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Airfix Whitley: anyone actually built one?


Seahawk

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There I was happily sticking plastic together and thinking this is one of the best Airfix kits I have built yet (all those clever constructional wheezes that didn't quite come off on the Blenheims work brilliantly on the Whitley) and then...

after i have assembled the engine nacelles (Stages 33 and 34) and waved a bit of wet and dry at the join lines, I discover that Airfix will have you insert the radiators through the radiator intakes after the nacelles are assembled (Stages 35 and 36). I am not saying this is impossible but it will certainly not be a picnic, trying to twiddle carefully painted parts through narrow gaps with tweezers, turning them through 90 degrees and then securing them with glue. There is a bulkhead at the rear of the engine bay so you cannot poke them in from behind.

I have not heard this issue raised before, for which I see three explanations:

a. no else has actually tried building an Airfix Whitley yet, no doubt not having progressed beyond plastic fondling before being seduced by the next temptations in the release schedule.

b. BMers are all real men/women who would not be seen dead reading instructions. They therefore grasped instantly that the radiators are obviously best cemented in place before the nacelle halves are joined.

c. it really isn't as difficult (impossible?) as I make out.

Please tell me it is c.

Even if it isn't, you may well wish to consider cementing your Whitley radiators in place before joining the nacelle halves.

Edited by Seahawk
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Well, I have now decided that inserting the radiator through the front intake and aligning it correctly is impossible unless you are a masochist, a saint, a long-term prisoner or maybe some permutation of the three. At the very least you risk damaging the intake lips. Managed to poke out the bulkheads at the rear of the engine nacelles (risky because the fumes from liquid cement make Airfix plastic go soft) and, with fingers inserted front and back, managed to get the radiators into roughly the right place, not especially tidily but securely.

Best not to find out the hard way!

I love both the design and execution of this kit but am now wondering what other traps lie in wait for the unwary.

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I did it as per the instructions and fun it was not. I'm not the most dextrous of kit-murderers and it took two or three goes for each set, stuffing the parts into their openings, twisting them through 90 degrees and pulling them forwards into position, but eventually in they went. Next time (yes, I am going to build another or two) I'll install the radiator inserts before cementing the nacelle/cowling halves together. Getting the retraction arms to stay attached to the undercarriage legs has been a bit of an issue, but that problem shouldn't recur on the next one.

Edited by stever219
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Looks lovely.

Did you insert the radiators in through the intake apertures of the assembled nacelles, as Airfix would have you do, or were you too clever to be had that way?


I did it as per the instructions and fun it was not. I'm not the most dextrous of kit-murderers and it took two or three goes for each set, stuffing the parts into their openings, twisting them through 90 degrees and pulling the forwards into position, but eventually in they went. Next time (yes, I am going to build another or two) I'll install the radiator inserts before cementing the nacelle/cowling halves together. Getting the retraction arms to stay attached to the undercarriage legs has been a bit of an issue, but that problem shouldn't recur on the next one.

Aha! Not just me then. Thanks for the advance warning re retraction arms.

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Thanks for the heads-up.

I had a similar, but totally self-inflicted, experience with the new Airfix Lancaster. I carefully assembled the inboard nacelles with only a casual glance at the instructions, attached them to the wings, glued the upper fairings in place and then realised that I'd left out the firewalls. I can assure you it's impossible to get them in once the nacelle's on the wing! The fact that I would have discovered this in time had I looked properly at the instructions only makes my blunder even more galling. My sole consolation is that when the thing's standing on its feet no-one's going to notice anyway.

