Vickers Valentia, Contrail 1/72

[JWM]

Hi

There are less then two months till the end, so maybe it is too few time to complete that complex build like Contrail Valentia, but I decided to at least try...

Some time ago I received as a result of a trade not virgin (and not complete) set of parts of Vickers Velantia from a legendary and classic vacu multi-model kit by Contrail...  

A year ago there was a thread with research on Valentia, it is here 

I think I know already enough details to start build.... But any support, additional data will be welcomed. 

The model I received was already cut out from a vacu sheet, some interior was done (but maybe needs some improvements), the fuselage halves were glued together but I separated them. Similar with upper wing, on photo below showing all parts (incomplete - without all stuts) upper wing is in one piec, but I manage to separate it already. I am going to cut out the ailerons in attempt to get more realistic look at the end. Here are the parts:

I hope the build is not exceeding required < 20% of advance and it fulfills the GB (Big and British) condition . I  am going to do machine from RAF, 1941.

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

 

 

 

  

[Mr T]

Your build might spur me into having a go at the Virginia. For those who didn't know, Contrail produced a multi kit from which it was possible to build at least two (or three) different  Virginias, a Victoria and a Valentia. I don't mean you had a choice of which one to build, you could build them all. 

[PeterB]

Yes, I remember that - cost about £10 as I recall and I was very tempted, but it never happened. It will be interesting to see how it turns out!

 

Pete

[CliffB]

An excellent choice J-W 

[JWM]

I started with removing of nose gunner, since I want to do a WW2 machine without gunner turret at nose. 

However first was to remove a failure on one wing part

 

So I cut it and removed the displacement area, then glued it with back supporting piece of plastic sheet

 

The nose turret

 

I cut it out

 

Gave also backing support plastic and cover with body putty

 

The final shaping of the nose will be done after closing the fuselage. You may note on above photo, that I sanded down also all evacuation holes "pins" from fuselage outsides...

 

To be continied

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

I started work on wings. I cut out the ailerons (in vacu kit it is always the best choice) and added two spars in each wing:

 

The aft spars are made from a 1 mm thick plastic sheet (card), the same I use to do leading edges of ailerons:

 

I left it overnight to dry....

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[Adam Poultney]

That's quite a big biplane, a good fit for the group build.  

[JWM]

More basic work on wings was done.  So I glued the main pieces with some battle for dihedral:

 

They looks now like that:

 

I cut out the bottom of fuselage to make the crossing with wings  possible

 

But first I will have to make corrections on wings surfaces...The ribs and all that stuff. The ribs in model are engraved and should be of course raised. The next things are the slots missed in model. 

BTW - has Valentis flaps? There is a cut out of trailing areas of wings but they are no flaps I thing (I never seen the flaps lowered)

 

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PeterB]

On 5/12/2022 at 11:39 PM, JWM said:

 

BTW - has Valentis flaps? There is a cut out of trailing areas of wings but they are no flaps I thing (I never seen the flaps lowered)

 

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

None of my sources mention or show flaps but looking at the only underside view I can find I can see your problem

The hinge line of the ailerons seems to continue as far as the outer edge of the wheel legs which does make it look like there were flaps of some kind. Incidentally the pic is of a Victoria "converted to Valentia standards" and used as an engine test bed, or so the caption says.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited May 14, 2022 by PeterB

[JWM]

Hi,

What was done inside (a rows of seats) would be perhaps OK for a civil variant but I have found in net that insides of Valentia was differently furnished, with removable seats along walls

https://www.martinwilkinson.co.uk/images/victoria5.jpg

https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/195058408832_/Vickers-Victoria-Interior-Original-Vintage-Vickers-Charles-E.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSi8Oc_ESCCey8atVZnhvBKaRkbHZVPVnx2gzyl2jzvkEftfOl2M52LiOGTRRRbpQ_TUXo&usqp=CAU

Not too much is seen regarding the cockpit beside that there were arc windows on both sides, and on left side there were doors between the pilot cockpit and  cargo/passengers compartment

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSi8Oc_ESCCey8atVZnhvBKaRkbHZVPVnx2gzyl2jzvkEftfOl2M52LiOGTRRRbpQ_TUXo&usqp=CAU

Here is suggestion that there were full circle steering wheels http://elpoderdelasgalaxias.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/6a00d83542d51e69e2017c3336b591970b.jpg

but of one of photos from previous links it seems that it is a modern style 2x1/4 of circle (so without top and bottom quarters of circle - like it was in Lancaster, for instance) 

Here it is 3/4 of circle:

 

 

The instruction ( https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/4/7/4/244474-10-instructions.pdf ) says nothing on this...

However finally I have found photo of cockpit!

http://www.70squadron.roselake.co.uk/jgwalker/jgw019.jpg

 

So I can go no!

Regards

J-W

 

 

[JWM]

Hi 

So, as decribed in previous post, I decided to change the insides. I decided also to do the windows in other style - not a each window separate but a piece of clear sheet masked for individual windows. 

