New 1/72nd Airfix Vickers Wellington Mk 1C

[Niknak]

Excellent work, 

[ArtickWarspite]

Been looking forward to this kit. Glad to see that you enjoyed it. Any idea roughly when it will be released?

 

Will get a copy of the magazine too- you've built a great looking model which oozes inspiration. 

 

[Learstang]

Oh dear, Your Generalship, I seem to have rather got hold of the wrong end of the stick as it were. I've mistaken your Speckled Jim (that brave, brave pigeon) with another Speckled Jim. The Speckled Jim I made reference to was 'Speckled Jim' James Gordon McDermott, Colour Sgt. of the 14th King's Own Highlands Fusiliers Regiment, 2nd Battalion. Rather a legend with la belle femmes of the Vimy region, I'm led to believe (who bestowed upon him the appellation of 'Speckled Jim'; evidently the man is freckled everywhere). You must remember him, he showed up at your regimental gala in full Scottish regalia, complete with sporran and his special regimental hose. Darling spent the evening making rather cheeky enquiries as to what he had under his kilt, to which Jim replied rather testily, if my memory serves me (which it seldom does), 'There's nae under this kilt than what God gae me, you wee haggis!'. Please accept my most humble apologies for the confusion. Re the execution, is it to be a formal or informal affair? If informal, I'll only wear three of my Hero of the Soviet Union stars, as four would be rather gauche at an informal event.

 

I Remain As Always Your Most Humble Servant,

 

Georgiy

Edited June 12, 2018 by Learstang
Slight change. Really just a trifle. Hardly worth mentioning.

[Michael louey]

Great build. Looks real even though we all know it's a model!

 

Type of build that actually moves me to buy a magazine.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[TheBaron]

I feel compelled to inflame the general level of plaudits with further adulation - those latter images with the resupply set would make a handsome set of etchings to grace any gentleman's smoking room.

 

Most heartened to see you eschewing the Velcro fly; though designed for emergency egress such is the sound produced by it in operation that it can frighten the horses.

[general melchett]

Good lord, thanks chaps, extremely kind of you all...

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Any idea roughly when it will be released?

Will get a copy of the magazine too- you've built a great looking model which oozes inspiration. 

 

 

I really don't know for sure.  Not sure why it's been put back slightly but have a feeling it could well be out at the end of this month. Hope you enjoy the magazine. 

 

Georgiy boy, I did wonder if you'd grasped the dirty end of the stick with this Jim business. There's no need to go over the traumatic events of that evening, the business with the bagpipes, Super glue, Ghillie Brogues and Fly Plaid was unforgivable, no wonder he made a swift exit following the toast. The regimental Cormorant is still in therapy ...not expected to recover!

 

Thanks Michael, I'll let the editor know, he'll definitely appreciate the comment. There are plenty more in the pipeline.

 

Ah, LeBaron, thanks Tony, appreciated, 'I'll show you my etchings' eh... oldest play in the book, but still has some mileage. Yes, the Beard brothers have a lot to answer to. As you say, suitable in the event of an in-flight emergency but hardly the weapon of choice for a gentleman of the realm. I'd far rather struggle with the button and risk social disgrace than be seen frightening the horses!

[Seahawk]

On ‎6‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 10:13 AM, general melchett said:

…. He sent me the final CAD drawings to look over for any obvious errors before sending out the test-shot...

That's an encouragingly sensible development in itself: how much grief could Airfix and their customers have been spared if some of their recent releases had had an experienced and knowledgeable modeller run an eye over them before issue to snag any accuracy or buildability issues.  Whether it would be at a sufficiently early stage for meaningful change is another matter.  I trust that, where applicable,you take the opportunity of being suitably rude about wheels where no attempt is made to differentiate between hubs and tyres!

