TonyOD Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 (edited) This is where I'm up to with my current build, a Westland Wessex commando carrier. I've just been doing some faffy window masking. The instructions said to paint the passenger seats olive drab same as the pilot seas, but I've seen two photos of similar choppers of the same era where the seats are dark blue, and indeed this is how they are on the splendid Fly Models 1/32 kit, so I went with blue. This is my first helicopter, I'm enjoying it so far. I realise those circle things on the starboard fuselage should really come out, but they won't be seen once it's assembled. I've filled the three corresponding craters on the other side... Edited August 7, 2020 by TonyOD 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 4 hours ago, TonyOD said: the splendid Fly Models 1/32 kit, ah... you've obviously never built one then ? It's horrendous 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 10 hours ago, hendie said: ah... you've obviously never built one then ? It's horrendous No I haven't, I saw an out-of-the box review on YouTube and it looked mighty impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 1 hour ago, TonyOD said: No I haven't, I saw an out-of-the box review on YouTube and it looked mighty impressive! That’s the problem with “box opening” reviews, you get a look at the parts but never see how well, or not, the parts actually fit together or how accurate or not a representation of the real thing they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 4 minutes ago, stever219 said: That’s the problem with “box opening” reviews, you get a look at the parts but never see how well, or not, the parts actually fit together or how accurate or not a representation of the real thing they are. That's a fair point. Actually I messaged the guy to ask if he ever built it but he didn't reply. 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 1 hour ago, TonyOD said: That's a fair point. Actually I messaged the guy to ask if he ever built it but he didn't reply. 😄 If you have one of those I'd suggest you look at @hendie 's build. The full gruesome tale unfolds in what has to be one of the finest ever build threads in history. And all before our very eyes. If you have yet to buy the full thread will help you make vital decisions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Sorry, not trying to put you off. It's just that for a few of us, the Fly kit became something of a standing joke the kit was that bad. We're always glad to see another Wessex being built around here. Feel free to ask anything at any time. There's a lot of knowledgeable folks here always willing to help out. There's good reason you never see many of the Fly kits built and most of the threads tail off before they get completed. The kit is a disaster - there's loads of things wrong with it, shape wise and design wise. HL-10 did a fantastic job with his, especially in such a short time frame, but if you want an accurate Wessex from the Fly kit - be prepared for a fight. There's some thing which just can't be corrected - the entire front end is wrong for a start, as is the spine from the cockpit back over the cabin area. This was my two year effort. (there's also a 1/72 Wessex thrown in there for good measure) My favorite though, was the 1/48 Wessex from Italeri - I wasn't that enamored with it at the time but looking back it was a much more enjoyable build than the Fly offering. I'd even consider doing another one sometime. The WIP and the RFI (apologies for the thread hijack) 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper-30 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Excellent looking forward to seeing this . As an aside lots of moaners about Flys Wessex it can be made ok out of the box as many pictures around are testament .. just takes a little model building skills that’s all. not my pictures 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Thanks, @hendie, this is all good stuff. i had a read of @HL-10's build last nigth, and will have a look at your mighty effort later. Is the flag on the nose of yours a monster descal or (somehow) painted, @viper-30? Bit of minor surgery going on with my little effort. There are recesses to accommodate what I presume are steps up to the cockpit. There’s a pair on each side but they’re too shallow and too small (especially the upper ones which should be twice the width). Also the lower ones are too far aft, they should be in a vertical line. Done one of the upper ones, but the lower ones will be interesting as I’ve been hasty in gluing the legs on. Fun and games. (Really both should be a bit further forward, but I'll live with it.) I don’t know when I started caring about this stuff. It creeps up on you. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Watching this with interest as I am building the same kit over on the Helicopters/STOVL/Autogyro group build, as an RAN HAS. 31B AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 3 minutes ago, Andwil said: Watching this with interest as I am building the same kit over on the Helicopters/STOVL/Autogyro group build, as an RAN HAS. 31B AW I'll look in on that. I might learn something! 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 16 minutes ago, TonyOD said: I'll look in on that. I might learn something! 😀 Ha ha, I was hoping to learn from your build😁. I’m not as knowledgeable about the type or as skilled a modeller as some on here so mine will certainly not be a Hendie like masterpiece. AW 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 minute ago, Andwil said: Ha ha, I was hoping to learn from your build😁. I’m not as knowledgeable about the type or as skilled a modeller as some on here so mine will certainly not be a Hendie like masterpiece. AW That is unlikely! I'm trying to up my game a little bit but my output will be pretty middle of the road compared to some of the stuff round here. That said, I felt a took a trip into "proper modeller" territory last night when I spent 40 minutes opening up that tiny slot... