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Vickers Valetta 1/72 build


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Despite my having several projects going at once, I thought: "why not?" and started working on Valom's newly-released Vickers Valetta.  I've been inspired by @tonyot and @71chally's builds to start one on my own, and do a couple things differently, like pose it with the paratroop door removed and secured to the cabin interior, and with some modest interior additions and modifications.  For those unacquainted with the kit, Valom's Valetta is a short-run kit that has almost the look and feel of a larger run kit.  The fit is quite good, and the detail excellent.  My only gripes are: 1) the forward fuselage as it meets the rear of the cockpit transparency is a little too squarish, and looks more like that of a Viking than a Valetta, and 2) somehow the tail looks a bit short in height, though I've checked photos of the real thing and it seems to be ok.  

 

As this will be a C.1, i.e. a cargo aircraft (what we'd call a trash-hauler here in the States), I cut out the extra window, the navigator's astrodome top-side, and the paratroop door.  I had to add a little extra plastic to reshape the forward area of the paratroop door.  I've marked where I want the fuselage formers to go, and carefully labeled each one.  I'll also install longerons and an overhead lighting fixture.  The Valetta had a unique protective interior sidewall below the windows, probably to protect the internal aircraft structures.  The kit provides a nice wing spar to divide the cabin, so my plan is only to detail the interior to that point, and only on the right side, where it can be seen by the casual observer.  I have a surplus C-47 cargo floor for the cabin floor.

 

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I sanded the forward fuselage a bit aggressively to impart a more rounded shape.  Unfortunately, in my effort to correct things, I made more problems for myself.  I tapered it a little too much near the cockpit and now need to build it back up a little.  I've decided to sand the cockpit eyebrow windows so that they blend better with the new shape.  Unfortunately, there's not much clear plastic to work with, so I need to be really careful.  My plan is to assemble the fuselage and cockpit, then carefully sand the joint forward of the astrodome until the roof appears more rounded.  Built from the box, it's not bad, but it looks too flat to my eye.

 

I added the nostril-like bumps on the nose, below.  These are included with the kit as part #51, but do not appear anywhere in the instructions--which appear to have been a rush job of sorts.  I sanded them down a bit to reduce their size and make them a little more flattish. They are pretty noticeable on Valettas.  I also rescribed some areas that I aggressively sanded.

 

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Cockpit.  This is the fun part.  Valom's interpretation of the Valetta cockpit is iffy at best, particularly the signaler's station and navigator's position.  The kit's seats are waaaay too big and a little too low in the cockpit.  None of these is a barrier to progress, however.  In other respects, the kit is quite good.  The instrument panel and control yokes look fine.  There are even trim wheels and lots and lots of PE levers for the throttle quadrant.  There's even a PE radio you can assemble, but it belongs in a different position than that indicated in the kit's instructions.

 

I trimmed back the size of the big "blocks" underneath the pilots' seats and sanded off all the locating tabs for the radios and radio-operator's seat aft.  I also added some scrap plastic to the throttle quadrant to give some authenticity to all the levers and such.  It's pretty overwhelming--all these throttles, mixture controls, prop condition levers, cowl flap controls, etc!  I also reduced the size of the seats and gave them some roundedness up top, along with a place for the pilots' harness to pass through.  The real seats had some sort of vinyl or other cover along the back rest, which I used a bit of Mr. Surfacer to simulate.

 

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I also detailed the navigator's and radio operator's positions based on photos of the real thing.  These crew members had a small work table.  You'll note that I relocated the PE radio set to a location just aft of the pilot's seat and used some wire to simulate the mounting structure.  Many of the boxes are surplus from the ESCI C-47 and Revell C-54.  The scope is (I believe) used with the Rebecca equipment.

 

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Edited by TheyJammedKenny!
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Must have a crew for this thing!  I started with PJ Productions' transport pilots, and transplanted heads from the Airfix RAF personnel set, which look awesome.  The detail on the PJ Productions figures is a bit soft, unfortunately.   I decided that the crew should be wearing the lightweight Type E helmets popular with transport pilots in the Middle and Far East, and the grey-blue coveralls (we called them "bags") worn in the 50's and early 60's.

 

 I know the helmets were a tan color.  How do the coveralls look to you guys?  Do I need to darken them?spacer.png

 

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Biggles is the pilot and thus the only one wearing goggles.  The navigator is posted up front to help the pilot with the takeoff checks and initial climbout.  Attached to his helmet is an oxygen mask without the hose, which the crews used for interphone and for air/air and air/ground radio comms.  Standard Transport Command crew was just one pilot, so the navigator or signaler might take turns at the "pole" with the pilot, depending.  I've posed the signaler behind both men, checklist in hand.  