[general melchett]

I agree Seahawk and hope to see it more often, (I think we will). I had something similar with Xtradecal and the Victor. When previewing the sheet I noticed an error with the wing roundels, (instructions showed two on the upper surface of a camouflaged B2 instead of one), luckily it was early enough to allow the instructions to be altered before printing began, and David Hannant was genuinely grateful. Sometimes it's a case of 'woods for the trees', but it always helps to see things from another's perspective before releasing the product to the buying public. My good friend John Adams is often asked his opinion before a model is released, if someone with his vast knowledge is willing to help out then that help should be gratefully accepted if it means we get a more accurate kit.

 

And yes, you're right regarding wheels.....personally I prefer it when manufacturers supply separate hubs, (providing they fit well!).

[matt_w]

That's a stunning build! Thanks for sharing, looks great kit.

 

[Learstang]

Not to reopen old wounds, General, but as I recall, Jim left after several toasts. It was after these toasts to the health of the Monarch (Here, Here!) that the unfortunate incident with Mr. Gladstone, the Regimental Cormorant, occurred. It simply was not meant by nature for a cormorant to be played like the bagpipes! I do so hope that Mr. Gladstone makes a full recovery. On a less sombre note, if Mr. Airfix ever wishes to do a new-mould of the Il-2 Shturmovik (if they wish to replace that splendid moulding they presently have), yours truly would be more than happy to help in regards to accuracy. A straight-winged two-seater, representing the version with the wooden-covered outer wings would be most appreciated. At the present time, it is just barely possible to obtain an old Dakoplast moulding of this version, although I believe one has to travel to Plovdiv to procure it. The nice Academy kit is of the two-seater version with the straight metal-covered outer wings. I also agree that separate hubs are very nice to have. I've spent much of the last two weeks painting the wheel hubs on many of my Soviet kits that green colour that seems to have been mandated by the Soviet Constitution. Separate hubs would have definitely made my life easier.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason, A/K/A Georgiy 'The Marshal'

Edited June 12, 2018 by Learstang
Minor correction; almost too minor to mention.

[Viking]

At last, a Wimpey that looks right, the 'sit' seems bang on. Seems that Airfix have done a good job on this one, and what with the Generals superb building & craftsmanship, whats not to like.

I can see myself getting one of these.

 

Cheers

 

John

[pheonix]

Must add to the chorus of approval. What a difference from the original Airfix Wellington which I remember gluing together decades ago! I really hope that this one sells well - it jolly well ought to!

 

P

[general melchett]

Thanks again chaps....bit out of breath as I've just returned from a very convivial meeting over lunch with young Tonyot and Mr Bill Bunting who kindly walked all the way over from Toronto with his wife to taste the delights of the Yorkshire Air Museum NAAFI at Elvington, (oh, and and to look at some old aeroplanes majestically fading away in the high summer sunlight).

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It simply was not meant by nature for a cormorant to be played like the bagpipes! I do so hope that Mr. Gladstone makes a full recovery.

 

Shturmorak, the noise was simply terrible! and sadly Gladstone was transferred to the Psychological Warfare Trauma Unit for Manically Depressed Seabirds shortly after where he was officially deemed 'quite mad'. It appears that he could deal with the blowstick but the Bass Drone was a bridge too far. A sad end for the regimental mascot who served us so well, (looks like he'll be served again soon, along with mustard and horseradish sauce!)

 

I shall, of course, put in a good word re the IL-2, but I have a funny feeling it may not be too high up the charts at the moment, what with just about everything else in front of it, but you never know...agreed the green wheel business is a strange thing, (no definitive answer, something to do with army artillery paint, protection, parts identification, etc, etc, take your pick) but that pales alongside the turquoise cockpits, not sure how bilious green helps settle the nerves at tree top height! 

 

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At last, a Wimpey that looks right, the 'sit' seems bang on

 

 

Thanks John, it does have that lumpy hunched look so typical of the Wimpy in side-views. At first glance, the break down of the wing/engine nacelle join looked overly-complex, especially when you fit the U/C legs into place but it all fell nicely into place, and sat perfectly first time. You really should get one, like to see what you do with it!