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 A bit like me hacking out a window! AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) After a substantial amount of jiggery polkery with a drill and needle file I've opened up two 5mm x 2mm slots and got the upper steps where they need to be. I've filled the misplaced recesses for the lower steps in readiness for more of the same later on (more like 3mm x 2mm this time, directly below the upper steps). I've found myself laughing out loud while investing this time because nobody would ever know. Meanwhile, the only other progress I've made is to paint the rotor blades and the canopy framing the wring colour 🙄. I've been pondering how to paint the tail rotor. There are two FAA options, one with a camouflage paint job that has a light grey tail rotor with red/white tips, and the other (that I'm doing) with overall dark green, tail rotor in the same dark green and red tips, according to the instructions at least. I've found a pic of XS522 with the grey rotor and different numbers. Looking around on the 'net the only dark green Wessexes I see with the dark green tail rotor are those with low visibility roundels (though some of these had light grey). When carrying standard red/white/blue roundels (as here) they're invariably light grey. I'm wondering if when XS522 was with HMS London, carrying different numbers, the rotor might actually have been repainted or replaced with the green? Any Wessex experts able to advise, or should I just trust the darn instructions? My Wessex in 1977, four years before the kit depiction. And what's with the lighter shade on the nose? Also, the bulged window is aft according to the instructions. 🤔 A few other configurations... Green/low-vis/green Green/low-vis/green Green/standard/grey: Edited July 2, 2020 by TonyOD 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 The plot thickens... research confirms that in 1981 XS522 was indeed on the strength of 772 NAS. Thing is, the squadron badge on the decal sheet isn't for 772 NAS, it's (as far as I can tell because it's pretty crudely printed) for 707 NAS, to which this chopper was transferred around 1984 (having also been with this squadron in 1975-1977). What to do? This is a pretty big inaccuracy. Maybe shift across to the camo version, seems a bit more reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 2 hours ago, TonyOD said: Any Wessex experts able to advise, or should I just trust the darn instructions? I would not consider myself a Wessex expert by any means, but as a modeler, I can say - do NOT trust any instructions. Wherever possible try to get photographic evidence. For example, back in my 1/48 build I did 3 green blades and one silver blade on the tail rotor as I was modeling Hotel at a particular time (82 - 84) and have photographic evidence of Hotel in this configuration. The original blade was replaced during servicing and used one they had lying around. I liked that it added a bit of character so copied that in my build. Instructions will never provide you with details like that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) Thanks for that @hendie. Without trying too hard I've identified that with this kit there is incorrect step configuration, two windows the wrong way round, an incorrect squadron insignia and the strong possibility of a dodgy rotor. Now I'm no rivet counter but this is a bit much. Plus the box states that this a/c was with HMS London in 1981, far as I can see it never went near that ship at any point in its career. (It's feasible that in fact this is an accurate representation of XS522 at some point in time, but the labelling of the a/c on the box is wrong?) I've found a nice looking Modeldecal aftermarket sheet which I can pick up for a few quid. There are two representations of XS522 (in 1976 and 1978) plus numerous other options, I wanted to go with all-over green rather than camo so it looks like a good punt. The pics of it online aren't very clear but I can see the "Busby" nose art that Italeri purports to have been on this chopper, interestingly alongside 707 NAS squadron insignia. It's all very confusing! (I remember my very first build being an Airfix Spitfire PR XIX, new issue at the time, and very quickly noticing that the fuselage roundels were too small. How can they get this stuff wrong, I thought to myself!) Edited July 2, 2020 by TonyOD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAF4EVER Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 35 minutes ago, hendie said: I would not consider myself a Wessex expert by any means, but as a modeler, I can say - do NOT trust any instructions. Wherever possible try to get photographic evidence. For example, back in my 1/48 build I did 3 green blades and one silver blade on the tail rotor as I was modeling Hotel at a particular time (82 - 84) and have photographic evidence of Hotel in this configuration. The original blade was replaced during servicing and used one they had lying around. I liked that it added a bit of character so copied that in my build. Instructions will never provide you with details like that. Hendie,when were you at RAF Sek Kong,I had 2 tours in Hong Kong,1976-1978.and 1981-1983,was on WSF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 1 hour ago, TonyOD said: and the strong possibility of a dodgy rotor. I can't remember if it's the 1/72, or the 1/48, or both, but at least one of them has the tail rotor direction reversed 1 hour ago, RAF4EVER said: Hendie,when were you at RAF Sek Kong,I had 2 tours in Hong Kong,1976-1978.and 1981-1983,was on WSF does this ring any bells? (must have been winter time 82/83? as we have long sleeves!) (not my photo so will remove if anyone objects) I was there from 82 to 84. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 10 minutes ago, hendie said: I can't remember if it's the 1/72, or the 1/48, or both, but at least one of them has the tail rotor direction reversed Yep... 🙄 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Add to the list of issues the undercarriage, take a look at it, goodness only knows where that lower arm is meant to fit. AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Suffice it to say, if I was going there I would not start from here. Here being an Italeri Wessex or H34. A more dimensionally accurate Wessex than the immensely old Frog HAS1/31 hasn't yet been produced but it is a very old and somewhat crude moulding with its own issues. Wheels that are massively too big and no cockpit bits Combining Frog fuselage parts with Italeri, Revell or Matchbox bits gives a satisfying Walter. But expensive, very expensive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 22 minutes ago, perdu said: Combining Frog fuselage parts with Italeri, Revell or Matchbox bits gives a satisfying Walter. Oh, I don't know, I'm very easily satisfied! 😉 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 No worries, I'm enjoying it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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