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Wessex HC2 Crab Cabs Pt II (Fly Wessex - why on earth did I?)


hendie

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Nothing worse than frozen greeblies, and thanks for the L & H! I've always loved their work and they never cease to make me smile, or even fall out of my chair laughing! You can keep the 3 Stooges.

 

Ian

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5 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I've always loved their work and they never cease to make me smile, or even fall out of my chair laughing! 

 

I think their comedy still stands up today.  Stan was a real genius (and apparently a genuinely very nice guy).

As I was growing up I seem to remember that there were always Laurel & Hardy movies on the TV every morning on the lead up to Christmas.  That "happy state" association remains with me and whenever I watch them, all the troubles and strife of everyday living just vanish into the ether.  Pure innocence.

 

I totally agree on the 3 Stooges though I can be quite partial to a bit of Marx Brothers now and again

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On 2/3/2019 at 9:47 PM, hendie said:

Let's just say it was cold enough to freeze the proverbials off one of these...

Piles?

That is cold....

On 2/3/2019 at 9:47 PM, hendie said:

 

***edit*** Why does this site insist on posting when I'm scrolling back and forth???

regularly does it for me too hendie - when scrolling up on a trackpad the forum software seems to have a trigger-happy response,  certainly it's the only place I experience this problem.....

 

Lovely greebling and sundry encrusting btw; not getting a chance to get anywhere near the Annie at present these days so vicarious pleasure aplenty from yours. 😄

 

 

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On 9/7/2018 at 11:03 PM, hendie said:

drift ? what drift?  All I see is Wessex talk - that ain't no drift

Recently found this thread and have not been able to leave it alone since, more addictive than Game of Thrones!

I thought that as an ex grubber I knew the Wessex pretty well but either I've forgotten most if it,or to quote 'Goshawk Squadron' by Derek Robinson, 'the eyes looked but they did not see'.

The level of detail you have incorporated is astounding, and the only problem for me is that I now have grave doubts as to whether I will ever build my Fly MK 5 which is in the loft.

Excellent work!!!

 

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Thanks Daedalus, it's always nice to receive compliments from someone who's actually had blood drawn by these beasts

 

 

1 hour ago, Daedalus72 said:

I now have grave doubts as to whether I will ever build my Fly MK 5 which is in the loft. 

 

Go on!  You know you have to build it - and I want to see how other folks attempt to rectify some of the Fly induced issues.

Just the other night I was looking at the decal sheet transfers and noticed they had spelled ENGINE ACESS incorrectly.  I know there are another couple of typos in there too. 

I might have to end up making my own decal sheet. 

I was thinking of trying to draw up some kind of generic sheet with the usual symbols which seem to get missed quite often by manufacturers.

The amount of variation seen just on a Wessex is astounding.  I've seen the same label i.e. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT INSIDE in a stencil type and in a full text (no gaps) font. In black, in yellow, in white. 

more research to do there methinks - the permutations seem endless

Does anyone know what font matches the type of text used for those labels?

 

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I have used Garamond and RAF-AW? something or other and at our scales even Ariel Bold

 

Give em a try

 

And oh yes, we desperately need ex-grubbers playing at this game too Daedalus

 

You nautical types surely won't be leaving all the helicopter builds to pilots...

 

 

😉

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7 hours ago, perdu said:

I have used Garamond and RAF-AW? something or other and at our scales even Ariel Bold

 

Give em a try

 

And oh yes, we desperately need ex-grubbers playing at this game too Daedalus

 

You nautical types surely won't be leaving all the helicopter builds to pilots...

 

 

😉

You’re OK, Bill - I know for a fact that we have a Lynx Observer and a Seaking Aircrewman who are reasonably regular on here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Or is that not quite what you meant...?]

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16 hours ago, perdu said:

I have used Garamond and RAF-AW? something or other and at our scales even Ariel Bold

 

Give em a try

 

And oh yes, we desperately need ex-grubbers playing at this game too Daedalus

 

You nautical types surely won't be leaving all the helicopter builds to pilots...

 

 

😉

Ex-Grubber signing in.

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50 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

OK, I’ll bite.  Is a Sumpy / Rigger like a triple-trade WAFU?  Neither one thing nor the other / a multi-skilled legend [depending on point of view...]

Sumpy/Rigger is the crabs attempt at getting engineers as good as the senior service 😂😉 

We all know split pins are a ‘secondary’ device😁

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On 9/7/2018 at 11:03 PM, hendie said:

drift ? what drift?  All I see is Wessex talk - that ain't no drift

Just been perusing the instructions for the kit,and I can't see any reference to the pipework on the fuselage sides, but maybe I'm just being thick.

Also the more I look at the way Fly have done the nose door intake,the more I dislike it. Seems a cop out just provide an intake cover with not even a FOD guard.

