performance exceeded the 0/100. But the three engined layout was to prove the types downfall. Production of the Eagle engines could not keep up with demand and as the 0/100 could better the Admiralties specification with two engines it was chosen ahead of the Vickers, entering service at the end of 1916. Alternative engines were sought by Vickers and approaches were made to the French company Salmson to acquire Canton Unne radial engines which were rated at over 200hp. Due to the demands of the Aviation Militaire only about ten engines were made available.

Six aircraft had been manufactured by the end of 1916. The selection of the Handley Page design ended further development and the Vickers team began to work on other designs which would lead to the Vickers Vimy bomber. The Paralysers were despatched to Russia as part of the Military Mission of 1917. They were powered by two tractor Rolls Royce Eagles of 250hp and a pusher Canton Unne radial of 230hp. On the Eastern Front they served alongside the Ilya Mourometz bombers of the RBVZ until they were destroyed to prevent capture by the Germans after the Revolution.

That's the background, gentlemen, and I'll post a parts photo later.

Regards, Steve

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These are the main parts that have been salvaged. First job will be to get rid of the blue gloss paint and then repair the holes. Lower wings will probably have to be separated and rebuilt. Vimy fuselage to be shortened and pusher engine installed. After that it's going to be the spares box and plastic card and rod etc. Not forgetting the filler. Anybody got shares?

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Some of the spares I hope to make use of. A mixture of mainly Vimy and Heyford at the moment.

Regards, Steve

Edited by stevehed
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Thanks Gents. Made a start last night by coating blue wings with Modelstrip. Gave it until this afternoon and the paint came off, no problem. Quite a few glue splodges revealed and attacked them with a mini-grinder. Then I realised my wing was warped.

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A dry fit suggested that all those years in the spares box had not done the old wings any good. The worst warpage was at the tips and was also the easiest to deal with. The end pieces were cut off and inserts fitted into the gaps. CA gel was applied and this was used when rejoining the tips to allow for manoeuvring time. The wings are straighter than they were and I'm going to live with the slight bend in the centre sections.

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Regards, Steve

Edited by stevehed
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LOL at the name! I think more military equipment should have been given "honest" names like this. I seem to remember an of old Viz comic that featured a missile designated "Vicious B*stard". And another featuring an army outfit called the "1st Airborne Mentalists". :lol:

Sorry - back on topic...

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LOL at the name! I think more military equipment should have been given "honest" names like this. I seem to remember an of old Viz comic that featured a missile designated "Vicious B*stard". And another featuring an army outfit called the "1st Airborne Mentalists". :lol:

Sorry - back on topic...

Nowt to worry about. So long as it doesn't hurt I've nothing against the odd diversion or two. As for the name I think it originated from Winston Churchill.

Steve

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Got some more work done on the broken upper wing. Dismantled the loosed parts and generally cleaned up the mating surfaces. Bit of filler on the under surfaces before reassembly. Any joints not up to scratch have received a dose of CA gel as filler. Managed to source some replacement elevators from the spares.

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Also chopped the rear end off the Vimy fuselage. Have added a couple of floors as there's going to be Lewis guarding the lower tail area. Bulkhead with gap for front seat access and apart from the seats etc I'll fill the rest with crew.

Regards, Steve

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A little more progress to report. Remedial work on the lower wings is just about finished. They'll be the same CDL colour as the upper wing. Made a hole in the top wing as I thought a gunner position a bit like the Italian Capronis would be appropriate. My stock of Aeroclub Scarff rings is getting very low so I made do with a ring of fuse wire. The fuselage needs another seat at the rear, a Lewis gun and a trapdoor before closing up. Starting to come together and I can see in my head what needs to be done now.

Steve.

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Managed to get the fuselage joined and the rear engine section fitted and blended in. Had another session trying to remove hardened cement from the wings. Never realised what a glue fiend I must have been all those years ago. But enough's enough and what remains will remain. Sorted out some roundels from an Emhar Anasal that look like those used on imported aircraft, mainly French I think, but they'll do. The Anasal has also provided a couple of radiators that I'll mount on the sides of the the fuselage with a few pipes for effect. I have no idea what the Hunter?? tanks are actually off but in the current format I don't think a jet would get very far but I'm fairly confident there'll be enough juice to get the Paralyser there and back.

Steve

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Been on with some of the fiddly bits. Radial attached and radiators plus pipework added. I tried to work out the layout from some photos but gave up. All I can say is that cold water goes in and comes out hot to be cooled in the radiator and that's the principle I've tried to follow. Managed to retrieve the engine support struts but all the rest are long gone. Going to use some Vimy struts with the cut out section and have cut locating grooves in the nacelles. The modified drop tanks are to be gravity fuel tanks fitted a la Sikorsky Mourometz.

Steve

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Attached the lower wings today. First attempt failed. I had intended using a plastic crossbar to connect the wings together and then drop the fuselage in between. But I failed to take into consideration the thickness of the lower half of the wings so on to plan B. This was simply 30 amp fuse wire superglued into holes in the mating surfaces to help keep everything in place while the CA gel bonded. For once the fingers are relatively glue free. Next job is the engines and I've made a start on the strut arrangement.

Regards, Steve

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Thanks for the comments, guys. Given the engines a fuel tank each and then decision time. After much humming and haaring and snipping at the strut lengths glue was applied and the engines are in position. Final checks before the latest motion impeder stationary props were installed. As of now, one hour later, nothing has fallen over so here's hoping for the best.

Know what you mean about struts Dave as my early stuff was well crooked at times. But nowadays I find lined paper and some pins is usually enough to get things straight. As for twins like the Vimy or 0/400 if you take a bit of time and make sure the engines are right you'll find you've built a trestle for the top wing to sit on while the rest of the struts can be pressed in. At least that's the theory.

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Regards, Steve

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First major test today. Glue has now tried and strut locating holes measured and drilled. Bit of a fiddle but struts in holes and wings taped together. Successful dry run, phew. Wings in alignment followed by huge sigh of relief. Now there's just the tail to worry about.

Regards, Steve

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Cracking work on the struts and wing fitting Steve. Was wondering what you had planned for the tail so think I'm about to find out :D

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Well, the top wing is now fixed but as can be seen on the photo reality made a comeback and my engine struts aren't quite as straight as I'd hoped for. It's not as bad as it looks in the picture so it's been left alone. Too much to break if I start fiddling about with a saw or blade. Another dose of reality has seen me abandon the modified drop tanks. I had hoped to fix them under the top wing between the engines and centre section struts. But, even with my abbreviated rigging, there isn't enough room. But all is not gloom and doom because I remembered a Gotha wing tank in the spares which saved the day. Thank you, Mr Roden. The centre section struts are from my diminishing stock of Contrail and I've managed to construct a platform for the upper gunner with steps to follow. Decided to have a biplane tail unit and have been trying to make a match from the bits available.

Regards, Steve

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Interplane struts shaped and sited, complete with holes drilled top and bottom to receive the rigging. The innermost wires have been installed and all the secure points and the strut locating holes have been reinforced with CA.

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A biplane tail unit has been made up from parts from the remains of the Vimy and 0/400 kits. Ladder from the Heyford and I've cut the main spars for the tail framework. They're 1mm brass rods. Holes/locating slots cut into the wings and the dry run was encouraging in that they seemed to point in the right direction. Time will tell.

Regards, Steve

Edited by stevehed
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