Crackingjob Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 (edited) Came across this almost unbelievable aircraft..Vickers Wellesley bomber....it was obsolete long before the 2nd World War but yet served into 1940 in the Middle East. Single engined with big wings, one for somebody! I think Matchbox once made a kit.https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=vickers+wellesley&client=safari&hl=en-gb&prmd=imsvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0n57uo9HcAhUKDsAKHRMGDSwQ_AUIDygB&biw=768&bih=960 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_Wellesley Edited August 3, 2018 by Crackingjob Spacing of links Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Matchbox did the Wellesley; I had no idea the aircraft even existed until I saw that. There is also a kit by Valom, which was released in several versions within the last 4 or 5 years. Still need a 1/48th scale kit though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 2 hours ago, VMA131Marine said: Matchbox did the Wellesley; I had no idea the aircraft even existed until I saw that. There is also a kit by Valom, which was released in several versions within the last 4 or 5 years. Still need a 1/48th scale kit though. But sir! Rate ye not highly the Sanger kit? Actually, IIRC someone here did a build of that a while ago. The kit is from 1997, according to Scalemates. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 If you search the forum, there are a few Wellesley build with lots of pictures and information. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Not quite 1920s, it only looked like it, first flight 1935, not much older than the Spitfire. Similar geodetic construction to the Wellington bomber & served with distinction in the East African campaign against Italian forces. Also the holder of the world distance record prewar I believe. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Given my love for weird subjects, the Wellesley has a prominet place in my list of essential kits.....I've got a 1/48 Sanger vacuform wich I'd love to build, but need a lot of previous research and information before even thinking about starting it....The worst part of the Sanger kit is the absolute lack of geodetic frame in the wings area.....and can't find a suitable way to reproduce it. The old Matchbox kit, along with the H.P. Heyford and the Supermarine Stranraer were amongst my youth myths (modelling related 🤗)......despite my friends calling me "bizarre" for not building Focke Wulfs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I've got this, Artie. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 3 hours ago, Paul Thompson said: But sir! Rate ye not highly the Sanger kit? Actually, IIRC someone here did a build of that a while ago. The kit is from 1997, according to Scalemates. Paul. Vacu-form kit! I suspect it is buildable, but will require a bunch of scratch holding. I'd prefer and injection molded kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 1 hour ago, dogsbody said: I've got this, Artie. Quite useful, Chris, thank you very much......must collect as much info as possible, this is a promising project wich deserves lots of love and care....!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 3 hours ago, Paul Thompson said: Rate ye not highly the Sanger kit? No I tried to build one and ended up giving up cos there was just so much needed doing link. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 2 hours ago, Artie said: The worst part of the Sanger kit is the absolute lack of geodetic frame in the wings area.....and can't find a suitable way to reproduce it. Artie, Just a thought- if the wings on your vacform kit come in upper and lower halves, could you maybe scribe the framework on the inner surface of each wing with a ballpoint pen, making a slightly raised outline on the outer surface? That's as far as my thinking takes me, as MacDonald said in the Great Escape. The same technique is used by many WW1 modelers to give some indication of rib structure on vacform wings. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Oops! Forgot one. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Wellesley info: https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Modeling-References/Aircraft-Profiles/Britain/Between-the-Wars/Vickers-Wellesley-Variants https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=Vickers+Wellesley&pageSize= There's also the Warpaint booklet that quite nice. I have a file of pictures saved to my 'puter, but most of it has been posted on BM already. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold55 Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 I would love to see a good 1/48 injection model of this plane and I am sure we will if only someone would build the vacuform. My understanding is it is necessary for the model gods to first see the suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 14 hours ago, dogsbody said: Oops! Forgot one. Chris, Is that biplane in the background with the serial K2771 the Vickers 253 prototype? IIRC they just built one and it was supposed to be a replacement for the Wapiti. (I've been studying real hard to learn my esoteric RAF types since I've been a follower on BM!) If I ever learn as much as @Graham Boak or @Sabrejet I will be a happy camper! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, 72modeler said: Chris, Is that biplane in the background with the serial K2771 the Vickers 253 prototype? IIRC they just built one and it was supposed to be a replacement for the Wapiti. (I've been studying real hard to learn my esoteric RAF types since I've been a follower on BM!) If I ever learn as much as @Graham Boak or @Sabrejet I will be a happy camper! Mike Yep, that's it. More info here: https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Modeling-References/Aircraft-Profiles/Britain/Between-the-Wars/Vickers-Wellesley-Variants Chris Edited August 4, 2018 by dogsbody 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 On 03/08/2018 at 20:48, Artie said: the Sanger kit is the absolute lack of geodetic frame in the wings area.....and can't find a suitable way to reproduce it. I had a go as below, which I think was fine tape under metal foil (you'd have to check my thread). I think it came out okish? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 On 8/3/2018 at 11:33 PM, Mike said: No I tried to build one and ended up giving up cos there was just so much needed doing link. Looking at your build thread and it's a shame you put it on the shelf as I thought you were kicking it into shape very nicely. We can't persuade you to do a restart...........can we?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 3 minutes ago, mackem01 said: We can't persuade you to do a restart...........can we?? The state of my schedule and so forth at the moment, probably not, but you never know... maybe one day. I did get a pang of nostalgia when I had a read through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 On 8/4/2018 at 12:13 AM, dogsbody said: Oops! Forgot one. Chris Another interesting thing about tje Wellesly was it began life as a biplane - seen here in the background, the Bickers Type 253. It essentially had the same fuselage as the Wellesly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Good.......then I will live in hope. This machine deserves some 48th scale justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crackingjob Posted August 6, 2018 Author Share Posted August 6, 2018 Great information folks thank you....I think the thing that gets me is the wing span and single engine, knowing what came after. As I understand it, the RAF gained long distance flight experiance from this and the earlier Fairey long range monoplane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 On 8/5/2018 at 1:38 PM, Mike said: I had a go as below, which I think was fine tape under metal foil (you'd have to check my thread). I think it came out okish? Hi, Mike..I've been checking your thread, but haven't been able to find anything regarding the geodetic frame......Wich material l did you use..???? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 28 minutes ago, Artie said: Hi, Mike..I've been checking your thread, but haven't been able to find anything regarding the geodetic frame......Wich material l did you use..???? Cheers I think it was some very narrow tape, over which I glued either nickel or aluminium foil. It was just a test piece for when I got further with the build. I was thinking about adding a few coats of primer, then flatting it back to give it a more natural look once I'd get it on the wing, to smooth those steps out. Might have worked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
593jones Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 On 8/4/2018 at 7:39 PM, dogsbody said: Yep, that's it. More info here: https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Modeling-References/Aircraft-Profiles/Britain/Between-the-Wars/Vickers-Wellesley-Variants Chris Now, that is an interesting looking aircraft! I don't suppose there's any chance Airfix will do it in 1/48 as their surprise kit of 2019? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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