 

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 What a difference from the original Airfix Wellington which I remember gluing together decades ago! I really hope that this one sells well - it jolly well ought to!

 

 

Thanks P, yes night and day, as I said earlier, personally I think this is Airfix's finest new release to date, it deserves to sell well...

 

 

[Learstang]

Yes, General, I suspect that doing a new mould kit of the Il-2 is not high on Airfix's list of things to do. Pity, as we really could use a new-mould wooden-winged straight-winged two-seater kit from somebody. The Dakoplast kit is a very nice kit, but as I indicated, it is nigh on impossible to find. If not an Il-2 then, a new-mould Battle would fit the bill quite nicely, and I suspect it's somewhat higher up on their list, especially as they seem to be doing some British bomberish things recently (Lancasters, Blenheims, now the Wimpy). In some ways the Battle was similar to the Il-2 in basic concept, except without any appreciable (any?) armour, a WWI gun armament fit, and a not powerful enough engine. Of course if the Battle had had to lug around the guns and armour that the Il-2 had to, it would have been overtaken in flight by pelicans.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

 

P.S. Pity about poor Mr. Gladstone. Still, I suppose he'll go quite nicely with a good, dry Sherry.

[general melchett]

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they seem to be doing some British bomberish things recently (Lancasters, Blenheims, now the Wimpy)

Not forgetting the old Flying Barndoor and Fortress III of course...

 

Now, a Battle would definitely be in order, (no pun intended)...I'm about to commit grievous bodily harm to a Classic Airframe's 1/48th jobbie as a good deal of it needs to be replaced with lumps of resin and plastic card, but such is life in the world of short-run modelling, (pales into insignificance compared to the total massacre I'm going to have to cause to the FM Hampden, blast the thing). Thanks to Valom and Airfix, (with help from Italeri and Revell) we are slowly getting there bomber wise. Just need a nice new Vulcan...

[Troy Smith]

45 minutes ago, general melchett said:

Just need a nice new Vulcan...

Since the B-52 seems ok this maybe worthwhile...... ?

[Lanmi]

Fantastic build. I love the weathering, just right amount of it. Especially i loved how you paint collector rings on the engines (I will never miss Humbrol 12 Copper metallic)

[general melchett]

Troy, 'long-awaited'! I'm sure going as fast as he can but this and the Victor have been in progress for a long while now. It's a huge undertaking, I know how much went into the Aeroclub one. 

 

Thanks Lamni, the collector rings were masked using Aizu 0.4mm tape then sprayed AK Xtreme Metal AK480 Dark Aluminium with some AK473 Copper added. Mission Models MMM-003 Faded Aluminium mixed with a few drops of MMM-008 White Aluminium was applied to the forward ring which was then, dry brushed and oil washed using Abteilung 510 Starship Filth. The exhaust stacks come as separate items so the forward parts (where they exit the collector ring) need to be faired into the ring before painting.

 

Here are some of the subassemblies, including the engine nacelles before oil washes and pastel powders were added as well as chipping along the propeller blade edges.

 

 

photo sharing sites

 

 

[85sqn]

That, Mr Melchett is a turbo tasty piece of kit! Well done Airfix too!

[Head in the clouds.]

Superb work General.

[Learstang]

General, excellent work on those engines and other accessories! What you've done there would have taken me about two months or so to accomplish. Re Airfix's British bombers, how could I have forgotten that lovely creature the Whitley! I hadn't forgotten the Fortress III (I must buy one of those - I've wanted a 100 Group Fortress for aeons). Yes, things are looking up for Bomber Command in 1/72nd scale lately - however, along with the Lincoln, a Manchester ready-to-build out of the box would be most welcome (I continue to ignore labour on my Manchester and Lincoln conversions). Strange chap that I am, I wouldn't mind seeing a Botha in injection-moulded form, either, although that one would be for the limited-run manufacturers (are you listening, Mr. Lomitzki?), not for Airfix. I agree about the Vulcan; I would have thought that my recent purchase of the old Airfix kit would have made an imminent announcement of a new-mould kit all but inevitable, but sadly the old wives' tale has proven false this time. Perhaps I didn't spend enough money on the kit. If I spent a few hundred quid on aftermarket jobbies that might just do the trick, though...

