wellsprop Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Hi All, Following my latest RFI and getting a new job, I've decided to do a few of the older designs from my new employer! I'm not particularly fussed about being rivet counting anymore, so those of a nervous disposition, look away now! I got fairly lucky and managed to pick up Airfix's ancient Westland Whirlwind for a tenner; I think my dad built this model when he was a kid! I also managed to get hold of Airfix's Army Lynx fairly cheaply, with a last minute bid on ebay! And, to top it off, Italeri's Wessex IMG_20180805_171235 by Ben Standen, on Flickr I'm building the Whirlwind and Wessex in the same colours as the box, as for the Lynx, well..... BERP rotors from the Airfix 1/48 Lynx AH7 resized. IMG_20180805_194712 by Ben Standen, on Flickr And added to the 1/72 rotors... IMG_20180807_074611 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Sanded off the raised details, reshaped the exhausts.... IMG_20180807_155853 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Watch this space 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I know I'll be enjoying it too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 Added a little detail to the cockpit with seatbelts and painted the toggles and switches on the instrument panel - I know it's not massively accurate and it's all oversized, but I'm not particularly bothered. IMG_20180807_183509 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Sanded off the windscreen wipers from the transparencies before polishing with fine wet and dry, a layer of gloss enamel will make the canopy see through again. I also filled in the holes for the aerials on the nose (still need to rescribe the panel lines for the avionics bay though). IMG_20180807_183718 by Ben Standen, on Flickr I made a new horizontal stabiliser from plasticard and sandwiched it between two pieces of the 1/48 Lynx rotors (I filed the lower surface of the rotor off, leaving only the cambered upper surface, which were placed above and below the horiz stab). IMG_20180807_183453 by Ben Standen, on Flickr It looks about right. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 And the final work I've managed to do tonight, starting to look like a Lynx now the main fuselage is together! IMG_20180807_220500 by Ben Standen, on Flickr The horiz stab and vertical stabs were all made from plasticard using various photos and a profile drawing. For those who haven't already guessed, this is G-LYNX, over 30 years old and still the helicopter speed record holder! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I thought it would be her Are these any use to you, this one shows the BERP shape on a blade quite nicely Always thought I might do her as she is now in Weston Super Mud So I took a simple spread I was quite tempted by the stickers all alongside her and I understand you are not so taken with the post event finish If you want me to I will delete this interference for you ASAP Yours is looking good so far 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 5 minutes ago, perdu said: I thought it would be her Are these any use to you, this one shows the BERP shape on a blade quite nicely Always thought I might do her as she is now in Weston Super Mud So I took a simple spread I was quite tempted by the stickers all alongside her and I understand you are not so taken with the post event finish If you want me to I will delete this interference for you ASAP Yours is looking good so far Cheers Perdu! As it happens, I'm a Somerset lad and until a couple days ago I was living in a village close to Weston. Before I moved closer to yeovil, I made sure to pop into the heli museum and get a good look at the old Westlands helicopters - including G-LYNX I'm only not doing the speed record livery as I'm struggling to source decals! Cheers, Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I knew you were near there, should have thought really, sorry Do you want me to delete..... Oh I see I can't now you have quoted them, sorry re: the transfers The main panel should be grabbable from a decent side on shot but the silver RR decal would be beyond my capabilities However I am sure I have seen the RR logo on a transfer somewhere in silver... I would have popped down to Locking for a detail session if I decided to get on with mine, I have both styles of nose ready for the build anyway up, I am guaranteed to enjoy this 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share Posted August 8, 2018 13 hours ago, perdu said: I knew you were near there, should have thought really, sorry Do you want me to delete..... Oh I see I can't now you have quoted them, sorry re: the transfers The main panel should be grabbable from a decent side on shot but the silver RR decal would be beyond my capabilities However I am sure I have seen the RR logo on a transfer somewhere in silver... I would have popped down to Locking for a detail session if I decided to get on with mine, I have both styles of nose ready for the build anyway up, I am guaranteed to enjoy this 👍 No, keep the pictures, good to have some high quality pics on the thread I did consider printing the decals myself, but I'd need white decal