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Did my radiator inserts yesterday no problems. Grab the narrow part with tweezers, put a little Tamiya extra thin on the mating surface, put it through the front of the nacelle, rotate,pull forward til it seats. Wait a few seconds for the glue to grab then do the other one

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Did my radiator inserts yesterday no problems. Grab the narrow part with tweezers, put a little Tamiya extra thin on the mating surface, put it through the front of the nacelle, rotate,pull forward til it seats. Wait a few seconds for the glue to grab then do the other one

You're obviously more dextrous than I. I had trouble obtaining enough purchase with my tweezers to pull the radiators forward, resulting in them pinging off into the impenetrable depths of the engine bay. I think the way I was forced to end up using actually worked well. If you leave off the firewall bulkheads at Stages 33/34, insert the radiators through the front exactly as you describe and only then fit the firewall bulkheads, you have the reassurance of being able to use a little finger up the rear of the engine bay to get the radiator alignment just perfect - if you need to.

I stress, fit of parts here and everywhere else on this kit uniformly excellent. This is just a little construction sequence issue - for some!

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Thanks for the head up. I have so far only examined my kit, trying to chose a suitable level of ambition for my build. The only aftermarket stuff I have decided on so far, are the Eduard pre-cut paint masks, and substituting the rear turret gun barrels with brass ones from Master. I might invest in the Eduard PE set, but haven't made up my mind about that yet. But what I DO want, is to substitute the Vickers MG in the front turret. However I haven't been able to find any aftermarket one. Does it exist? If so, I would appreciate if someone can point me in the right direction.

TIA

Edited by Sten Ekedahl
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I haven't got this one yet, nor seen it in New Zealand but I was a bit perturbed reading this as there is definitely one in my future, so I went & found some instructions online & had a look at what was involved. I can see that what Bill did is exactly as the kit instructions would have one do but looking at the assembly, it struck me that it should be possible to assemble all the components to one side of the nacelle & then join the other side to this assembly. Maybe easier said than done, I'd be interested in others opinions. Obviously dry fitting required to make sure it'll fit & with this sort of thing, eg fighter fuselage halves, as I glue components to one side I then clamp/tape the other fuselage/nacelle half to it to ensure that the internal components dry in the correct orientation. Would something like this work here?

Steve.

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There's nothing to be perturbed about: you just need to be aware in advance, which you now are. Almost a non-news story. It's a toss-up whether you stick the radiators into one nacelle half and then join the halves or, as I ended up having to do (post 11), joining the nacelle halves without the firewall and inserting the radiators later, with access from the rear to get the alignment perfect if rpt if necessary (get the location right and they will sort of click into place). I think I favour my serendipitous approach, because getting the two nacelles halves perfectly aligned with each other is more critical than the radiator alignment. Either way, I think leaving out the firewalls until the radiators aresecurely in place is a wise precaution.

But, pace Admiral Puff (post 9), don't forget to stick them in afterwards!

PS The title was a slightly mischievous query as to what percentage of the Britmodellers who have pontificated about this kit have actually stuck any of its plastic together. But actually there hasn't been that much pontification about this kit, no doubt owing to its disconcerting lack of "fatal flaws"! I think it's one of Airfix's best.

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Sten: Vickers K guns (or VGO) are obtainable from Kora (at a price), Coastal Craft, or as spares in the Dragon SAS Jeep kit. They are also in the Airfix Blenheim but not unfortunately as spares. I'm not sure about that - possibly there's one spare depending upon which subject you make.

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But, pace Admiral Puff (post 9), don't forget to stick them in afterwards!

Won't happen! The only way to get them in now is an almost complete demolition of the nacelles and subsequent rebuild - too fraught for my liking! I did remember to put them in on the Lancastrian I've presently got on the go, though.

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Sten: Vickers K guns (or VGO) are obtainable from Kora (at a price), Coastal Craft, or as spares in the Dragon SAS Jeep kit. They are also in the Airfix Blenheim but not unfortunately as spares. I'm not sure about that - possibly there's one spare depending upon which subject you make.

Thanks for the help. Just compared the Airfix Blenheim VGO with the Whitley VGO; they are the same. Funny thing is that in the Blenheim kit they give you three VGO. But the Mk.I only needs one and the Mk.IV only two. Bu would like something with better definition of the details. Will check the other alterenatives you suggested.

Edited by Sten Ekedahl
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  • 3 weeks later...

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