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Airfix 1/72 corrected Bedford QL... Yes this is 1/72!!! Plus some others...


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So after building over a dozen Bedford QLs now from Airfixs' 1/76 scale kits I came to notice some oddities with the scaling of the cab while doing my research for back bodies.

 

Turns out the old Airfix QL is actually closer to 1/72 scale in height but 1/76th in width, yet the new QLs cab is nearer 1/72 scale in width and closer to 1/76 in height.

 

So I've taken them both and started to make a corrected one and obviously with a scale increase there is a need to correct the chassis for scale as well.....

 

 

On to the pics......

 

 

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And while I was at it I thought it almost rude not to make a Ford WOT 6/8 cab as well.....

 

 

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Now the thing is the wheel base is very similar to several other 3 Ton trucks, so there are plans a foot to also produce cabs of them also at some point in the future, so stay tuned.... There is also a chance that Ian at Wee Friends Models will take them on as kits once a couple are finished....

 

 

ATB

 

Sean

 

 

 

 

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22 minutes ago, stevej60 said:

Another great project Sean I wish the Bedford OY was readily available in kit form my Dad drove them in Italy and Palestine

I know MMS do a metal kit.

 

 

fear not, It's on the "to do" list with the exception that mine will be 1/72 scale and not 1/87th like Airfix and Milicast

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This looks good and is the type of modelling I enjoy watching and learning from. :clap2:  It will be nice if you can post more pictures, if you have the time, whilst doing the conversions please Sean.

 

Mike

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Yeah come on Sean, I think we would like more info on the construction of the WOT 6 as I fancied one also.

However if you think Ian will be in a position to produce such a cab/vehicle then I will surely wait ubtil I can get one through that route. :pray:

 

many thanks again for the insight into the QL  

Ian

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1 hour ago, spaddad said:

 

1/87th? not 1/76th? You have me perplexed.

 

Yes mate, it's a well know fault with the Airfix OY cab, you can actually fit the Airfix cab inside the 1/76 RTI OY cab its that small, all Milicast has done is detail up an Airfix cab so they are still mind numbingly small, I suppose its ok if all your using is Airfix and Milicast for your dioramas but as soon as you stick someone else's OY in there the size issue is very apparent

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I was hoping that Milicast were genrally more accurate with their vehicles, especially when I compared the Airfix Grant and Sherman Turrets to Milicast versions - the Airfix ones are ridiculously small.  I have found Milicast, Italeri and Revell/Matchbox models to be well suited for size (not that I have got out a measuring stick) when compared next to each other.   I have the Airfix Bedford kit with two versions of the QL3 (?) in the pile to put with my Desert theme.....

 

Steve

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1 hour ago, Sgt.Squarehead said:

It would be interesting to compare your finished model with the IBG 1/72 Bedfords.....I strongly suspect yours will be better.  :coolio:

 

I certainly hope so, in regards the IBG kit someone has started casting an upgrade kit for it comprising a new cab front, a couple of fuel tanks, if I remember correctly new wheels also cuz the IBG kit parts aren't the bestest either

 

 

ATB

 

Sean

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1 hour ago, Stephen Hawkins said:

I was hoping that Milicast were genrally more accurate with their vehicles, especially when I compared the Airfix Grant and Sherman Turrets to Milicast versions - the Airfix ones are ridiculously small.  I have found Milicast, Italeri and Revell/Matchbox models to be well suited for size (not that I have got out a measuring stick) when compared next to each other.   I have the Airfix Bedford kit with two versions of the QL3 (?) in the pile to put with my Desert theme.....

 

Steve

 

It depends on who does the pattern making for what, I bought several Bedford OYs from Milicast hoping they would be scale corrected only to be disappointed to find them to be very detailed Airfix sized cabs, fear not though, its on my "to-do" list to make a corrected pattern after the K6 cab and chassis is finished (see my other thread for details of that project),.......

 

It would take a trained eye and alot of research to notice the QL cab discrepancies, and as I've now looked at 1000s of QL pictures and plans in the lead up to doing my QL conversions it took me over a dozen completed models before I realise the size issues, sadly Airfix are renowned for the issue of bad and mixed scales and I should of known better to look harder, sooner..... Never mind, soon you will all be able to benefit from my findings with these new cabs.....

 

 

ATB

 

Sean

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You haven't mentioned the need for new wheels - having tried Milicast's "corrections" for the Airfix Heller GMC I can assure you that yes they are different, however small the difference in scales may seem.  The "classic" trick with the old Airfix QL was to substitute Matador wheels, but they don't fit because the old QL had squashed springs.  The Matador was then fitted with wheels from the Refuelling Set AEC, anyone modelling the QL ended up with lots of those spare.

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This is very interesting to watch. I'm not very knowledgeable on AFV's, but there are some I am very fond of; the QL being one.

 

I'm so behind with all this, I didn't know Wee Friends did full vehicle kits.  I have a few of the 1/72 figures and they're nice, the BEF force tank crew in particular I like a lot.

 

I too, like Sarge, have invested in quite a few IBG QL's :(. Out with the razor saw then :unsure:.

 

Looking forward to seeing more here. Great stuff

 

TonyT

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3 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

You haven't mentioned the need for new wheels - having tried Milicast's "corrections" for the Airfix Heller GMC I can assure you that yes they are different, however small the difference in scales may seem.  The "classic" trick with the old Airfix QL was to substitute Matador wheels, but they don't fit because the old QL had squashed springs.  The Matador was then fitted with wheels from the Refuelling Set AEC, anyone modelling the QL ended up with lots of those spare.