 

Bestest Regards,

 

Jason

Edited June 14, 2018 by Learstang

[general melchett]

Thanks Stang old thing,

 

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Strange chap that I am, Iwouldn't mind seeing a Botha in injection-moulded form, either, although that one would be for the limited-run manufacturers (are you listening, Mr. Lomitzki?), not for Airfix.

Strange you should mention being a strange chap, but what's stranger still is you mentioning the strangely unloved Botha...

 

 

This one's been circling the old Melchett aerodrome for a good few years now...maybe one day it'll actually get finished.

 

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I agree about the Vulcan; I would have thought that my recent purchase of the old Airfix kit would have made an imminent announcement of a new-mould kit all but inevitable, but sadly the old wives' tale has proven false this time. Perhaps I didn't spend enough money on the kit. If I spent a few hundred quid on aftermarket jobbies that might just do the trick, though...

 

The law of inverse probabilities states that you must spend at least four times the retail value of the kit before a manufacturer will bother releasing a new bang up to date version at an eighth the cost you shelled out for the museum piece and goodies needed to make it passable. I have four of the blighters in the holding bay and a whole drinks-cabinet full of aftermarket for the things so something should happen in the near future......or not! (probably not)

[Learstang]

Is that the Planet Models Botha, old horse? I've actually thought about buying that kit, but I'm trying to stay away from resin kits. Between the dust, cost, and superglue, I think it would be better for both my physical and fiscal health if I did so. I say this, but did it keep me from very recently buying the lovely little Prop & Jet '7211' (a precursor to the Borokvov-Florov I-207) and the TsKB-12 bis (the I-16 prototype). No, of course it didn't. But these really are beautiful little kits, and they really are small - mere trifles. I mean how much resin dust am I going to inhale from these tiny kits? I proudly, nay, lustily filled my mighty lungs with the petrochemical-laden air of Houston, Texas for many years, what's a little resin dust?

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Edited June 15, 2018 by Learstang
Additional comments added. For the benefit of all.

[general melchett]

Nope, it's this chappie,

 

 

Given to me many moons ago by my good friend Geoff Baker. It's not bad for a limited short run,  the surface texture is a tad rough and ready, nothing a good rub down with carbolic acid and a scourer couldn't cure. There are numerous air bubble holes thoughout...hence it's timely monika 'Speckled Jim'. Some very nice metal bits and the vac parts are rather good.

Resin kits have come a long, long way, the SBS stuff is unbelievably refined. Now if you want industrial level inhalation of resin dust, try rubbing down a 1/24th Buccaneer for size, luckily my Hazchem suit and mobile decontamination unit protected me from the worst of it. Even with it's inherent dangers resin is still far and away my favourite medium, it's just so workable, ideal for 'tweaking' and scratch building strangely shaped objects, just ask the Memsahib. 

The chemical-laden air of Houston, phooey...try a week in Ellesmere Port.

[Learstang]

That was the Botha kit I was thinking about. I thought it was Planet Models. And yes, your (in)famous 1/24th Scale Bucc! I'd almost forgotten about that. Wasn't progress stopped on that as you were having trouble getting the squatters living in it evicted? Speaking of refined resin kits, I had heard Prop & Jet make some nice ones, but now that I finally have some I have to say I am very pleased with my '7211' and my TsKB-12 bis. Top-notch moulding and detail. I'm tempted to buy their Su-5, as who can resist a mixed-power aircraft? Especially if it's Soviet. Look right smart next to my I-250 (MiG-13). By the way, I'm not certain but I believe you called the Memsahib a strangely shaped object.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited June 15, 2018 by Learstang
Additional comments added.