paper and I'm not sure how I'd do the "Westland Speed Record" bit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 (edited) Got a bit further, Completed the painting, looks a bit lumpy at the moment, so it may need a bit of localised wet and dry and repainting yet. IMG_20180810_154049 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Trying to create the rotor collars. IMG_20180810_153918 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Also filed down the front strut of the skids to make it tapered, as it should be. IMG_20180810_153904 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Created some exhausts from an old small aerial (only about 2/3mm across). IMG_20180810_154155 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Trying to sort out decals now, I have previously created masks for codes, see this Spitfire IMG_5351_zps9d82f731 by Ben Standen, on Flickr The squadron codes were large and simple enough to cut masks for, the "JR " was painted by hand. Unfortunately, the "G-LYNX" markings are too small close and fiddly to create markings for. I have asked Mike Belcher of Belcher Bits if his 1/48 decals could be resized, they could, but they have to be bought in a large batch size, unfortunately. I think some 1/72 12" white serials will suffice, no chance of doing the "Westland Speed Record" markings, however. In any case, I'll make the aircraft as it was the morning of the record-setting run. Ben Edited August 10, 2018 by wellsprop 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Not too difficult to do the Westland Speed Record marks Ben, the font used looks like Helvetica which can be printed from your computer in white and red on a coloured background If you dont have Helvetica in your 'font bank' it can be freely downloaded into it from many sources Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Glad to see you back building Ben, your new employer should be paying you for this WIP.🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 Seconded! Good to se you back Ben. Missed the start but caught up now and watching with interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 1 hour ago, CedB said: Seconded! Good to se you back Ben. Missed the start but caught up now and watching with interest Thanks Ced It's nice to be able to get back into doing WiP's (I have made the odd model or two over the past couple years, but I didn't have much time to relax at uni!). I have been on a somewhat extended summer holiday since I finished uni back in May/June... I got the job offer for as an engineer for whirly-rotor-things, but came up blank getting any temporary summer jobs until the engineer job starts - which is still end of August, hence the model building! Could be worse I suppose, I was one of the lucky ones, getting four job offers so I had a choice of where I ended up! Anyway, here's how G-LYNX is progressing, I've got all the transparencies on and completed and the paintwork is completed - just waiting for the gloss varnish over the front and top transparencies to fully harden, which should be tomorrow morning (gloss varnish was needed as I sanded off the wiper blades on the front and inked the top windows) IMG_20180814_084830 by Ben Standen, on Flickr In the meantime, I've been attempting to recreate the rotor collars, but I'm having trouble building it up with filler - think I'll buy some milliput instead! IMG_20180814_084658 by Ben Standen, on Flickr So whilst I'm waiting for the varnish to dry, the 12" white serial decals (to do the "G-LYNX" reg) to turn up, and waiting for the milliput, there's not too much I can do on the Lynx... So, I started on the Whirlwind - this one is going to be a bit tough. Sanded off the oversize rivets - when I went to the Helicopter Museum it struck me just how lumpy helicopters are with rivets, I'm used to smooth surfaces of fixed-wing aircraft. Despite this, you can only really see the rivets if you are up close so in 1/72 scale, there's no point with rivets (as they would be about 0.1mm in diameter) IMG_20180814_084643 by Ben Standen, on Flickr The cockpit needs a fair bit of work, I started by covering the void in the instrument panel with a bit of plasticard. IMG_20180814_084800 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Next, I need to scratch build the centre cockpit structure/console. Shouldn't be too hard. I'll also add a little detail to the seats in the form of straps, but that'll be it most likely. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 Some more progress on the Whirlwind; the cockpit is coming together slowly, I opened my Humbrol cockpit green and found it very sticky, guess which idiot over-thinned it so painting has taken several layers! Meanwhile, I've been trying to sort out the rotor head. The kit parts are very, very chunky and don't remble a rotor head much at all. I sanded down the chunky kit parts, removed the solid centre, created a swash plate and added some pitch control rods. It's not massively detailed/accurate, but it looks a lot better than the kit parts! IMG_20180814_163953 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_20180814_163935 by Ben Standen, on Flickr 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 I didn't get much done yesterday (modelling wise), but I did end up in the Fleet Air Arm Museum which was rather nice - particularly as I managed to get to the Helicopter Museum only a couple weeks ago! I then spent a fair bit of the afternoon bottling my homebrew ale - all 20 pints of it, in another two weeks that should be ready to drink, by which time I will have started work and hopefully I'll have met a few other graduate engineers who'll be willing to "test" the homebrew I've covered all the transparencies of the Lynx with both latex based painting/masking gum and masking tape, hopefully I shouldn't have any nasty surprises after lacquering. IMG_20180815_091728 by Ben Standen, on Flickr I also hand painted the "Lynx" markings on the nose, which looks ok, could do with a bit more touching up. IMG_20180816_093812 by Ben Standen, on Flickr The cockpit for the Whirlwind has been finished, nothing amazing, and the fuselage halves brought together. I painted some gauges on the instrument panel and added some seatbelts, all totally inaccurate of course, but it adds a bit of detail. IMG_20180816_093549 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_20180816_093531 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_20180816_093508 by Ben Standen, on Flickr 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Nice work! Håkan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 No more picture updated today, but I sprayed the lynx gloss, sprayed it Matt, masked the anti-gay panels and skids before spraying all gloss again. This leaves the anti glare panel on the nose a and the skids nicely matt with the rest gloss. I also raided my decal spares and found some old fairly out of register lynx decals, the "danger" markings and black squares on top of the fuselage. They could be better, but hey, it looks about right 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 Decals on, more lacquer. IMG_20180817_190227 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_20180817_190333 by Ben Standen, on Flickr And the Whirlwind IMG_20180817_190139 by Ben Standen, on Flickr 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Coming along smartly Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Seconded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 I've made a mess with some milliput! First time using it, it looks about right at the moment, I'm going to let it dry overnight before I create the ridged/hump bit of the rotor collars with more milliput tomorrow (and obviously sand everything smooth). IMG_20180818_124648 by Ben Standen, on Flickr For the "ridge/lump" in the rotor collars, see this image; 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 4 hours ago, wellsprop said: I've made a mess with some milliput! First time using it... It's great stuff Ben - did you know it goes through stages as it cures? Sticky at first, it can be moulded (water helps and stops tools sticking) and smoothed to the rough shape, then it hardens in 3-4 hours and can be sanded, drilled or whatever. Full how to on the Milliput website here. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 8 minutes ago, CedB said: It's great stuff Ben - did you know it goes through stages as it cures? Sticky at first, it can be moulded (water helps and stops tools sticking) and smoothed to the rough shape, then it hardens in 3-4 hours and can be sanded, drilled or whatever. Full how to on the Milliput website here. HTH I knew it could be moulded within the first hour, didn't think to put water on my tools, sticking was a bit annoying! Whilst I'm waiting for the milliput to fully set, I've tackled the last bit of the rotorhead/swashplate/controls. Here's the original kit part IMG_20180818_161244 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Here's what it should look like I'm not sure what the technical name for that part is so I'm going to call it the spider-crab-rotor-control-thing aka the-bit-that-angles-the-bit-which-controls-the-bits-that-spin. Don't tell my new employer that's what I've called that bit. And here's my, somewhat ok, attempt at replicating it from what once was a Spitfire wheel and some bits of seats from a Lynx (all 1/72 scale!). IMG_20180818_173153 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Once again, the final result isn't particularly accurate or detailed, but it's much better than the kit supplied part! IMG_20180818_173323 by Ben Standen, on Flickr 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 I haven't done much on the helicopters today, apart from trying to file down the rotor collars and break off a rotor in the process! Been one of those days tidying the house (fun...). It does, finally, feel like we haven't only just moved in, only been in lovely South Somerset for two weeks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 The postie delivered some white serial decals today; decals on, lacquer on, masks off - here's the result! IMG_20180820_134248 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_20180820_134222 by Ben Standen, on Flickr It needs some very minor touching up, but it's nearly there 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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