 

One final photo showing the crew and modifications to the forward fuselage:

 

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Wings: with a bit of cleanup, they fit just fine, but it took more sanding on the landing gear well interior of my left wing to get it to fit right.  @71chally voiced concern that the airfoils might be a little too thin.  I fitted them to the fuselage with the spar attached, and found that I needed to add a bit of plastic card to increase the leading edge thickness inboard of the engine nacelles, but nothing more.  Aside from that, it should be relatively straightforward.  Unfortunately, there are serious gaps on the underside of the wing/fuselage join that will require adding sheet styrene.  Note that the airfoil shape on the fuselage sides IS bigger than the wing airfoil on the real aircraft--it appears to be a doubler-plate to strengthen the joint.

 

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14 hours ago, thorfinn said:

Excellent work throughout!

Thanks so much!  There's much still to do, but we'll get there.  

 

14 hours ago, Norman said:

Nice work thus far !

Appreciate the encouragement, Norman!  We'll see how those longerons and formers shape up.  Those are almost certain to drive me a little batty.

 

14 hours ago, cngaero said:

I especially like the work you're putting into the cockpit area.

Thanks, sir!  There is a lot of "glass" in the cockpit area, so the eyebrow windows, combined with the astrodome should allow enough light in for people to see what's happening inside.  BTW: the side windows I've tacked on temporarily for fit reasons--they are actually for the to-be-released Viking.  I'm keeping the bulged windows protected until I need to use them.  The quality of clear parts is excellent.   

 

13 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

will much of the cabin detail be seen? Will you open the rear door(s)?

Ray: Thanks!  I cut out the paratroop door, as it was often bolted to the interior in hot climates as a way of cooling the interior at altitude, as well as for dropping supplies and people.  Some of the rear cargo area will be visible to those who peer inside.  Somehow, unaccountably, my scratch-built para door has gone missing!  Funny how that works.  May need to scratch another.  The cockpit side windows could be propped open on the ground, but I don't want to go through the surgery needed to make them look convincing.   

 

Alex

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Just found this Alex. By chance just got hold of, well it is in the post, the Viking. Very rare now won it in an auction.

 

Also got the Valetta as I thought i would never have the luck to get the Viking.

 

Part of my Jersey Airport Diorama built the Viscount. Looking in with interest.

 

Laurie

 

 

 

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Great to see that you started on your Valetta, and that you have already out stripped my build!

 

Lovely work going into it, especially in the cockpit area.  The pilots look great to me and the blue shade just right, especially considering the scale and that they will be in a dark cockpit.

I agree that I think Valom just made up the rear cockpit layout, but there's not a lot of pictures out there for them to go on in fairness.

I also considered what you have tried, rounding off the cabin where it meets the cockpit glazing, but just considered that it would be very difficult to blend in with the glazing piece then.

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54 minutes ago, LaurieS said:

By chance just got hold of, well it is in the post, the Viking

LaurieS: Great!  What brand did you win at auction?  I'd be interested in seeing your work on it when you do receive it in the mail.  If it's Airmodel, it'll be challenging.  If it's the all-resin S&M model, it should go together with a snap.

 

48 minutes ago, woody37 said:

I've got one here so following with interest.

Woody37: good to know I'm in excellent company with my interest in this plane!

 

8 minutes ago, 71chally said:

also considered what you have tried, rounding off the cabin where it meets the cockpit glazing, but just considered that it would be very difficult to blend in with the glazing piece then.

James: To give Valom credit, they did their best (I think) to capture a surprisingly complicated shape and got it mostly right.  I'm trying to make it look right to me, which is, admittedly, highly subjective.  Others won't care, nor should they.  You've executed some difficult work on yours, including with the dropped flaps, which will have most impressive results--along with all those blasted astrodomes on the T.3.  Also, thanks for the feedback on the aircrew uniforms!

 

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2 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

LaurieS: Great!  What brand did you win at auction?  I'd be interested in seeing your work on it when you do receive it in the mail.  If it's Airmodel, it'll be challenging.  If it's the all-resin S&M model, it should go together with a snap.

 

 

A Maquette only 1/72 around. Struck lucky Alex.They have been going for £60 £70. Got this for £35 really pleased as I have been waiting & watching for few months.

 

Bought one in auction 3 months ago. Arrived one side of the fuselage had been butchered & some parts missing & some had been built. Returned got all my money including return post. Quite amazing.

 

Get anything on an auction ask if all pieces are there & not built. Check every bit on rreceipt. A Dart Herald missing landing gear one side. I knew i could replicate so got it half price. Yet they told me it was complete.

 

Laurie

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Here are the engine cowlings and carburetor intakes.  The cowlings' mounting against the rest of the engine nacelle is dodgy, and will probably rely on the  carburetor intakes to properly align.  I wouldn't have designed a kit this way, but there it is.  The engine faces are bare-bones representations of the real thing, but that hardly matters, considering that it will be impossible to see past the prop hub and after-body.  I briefly considered fabricating the cooling fan, but frankly, getting it symmetrical and looking right is beyond my abilities.  Also, I've only seen clear views of the fan on early '50s Valetta aircraft.  After that, it all gets really vague, so I can just imagine some irritated crew chief tossing out this damaged part after major field maintenance.  Anyway, I'll just paint it dark grey and have done with it.