I have removed all seats, glued a clear stripes  in sides of fuselage halves  and did new arrangement of cockpit

 

I painted it with Humbrol 64 (please note the windows between the cockpit and passenger/cargo  compartment

 

On abobe the windows are glued! They are that much clear, that are not visible! I am not kidding... 

I started shaping of ailerons as well

 

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

[JWM]

Hi, 

The windows:

 

I made some elements inside , more or less following this photo https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSi8Oc_ESCCey8atVZnhvBKaRkbHZVPVnx2gzyl2jzvkEftfOl2M52LiOGTRRRbpQ_TUXo&usqp=CAU

 

And instrument pannel (a bit what if, since no documents were really seen by me)

As well as pilots seats

 

So I closed the fuselage!

 

I started to work on wings surfaces. The bottom sides loks rally poor (the ribs are engraved)

So I did some initial work on bottom wings

 

The upper surfaces look s a bit better, however still the ribs are engraved 

 

 

 

I will try not to overdone them...

 

To be cont.

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

[JWM]

Hi,

As I mentioned, the bottom sides of wings have surface made very poor. I started to improve the lower wing first. I glued the ribs made of stretched sprue.

When I glued all those elements I smeared the Tamiya putty

Then I sanded it

 

 

I started similar work on bottom side of upper wing.

 

I cut out and glued the tail elements

 

and engine gondolas

 

In construction of engines I will use main parts of Bristol engines from Potez XXV by Frrom. There are spare engines in both Lorrain or Hispano boxes of Potez XXV kit.

I started also to do surface details on fuselage

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

I continued work on improving (I hope) the look of fuselage surface

The rear fuselage fabric cover. I glued stretched sprues using Tamiya liquid polly (low-viscosity glue)  

Then I smeared the Tamiya putty along those fibres

 

 

 

 

The nose got desired shape

I glued bottom wing and fuselage together 

 

The  fairing on bottom side

 

This is set of parts I worked on already. 

 

To be cont.

Regards

J-W

 

 

[PeterB]

Hi J-W,

 

Lot of work but it should be worth it in the end. Over the years I bough a fair few WWI biplanes in vac-form but never quite managed to get round to building them as the wings looked pretty difficult - mind you they were nearly all single part wings unlike this kit. In the end I gave away all of them, mostly to Pat who seems to have more enthusiasm for that type of kit. I would have quite liked to do several of them as they were ones not as yet done in injection moulding but my hands and eyes are getting a bit too old for that sort of work. With luck I may managed to build the various Roden and Eastern Express WWI planes in my stash including the Gotha GIV/V and I know from previous experience that the Airfix HP 0/400 is easy enough both to build and rig so I really should get it done. If I knew for certain we were going to get an extension I might even try it in this GB assuming the Stirling does not run into problems!

 

Pete

[JWM]

Peter, I appreciate your comment. The vacu kits brings a specific joy of work on, I am not that much experienced, I think Valentia is only mine 15th or 16th  build of a vacu kit...

Today I glued ailerons on lower wind and fins

 

Regards

J-W

 

[PeterB]

20 hours ago, JWM said:

Peter, I appreciate your comment. The vacu kits brings a specific joy of work on, I am not that much experienced, I think Valentia is only mine 15th or 16th  build of a vacu kit...

 

 

That's a lot more than I ever managed. To the best of my knowledge, although I started  one or two more and abandoned them, the only ones I ever completed were a Scorpion, Banshee, Cutlass, FJ Fury and the Rareplanes Vulcan - all planes that were then unavailable in injection!

 

Pete

 

 

[JWM]

2 hours ago, PeterB said:

That's a lot more than I ever managed. To the best of my knowledge, although I started  one or two more and abandoned them, the only ones I ever completed were a Scorpion, Banshee, Cutlass, FJ Fury and the Rareplanes Vulcan - all planes that were then unavailable in injection!

 

Pete

Pete, interesting set of less known jets from early times of cold war. However I think you meant "available" - since AFAIR they were available in 1/72....

 

My vacu set starts with 1. Rareplane CW21 done in 1981, then 2. Formaplane IK3 (also 1981), then 10 years break of modelling at all and within next 15 years  I did next four: 3. Contrail Northrop N3PB, 4. Broplan PWS 10 and 5. RWD 13, 6. Aviastend UT-1. In last few years I did the remaining group:  6. MPM Polikarpov R5, 7. Broplan MF11 Hover, 8. Broplan Blackburn Ripon, , 9. Cambat planes Boeing 314 Clipper, 10 Broplan Dewoitine 338,  11. Broplan Shcherbakov Shche 2, 12. Broplan Caproni 111,  There are three more half-vacu: 13. Broplan conversion of Academy Catalina into Nomad, 14. scratch conversion of Broplan Potez XXV into Potez 29 and 15, scratch conversion of Airfix Sunderland into Empire using vacu fuselage - the one home made by @AdrianMF , This three last conversions make counting a bit complicated...Do they counts or not?  I count them. BTW - I think all were shown on RFI, of course all in 1/72. In stash I have still more than 20 vacu kits and some are really tempting me strongly to start right now!  Especially Savoias SM 74 and 75 or Junkers Ju 90... In mine vacu set not all are available as injected kits, some are  and some are available as resin kits. Few are still available only as vacu. There are good injection kits of CW21, IK3, N3PB, RWD 13, UT-1, R5. That all I think. 

