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Port Pleasant, 8 June 1982 - Westland Wessex HU.5. ++++ RFI POSTED ++++


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On 5/11/2022 at 10:16 PM, Markh-75 said:

Been following this with interest! Very tidy work! I always liked the unusual shape of the ol' Wessex, always thought it looked like a big snail!👍 Great progress so far.😀


I never thought of it that way but now you mention it, it kinda does look like a snail.  Brian was his name, right? Magic Roundabout?

 

On 5/12/2022 at 12:57 AM, hendie said:

 

Don't make those seams too good. The nose door has a very visible gap/seam all around.  Check out the walkround section and you'll see.

Nice work so far - lovely Instrument panel


I yes indeed, it went to the references and the panels are quite distinct.  
 

Thanks also @AliGauld and @bigbadbadge, encouragement always gratefully accepted.

 

Fitting the windscreen went remarkably well.  I needed a spreader to hold the framing open about 0.5mm to get everything lined up properly.  Using some sprue, I made a spreader of the correct length.  Then, with it held in place only by friction, I offered up the windscreen and glued it in place with very carefully applied Tamiya extra thin.  When the glue set up I simply pulled out the spreader.  Of course, I forgot to take pics along the way, so here’s an almost after the fact shot.  You’ll get the idea I think.

 

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As you can see, there’s stil a bit of blending to do but not much more than a few swipes of PPP.  Here’s where it’s at now, not quite finished but close.

 

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Next, I had to tackle a self-made problem.  When I installed the cabin I put it in almost 1mm too far aft, though I didn’t realise until well after any real opportunity to correct it without major surgery.  I also didn’t think it would be much of a problem as I’d successfully installed the cockpit bulkhead in the correct location adjacent to the framing.  Then I offered up the the frame around the MRH.

 

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There’s my misplaced mm coming back to haunt me.  This required action, and I promptly removed the MRH with pliers as gently as I could.

 

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Next, I offered up the PE part so that I could mark the MRH’s correct location relative to it.

 

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After cleaning up the bottom of the MRH I was able to set it back in the correct location.

 

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The PE mesh will obscure the misalignment.  Crisis averted.

 

Since those shenanigans I’ve spent the last couple of sessions getting the airframe ready for paint.  Most of this activity is in attaching PE details.  PE isn’t my favourite medium to work in but I’m liking the results.

 

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I reckon I have another session’s worth of PE work to go before it’s done.  Then some masking and a few plastic bits and pieces and it’ll be time for paint.

 

Cheers.

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5 hours ago, mark.au said:

I reckon I have another session’s worth of PE work to go before it’s done.  Then some masking and a few plastic bits and pieces and it’ll be time for paint.

If you're going to be fitting the winch, best offer it up and check. Italeri got the position of the winch hatch (the big pe panel) wrong.

That hatch is designed to open up over the winch as the Trans deck door is opened.

Italeri have it too far forward if I remember correctly.

 

 

It should be able to open up over the winch like this

 

PC310011.JPG

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10 hours ago, mark.au said:

There’s my misplaced mm

Nothing worse than a misplaced mm 🤣. Nice work on the canopy Mark, and a stylish recovery from the cockpit mishap!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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8 hours ago, hendie said:

If you're going to be fitting the winch, best offer it up and check. Italeri got the position of the winch hatch (the big pe panel) wrong.

That hatch is designed to open up over the winch as the Trans deck door is opened.

Italeri have it too far forward if I remember correctly.

 

 

It should be able to open up over the winch like this

 

PC310011.JPG

 

Thank you!  That makes the issue clear, I wasn't sure what the hatch did but this shows what and how it works very well.  It is indeed about 1.5mm too far forward according to my rough measurements this morning.  I'm not going to fix it though as the PE is very well attached with well cured CA glue and there'd be more damage than I want to fix if I were to remove it.  I will try a little visual misdirection and cheat the winch forward a little to compensate.

 

Your comment got me thinking about relativity in our model making passion.  The model above looks absolutely beautiful; well made and the detailing executed with apparent precision.  Is it yours?  Clearly whoever built it cared very much indeed about the accuracy of features that stand out to them as intrinsic in the creation of a the model.  Whereas the incorrect winch hatch positioning jumps out at those who have a passion for the Wessex, it didn't register at all for me - I didn't even know what it was for, to be honest.  On the other hand I immediately notice when I see a P-51 with panel lines in its wings, or with its wheel wells painted interior green, or the cockpit floor painted interior green, or the wings left natural metal, etc.

 

Having a collective review such as we have here in the WIP section is such an opportunity to learn all kinds of stuff, even if only for interest's sake.  If I ever build one of these again - it's quite possible because my wife wants me to do a blue and red Navy SAR because she loves the colour scheme - I'll definitely move the hatch to the correct placement.  And, in future builds of a Wessex I'll know about all those other things I've become aware of, and those that I'm not yet aware of, and so haven't corrected on this build.  The next one will be better.