They could at least have attempted to put in some kind of intake interior as the guards were only fitted in summer IIRC

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3 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

OK, I’ll bite.  Is a Sumpy / Rigger like a triple-trade WAFU?  Neither one thing nor the other / a multi-skilled legend [depending on point of view...]

Multi-skilled legend works for me!

4 hours ago, hendie said:

a Sumpy/Rigger would have to be odd in the first place.   Either a true rigger, or true sumpy.  No inbetweenies :P

Both! True rigger AND true sumpy twice as good as either single trade. And i wondered who would be the first to call me odd! Had to be you @hendie

2 hours ago, Wafu said:

Sumpy/Rigger is the crabs attempt at getting engineers as good as the senior service 😂😉 

We all know split pins are a ‘secondary’ device😁

As good as? Surely you meant to say far better than!😂. Never a loose nut when a split pin is used!

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They were usually referred to as split brains. And a lot seemed to be just used for one trade

when they eventually got to a real RAF station, as opposed to the fairy tale that was training.

They needed retraining at this point and were usually given an SAC* to show them what to do.

I was just a plain Rigger (SAC). I'd done about 4 1/2 years when I went on my Fitters course.

Most of the rest of my course were from 18 Sqn Wessex in Germany. Between us we'd done a bit.

The Civilian head of training welcomed us to the course, he explained that we would now be trained in various skills,

and would learn to use power tools on Aircraft. He was puzzled & a little upset when we all burst out laughing.

Been there, done that.

*They were Junior technicians and the SAC (Senior Aircraftsman) was a lower rank but had experience of the Aircraft.

 

Anyway. It occurred to me that us ex military types use terms and phrases that others may not understand.

so, here is another little mystery explained; the Pip pin.

IyBGfRT.jpg

The Pip pin is/was used as a quick release device in a number of places on Aircraft.

Notably on Helicopter opening panels that might need frequent removal instead of a nut and bolt.

Pull or push the ring at left and the ball bearings at right (one each side) loosen up and will retract, allowing removal of the Pip pin. 

Another version has a T piece in place of the ring, with a button to depress for fitting/removal.

Various lengths and diameters were available depending on their point of use.

And yes, this one is ex Wessex. Also ex Wessex are the screws seen in the picture above.

These are typical mushroom headed screws in various sizes and were used throughout the Aircraft.

 

Next week, how the Wessex broke the sound barrier.

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Pete in Lincs said:

And yes, this one is ex Wessex. Also ex Wessex are the screws seen in the picture above.

If you've got all those bits Pete then..ummm...isn't there a Wessex somewhere..

giphy.gif

 

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I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a Wessex buried in my back garden.

 

This stuff probably came out of a gash box. Damn, now I'll have to explain that.

During servicing various bits need replacing. So you'd demand a bag of screws, say.

You only need ten but the bag holds twenty. The spare ten and any used screws that are okay go into a gash box.

Same with rivets, need twenty but the bag holds 50 or more.

All the servicing teams used to have these and they contained all sorts of stuff, Lockers held panels and seals for instance.

BUT, back in my day (not sure if it's the same now) we had an annual inspection of the base by the Air Officer Commanding (AOC).

He and his minions would look into how the place was run, if it was all shiny, and correct practices were being carried out.

So we'd spend time cleaning and painting and, because gash boxes etc weren't authorised, hiding/ditching stuff. 

Wasteful, yes, but rules were rules. I shall now plead insanity (or unsanitary) and throw myself on the mercy of the court.

 

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18 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

They were usually referred to as split brains. And a lot seemed to be just used for one trade

when they eventually got to a real RAF station,

IyBGfRT.jpg

 

That's so true! Most Splitbrains did indeed end up working either as Sumpies or Riggers in the fixed wing real world. (A waste of half of their training)  Surprisingly when I was posted to 22 Sqn. most of the technicians were actually single trade having been cross trained to do the "other" trade. ie riggers trained to do engines or sumpies trained as riggers. The helicopter is a fine example of when splitbrains should have been employed to their full potential. In 1985 we only had 3 splitbrains at Leconfield. By the time I left in 89 the RAF must have woken up and many more were being used on chopper squadrons.

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On 2/8/2019 at 3:17 PM, Daedalus72 said:

Also the more I look at the way Fly have done the nose door intake,the more I dislike it. Seems a cop out just provide an intake cover with not even a FOD guard.

They could at least have attempted to put in some kind of intake interior as the guards were only fitted in summer IIRC

 

Agreed.  I really don't understand their approach on this.

 

 

On 2/8/2019 at 4:53 PM, AndyBunney said:

And i wondered who would be the first to call me odd! Had to be you @hendie

 

guilty-as-charged-bxwbpa.jpg

 

 

On 2/9/2019 at 2:13 PM, Pete in Lincs said:

when they eventually got to a real RAF station, as opposed to the fairy tale that was training.