 

Ah, now, a subject all of its own..... the new Airfix kits wheels are actually bang on 1/74 scale, so cover both the 1/72 and 1/76 scales..... unless your going to cry over half a millimeter either way.

 

The old trick of replacing the naff kit wheels with the AECs is ok in only 1 respect..... the wheel is the right size in diameter, the tyre is massive, even in real life an AEC tyre is 3inches bigger in width than a QLs, thus making it scale completely wrong for the purpose they were being used for.... And the squashed spring thing is dross, if you compare the new over the old springs they're very near identical, what everyone should of been doing was infact raiding their Quad kits for the wheels, as the Quad used the same size wheel and tyre as the QL

 

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3 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said:

 

 

I'm so behind with all this, I didn't know Wee Friends did full vehicle kits.  I have a few of the 1/72 figures and they're nice, the BEF force tank crew in particular I like a lot.

 

I too, like Sarge, have invested in quite a few IBG QL's :(. Out with the razor saw then :unsure:.

 

 

Ian does do some full kits, most of them are upgrades of Airfix kits, this is a new test venture aimed at both the modeler and the Wargamer, hense my attempts to scratch build an Austin K6 and re-do these cabs into 1/72 scale so its not just the aircraft diorama builder buying them, there will of coarse be a whole selection of bodies that can be used by both camps of followers

 

Having never built an IBG QL I could neither confirm or deny that my new Airfix based cab will fit the IBG chassis.... though I'm sure it could be made to fit by a semi skilled model maker ;)

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43 minutes ago, vindicareassassin said:

 

Ah, now, a subject all of its own..... the new Airfix kits wheels are actually bang on 1/74 scale, so cover both the 1/72 and 1/76 scales..... unless your going to cry over half a millimeter either way.

 

The old trick of replacing the naff kit wheels with the AECs is ok in only 1 respect..... the wheel is the right size in diameter, the tyre is massive, even in real life an AEC tyre is 3inches bigger in width than a QLs, thus making it scale completely wrong for the purpose they were being used for.... And the squashed spring thing is dross, if you compare the new over the old springs they're very near identical, what everyone should of been doing was in fact raiding their Quad kits for the wheels, as the Quad used the same size wheel and tyre as the QL

 

 now that is something I would not have thought with the Quad, seemingly, being a smaller vehicle.

I think your thread and consequent build is going to be an eye opener and a 'new' start in the field of softskins !

Hooray for that, bring them on . .  .

Ian

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On 2/15/2017 at 7:50 PM, Mancunian airman said:

 now that is something I would not have thought with the Quad, seemingly, being a smaller vehicle.

I think your thread and consequent build is going to be an eye opener and a 'new' start in the field of softskins !

Hooray for that, bring them on . .  .

Ian

 

Ah, now, you're aware of the 'size isn't everything' comment??.... A lot of vehicles were fitted with the 20" rims and tyres regardless of size, it had more to do with required ground clearance than the size of vehicle..... Another good one is the Austin K6 and the Ford/Fordson WOT1, both very similar vehicles, being 3ton 6x4s with a similar chassis and wheelbase length.... the K6 was fitted with 20" wheels and 10.5" tyres and the WOT1 came with 16" wheels and 10.5" tyres, obviously the K6 was slightly better off road than the WOT1 because the ground clearance was higher, there are other advantages and disadvantages but lets not get to technical....

 

 

More Pics for your viewing pleasure as requested.....

 

 

The following are the master of the main cab piece(the grey one where you can see the white styrene additions to increase the scale)......... And the first pull from my pattern making mould ( the pure white resin one, as can be seen there are bubbles present, but these first few moulds are made just to make sure everything fits together properly for you lovely people when you have to build them, and the first couple are always like pancakes and completely useless as they are basically still cleaning out the mould)

 

 

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And here is the first mould pull for the generic chassis (again you can see all the crud that gets left behind in the mould during the moulding process, this is different resin to the white I used for the cab and is the stuff you'll most probably encounter if you buy any type of resin kit).... Also showing the chassis extension piece that will be provided with any QL kits that use the QLT long chassis.... And the 'All-in-one' spare tyre, loading frame and better tank without the mould and glue seams in it,  this piece will be supplied with any short chassis QL kit 

 

 

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That's it for now folks, I'm currently scratch building a actual QLT troop back body now, so more photos when progress is worth showing...

 

 

ATB

 

Sean

Edited by vindicareassassin
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On Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 14:37, vindicareassassin said:

 

I certainly hope so, in regards the IBG kit someone has started casting an upgrade kit for it comprising a new cab front, a couple of fuel tanks, if I remember correctly new wheels also cuz the IBG kit parts aren't the bestest either

 

 

ATB

 

Sean

Hi

 

I believe MK72 models in Switzerland do an upgrade set for the IBG Bedford

 

Regards

 

Ben

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all, another update on this project.....

 

Last time I posted I'd just made a start on the parts for a QLT trooper kit and what follows is a pictorial of the progress made to date....

 

Rear deck coming along....

 

32278870544_7097ffa580_k.jpg

 

Basic QLT body pieces, they just need detailing now.....

 

33124104495_2be0b2bdc1_k.jpg

 

Option 1 for the canvas....

 

33142775191_8a05f3c0ed_k.jpg

 

Option 2 for the Canvas.....

 

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The sprue of additional parts, 2 to be supplied per body.....

 

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Side by side with an Airfix QLT..... I hope the differences are obvious.....

 

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And whilst at it I cast up a 13ft QL cab/chassis as well.....

 

33142708541_ee7aa02388_k.jpg

 

 

ATB

 

Sean

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by vindicareassassin
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