Titivating a Tilly - converting the Airfix Standard to a Light Ambulance

[Heather Kay]

With my main modelling interest in aircraft that operated during 1940, I have always tried to be just as accurate with diorama and "set dressing" as with the aircraft themselves. Over the years I've tried to ensure I have a selection of typical - currently on RAF - vehicles that would be found on or near your average airfield during 1940.

 

When Airfix released the RAF Bomber Re-supply Set I had to get one. And being an old school modeller, I had been very used to bashing around the old Airfix vehicle sets to get things I wanted. I built the first batch of vehicles more or less as Airfix intended, but a while later, having acquired another box, I got to wondering if the Standard Tilly could be adapted to something else. A Light Ambulance, for example.

I dug out my tattered and dog-eared copy of Airfix Magazine Guide 27 "Modelling RAF Vehicles" by Gerald Scarborough. I've owned this copy since it was new in 1978.

 

There on page 46 was a 1/76 scale drawing. Of course, the Airfix kit is 1/72, so I needed to do some recalculating of dimensions and so on … hang on, though. Just a minute. Someone's telling fibs. Either the Scarborough drawing is 1/72, or the kit is actually 1/76, because the kit chassis wheelbase matches the drawing exactly. Hmm. Anyway, it was a short job to knock up the basic chassis and bonnet from the kit, and play around with some styrene to make a box body for the back.

 

Yeah, well, my favoured method of "bodge away until it looks right" didn't work this time. I let the idea roll around my head for a few days to see if I could work out a better construction method.

 

 

A few days later, I started bodging again. This time is seemed to be making a bit more sense. The kit Standard has doors with hinges to the front, the ambulance version has hinges to the rear, so made new doors from sheet. Using various bits of styrene strip and sheet, things started to come together. 

 

The cab started to form, with the roof made from thick plastic sheet laminated and sanded to shape. The main body was built up from thin sheet, and a roof made in the same fashion as the cab. I decided not to detail the interior of the ambulance body. Aside from little information beyond the drawing, my bodging technique didn't really lend itself to a fully fitted out interior. Oh, and I can be lazy when I choose.

 

 

I did fit a floor to the back, though. Here's the roof perched in place while I pondered how to reliably fix it in place. Looking like a light ambulance to me.

 

 

A while later and the model had been painted and glazed. I went with masking tape canvas panels over the rear door, which worked out quite well I thought. There followed a pause in proceedings as I didn't have any suitable red cross decals in stock.

 

 

The finished article, with the rest of the crash team. The conversion was quite straightforward, and I'm pleased with the result. What I'd really like, though, is for Airfix to make the Albion AM463 heavy ambulance, but I rather doubt that will ever happen - besides, such beasts were rare on typical fighter airfields. Perhaps, one day, I'll find the time and inclination to scratch build one.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Terry1954]

Splendid!

 

Terry

[Redcoat2966]

Impressive little set that....especially the scratch work in wood.....nice and clean at that scale.....

 

Regards

Simon.

[Heather Kay]

Thanks both!