They needed retraining at this point and were usually given an SAC* to show them what to do.

 

It was always rather galling when you were given one of these to play with for a month or two, particularly knowing they were getting paid way much more than us SAC's were.  One time I even got a pet zob to play with for about a month (supposedly and "engineer")

 

 

On 2/9/2019 at 4:00 PM, TheBaron said:

...isn't there a Wessex somewhere..

 

:rofl2:

 

 

On 2/9/2019 at 4:16 PM, Pete in Lincs said:

He and his minions would look into how the place was run, if it was all shiny, and correct practices were being carried out.

 

which was one of the main drivers for me deciding to leave the mob.  One year, between SWO's working party, gate guard, and parades for visiting dignitaries (I use the term loosely), I spent more time on those than I did actually working on aircraft.

 

 

9 hours ago, AndyBunney said:

Most Splitbrains did indeed end up working either as Sumpies or Riggers

 

Obviously, the intelligent ones went on to become true roughy toughie riggers.

 

 

In our last episode I was getting a handle on those handle thingies.  You'll note that I trusted FLy in their position of said handles and the nose door location is wrong (see gaping hole!)  IF you use their location, the handle extends over the engine access panel immediately aft and would prevent it from opening.

 

P2090001.jpg

 

I didn't forget the trans deck door handle though I won't be fitting it at the moment as I foresee some serious sanding when it comes time to fit the canopy/windscreen.

It's one of those jobs that I know needs to be done but keep finding excuses to put off.

 

P2090002.jpg

 

More handles.  You'll no doubt have guessed by now that I am not intending to use any of the kit handles. Some of them aren't exactly bad, but being plastic, they're just not going to stand up to my clumsy nature.

I started trying to use small pieces of styrene to represent the mounting boss, but this didn't go so well, so I took another approach.  Also, note the enormous amount of detritus clinging to the inside of both windows - this will provide hours of endless fun trying to remove at a later date.  I also managed to scratch both windows so am in the process of polishing them back to something resembling clarity (or not)

 

P2090003.jpg

 

Wessex devotes will also note that Fly have the position of the emergency release handles wrong.  They have provided little location marks towards the rear of the windows when in fact the emergency release handle is positioned more to the forward end.

 

P2100004.jpg

 

Then I had lots of fun making eight of these little blighters.  First drill a hole in some scrap, then slice a strip as close as possible to both sides of the hole, then cut across the hole to leave a small semi circular cut out... then try and make the other end sort of round'ish

 

P2100006.jpg

 

and with a little dab of glue, they can be pushed up against my home brew handles and look a bit more like the mounting boss

 

P2100007.jpg

 

At close of play today I believe we have finished greeblifying the port side, well, almost

***edit*** just realized that there's a small domed vent cover missing from the engine access door

 

P2100008.jpg

 

Is it just me or is there something not quite right with that nose profile?

 

An isometric'ish shot provides a better view of the amount of greebling.

 

P2100009.jpg

 

Apologies for the sporadic and almost monosyllabic nature of recent updates... life continues to throw huge whopping spanners in the works and at times it's hard to get the mojo out of the drawer.

 

 

 

 

Edited by hendie
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Its not you!

 

Wonderful work on handles and assorted associated greeblies too

 

Fly seem, from the point of view of a chap who only inspected my mate Gareth's freshly purchased kit (hi Gareth, yes I am talking about you!) and being slightly underwhelmed, to have taken a cavalier leap in the dark with Dear Old Walter

 

Look boys nobody else will do it so let's go!

 

None of the finished Fly Wessies I have seen have tackled the full gamut

 

And no

 

I mean no kit in any scale has got the nose filter area shape right to my eye!

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On 2/9/2019 at 9:16 PM, Pete in Lincs said:

All the servicing teams used to have these and they contained all sorts of stuff, 

I'm guessing lip balm, breath mints, a spare packet of tissues and the latest Jilly Cooper... 🤪

12 hours ago, hendie said:

I also managed to scratch both windows so am in the process of polishing them back to something resembling clarity

Question from an ignorant civvie h: would the windows on the real thing have always been kept sparkly clean and/or unscratched whilst deployed on operations? 

12 hours ago, hendie said:

Apologies for the sporadic and almost monosyllabic nature of recent updates... life continues to throw huge whopping spanners in the works and at times it's hard to get the mojo out of the drawer.

Sore grieved to hear this from one who has almost supernatural abilities to turn raw matter into fantastical Westlandscapes.

 

If we're going to be exchanging wildfowl, that last update merits at least a Woodcock!

southwiltshire_18042014101211_352.jpg

 

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