Wellington info required-Specifically 1/72 Italeri/MPM Mk.X kit

[chrisrope]

Hello

 

I have just acquired a 1/72 Italeri (MPM) Wellington Mk.X with dodgy decals (I do have a wanted ad up)

Being completely in the dark regarding Wellybobs and this kit, can other radial versions be built from this kit? Decals for other radial versions like the Mk.1C are available cheaper and on a wider scale than the X (usually hiding away on a sheet I won't use the rest of)

There is unused parts like propellers, side glazing, tailplanes, turrets and exhausts I'm guessing are for other/earlier versions

 

Any help and pointers much appreciated

Cheers

Chris

[Mr T]

The big problem will be with the engines, the III and the X were Hercules powered, whereas the Ic was Pegasus powered, which was a different size. Search from home at minute and do cannot look at kits. Xtradecals have some Xs on various sheets, including one on the Mediterranean bombers sheet.

[tonyot]

The Mk.X had a 4 gun rear turret too while the Mk.Ic had a 2 gun rear turret which was all but identical to the nose turret,.....which also meant that the fairing below the rear turret was higher on the Ic.

 

Cannot remember whether the Italeri kit has the Peggy engines or not,.....does it have the circular plates with perforations in them which covered the Mk.Ic`s peggy engines? The props should also have small spinners for the earlier variant.

 

Cheers

         Tony

[chrisrope]

Looking at the sprues Tony, it does

The different rear turret is an extra so I’m guessing the earlier one is on the clear sprue. It also has different, unused props 

 

https://www.super-hobby.co.uk/products/item_name-197258.html

[JWM]

The difference is in horizontal tail also- but likely you have two sets in box. 

Cheers

J-W

[JWM]

The frame on right:

is specific for Mk X. You can see 14 cylinder engines, element to blind windows above wing and more massive props. The tail parts here are also for Mk X (of larger surface, with step on leading edge). For Mk 1c you have parts here:

The 9 cyliner engines are to be done by glueing each cylinder separately to central block. The cowlings are here as well. So the problem will be only with rear turret. But you can do minesweeper without any turret

Cheers

J-W

[Heraldcoupe]

The Italeri Mk.X I built included the earlier turret design, or at least the glazed parts. Using these parts isn't such a bad idea as the fuselage requires modification to fit the 4-gun turret, something which isn't mentioned in the instructions...

 

The Pegasus engine parts are included, but they're not very good. Whichever variant you build, the kit has a lot of shape issues; I'd argue that having the Hercules engines in place of the Pegasus, would be less obvious as an inaccuracy, than the shape of the nose or tail as supplied.

 

Cheers,

Bill.

[dalea]

From my memory of my attempted build of the Mk. Ic your first problem is that the cockpit needs replacing by Eduard etch. If you are not worried about accuracy, the next trick is to get the fuselage clear parts to stay there.

[Seahawk]

"Attempted build": a recurring phrase in discussion of this kit.  A blot on the reputation of Italeri and MPM who tooled it.  Mine is not so much on the shelf of doom as consigned to the most Stygian depths of the model room.  The kit does provide two 2-gun turrets for the early version but both should be the same size: they aren't (noticeably).  This flaw is avoided by building a version with a 4-gun tail turret, which requires the fuselage under it to be cut down: as noted, Italeri don't mention that.

 

Persomally, I wouldn't waste money on etch or resin for this kit.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Seahawk

[tonyot]

It`s not such a blot,.....I`ve built a couple of MPM/Special Hobby Wimpey`s,....here is my last one and apart from some trouble with the turrets I found it OK. Here is one that I built,.....and I`ve done one as a MkII plus have another couple on the back burner;

 

DSCF5753 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Cheers

          Tony

[JWM]

I did not consider this model a rubish. Opposide, I liked it more than other Wimpies available so far.

I made some variants (scratch conversions)  like Mk VI

Mk XIII

Early Mk I

As you see, only my mk XIII has turrets, BTw  

Cheers

J-W

[Heraldcoupe]

If you are bothered at all by accuracy, this falls a long way short. 
The most obvious fault is the way the nose slopes markedly downwards in profile, I also recall it being somewhat narrow which is why a speciallu undersized turret was tooled for the front.

The cockpit canopy is far too deep and long, the cockpit internals are entirely fictitious.

The rear fuselage lacks a significant amount of depth underneath the turret.

 

Before the introduction of the Trumpeter Wellington, this was probably the best of a bad bunch, though the old Matchbox kit was better in some respect. This was the case when I built mine, though the Trumpeter kit arrived mid build, which at least allowed me to use that kit's 'spare' canopy to get it finished, albeit with a lot of hacking plastic.

Trumpeter's kit is by no means perfect - engine nacelles and undercarriage are undersized, yet it's a quantum leap over MPMs tooling. 

 

Cheers,

Bill.

[Seahawk]

50 minutes ago, Heraldcoupe said:

..., though the Trumpeter kit arrived mid build, which at least allowed me to use that kit's 'spare' canopy to get it finished, albeit with a lot of hacking plastic.

 

You finished it?  Is that the FAA Wellington you were working on at one stage?  If so, may we have a butcher's please?

[Heraldcoupe]

21 minutes ago, Seahawk said:

You finished it?  Is that the FAA Wellington you were working on at one stage?  If so, may we have a butcher's please?

It never made it through the paint stage, though constructionally it was all finished. The white paint reacted badly and that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I still have it, doubtful I'll ever get back to it though, especially not now Airfix are entering the game.

 

I'm always surprised how many people remember it.

 

Cheers,

Bill.

[John]

The MPM Wellie Ic still brings me out in a cold sweat. I got an early release from Jamiesons in Glasgow as soon as it came out and started it pretty much straight away. 

Nothing fitted. 

I do wonder if work was subsequently done on the mould because I can't believe Airfix and Italeri would have released it on to the general market the way it was. 

I'm counting the days until the Airfix kit is released so I can finally get a decent model of T2508 to go on display beside her Observer's DFM in my local museum. 

 

John