Transall vaillant Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Good evening, It's the first time i start a topic with you. I'm not fluent with english language, but it is easier as i only have to write ! Main purpose is to share about plastic kit building, but also to practice again your language because, retired, knowledge is fading fastly... so i have a dictionary on my knees ! 😄 Why a Whitley ? Because a good friend is building a Manchester and i had to go with him on something in relation with his subject : too lazy to start my Planet Model Manchester kit after some hard previous work, i saw this recent box, and i also wanted to build a new Airfix big plane kit. Also because i did not build any flying british thing since... 1994 ! Meanwhile, i had at least made this : and this... So i expect to be forgiven... 😄 I have seen two other Airfix Whitleys built here and i got by the way very useful informations from you about landing gear legs. The kit seems ar first very clean and easy to assembly and as a fact after two days it seems nearly finished : nearly... 😜 First small correction with rudder's shape : Corrected one on the left side. As it seemed i would not have a lot of work with this kit, i started to detail the turrets which are already very fine from the box. Here the rear one (FN4A ?) : The scheme is coming from "British Aircraft Armement" from R. Wallace Clarke, an excellent book you surely all know. I had to sand very heavily for the first time when gluing engine's nacelles to the wing : maybe i did not proceed correctly as everything was going nearly perfectly until now. Then i started to look too often to the landing lights : Airfix chosed a solution which gives satisfaction when you look the aircraft from ahead, but which is really puzzling when looked from above... So i decided to make some extra work there also... Front turret (FN16 ?) : Here you can see how things look like with rudders and drifts. I was prone to think it wa nearly perfect, but careful attention to pictures revealed a real mistake here from Airfix : The left part has been corrected : I was also puzzled with wing's position light, but when you don't want to see... So i first made that : The light must be at the end of the straight part of the leading edge, and straight above the upper angle of the aileron : but if you get the first place, you miss the second, and vice-versa... It took me some time to understand there was something wrong with the aileron's size, as overall wing shape is perfect. Correcting this problem needed a big work, as i thought this kit would be finished in a few weeks only : but in the end i couldn't deal with the parts as they were and i started the correction, both extrados and intrados. Aileron's length is 8 cm instead of 7,6 : the number of ribs is correct, but you have to get rid of the last one. Of course, it means you also have to correct the part of the wing which is covered with linen, and move the command fairings. In the end, it looks correct after several days of sanding, gluing evergreen, spraying surfacer 500, sanding... It is a big amount of work, but if accuracy is one of your goals you cannot avoid it. I must add that the plastic is easy to work and that i like it (some people say it's too soft, another point of view...) Well, the plane is not finished yet and i hope to end it in two or three weeks. Some extra work as you can read and see, but this kit is a really good one : i only hope i will have less work to perform with the Wellington and the Fortress Mk.III ! Regards. 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Hi and welcome to BM, great start on the Whitley, the extra work and details are going to make this a stunner for sure. Great work. Also you marine models are fantastic, truly great work. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Quite a beginning, Sir! Great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Greetings from Western Canada. Your English is fine. I understood everything. By the way, what is your native language? That sailing ship looks great! The Whitley is looking great, too. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlogger Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 I loved especially the superd detailing in turret. Great job, cant wait to see how finishes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TempestV Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 I'm really enjoying this, thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunny Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Great work - and welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 transall vaillant . Nice to have you on board and your ships looks AWESOME. . And I look forward to youf build. Seeing how you built your ships with intricate rigging I do not think you will hsve any problems with your Whitley Mk V. SUPER start. and your written English (and spoken too no doubt) is Perfect. don't worry about that. keep up the Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transall vaillant Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 Thanks to all of you. For Chris, well I'm French... and you may be the "Chris" i have to thank for two superbs pictures of Whitley's landing gear published here a few months ago ? If so, you will see how useful they have been ! Tonight, or rather tomorrow, some varnish work... See you later ! @+ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transall vaillant Posted November 10, 2020 Author Share Posted November 10, 2020 Hello, Some news... Paint work is going on, slowly... Now it looks like a British bomber... Some thick heavy sepia oil paint to bring some life on this plastic thing, beginning with left extrados... and then a big time trying to represent those metallic things we can see on each landing gear leg, but i'm not sure at all about shape nor purpose : openning gear doors or (over)load indicators ?? The first attempt is on the left, much too wide, then four "things"... The result must be something like taht : It is only an interpretation of two pictures, i found no plan or scheme or rear side pic. The intrados will look like that when finished : I've done a little further work on it, i'll post pics in a while. Good evening ! @+ 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transall vaillant Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 Good evening. Some decals problems, silvering, tearing when removing masktape... So only one way to proceed : removing everything and paint the roundels ! But first, get the right colours... Delays, delays... @+ :-) 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet Mike Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Lovely build so far. Such a shame the roundel decals didn't work, but with your skills you obviously have it well in hand 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transall vaillant Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 Hi ! Happy New Year ! This Whitley is over since yesterday. Roundels painted owing to Mr.Paint's tints. I don't like painting, i am not an artist, it 's always a struggle for me to deal with any problem with every kit. In the end, i find a kind of charm in this aircraft, an old fashionned flying bombing device : i will probably not say the same thing for the Wellington... I also ended this one yesterday, another Airfix kit, Xtra decals : I hope you will find find some interest in both. I felt very curious when Airfix started its rebirth some years ago : now i have several red boxes on my shelves, which proove anything can happen... Heller rebirth also ?... Just a sad joke... You all are lucky fellows ! Regards. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadway Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 Thanks to detailing the, it will come in useful when I get round to mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet Mike Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 Amazing result! I've always liked the Whitley, your build is really inspiring me to get one on the workbench. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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