 

4 hours ago, Wafu said:

If you want to know more about what your building, follow this page and scroll down..

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that, there's some very useful pics in that thread, and an opportunity to wander down memory lane a little as I've been to a few of those locations many times growing up in Fareham; Fleetlands, Daedalus, Sultan.

 

 

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Really great work Mark....

And I like the motivation too... 

I also must finish my SHAR in time !!

Great corrections too, Congrats my friend !!

CC

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12 hours ago, mark.au said:

Is it yours?

 

It is Mark. It's one I built 7 or 8 years ago now.

Here's a link to the RFI and there's a link to the build thread in there as well in case you ever get bored

The RFI just contains the Wessex, the build thread turned into a bit of a diorama as due to certain members of this forum I was goaded into adding certain items such as an AP, clipboard and pen, Kimwipe roll, cans of MEK and even cans of 7Up & Coke.

 

P4220016.JPG

 

Be warned Mark - several of those thugs are lurking in this thread

 

12 hours ago, mark.au said:

Clearly whoever built it cared very much indeed about the accuracy of features that stand out to them as intrinsic in the creation of a the model.

 

Very kind words Mark, thank you.

 

 

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22 hours ago, DonH said:

Wow, this is great work. Fast progress without breaking sweat.


Thanks!  A swan looks very graceful above water…. 😉

 

11 hours ago, hendie said:

Be warned Mark - several of those thugs are lurking in this thread


Yes, I noticed almost immediately upon opening the link.
 

Full disclosure, I haven’t yet read all of it.  But firstly, your model is exquisite and thank you for linking that thread - for some inexplicable reason I hadn’t found that in my earlier searches.  There’s a quality of the craft exhibited in the WiP thread which I think illustrates the foundation upon which your 3D work is built.  It’s a mindset, I suppose.

 

From what I have so far seen and read, two quotes come to mind.

 

Quote

The more specific we are, the more universal something can become. Life is in the details. If you generalize, it doesn't resonate. The specificity of it is what resonates.

Jacqueline Woodson


 

Quote

Well, don’t I feel like the f*****g a******e?

Col. Nathan R. Jessup.

 

There’s hazard in taking on the classics, the beloved subjects.  I didn’t realise the Wessex is one. I content myself in the knowledge that I am an Impressionist while others are Realist and my Wessex will be a representation rather replication of XT480 - I simply don’t have the patience or skill to be of the latter style.

 

But, thank you again.  None of what I’ve written here is meant to be negative, self deprecating nor critical even (honestly, I really enjoy looking at work and approach which exceeds or simply differs from my own in either quality or aspiration - know thyself, right?), it’s an acknowledgment of style and ability.

 

I hope my Wessex looks very much like the photo of it on page one, just as long as we don’t look too hard at the panel lines or the overscale PE (I think I’m going to have to try something with that winch hatch…) 😉😂

 

Cheers.

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The winch hatch will bedevil eveyrone who has had it pointed out to them.

 

It does me, who worked it  out for hisself.

 

Etch is a cruel aberration spawned by Old Nick, which is why it always looks added on --- oopppsss!

 

I admit to being one of those 'peeps' as defined by Hendie, but like all of us we love the 'plane so sod the details.

 

Good Bill-like catch with the MRGB, make it work.  👍

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11 minutes ago, perdu said:

The winch hatch will bedevil eveyrone who has had it pointed out to them.

 

It does me, who worked it  out for hisself.

 

Etch is a cruel aberration spawned by Old Nick, which is why it always looks added on --- oopppsss!

 

I admit to being one of those 'peeps' as defined by Hendie, but like all of us we love the 'plane so sod the details.

 

Good Bill-like catch with the MRGB, make it work.  👍


And glad I am that you’re here. 

 

Today’s work has been a continuation of the detailing required prior to painting.  I spent most of my time on the conduit that runs from just under the cockpit to the rear of the upper fuselage - what’s that hit called??

 

I started with the kit part but didn’t like it so I went with some brass wire.  It’s ever so slightly over scale but then so is the PE so it all matches 😛

 

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Bending it to shape reminded me of one of the Fleetlands apprenticeship entry tests, the one where we had to bend a piece of wire to match the exam drawing exactly.  I did not pass that test.

 

I added some mounting fixtures with narrow pieces of tape which I sealed with thinned PVA glue.  
 

After that, some faffing around with other bits and pieces.  I really couldn’t do much with that bloody hatch except sand it down somewhat.  Luckily, because it’s too far forward the opened window will mostly cover it.  Almost as if I planned it that way.