 

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All things considered, the fit is not bad.  I gave the engine and intake joints a quick sanding on a flat surface and they went together without major hassle, then used the tool you see in the lower right corner to "true out" the cowling faces.  Generally on this kit you need to follow @71chally's advice and largely ignore the part number call-outs on the instruction sheet, and carefully fit each part before cementing.  If something looks like it belongs somewhere based on your photo references, and it's on the parts tree, but not in the instructions, use it!  Use the force:

 

 

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This is an evening's worth of work on the interior.  It's not a precise representation of the real thing, nor are the frames and longerons perfectly aligned, but it's a start.  When painted grey-green and viewed through a 1/2" x 1" aperture (the paratroop door), it should do nicely.  Part of the rib-work aft will be hidden by the paratroop door, which I need to re-scratch--or find the missing door--and secure against the interior.  I could have spent more time getting everything perfect, but to what end?  Before I paint, I'll add some more detail to the framework, like various bags (for the life jackets?), as well as the windows, just to get them in place.  I also added some stringers to the left fuselage half's roof, just in case someone makes a quick inspection there--but I don't want to overdo or overthink this.  The C-47 cargo floor, with the rear-end straightened out, will do nicely I think.

 

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Very nice work Alex.

 

Got my Marquette Viking. some worries after looking at it. But we will see when I get started.

 

Just wondering if I can convert the Valette to a Viking. Looks exactly the same on a quick assessment.

 

Mad idea tut. But I have this tendency tut.. Any way onwards with a Dakota first.

 

Laurie

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5 hours ago, 71chally said:

ovely work on the interior detail, the definition of patience! 

Thanks very much, indeed, James!  It was made somewhat easier by using precut styrene strips of uniform width to fashion the longerons, but I emphasize "somewhat."

 

4 hours ago, LaurieS said:

Just wondering if I can convert the Valette to a Viking.

Dear Laurie: yes, you can, but I would carefully check photo references before doing so.  There were long-bodied Vikings that strongly resemble the Valetta, but the double doors are a little different, and the landing gear doors have cutouts for the tires.   Eagle Aviation Services used a Valetta (formerly VL275/CN 302) in 1957-59 registered G-APII.  BEA had short-bodied Vikings and disposed of them relatively quickly.  If you are willing to wait a few months, Valom is going to release a short-bodied Viking that will require no modification whatsoever and comes with BEA markings.  They've already released the box art.  Alex

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23 minutes ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Thanks very much, indeed, James!  It was made somewhat easier by using precut styrene strips of uniform width to fashion the longerons, but I emphasize "somewhat."

 

Dear Laurie: yes, you can, but I would carefully check photo references before doing so.  There were long-bodied Vikings that strongly resemble the Valetta, but the double doors are a little different, and the landing gear doors have cutouts for the tires.   Eagle Aviation Services used a Valetta (formerly VL275/CN 302) in 1957-59 registered G-APII.  BEA had short-bodied Vikings and disposed of them relatively quickly.  If you are willing to wait a few months, Valom is going to release a short-bodied Viking that will require no modification whatsoever and comes with BEA markings.  They've already released the box art.  Alex

Brilliant info Alex. Think I will do that. The Maquette window openings on one side of the fuselage are hilarious just not square at al in all directions. The instructions are worse.

 

I thought I had a bargain.

 

Laurie

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32 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Were all the short-fuselage Vikings the same as the ones with the geodetic wings?  If Valom are about to release a short-fuselage one this is a relevant question.

My understanding is that the vast majority of short-fuselage vikings had conventional, aluminum stress-skinned wings.  Only the first 19 featured those of Wellington-style geodetic construction (op. cit. Overton, The Valetta p.8).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Slow but steady progress on this one.  In addition to painting the landing gear bays in Testors British Interior Grey-Green, I did the same with the rear cargo area.  I have no idea what the real color was, but this seems an educated guess.  I also added a rear bulkhead.  Thanks to my having an odd assortment of bags and bedrolls and such, I managed to scrounge a few items that resemble what I can only guess are rolled-up shades for the windows, and light-colored bags containing life vests for the passengers. Again, this is guesswork based on what I can see in photos and how I would assume things were done.  I managed NOT to lose my second effort at a scratch built paratroop door, and have dry-fitted it in place below.  Believe me, the first version (lost) looked better, but this isn't bad.  I'll paint the obverse side aluminum and ensure its blue "cheat" stripe can be seen through the window.

 

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I also dry-fitted the emergency supplies, below, to see how they'd look.  Pretty good, I'll say.  These will be added only after I assemble and clean up the fuselage.  Others have suggested the interior, or more properly the cockpit interior, was a "Vickers mid-green" color.  I discovered photos on the web of a group in Switzerland who are restoring a Viking, and the green color they're using looks positively luminescent--neon even.  I made an effort at creating a really bright green by starting with USAF mid-green and adding Post Box Yellow and white, but ended up with something more toned down.  Anyhow, with everything closed up, it'll be difficult to see anyway, but I gave it a try.

 

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