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Tim's Valom Albermarle - COMPLETED.


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Rejoining with an aircraft.  This Valom 1/72 Albermarle,

Valom-Albermarle.jpg

that a Jet Age colleague has asked me to build.  Albermarles were build at Hucclecote - so local interest.

There is a road in Churchdown called Albermarle, which I can use on my drive to Jet Age.

 

I've only ever seen this particular aircraft photoed.  Some etch and instrument panel in there with the decals.

01-decals.jpg

 

Resin parts.

02-resin.jpg

 

And plastic.  Itterior parts being painted Humbrol 80 green.

03-Interior-H80.jpg
 

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This not very well known aircraft is one that has always interested me so I will be watching to see how it comes out. I have always thought that like the Vickers Warwick it was hampered by the design specification - with the Warwick it was 2 x  R-R Vulture engines and with the Albemarle the insistence that it be built of wood and steel with production dispersed and each individual section being small enough to be transported for assembly on a standard RAF "Queen Mary". Designed as a medium bomber at a time when it was expected that there would be a shortage of strategic materials and the British aircraft industry would be severely damaged by the Luftwaffe, in fact that never happened but the end result was a medium bomber with less than impressive performance, and which arrived at a time in 1942 when the RAF was switching to four engined "heavies", so it was modified as a transport. Incidentally it started life as a Bristol design, and although A-W redesigned it the nose still looks like a big Blenheim Mk IV! Still, over 600 were built so I am pleased somebody eventually made an injection kit of it, unlike the Warwick though I believe Alley Cat were rumoured to be looking at one.

 

A review I have seen suggests that the cockpit floor and the canopies can be a problem and that the tail endplates may be on the small size.

https://www.hyperscale.com/2011/features/albermarle72rs_1.htm

 

Pete

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All RAF bombers were designed to be broken down for transport on a Queen Mary, so that's no excuse for the Albemarle.  In truth it was a predictably underperforming design from the requirements, and a general lack of interest in medium day bombers from the RAF.

 

The Warwick's problem was less the Vultures than the production demand for the Wellington.   Again, the RAF was never all that interested in bombers of this intermediate size.

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On 4/23/2023 at 10:38 AM, Trevor L said:

That's a new one on me.

Is it related to the B25 Mitchell?

No - not in any way.  Just has a similar configuration.

@PeterB's post pretty much covers how the Albermarle came onto being - thanks.    Local interest for me.

 

My preferred route to Jet Age is currently blocked by a bridge repair over the M5. 

Leaving me with a choice between a route from the East of Jet Age  - with a bit of roadworks for a cycle path,

or a route from the west, via Albermarle and Churchdown - with a lot of roadworks for a new double-roundabout, and more of that cycle path. 

Albermarle-Road.jpg

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2 hours ago, CliffB said:

IIRC it was also used as a glider tug?

That's what this one is Cliff.  There's something sticking out under the tail - presumably a guide to prevent the towing cable from fouling the tail surfaces.

Also used for dropping airborne troops.

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4 hours ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

That's what this one is Cliff.  There's something sticking out under the tail - presumably a guide to prevent the towing cable from fouling the tail surfaces.

Also used for dropping airborne troops.

The tubular frame was to prevent the parachutist static line and deployment bag from fouling the gap between the elevator and tailplane. A similar arrangement can be seen to this day on the Skyvan used to train UK paratroops.

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Thanks for all the added information.

Now here's the cockpit.

05-Cockpit.jpg

As with my previous Valom kit, this Bristol Bombay, I'm not really enjoying.

Confused, and mis-numbered parts in the cockpit. The seats are highly fragile, so the nav and pilot's are replaced from my spares.

Vague instructions with no real placement guidance, and huge potential for parts to obstruct a good fit of the fuselage - I've missed for bits out.

And the nose wheel bay has gone missing.  Scratching from plasticard is about to happen.

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Great choice, I think you are going to need every bit of weight you can fit into this one, it's the very definition of tail heavy  !

Best of luck

 

Cheers Pat 

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  • 1 month later...

The reason this build has stalled, is that the nose glazing doesn't fit.

I've just stretched it over a boiling kettle, and think that it might be a better fit now.

Also it requires loads of nose weight, and I'm reluctant to drill holes into cockpit and nose to install more.

If more is required, it will have to go behind the engines.

Resuming normal service again now.

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9 hours ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Thanks for that thought Jeroen,  I certainly hope so.  I'm very aware of the deadline drawing in.

Nothing wrong with a nice little deadline 🙂 

 

It would be great to see this one in the gallery.

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I always smile when I see the outside of the exhaust collector ring painted a metallic colour, but the inside painted the interior colour.

 

 

 

Chris

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