 

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I think I shall add the undercarriage structure prior to painting.  The model will have something to stand on and I’ll allow me to add a few more PR bits to the underside where it’s a little less likely that I will knock them off more than once or twice.

 

Cheers.

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Lovely work Mark. All this talk of craftsmanship reminds me of the time at RR training college where the apprentals made a scale brass model of the Whittle engine for Sir Frank's 90th birthday. Impressive work it was (1990 I reckon),

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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Looking good Mark. The winch/hoist drop in door, should be 6mm back from the front engraved line. There are other discrepancies around the main rotorhead. A 1.5mm strip need to added to the aft end of the grill frame. This area aft of it is access for maintenance personnel. The anti slip decal will not fit!!!

The hole in the PE part shouldn't be there, it's a throwback to the H-34's. 

Keep going....

 

Colin

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17 hours ago, heloman1 said:

The winch/hoist drop in door, should be 6mm back from the front engraved line.

 

This just didn't seem right so I matched a side-on photo with the model.

 

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If anything, I have cheated the photo of the model forward in this overlay.  The red rectangle is the kit's hatch and the yellow is the real thing.  I'm not saying this is a perfect photo overlay, and I'm certainly not saying that the winch hatch is in the right place.  I am saying that the winch hatch as attached isn't 6mm too far forward.

 

It's also clear to me that Italeri do have some dimensional and layout errors in this kit, the most obvious on this comparison is that the windows are too far aft.

 

17 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Looking good Mark.  [snip] There are other discrepancies around the main rotorhead. A 1.5mm strip need to added to the aft end of the grill frame. This area aft of it is access for maintenance personnel. The anti slip decal will not fit!!!

The hole in the PE part shouldn't be there, it's a throwback to the H-34's. 

Keep going....

 

Colin

 

Thanks Colin.  I'm not sure what you mean by the 1.5mm strip...?  I don't have a gap there - do you mean a strip overlaid at the edge of the grill frame?  I'll be painting the anti-slip, and I've already scribed the missing panel line for the access hatch.  I'm not going to be able to do anything about the hole in the PE, at least unless mine or someone else's inspiration can suggest a solution.

 

17 hours ago, AliGauld said:

Looking, well, just wow so far.

Looking  forward to paint.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

 

Thanks Alistair, me too!  I hope to get it close to ready tonight.  But then I'm off to Perth [Western Australia] for the remainder of the week.  Maybe on the weekend I'll get to start with the painting.

 

Cheers.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I came close to giving up on this one.  A combination of factors began to suck the joy out of it.  The easiest of those factors to comprehend is the sheer pickiness of the detailing and the struggles with the PE and my eyesight 🤦‍♂️.  

 

The less easy to comprehend are the actual root cause(s) of the foregoing.  I realised I was no longer building this one for me, I was building it for the thugs, as @hendie labeled them (a label it should be said is one I am quite certain is based in friendship and respect).  I began to second guess everything; question if it was good enough, accurate enough, clever enough, expertly executed enough.  You get the idea.

 

None of this is rational and is entirely self generated, there is no blame to be apportioned anywhere for this except towards me.

 

So I took a step back and resolved to simply build it as best I can, warts and all.  It’s not totally accurate, but it’s a great vehicle to practice some techniques I’m not strong in, and it’ll still look very much like a Wessex HU5 when I’m done.  To me, at least.

 

Over the last week or so I’ve worked through the above, and the model, taking it as far as I’m going to in terms of detail.  There’s a couple of bits and pieces still to add, but they’ll go on after painting.  Here’s the current state of play;

 

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In the end, I didn’t even cheat the hoist forward.  I temporarily attached those posts to the U/C so the bottom is well clear of the desk while painting.  The front end looks thus…

 

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Next, we paint.

 

Cheers.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, mark.au said:

So I took a step back and resolved to simply build it as best I can, warts and all.

Mark,

 

That is all we can ever do - the minute it stops being fun is the time to take that step back. And just by the way, your best is far better than most of us will ever achieve,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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all that extra detailing will be worth it in the end Mark - it's looking great and should really look the business under paint.   There's a myriad of greebles on a Wessex and no-one, least of all me, gets them all, and gets them all right. Just build to what makes you feel good and what you're comfortable with.  Going by your past builds, I am sure this is going to look fantastic when you're done

 

The thing about those thugs is that you can a) ignore them, and b) get them back on their own threads.  :D

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Certainly glad you didn't pavk this one in  I am sure it will look awesome Mark.  Once it stops being fun step away and come back with a fresh perspective and all hopefully is good again.

Looking forward to seeing the paint ho on and those details pop.

Great work fella

Chris

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It looks great to me but you can only build for yourself.

It doesn't matter to me how strictly accurate something is I just build what I can and more importantly that I'm happy to do.

Keep up the sterling work.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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