Regards

J-W 

[PeterB]

43 minutes ago, JWM said:

Pete, interesting set of less known jets from early times of cold war. However I think you meant "available" - since AFAIR they were available in 1/72....

 

 

No I did mean then unavailable as we are talking about the 1970's and early 1980's I think, but perhaps I should have said they were in 1/72 as ones in some other scales may have existed earlier.  Since then I have replaced all with injection kits that either came out later, or which I was unaware even existed as back in those days all the info I had was either from adverts in magazines though later I started getting the Hannants printed catalogue - this pre-dates the internet which I did not get on to until the late 1980's if not indeed a bit later! For example the Airmodel Scorpion was early 1980's but the Hobbycraft injection one was 10 years later, the Rareplanes FJ-4 Fury was about the same in relation to the Emhar one, as was their Cutlass and the Fujimi injection one I must get round to building. The Airmodel F2H Banshee was early 1970's and again around 10 years before the Airfix kit, whilst the Rareplanes Vulcan pre-dated the Airfix one by around 5 years. I actually have the first moulding Airfix one to build sometime and had intended to build it in this GB had time permitted.

 

Anyway, you clearly have much more recent experience than me, and you will no doubt need it. Except for the Vulcan which had very substantial wings, and maybe the Cutlass, the worst problem I had was the wings drooping - should have reinforced them I guess. The Scorpion was particularly bad for that with a long thin wing with tanks on the ends, The other problem was of course things like the undercarriages, but at least they did not need props!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[JWM]

Pete, now it is clear.... I have not got properly the tense, I am sorry ... The reinforcements of structure is something one must do, Apparently I was aware on this from very beginning by some more experienced friends. I used also a replacements for props if I only could do this... Some erratum I have to add to my last post. I looked on my shelves and found three more vacu formed model I forget about in my list, all by Rare plane: Seversky P35, Republic Laner and Breda 65 done in early 1990s.. That makes that Valentia is not #16 but #19 on my list!

I was also tempted by replacing my old vacu build by new injected kits, especially in cases of Breda 65, CW21 Sev P35. The AZ Breda is so nicely detailed... So far I did not done it. Similar temptation I have with my past scratch builds (Grumman FF or Ikarus IK2 and many others. BTW, I have problem of bent wings in my scratached Percival Petrel, I have to correct it before an injected kit will be issued...  

I remember from 1970. - I did injected kit of Cutlass by Aurora, but it was very poor one and looking strange, maybe a prototype? Later I focused only in 1935-45

Regards

J-W

P.S>One more I forget about - the SAI 207 converted from a  SAI 403...(Polish S-model vacu...). This makes Valentia number 20!

Edited June 9, 2022 by JWM

[PeterB]

No apology needed. You have some nice kits there - always fancied a P-35 and I have a faint recollection of actually building a Lancer - injection and no idea of make as it is long gone. As to the Cutlass the early prototypes did look quite a bit different to the production versions I think.

 

Pete

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff Jerzy

I have the Contrail box of 5 kits, very tempting to start one, after following this build.

Best of luck.

Cheers Pat

[JWM]

I tried to paint fuselage with thinned Humbrol 225 (Middle stone), just to see how the surface looks like

 

But first I should finish the upper wing.

Regards

J-W

 

[Sandeha Lynch]

Happy to note that I found an unopened Contrail box with the five Vickers biplanes, all intact and complete. 

 

I've just scanned the plans. Given the monogram at bottom right I guess these must date from 1979. It's gonna be tough ... it says, for example, "Cut wing struts to correct length" but without any hint as to what that length should be. Well, life was pretty tough in the 70s. 😉

 

composite 04 by Sandeha Lynch, on Flickr

 

composite 02 by Sandeha Lynch, on Flickr

 

If you follow through to Flickr you'll find them at full size.

 

I'm only going to build the Valentia Transport so that means the other four, the Virginia VII and X, the Victoria and the Valentia Gunship will all be packed up for sale on eBay. I haven't yet made enough contributions to post an advertisement on Britmodeller, but anybody interested could set up an alert on eBay (UK) - I'll be posting them there in a couple of weeks.

 

I'll be coming back to your thread again and again, J-W, as you're doing a cracking job.

 

Here's the version I'll be making: K3604, 216 Sqn (Heliopolis). The photo was taken at Malakal, now South Sudan, by my dad on 8 Jan 1939, en route from Khartoum to Nairobi.

 

l002 by Sandeha Lynch, on Flickr

 

It'll be a build for the winter months.

[JWM]

 

Thank you,,,, Apparently this late spring and summer I have much less time for modelling that I was expected, But I am going to continue his thread. 

Regards

J-W